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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The definitive power pop album of all time, September 25, 2001
I am not overexaggerating when I say that Jellyfish are the yardstick by which all other powerpop should be judged.I came across this album approximately ten years ago and I am not kidding when I say that it changed my life and introduced me to a world of melodic pop heaven. The Jellyfish lineup was unbelievable :
Andy Sturmer ,lead vocals and drums plus chief songwriter
Roger Manning Jnr , keyboard wizard and co-songwriter
Jason Falkner - lead guitarist and harmony vocals.
The fact that Falkner who is a genius in his own right took third billing in this band says a lot about the quality here (sadly this was a contributing factor to their demise). The album opens with the low key "The Man I Used to Be" but this is a foretaste of the riches to come.
"That Is Why" showcases the harmony vocals and Falkner's faultless guitar playing."The King Is Half Undressed" is quasi-psychedelic and is an obvious nod to the Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour".
"I Wanna Stay Home" is low tempo and reflective.
"She Still Loves Him" is again a low key reflective number.
"All I Want is Everything" is only so-so.
"Now She knows she's wrong" is where the pace picks up a bit.
This is one of the highlights of the album.Manning plays a harpsichord and the effect is breathtaking.
"Bedspring Kiss" starts off with a lounge jazz feel but ends up as a mournful song about drug addiction...beautifully sung by Sturmer (as usual).
"Baby's Coming Back" was a US hit and deservedly so.It has a brilliant catchy chorus and is pure bubblegum pop.
"Calling Sarah" is the closer and the quality control is a good here as elsewhere. The greatest tragedy about this band is the fact that they are no more.A talent as magnificent as this could never last.What they left us with were some fabulous songs and memories.
If you don't have this album, I feel sorry for you..I urge you to get this.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ah, the late great Jellyfish, January 4, 2004
I was bored and decided to look up music on this site. I thought about my favorite albums of all time, and Jellyfish's two albums popped right into my mind.
"Jellyfish? You ever heard of them?" I said to my friend as we were setting up the stage for the show at my old school in the early 90s. They were the opening band for Tears for Fears (it was a smaller university and that's the best they could do).
"Nah. What stupid name for a band" he replied.
Later when the show started and we were in our "CREW" shirts working the crowd, I hear my friend from across the stage, in true ignorant-bastard form, taunt Jellyfish as they took the stage.
"Play some Skynard, Man!" I guess he had seen too many bad opening bands and figured these guys were no-talent hacks who were happy to be opening for a has-been band.
Undaunted by my friend's taunts and the cackles of hundreds of other college students, they go slamming into "Joining a Fanclub." Half way into the song, my mouth gaping, I looked over at my friend. Brian stared back at the same time with the same look of shock on his face. I just stood there in absolute amazement, watching this band I'd never heard of blow me away. Their sound was so tight, so full of energy, and my Lord those harmonies were so on! Wow! I kept waiting for an average-sounding song so I could find Brian and talk to him about this incredible band but the only break we got was when they were done.
We later met the band, and my friend apologized to them. They laughed about it, and I could tell that they were just happy we enjoyed it. They were very nice, down-to-earth musicians (not like Ed from Live the following year).
I picked up "Spilt Milk" shortly after the concert, and it was an instant favorite. Then I bought "Bellybutton" and was equally pleased. They weren't as good as they were live, but they were still good enough to both make my "Top 100 CDs" rack, and they haven't left it yet. Do yourself a huge favor and get these albums!
I see people have recommended other CDs to Jellyfish fans. Some good choices, but I'd add Imperial Drag (for obvious reasons since you'll find some familiar names - not the same caliber as Jellyfish but still enjoyable), The Tories, and maybe Sloan.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A forgotten gem, April 13, 2003
I was only thirteen when I saw The King Is Half Undressed on MTV, and I had to get the album after only hearing the song once. It quickly became one of my favorite albums. Looking back, I wasn't very picky about what music I listened to back then, and some of the stuff I loved in my youth doesn't sound very good to me anymore (Bon Jovi anyone?) When I decided to give this album another listen a year ago, I discovered that I liked it even more than I did as a kid, if that's possible. This is one of a very few albums that doesn't have a bad song on it. Songs like The King Is Half Undressed make you realize why this music is called "power" pop. Baby's Coming Back, the song that came the closest to making Jellyfish stars, is one of the catchiest songs I've ever heard. Really, you can listen to this album over and over again and never get tired of it. If you don't have this album yet, you have really stumbled across hidden treasure. Hopefully some day this album will get the recognition it deserves, but until then, at least YOU can experience it!
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