Jelly Jam

The Jelly Jam | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 19, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Inside Out U.S.
• ASIN: B00005T61I
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,820 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #68 in Music > Indie Music > Rock > Hard Rock & Metal

Track Listings

1. I Can't Help You

2. No Remedy

3. Nature

4. Nature's Girl

5. Feeling

6. Reliving

7. The Jelly Jam

8. I Am The King

9. The King's Dance

10. Wind On The Way

11. Under The Tree

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What does a three-legged platypus sound like?, July 2, 2002

By 

spiral_mind (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jelly Jam (Audio CD)

I'm speaking metaphorically, as what we have here is the side project Platypus after one member has left. (Would this make Jelly Jam a side project of a side project? I'm not sure.) Derek Sherinian and his array of keyboards are off propelling Planet X somewhere else, which leaves Ty Tabor, John Myung and Rod Morgenstein to carry on without him. Hhmmmm.. that means I can't primarily compare them to Deep Purple anymore since Derek's B-3 was the main similarity. I'd say they sound much more like Rush now, but keep in mind that any such simple comparison is inherently inadequate. If they only sounded like a ripoff of someone else, I wouldn't be giving this disc four stars.

So then - take Jelly Jam on its own merits and you'll find a whole lot of variety within the basic power-trio format. Ty's recent solo work and his stint as a frontman for Platypus has really helped him develop his impressive lead skills here. His intelligent pop sensibility is all over the ear-pleasing melodies, his lead vocals are growing by leaps and bounds, and his guitar work (check the title track and "The King's Dance") is nothing short of phenomenal. If I seem to be giving the impression that Ty's the star here, well.. that's mostly the case. This isn't to say the others are lacking in any way. Morgenstein proves yet again why he's one of the most respected unknowns in the business. (On a side note - if you're at all curious about hearing him take part in some more amazing jazz fusion music, go buy anything and everything by the Dixie Dregs. You'll thank me later.) I'm glad Myung has an outlet besides Dream Theater for his almost-superhuman instrumental talent. Where he's mostly a lurking shadow in DT, here he's audible, crunchy and damn near on fire. These guys rock harder than most anyone fifteen years younger that you could name.

In overall sound this is very close to the first Platypus release (When Pus Comes to Shove) - it's got the same sunny tone, same hard rocking spirit, same killer sound mix. It might even be more likable for those hard rock purists who don't like too much in the way of keyboards. Whatever the case.. it's a good highlight in this year's releases so far and definitely worth checking out for people who already like Platypus or the Dregs. The guys themselves are having so much fun with this project that they started recording Jelly Jam 2 before this one was even released. Wait for a nice sunny day, get on the highway, start spinning this disc and don't look back.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The album you knew they were capable of..., April 27, 2002

By 

David Koblentz "King's X Guru" (Edison, New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jelly Jam (Audio CD)

Put 3 great players in a room, what do you get? It depends. In this case, wow, we are treated to a very complete sounding album (incredible considering it was written and recorded in about 2 weeks time!). This is no longer Platypus as D. Sherinan has left and the band decided to go with the power trio format (not a real stretch for ty, eh?). We get bathed in lush harmonies, beautiful cymbal work from Rod, and we can finally hear Myung on the bass! On first listen the album grabs you by the ear and pulls you along with "I Cant Help You" which segways into the funky (boy does that guitar riff sound sweet) number "No Remedy". The listener is given a brief respite with the interlude track "Nature" but then is slammed over the head with a ton of bricks by the finger breaking "Nature's Girl" (which has a fantastic chorus). Ty fans who want more growl and guts from Ty (his solo CDs are a bit too pop for my taste) have their call answered on this release. "Feeling" really sounds like Moonflower Lane (ty's second solo CD) material but has an AMAZING vocal harmony part in the middle...it's bone chillingly good. "Reliving" is another soft number with ties to ty's divorce (see his solo album 'safety' for that whole scene). We are then treated to an impromptu studio jam "the jelly jam" with some nice non-shred guitar soloing (choice!). We are taken out of this dream land of floating harmonies with the raucous drumming Rod displays on "I am the King". Myung also shines on this track. "The King's Dance" is another interlude or can be seen as the exit solo to the previous track. "Under the Tree" recalls Beatle's yellow sub vocals with a touch of jethro tull, a touch of rush (say the second side of moving pictures) and some acoustic elements. wow. Over all this is one of the most satisfying albums (in the 'side project' genre) to come down the pike.
Why 4 out of 5?
detractors:
1) album is short, especially if you remove the filler tracks (interludes). it satisfies me personally but some may see it as short (at around 45min)
2) there is a serious "lull" in the middle of the album after Nature's Girl. Just be ready for it. The energy between 5-7 is much lower than the startling opening tracks. 5-7 are non-car tracks, 1-4 rock your mirrors off.
3) there are some production quirks (pops, a few glitches here and there)
This CD is worth picking up, just for Nature's Girl alone.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ex-Platypii hit home run, March 20, 2002

By 

Worgelm "The Grumpy" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jelly Jam (Audio CD)

A tremendous album, from front to back, light on ballads and sporting a no-nonsense approach to drum-and-guitar shred attitude. _Ice Cycles_ represented a step forward for this group, as Ty pulled out a bunch of strong, moody compositions upon which the band arrived at the sum of its parts. Here, minus one Sherinian, the "power trio" format is augmented from some subtly amazing vocal work and snarling guitar from Ty; urgent yet eloquent drumming from Morgenstein; and sneaky, yet fulfilling chops from a typically low-key Myung.

Not much to complain about here, heres one reviewer's highlight reel: "Nature/Nature's Girl" starts with moody clean Ty guitars but screams out wound so tight you couldnt slip a credit card through the time signature; "Feeling" skates over a descending chorus riff, building an amazing, almost "Pleiades"-like tension until an operatic release (the snippet on tytabor.net was indeed the track that got me excited about this release); the massive song island "The Jelly Jam/I Am The King/The King's Dance" gives the shredophiles exactly what they need, in kindly-measured doses of prog, funk and soloing, ending on a smoking Ty solo that has to be a career highlight; Finally the psychadelic-folk-metal of "Under The Tree" ends on a mystical note with some alternatively sensitive and thundering percussion by Morgenstein.