Customer Reviews

Spilt Milk

5 star:		(113)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Having enjoyed "Bellybutton" so much, this release was eagerly anticipated, and did not disappoint in the least. Sort of a 90's update of "Sergeant Pepper," the band covers a lot of musical ground in a dream concept. Beginning with the gentle, Queen-like a-capella "Hush" to the overblown, hallucinogenic carnival sounds of "Brighter Day," from the feedback roar of "All Is Forgiven" flowing into the peaceful acoustic "Russian Hill," I never fail to be impressed by the craft of the whole effort. The instrumentation runs a bizarre gamut of guitars, harpsichord, organs, banjo, brass...the vocal harmonies echoing Queen (of course), the Beach Boys, the Beatles and the Association. Hard songs, mellow songs, even a polka thrown in for good measure. This is one of those disks that I can listen to for days on end without tiring. Irresistably cheerful and upbeat and always amazing. Perhaps best of all, the disc ends where it begins, so I can go right back to track 1 for another listen. All of the songs are standouts. The music world should be mourning the breakup of Jellyfish, one of the truly great bands to emerge from the decade. I was lucky enough to see them twice on the "Spilt Milk" tour, and I was shocked at how much they were able to duplicate the incredible production on the album in a live setting. With brilliant songwriting, production and musicianship, "Spilt Milk" most definitely gets my 5 stars. It is truly a pop classic.

It is only a matter of time before the grungy, negative haze that was 90s rock and has morphed in to Nu-Metal falls out of fashion and people realize that in the angst driven fuzz of Nirvana and the minions of Nirvanawannabes, a truly brilliant American band was overlooked. The band was Jellyfish and their two albums of pop bliss will one day reach a level of cult respectibility not seen since Big Star, the early 70s power-pop group lead by Alex Chilton and Chris Bell, that thankfully was re-discovered in the late-80s and finally given some respect.

Jellyfish never enjoyed large crowds at their shows. They never had a hit song (although they came close with "Baby's Coming Back," and "The King Is Half Undressed," which had some video play on MTV). They didn't have a gold record, or even sell enough records to get half way to gold.

But they did record 2 albums worth of pop gems, meticulously crafted to the point where they were too good for their own good. The music was far too polished and happy for the grunge wave that hit just as they were getting started. Jellyfish was definitely a band in the right musical place at the wrong time. Thankfully these albums are still in print (for now) and folks who hear "Spilt Milk" for the first time can still experience the initial chills up the spine when they hear "New Mistake," and wonder what "My Best Friend" is all about, before it finally clicks ("A-Ha! I get it now. It's about. . .). "Bellybutton" and "Spilt Milk" are beautiful albums, with the latter enjoying a few more production tricks. If you want to dig deeper into the world of Jellyfish, check out the Merrymakers, a pop group from Sweden, who were lucky enough to have Andy Sturmer of Jellyfish sit in on drums and pen a few tunes ("April's Fool" is about as good as anything he wrote for Jellyfish - "She packed in January, She left in February, It took til March to realize that I was April's fool"). And then there's Jason Falkner's solo stuff, Roger Manning's Moog Cookbook, Puffy Ami Yumi, The Grays, Logan's Sanctuary, the Black Crowes (if you know which album Andy Sturmer helped make good), and other projects where ex-Jellyfish members pop up (how about Andy and Roger on Ringo Starr's "Weight of the World," where they also appear in the video).

It is too bad that things appealing to the lowest common denominator usually succeed in this world, but it is wonderful to know things as beautiful as Jellyfish can still exist, even if only a few people are lucky enough to experience them. If you love the Beatles, XTC, the Beach Boys, Cheap Trick and/or Queen (in other words, good pop/rock), you must listen to Jellyfish. You'll be glad you did.

Okay, how many cds do you own that you can say this about: I remember the very first time i heard this cd about 4 years ago. I remember sitting on my bed after i pressed play, and this huge grin just spreading across my face. I was in love at first listen! These guys are amazing! The perfect production, strong vocals, and varied music styles from the classical strings on "Hush" to the guitar rock on "Joining a Fan Club" to the polka style of "Bye Bye Bye", achieve masterpiece status. The lyrics tell some interesting stories as well. I love that 70's groove they invoke on "New Mistake." Complete with sound effects and atmospheric arrangements, they've thought of everything to round out this album to its keeper status. The fact that the band broke up is a shame, and i have only heard Jason Falkner's solo efforts, both of which are good but do not touch this greatness. I will admit, Jellyfish had given themselves a sort of silly image with their wierd hippie/costume clothing, but the music is far from silly. The Queen references can't be ignored, but there's so much more here. This is another one of those desert island discs, and always will be, ever since the time i bought it for a few bucks in a used cd store. Makes you wonder what kind of person would give it away.

I am not that easily persuaded into giving albums 5 star ratings. Which means that I consider the second and final album from Jellyfish to be of importance to the music world at large. It didn't even break the top 100 when it was released in 1993, but when you listen to the leap from their dazzling power-pop "Bellybutton" debut and the conceptual undertaking of this, you will begin to wish Jellyfish had held together long enough to expand on this brilliant album.

At the radio paper I was editing in 1993, I listed "Spilt Milk" as one of the 10 best albums of the year. They mixed all the best elements of the seventies (you'll hear Queen, ELO, Supertramp, Raspberries) with the zippy pop of the sixties (Beatles, Beach Boys, Badfinger) to stunning effect. The overall sound of "Spilt Milk," however, is pure Jellyfish. Some 15 years later I can still take this CD out and listen to it from start to finish without growing tired of it. Jellyfish covered the ground from dreamy echo of Led Zepplin on "Russian Hill" to the pun-filled clever ode to self-love in "My Best Friend." There's even a pseudo-polka in "Bye Bye Bye."

But Jellyfish's forte remains their power-pop. On "Bellybutton," that was the irresistible "Baby's Coming Back," here it's "The Ghost At Number One" and "Joining A Fan Club." A glut of instruments appear, banjos. tubas, none of them synthesized (shades of early Queen!) that tickle the ears and only once pummel (the feedback laden "All Is Forgiven"). The production is meticulous and worthy of George Martin, and holds up after all these years. This is ear-candy of the highest order.

The release date was - unfortunately for Jellyfish - the same year as Peral Jam's "Vs." and Nirvana's "In Utero." (The weird irony of "The Ghost At Number One" was not lost on me, even if it was coincidental.) Not the best time for vintage pop to be trying to forge a spot on the radio. Even if it meant that 100's of bands became inspired by Jellyfish (Ben Folds Five springs to mind) instead of 100's of thousands actually buying "Spilt Milk." All the same, the elaborate, ornate and cleverness of the final Jellyfish CD will always be a classic in my mind.

Jellyfish is most certainly a band that died before their time, and it is really a loss on the collective rock community. For years, we have been brainwashed by paid off DJ's who now work for one of three big companies and the minds behind brainrot like VH1 and MTV. As soon as the band dumped the silly wardrobe they were donning for their first album, MTV lost interest in them, and that's really a sign of music coming second in an industry where it should be first priority.

Spilt Milk is amazing on so many levels, I don't even know quite where to begin! The band utilizes obvious influences like Queen, the Beatles, Badfinger, Nilsson, Beach Boys, plus a light touch of Zeppelin that the overall package far exceeds the quality of Bellybutton. Touching every topic from posthumously famous rock stars as in "Joining a Fan Club" and "The Ghost at Number One"--which echoes a musical break similar to something off the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds--to an tongue in cheek opus like the whimsical "He's My Best Friend" (The humorous lyrics will leave little doubt as to what that best friend is), and a landscape of eclectic sounds, there is something here for everyone who likes great rock.

My favorite songs on here would be the Beatlesque foxtrot about a man who couldn't really please either of his two wives, "Bye Bye Bye," and the very Badfinger-like pop-rocker "Too Much Too Little Too Late." Hearing that strong melody driven by a great lead guitar, you can easily hear Pete Ham singing lead on this song as much as Andy Sturmer. At times, it sounds quite like the songs John Deacon of Queen composed for Freddie Mercury to sing as well. Absolute favorite? With no doubt, "Russian Hill." What a beautiful song that echoes Zeppelin's "That's the Way," complete with steel guitar, and then a breezy flute instrumental break that pays a slight nod to the Moody Blues. Wonderful lyrics make the song whole: "Watch the clouds turn to faces, it's fun to play. Shift the gears for years and age a single day. Fog like curtains close this sunset matinee. A dream fulfulled on Russian Hill." A more enthralling depiction of a drive I have yet to hear. Jellyfish is too great a band to be ignored, and Spilt Milk is truly an unrecognized masterpiece. There are no synthesizers on this album, and every track is so well crafted that it's worth more than the reasonable price suggested. If you're a newcomer and have read this far, forget what else you're looking at and order Spilt Milk immediately. You can thank me later, but your ears will thank you first.

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.

For those, like me, that witnessed MTV late at night, and the oft chance that you'd be able to view the video for ''The King Is Half-Undressed'' or ''That Is Why'' in 1990, Jellyfish were something new that was old that was new again, and definitely interesting. I went out and bought ''Bellybutton'' after hearing ''That Is Why'', and its remained one of my favourite albums from the 90's. Bellybutton is an auspicious debut album, filled with great pop songs, huge influences from Badfinger, The Beatles, and The Beach Boys, with a great vocalist in Andy Sturmer, and the effortless songwriting of Sturmer and Roger Manning. It was also helped by Jason Falkner on guitar. Had he stayed in Jellyfish, I'm sure he would have suffered the George Harrison Syndrome, only to emerge years later with an album as good as Bellybutton. He cut his losses and moved on right after their debut album and has had a fairly successful solo career, with much applauds.

3 years was a long time to wait though for the follow up.

And when it was released, Spilt Milk left me a little cold. There were songs I liked immediately, such as ''New Mistake'', ''All Is Forgiven'' and ''Brighter Day''. But most of the album had me namechecking which band Jellyfish were portraying, whether it was Queen (''Joining A Fan Club'', ''All Is Forgiven''), Supertramp (''New Mistake''), Electric Light Orchestra (''New Mistake''), The Beach Boys ('' Hush'', ''The Ghost At Number One''). XTC aka The Dukes Of Stratosphear (''Sebrina, Paste & Plato''), and so on. After a few listens it was hard to hear who Jellyfish were on Spilt Milk, and where they started and where someone else began.

And then something funny happened.

The songs started really staying in my head. I forgot about ELO, Supertramp, The Beach Boys, and the songs began to speak for themselves. And after awhile ''New Mistake'' was less about 'it sounds like SuperELO' and more about, that song is as good as anything Supertramp or ELO recorded. It's actually a great song. It's almost ...... perfection.

And that is what Jellyfish achieved on Spilt Milk. A grand undertaking, and you can hear how much work was actually put into this recording and its production. And if you're going to peak and break up a band, then do it the Spilt Milk way. It is one of the 1990's masterpieces. I have no problems saying it, nor standing behind that assertion. One of the best albums issued in that decade that ever was. Miles ahead of their contemporaries, yet totally quicksanded in the past, Jellyfish's Spilt Milk is a wonder to behold, and to own.

Bellybutton is a simple album compared to Spilt Milk. Bellybutton works almost immediately on the listener, with very sparse instrumentation, memorable melodies, and a ''band'' feel. But Spilt Milk is almost like the Jellyfishchestra. Sometimes this gets a 'pompous', 'pretentious' or 'grandiose' label attached to it. And personally, I can't stand the words 'pompous', 'pretentious' and 'grandiose'. I feel its a word used defacto by people who don't have the energy, time or patience to put that much effort into anything at all, let alone record an album. So the P's and the G are an easy substitute rather than illustrate your own lack of conviction. The work put into Spilt Milk should be respected if anything for how it was done and what was accomplished. It was an updated version of the 60's and 70's for a 90's audience.

Spilt Milk's biggest draw is the songwriting of Sturmer & Manning. It holds up above the obvious influences, and Sturmer's voice is a definite pleaser. Particularly on ''Glutton Of Sympathy''. His falsetto is controlled and is never overused. Another huge draw are the lyrics. At first they threw me off, because I felt that nothing was actually being said for the sake of a clever pun, but once I removed this barrier to Spilt Milk, it revealed a very witty and intelligent lyrical approach, which often poked fun at the same things Jellyfish seemed to be celebrating. And they definitely had witticism in abundance. There are a multitude of clever turns of phrase and cliche to be found throughout the album.

''sure life's no cherry
but a cupcake for the meek
so he shoots up his poison
until the frosting tastes so sweet
(like a valentine)''

or

''yes he tries to hide the cross he
bears
but splinters, like the truth have
always risen
all is forgiven''

It's just a great album about the English language and vernacular for one, regardless of the music contained within.

Musically, the talent that goes into the songs makes Spilt Milk shine even brighter. So it's part Supertramp or ELO. Do they actually do it well? Yes, quite well. And making ''New Mistake'' part Supertramp and part ELO, putting two bands that sounded very different from eachother makes Jellyfish's song something entirely new done with something ''old''. It shows influence and it shows creativity. And there is a lot of creativity on this album, particularly in the background vocal embellishments.

Though its missing Jason Falkner's Guitar & Bass work, Tim Smith provides solid Bass lines, and hired guns Lyle Workman (ex- Bourgeois Tagg) & John Brion do the guitars justice, never overplaying or going completely out of context with the song's intention. Bellybutton in appearance was like a novelty act, though the songs were great pop, the band itself seemed to be just as easily taken as a joke, or a pastiche of something else. With Spilt Milk, the band's image gets underplayed, but it is Jellyfish nonetheless in design and construction. Why it had to come to an end with Spilt Milk is beyond me, because surely Jellyfish had more in them beyond these two albums. But it's better it ended with this high watermark, rather than compromise and do something that's just in repetition of itself.

I'm not really sure of the comparisons to Sgt. Pepper, since I'm not particularly a huge fan of the album, but if a comparison has to be made, then 'yes, this is Jellyfish's Sgt. Pepper'. But remember, it was only their 2nd album, if such a comparison is to be made. And that says quite alot about how much talent it takes to make a Sgt. Pepper, and how many albums it takes to do it in. Though that's not to be interpreted as a slight on Sgt. Pepper, I'm sure it will be seen as one, so let the 'not helpful' votes come in flying. Just saying, Jellyfish achieved their ''masterpiece'' quite quickly in their career. Where they would have gone next is only in dreams, but I'm pretty sure it would have made Jellyfish one of the most respected bands of the 90's. It's obvious they did something right, because more than 10 years later, their 2 albums are still being talked about regularly.

Buy Spilt Milk and its predecessor Bellybutton, to hear some truly gifted songwriters and musicians do what they do best. Be pompous, pretentious and grandiose, and still come out with a song like ''New Mistake''.

This has to be the best album I have ever heard that was not a major success. There's not a thing wrong with it - original songwriting, excellent musicianship all around, flawlessly produced. Sure, it recalls a lot of older artists, such as Queen, ELO, Supertramp, the Beatles, Beach Boys, this is in its favor in my opinion. Instead of retreading such geniuses as Tiffany, Busta Moves, Paula Abdul, DJ Sven, etc, this pays tribute to the REAL songwriters and artists that have all but disappeared from the money driven music scene. The album opens off with an 2 minute acapella song (how long since you got to hear something like that) that leads into a stomping, driving, melodic heavy metal song ('Joining a Fan Club'). 'The Ghost At Number One' has a very original harmonic and melodic approach, 'Russian Hills' is dreamy and rich, 'Too Much Too Little' and 'Sebrina Paste and Plato' are in the tradition of the best Paul McCartney. 'New Mistake' is a jazzy groove straight out of Supertramp, 'Bye Bye Bye' has just a hint of a polka to its feel. 'Best Friend' has a rollicking Dr John style piano and a great groove. 'Too Much Too Little Too Late' is a plaintive song about the imminent breakup of the band, with stunning background harmonies. This album would definitely get into my top ten of all time.

I've been listening to this album forever and I finally decided to write a review for it.

I have been a fan of Jellyfish since I broke my leg back in 1991 and was couped up in bed. I had seen the video for "The King Is Half-Undressed" and was instantly a fan. Being a die hard "metalhead,"I was looking for something refreshing and different. They came along at the perfect time (having nowhere to go or run too).

Being a big fan of the first record 'Bellybutton,' I wasn't really interested in hearing something new by Jellyfish for some reason. That was one of my biggest regrets because I would have got into this about 4 years earlier (I made the same mistake after Tool's 1993 release 'Undertow' where I thought it couldn't get any better...they went on to release 1997's 'AEnima' which has snuck it's way into my top 3 albums of all-time...I know, I'm a dumbass).

So getting right down to brass tax, 'Spilt Milk' is a masterpiece. Pure perfection in every sense of the word. Andy Sturmer and Roger Manning were musical soulmates. Their writing is brilliant and they just gelled so well together. Whether it is the glam rock of "Joining a Fan Club," the english sounding "Sebrina, Paste, and Plato," the amazing "New Mistake," or the gorgeous "Russian Hill" you will find everything you need for sensory overload. It's such a shame that this was Jellyfish's last album. They never got the fame they deserved. Hopefully now we can keep spreading this to more and more young people and introducing them to songwriting at it's finest. THIS NEEDS TO BE HEARD.

I suggest listening to this album with headphones. Just sit back and let this album take you away. "Bye, Bye, Bye..."

Why, why, why? Come on, how could you top an album of this standard? And don't presume just because another devotee of a deceased band gives yet another older album 5 stars that it's rose tinted glasses painting a prettier picture. I got to see Jellyfish twice, and the appearance of this album mid-way through 1993 was like a revelation to me. I waited three years for it, and the predecessor, "Bellybutton" was a huge favourite in my collection. I can't even begin to describe the wave of joy that hit me as I plunged the disc into the player for the first time, switched off the lights and hit 'play'. First thing you notice is the production which is, as has been described many times over, immaculate. Next is the vocals, always a strength, but "Hush" is so rich, so lavish, so perfectly arranged it's almost sickening, but it's Jellyfish so they get away with it brilliantly. Then the fun starts. From the youthful hero-worship recounting of "Joining A Fan Club" it's a roller-coaster of influences that are worn openly on their sleeves, from Queen to ELO to the Beatles and beyond. Unlike many imitators, it always worked with Jellyfish because they often succeeded in being more than just the sum of their origins. At no time did they sound like anyone quite so much as themselves. From the gorgeous melodies on "New Mistake" and "Russian Hill" to the melancholy of "Glutton Of Sympathy" and the sheer bombast of "Brighter Day" it's perfect. The crowning moment for me is the way the album ends with fading strings, gently leaving a monumental crescendo, exactly as the album starts - almost like they expect you to hit 'play' again the moment it stops. So many happy memories. Andy Sturmer is still the only member of the band to have kept silence (at least in a song-writing/performance capacity) since the band's demise in 1994 which to this day continues to bother me; none of his former colleagues' post-Jellyfish efforts have come close to filling the gulf left by their split. Don't deprive yourself of this, you'd be missing out on far, far too much.