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.


Ah, the late great Jellyfish   January 4, 2004
 10 out of 11 found this review helpful

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.


Worth every sugar sweet star.   June 1, 2007
 9 out of 9 found this review helpful

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.