Your Favourite Jellyfish Moments

This thread is one of the most fun and enjoyable one's I've seen in a long time !!!! All hail Willy for starting it !!!!

 

Give this man a medal !!!

 

SO many - but the main one lately has been Glutton of Sympathy -

...esp the tip of the hat to Ringo's "Photograph" going into the bridge. And holy wow, that BRIDGE!!!!

Ditto with the bridge to I Wanna Stay Home.

PERFECT.

 

Loved these guys after getting that first CD. I'd blast that thing driving down the interstate. Favorite moments would have to be that wash of mandolins(?) and the upright bass parts in "Bedspring Kiss" and the snare drum hits in "Baby's Coming Back". I have to say that the glockenspiel in "The Man I Used To Be" could be used to peel paint....but in a good way....and I say that with all the love...etc. I put in a request years ago for Steve to remaster this album just to remove a tiny bit of "glare" but I could easily live with it just as it stands.

 

Thanks RoryStorm

 

Is there another band with the sheer force of chops (and humour) that could switch from the out-and-out thundering metal of 'All Is Forgiven' to the gossamer featherlite throbsomeness of 'Russian Hill' and pull it off in the blink of an eye?

And is there actually a better album — by anyone — than Spilt Milk?

 

I have to agree with those you you that mentioned "New Mistake". My favorite part is the "any ol' time at all" breakdown/rideout. That part could go on for 10 minutes straight and it still wouldn't be long enough for me.

 

My favorite Jellyfish moment?

After being well familiar with Jellyfish, hearing them on FM radio for the time, "The Ghost of Number One." I though they had 'made it' at that point. That was the big time, because I never expected to hear them outside of college radio, but there they were!

Alas, it was not to be.

I was fooled again when somebody sent me a copy of "The Angel Made Me Do It," telling me it was the new Jellyfish song. Close enough! I love that song, but it was just Andy, writing like Andy always does.

 

The whole of Glutton of Sympathy. Andy provides one of my all-time favorite vocal performances on that song. Great hooks!

Also, in the live version of Joining a Fan Club, the vocal run that he does during the instrumental break at the end gives me chills every time.

What an amazing, amazing band.

 

Bill Shatner

 

My favorite "moments" from Jellyfish are basically the parts of their "sum".

Songs (They had 'em!)
Vocal harmonies (Without peer. They had better vocals than any of their contemporaries. They could freakin' sing!)
Production (Such amazing production. What's really amazing is that all of their songs were pretty much fleshed out already as their demos show.)
Musicality (Even though they were unashamedly "pop", they had the chops to play prog or jazz. Just all around excellent musicians.)
Ambition (During a time where grunge and a detached cool indifference to musical skill and polish were all the rage, they went with timeless skill and craft. You could tell they practiced very hard at their craft.)
Introducing the world to Jason Falkner (in a better musical environment, he would be about as famous as any artist could get)
All killer/No filler (Consistently great live or in the studio. They never sucked)

Only made two albums, yet their musical legacy endures and grows. That speaks volumes about the overall quality of their music.

So glad I got the Fan Club box when it came out.

Also:

Anybody who is a fan of Jellyfish should check out Matt Mahaffey's project Self.

 

My fave moment was seeing them at the Astoria in London back during Spilt Milk and hearing them play "I Can Hear The Grass Grow". I love Jellyfish and I love The Move so it was a match made in heaven.
Least favourite moment was travelling to London to see the band just before Bellybutton came out. They were playing at Underworld in Camden and we arrived 2 hours before the show to find a queue around the block. It was, apparently, more of an 'industry' thing so very few fans managed to get in to the venue. I only ended up seeing them live with Falkner at Wembley Stadium supporting INXS. It was good but I would have much preferred to see the band do a full show in a smaller venue.
Musically there are too many great moments to pick a favourite. Such a great band.

 

'Family Tree' - according to the Fanclub booklet this was an attempt to sound like Free but ended up like Foreigner. Either way it is a great riff, I love Sturmer's voice and that bit of harmony on the second verse.

'Hush' - really intricate harmonies...... ironically it is on the "instrumental" version on Stack-A-Tracks which shows off some of the amazing backing vocals which I hadn't noticed before.

'Bye Bye Bye' - some sort of psychedelic Ukrainian wedding song with all the necessary oompah and accordions and balalaikas ringing out.

The hilarious spoken intro to the live 'Baby Come Back'/'Baby's Coming Back' ....... and there are a few more of these Sturmer-isms scattered around, e.g. "This is arguably the sexiest song ever written..... both you and I know what Jet really means..."

'He's My Best Friend' - what I thought was going to be just a Billy Joel-soundalike piano and 'ba ba ba ba' thing bursts into a dance of lovely breezy mellotron flutes in a tale of, erm, relaxing the man's way.

Another mention for HIGHLY recommended Stack-A-Tracks ... although this is the collected instrumental tracks without (most of the) vocals, it is sooooo much more than that!! This is music so bountiful and highly listenable, like the Pet Sounds backing tracks there are loads of things you may not have noticed.


More to come...... will have to mention some favourite Jason Falkner snippets next......

 

I would have to almost-agree with you, in that I believe both Jellyfish albums have to rank right up there with the likes of: [in my humble opinion anyway] From Elvis In Memphis, Pet Sounds, Rubber Soul, Revolver, the first Marshall Crenshaw album, the first Cheap Trick album, Raspberries' Starting Over album, Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet, the Who's Next album...and a few more....therefore I would say, with confidence, that Spilt Milk ranks as one of the top 20 albums of all time. [again, in my opinion]

 

Yeah, love your post....and hope to get the Fan Club box myself one day....just have to save up some cash ! The thing is pricey !

 

Just ordered Stack A Tracks and it's on the way !! Looking forward to it !!! And I love how you compared it to the Pet Sounds backing tracks from the Pet Sounds box set ! That is exactly how I picture Stack A Tracks !

 

I know people here like Falkner a lot but I preferred the Spilt Milk lineup as Jellyfish - in image and musicianship.

I felt Tim Smith was a better bass player than Chris Manning and I thought Eric Dover was a better musician and singer than Falkner.

Of the Jellyfish DVD's I have - it's the Spilt Milk lineup I prefer to watch/listen to.

 

Rhett, which Jellyfish DVD's do you have and are they still available? Thanks.....Rory

 

I tend to agree with you...although I do have a soft spot for Jason Falkner, his album with The Grays and his first solo album are excellent. I do not have a lot of his other solo stuff...but one day I will investigate his solo career more. I'm too into Jellyfish as a group right now...I can not get enough of the two albums, the live stuff, radio Jellyfish...and looking forward to the reissues in January and getting my hands on Stack A Tracks !

 

Oh I forgot to mention !!!! I just got my vinyl copy of Bellybutton in the mail !!!!! YEAH !!!! It is the gatefold cover and there is a round sticker on the cover, on the shrinkwrap, that reads, "The return of the Power Pop Classic, Bellybutton, Cut from the Original Analog Masters. Making it's commercial debut! On Blue Vinyl with Original Gatefold sleeve." It's on the Omnivore label and looks like it was pressed in 2011. So what do I have here? How's the sound? I may have to frame this baby and hang it on the wall !!!!!

 

I don't have Jason's first solo album but I do have an CD EP by him and it's ok - last I remember (10 years ago?!) - the Grays CD doesn't do anything for me - oddly enough.

The Jellyfish DVD's I have are:

1. "Gone Jellyfishin' +" - all the videos from bellybutton and a 4 song live acoustic set (DVD)

2. Jellyfish Style - all the videos and U.S. and International TV appearances (DVD)

3. The Warfield - 1993 one camera pro shot/amateur? (DVD)

4. Live in Germany - 1993 multi camera pro shot broadcast quality (DVD)

5. Live in Pheonix - spilt milk tour fan cam 1993 (DVD)

6. Tower Records - acoustic set 1993 in Philly fan cam (DVD)

7. Club Lingerie - live from hollywood 1990 pro shot multi camera broadcast quality (DVD)

8. Live in Germany '91 - Munich, Germany 1991 pro shot multi camera broadcast quality (DVD)

9. Live in New Orleans '93- SA type menu, audience shot. (DVD)

10 Jellyfish Unplugged - PC authored menu - AUD shot - compiles various acoustic in-store performances of previous Jellyfish DVD's (2DVD)

11. Jellyfish MTV studio sessions - PC authored menu (2DVD)

Looking at my HD - I believe the above list is what I have.

My physical DVD copies should be the same - though I haven't looked through them for a few years now...

 

Omnivore released Jellyfish on vinyl a few years ago now and pressed Bellybutton on blue vinyl (I think) and Spilt Milk got the colored vinyl treatment too - but I can't think of the color they used. Of course they were limited and once the stock was gone it was issued in black vinyl.

 

Well, a good case can be made that Jason was completely underutilized while he was in Jellyfish. With Roger and Andy's dominance, there was little room for Falkner to truly shine. Just too many strong songwriters with musical ambitions to be contained in one group.

How's that for a problem? Too many talented people in one band! Sure don't see that "problem" much these days.

I do agree that the Spilt Milk line-up was superior live. At least the recordings are. Both line-ups were great by any measure though.

 

I don't subscribe to that argument at all - underutilized? I don't get what you wanted him to do? Jason wasn't the star or songwriter of the group - it was Andy and Roger's band not Falkner's.

I think Jason Falkner was a fine choice for the Fish at that particular time as was (to make another comparison) Jeff Cease was for The Black Crowes.

Then The Crowes released another album and Marc Ford was the replacement and proved faaar superior to Jeff Cease. And that comparison (at least for me) mirrors the Jellyfish lineups.

Eric Dover and Tim Smith did just fine by the sound and sight of things as far as I can tell in watching my DVD's and for my money Eric and Tim were superior musicians than Falkner and Chris Manning for Jellyfish.

I believe that Eric and Tim handled the live duites of Spilt Milk better than Falkner and Chris Manning could do - that's not putting Jason and Chris down - I'm just saying 'fit-wise' - Eric and Tim were a better fit for the Fish than Chris and Jason - at least for my money.

 

RoryStorm when it arrives I recommend at first you listen at top volume to 'Bedspring Kiss' and then 'Sebrina...' ... you'll thank me later!!