Jellyfish - Disc of the day

Jellyfish
Bellybutton

(Charisma, 1990)

Power pop gem from the pre-Nirvana age. Are you listening, The Feeling?

Rock albums in 1990 didn’t sound like Bellybutton. It was the year before Nevermind, and a pre-Out Of Time R.E.M. were deemed ‘alternative’ in some circles. Into this musical world came a group of San Franciscans with a record that looked and sounded like E.L.O.’s Out Of The Blue crossed with Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. Watch their videos now and Jellyfish’s candy-cane hats and dreadlocks make them resemble a male version of Four Non Blondes. Worse, lead singer/drummer Andy Sturmer performed both tasks while standing upright. And, yet, in an era of the so-knowing Mika, The Feeling and the Guilty Pleasures franchise, Bellybutton sounds fresh and strangely guileless. The minor hit The King Is Half Undressed welds the showboating arrogance of early Queen with the bedroom-nerd mentality of band favourites XTC. The ballads, I Wanna Stay Home and That Is Why, have a plangent quality that suggests McCartney coming down the morning after. Jellyfish wore their influences without shame but imbued these songs with their own gentle style and wit. They made one more album, 1993’s Spilt Milk, before disintegrating. Bring them back now, please: singing drummer and all.

Mark Blake

Posted by Danny_Eccleston at 6:00 AM GMT 29/02/2008

Further Listening

Badfinger – No Dice (Apple, 1970)

Matthew Sweet – 100% Fun (Zoo, 1995)

The Feeling – Twelve Stops And Home (Island, 2006)

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Click here for House Rules

Cock on, pal. Approaching genius.

Posted by Big John at 11:23 AM GMT 29/02/2008 Report Abuse

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I still love Ghost at Number One-
amazing tune on Spilt Milk-
How does it feel- Another pop classic came out during
those years from Virgin from Brendan Benson-
his solo debut.

Posted by Ghost@2 at 5:58 AM GMT 01/03/2008 Report Abuse

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I found this second hand for $5 the other day, and bought it based on some half-remembered write up in a power-pop guide (maybe Mojo?). Anyway, not only did it turn out to be a great album in itself, but in included 5 bonus live tracks including Badfinger and Wings covers! Power Poptopia!
Seriously though, this is brilliant. Less chiming guitars than I thought there'd be, but great melodies and singing.
Question: Is band member Jason Faulkner the same man who released a solo album in late 90s (?) and who co-wrote tracks for the Josie & The Pussycats movie? (screw you, it's great!)

Posted by Conor at 4:24 AM GMT 02/03/2008 Report Abuse

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RE: Conor

Yes, that's the same Jason Falkner. He left after Bellybutton, so isn't on Split Milk. Next album was The Greys with Jon Brion, Aimee Mann's producer. Falkner has at least three solo CDs, anything he's on is well worth getting.

Posted by Scuttler. at 3:07 PM GMT 07/03/2008 Report Abuse

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