San Francisco’s Jellyfish were underappreciated during their existence in the early 1990s, but have since gained a devoted following. Their power-pop is fun and sometimes bombastic, but is often also sincere. They’re notable for their ornate arrangements, especially on 1993’s Spilt Milk, where their harmonies are reminiscent of The Beach Boys or Queen. Jellyfish were also notable for their live shows, where lead singer and drummer Andy Sturmer performed with a standing drum kit. The group’s other constant member was keyboardist Roger Joseph Manning Jr; the pair had previously played together in Beatnik Beatch.
Unfortunately, Jellyfish only released two albums, and 1990’s Bellybutton essentially feels like a warm-up for Spilt Milk. I also have a 20-song compilation, but I don’t think it’s worth covering despite a few interesting b-sides – it’s more satisfying to hear their two albums in their entirety. But despite their small discography, I’ve given them a dedicated page, and I also have solo albums by Jason Falkner, who played guitar on Bellybutton, and Roger Joseph Manning Jr, which I’ll cover sometime.
1990, 7.5/10 Jellyfish were formed by the songwriting partnership of Roger Manning and Andy Sturmer after their previous band Beatnik Beatch didn’t allow them to contribute songs. Their 1990 debut, Bellybutton, synthesises influences like XTC, The Beatles, and Cheap Trick into an enjoyable blend of lush, harmonised power pop. Manning and Sturmer were joined on Bellybutton by guitarist Jason Falkner, who left before its sequel, as Manning and Sturmer didn’t allow him to write songs for the group.
The stripped-down songs on Bellybutton make the strongest impression. ‘I Wanna Stay Home’ is pretty and poignant, while ‘Baby’s Coming Back’ bounces along like a 1960s bubblegum pop single. Songs like ‘Now She Knows She’s Wrong’ and ‘That Is Why’ showcase the band’s detailed harmony arrangements.
Bellybutton is good in its own right, but it also feels like a dry run for 1993’s more expansive and more impressive Spilt Milk.
Spilt Milk
1993, 9.5/10 Bellybutton was a likeable debut from Jellyfish, but Split Milk raises the ante significantly, with more memorable songs, more complex arrangements, and more punchy guitars. While their sound is comparable to many prominent bands, and there are traces of The Beach Boys on ‘Sebrina, Paste, and Plato’ and of XTC, Spilt Milk feels most influenced by Queen, with the big harmonies and hard guitar textures. While the core of the band – the song-writing team of Sturmer and Manning – is intact from Bellybutton, the rest of the band has changed, with new players on guitar and bass, while Jon Brion also provides some guitar.
Spilt Milk hits its straps on songs like ‘Glutton of Sympathy’ and ‘New Mistake’, which combine huge vocal hooks, stacks of harmonies, and detailed arrangements, producing some of the most intoxicating pop songs of the 1990s. There’s also the opening 1-2 punch of the gentle ‘Hush’ leading into the rock of ‘Joining A Fan Club’, and more brilliant pop of ‘The Ghost At Number One’. Spilt Milk tails off a little as it explores more esoteric territory; the album benefits from the diversity, but songs like ‘Russian Hill’ aren’t as memorable as the huge, hooky sound that Jellyfish specialise in.
Spilt Milk is a power-pop classic, and it contains some of the most irresistible pop songs of the 1990s.
10 Best Jellyfish songs
Glutton of Sympathy New Mistake The Ghost At Number One Joining a Fan Club I Wanna Stay Home That Is Why Too Much, Too Little, Too Late Baby’s Coming Back He’s My Best Friend Worthless Heart
Aphoristic Album Reviews is almost entirely written by one person.
Graham Fyfe is probably the only music blogger to appreciate both Neil Diamond and Ariana Grande. Based in Fleet Street (New Zealand), he's been writing this blog since around 2000. Aphoristic Album Reviews features reviews and blog posts across a growing spectrum of popular music.
Review Pages
Read about the discographies of musical acts from the 1960s to the present day. Browse this site's review archives or enjoy these random selections:
Scott Walker was born Noel Scott Engel, in Hamilton, Ohio. A former child actor, he left his career as a singer to become a session bassist. In 1965 Walker moved to London with his band The Walker Brothers. Scott became the focal point of the trio, fronting the number one […]
A gentle-sounding English folk-artist, Nick Drake hardly made a ripple during his short lifetime. He was too shy to play live and barely sold a record. Posthumously, his small catalogue has earned plenty of attention; his delicate and measured approach produced some of the most timeless music of his generation. […]
Kimbra Johnson was earmarked for stardom early. There are videos online of her singing as a pre-teen, while she placed second in New Zealand’s national secondary school rock quest at the age of 14. But after a generic debut single ‘Deep For You’, she took time out and became more […]
I usually add a couple of artist pages to this site each month. Refer to Upcoming Reviews for a list of artists that I’m planning to review. Planned pages for the near future include The Chills, Dawn Richard, and Curtis Mayfield. I’m also planning to create mini-pages for newer artists […]
Even if you don’t know him by name, you’ve surely heard Lindsey Buckingham’s work in the pop era of Fleetwood Mac. While Stevie Nicks was the public face of the band, Buckingham was the architect of their sound, the studio wizard who created the lush pop textures of 1977’s Rumours and […]
It’s not an overstatement that Jeff Buckley was one of the most singularly talented musicians of his generation; blessed with a beautiful and athletic voice, a more than adequate guitar technique and an ability to write songs that escaped from predictable verse/chorus patterns while remaining accessible. Additionally, Buckley is also emotionally […]
Blog Posts
I add new blog posts to this website every week. Browse the archives or enjoy these random selections:
King Crimson aren’t so much a band as a series of bands, all featuring idiosyncratic guitarist Robert Fripp. With a demeanour that resembles a University professor more than a rock star, Fripp’s plotted an erratic course for his band. The group formed in London in 1968, but their ninth album, […]
English folk-rock duo Richard and Linda Thompson’s career resembled a soap opera. Active as recording artists between 1974 and 1982, they married, released three albums in quick succession, then spent three years in a Sufi Muslim commune where Richard’s religious leader forbade him from playing music. Leaving the commune, their […]
Steely Dan were major album artists of the 1970s, releasing a string of quality records that blurred the lines between rock and jazz. They started the decade as a self-contained rock band and ended as the duo of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, supported by a revolving cast of session […]
Progressive rock behemoths Yes emerged from London in the late 1960s. Starting out as a psychedelic pop band, they became one of its leading exponents of the emerging genre of progressive rock. Despite a revolving crew of members – bassist Chris Squire was the only constant over the twelve albums covered on […]
Despite writing hit songs in the late 1960s and her induction into the rock and roll hall of fame, Laura Nyro is a niche figure compared to contemporaries like Joni Mitchell and Carole King. But the piano playing singer-songwriter from the Bronx made some stunning records. She was a couple of years ahead of […]
In tandem with Robert Forster, Grant McLennan was a vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for literate Australian jangle-pop band The Go-Betweens. While The Go-Betweens were on hiatus during the 1990s, Grant McLennan embarked on a solo career, releasing four solo albums, two albums with The Church’s Steve Kilbey, and one album […]
Been a while since I listened to Jellyfish. Thanks for reminding me about them.
Cool, fun band! I only just learned about Imperial Drag recently