Music Review: Jellyfish, Bellybutton and Spilt Milk (Deluxe Reissues)

By Less Lee Moore

Like Big Star before them, Jellyfish developed a cult-like fandom that’s far exceeded not only their rather limited output, but also their impact on music charts. Omnivore Recordings, who recently released the soundtrack to the Big Star documentary Nothing Can Hurt Me, has now given the same loving treatment to the Jellyfish legacy with two new reissues of their studio albums—1990’s Bellybutton and 1993’s Spilt Milk—that include a ton of sensational extras, like 51 bonus tracks, full color gatefold sleeves with rare photos, two essays by Ken Sharp, and song-by-song commentary on the original albums from Andy Sturmer, Roger Manning, and Jason Falkner.

Jellyfish is one of those bands who are so easy to love instantly because they’re just that good. Music fans of all stripes cannot fail to appreciate how marvelous and singular they were. The songs are catchy, yet profoundly resonant; the lead vocals and harmonies are impeccable; and the musicianship is outstanding. Featuring Andy Sturmer and Roger Manning as its songwriting core, the band also included Jason Falkner and Chris Manning for the first album, and Tim Smith, Jon Brion, and Lyle Workman for the second, plus Eric Dover as part of the touring act.

Like Redd Kross, whose decidedly eclectic and vintage-sounding Third Eye album was released just one month after Bellybutton, Jellyfish was a band out of time. (And if you look at the band’s outrageous outfits on Bellybutton, you might think they were a parody of Redd Kross from that same time period.) Both Bellybutton and Spilt Milk were released before retro mania or 1960s and 1970s-inspired baroque pop was a big thing. Unfortunately, the band only made minor dents on the Billboard charts.

The music on both albums remains astonishing; it was written and recorded at a time long before the Autotuned, American Idol, and YouTube sensations that dominate the charts now. It might sound unbelievable to those raised on music that’s so technology-dependent, but Jellyfish was (and still remains) the Real Deal.

If you’re one of the uninitiated, you should take some time to digest the original albums before delving into the extras, but when you’re ready to move on to the deep cuts, there’s much to love.

The original demos for the Bellybutton and Spilt Milk songs give a fascinating glimpse into the band’s process and the non-album tunes are top quality, even if some of them would not necessarily have worked as album tracks. Still, “Deliver,” “Queen Of The U.S.A.,” and “That Girl’s A Man” are all as fine as anything that appears on either of the official albums.

The precocious, Nintendo-themed “Ignorance Is Bliss” represents the band at their most whimsical and might be a turn-off if it weren’t so darn likeable. You can hear Roger Manning’s distinctive songwriting style in “I Need Love” and “Long Time Ago,” which, if you’ve heard his solo stuff, just proves he’s always had a knack for terrific melodies. Since Badfinger there have been many songs and bands referred to as “Beatle-esque” but “I Don’t Believe You” literally sounds like a lost track from the Fab Four, circa 1964, that Jellyfish is covering. It’s uncanny. Nilsson’s “Think About Your Troubles” gets the Jellyfish touch, as does Donovan’s “Season Of The Witch,” and both are as great as you might imagine.

Meanwhile, if you’re wondering if Jellyfish could recreate its studio magic in a live setting, these discs give ample evidence that the answer was “yes.” In addition to the band’s original songs, there’s also a remarkable live cover of Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Jet”

Throwing around a phrase like “if you know, you know” about a band like Jellyfish seems far too pithy and self-satisfied, which is why these reissues are so exciting. No doubt those Jellyfish fans who managed to score a copy of the 80-track, four-disc Fan Club box set from Not Lame in 2002 will still be interested in these releases, especially considering the albums have been remastered for the first time ever. For those who have only a passing familiarity with the band or none at all, it’s a feast for the ears, if not a bona fide revelation.

The Deluxe Reissues of Bellybutton and Spilt Milk were released by Omnivore Recordings on January 20.