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While there is some debate on the subject, the album to me appears to be a unified concept piece narrating the life of a fallen rock star, with the songs hopping all over the place chronologically, ending with "Brighter Day", a final existential gasp by a washed-up has-been trying to put his life into a greater, yet still relatively meaningless context. Your ear is always picking up some new element with every listen.The lyrics are comical, clever, and yet utterly profound.
It is a work of enduring genius.Like many fantastic albums (late Beatles stuff, Fleetwood Mac's Rumors, Pink Floyd's The Wall and No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom, etc)., the project was forged in the crucible of band conflict and warfare. This would be Jellyfish's swan song, as they broke up after its release.I have had this album for several years.
I am convinced that it is absolutely impossible to oversell this album. The minimalist drum kit sounds absolutely massive and the entire mix is peppered with brilliant little twittles from nearly every orchestral instrument you can think of.
A cursory look at my iTunes stats reveals that I have listened to tracks from this album more than any other in my collection. It never fails to delight.The production is vintage, fat analog richness.
To illustrate reproduction as "dialog swam from his pen like pollywogs" is audacious genius. And that is one of the many interesting legacies of this band--the ability to plumb darker concepts with saccharine-sweet power pop treatments.This album is a perfect achievement.
The lead vocals and harmony (without the guitar edge)would have made Freddie Mercury happier than a sissy with a new boa. I have 10s of thousands of recorded songs. Members of Jellyfish would have had to have listened to a few Queen albums in their day. When I hear music this fun, fresh and fantastic, I wonder why everyone doesn't. I just have to add my blessing to this CD. It looks like most people simply adore this, but it made me feel good to add my name to the "Milk" carton anyway. I wish I had a thousand CDs this good in my collection. They have borrowed from evey one from the Beatles & Beach Boys and XTC and it all works for me.
It's that good. Everybody's talkin' about the song "Best Friend" (not to be confused with Queen's song) sounds to me like "The Courtship of Eddie's Father"(written by Harry Nilsson). I must be from a different planet than those that did not think is was the best listen. I'd take this to an island with me if I could only take 100 items. "Joining a fan Club" is a classic. Not a duff track on this set. Thankfully, this review finds me in the majority. Naturally it sold very poorly and the band discolved.
Very often complex and full of pun, Sturmer and Manning's words gracefully weave in and out of each other, leaving the listener with concrete images and interesting thematic juxtapositions to ponder. It is true that the listener can hear influences from Queen, the Beatles (Paul especially), and many others (stylistically) in Jellyfish's songs - which I LOVE. Spilt Milk is one of those albums that is so rich and so dense, that you will be able to pick out something new on every listen. The bottom line is, this is truly a majestic rock and roll album. This has encouraged me to share this album with friends had never heard of them, but loved their influences. It's that good (and as a side note, anyone who I've turned onto this album has always been super-thankful).The lyrics on Spilt Milk are as thoughtful and dense as the music. The power of the ideas, the production, the tightness, the varied arrangements, the instrumentation and the delivery never disappoints. This album is a classic.
How can a great band like Jellyfish not make it. The songwriting, musicianship, production is superb on this CD. I listen today to it, and it's still as fresh as 10 years ago. I would love to see this band re-unite.
Just as great as the best of The Beach Boys, Queen, The Beatles, XTC, Joe Jackson (and Michael for that matter), Prince, or Robyn Hitchcock. All of the praise that these boys have received is well deserved. By far without any hesitation this is the best of the best pop ever written. Buy now.
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