Once in awhile a group of musicians comes together to create something truly magical that can't be repeated. Jellyfish is such a group. The short-lived band emerged in San Francisco in the early 90s when power pop luminaries Roger Manning and Andy Sturmer of Beatnik Beatch joined forces with Jason Falkner. Together they created a sound that mixed Queen, XTC, and Cheap Trick, writing some of the most eclectic yet harmonious songs of the decade. Jellyfish released only two records, "Bellybutton" and "Spilt Milk," the latter without Falkner, who left the band to work on a new project called The Grays. Despite a great deal of acclaim from critics and other musicians, neither album was a big success. The only charting single the group had was the terrific "Baby's Coming Back," which stalled at #62 in 1991. It is probably the first song in the Top 100 since the 70s to feature a harpsichord. Both albums are lost treasures, but if I had to choose, I'd say "Spilt Milk" is the one I'd take to a desert island. Not a bad song in the bunch, this album is amazing from start to finish. "New Mistake" may be one of the most underrated pop songs of the 90s. Unfortunately, Manning and Strumer differed on the direction the group should take, forcing an end to this cherished band.
A little known "super group" of powerpop icons, The Grays had extraordinary potential. Their one and only record, "Ro-Sham-Bo" from 1994 remains one of my favorites from the decade. The Grays consisted of Jason Falkner, Jon Brion, Buddy Judge, and Dan McCarroll. Filled with a crunchy rockers, melancholy ballads, and playful powerpop tunes, the record is like Chex-Mix. Everything is different, but somehow it all tastes right together. "Very Best Years" is in the crunchy rocker category and still amazes me that it failed to catapult the band to stardom. Falkner and Brion went on to reasonably successful solo careers, the latter scoring several popular films.
Jason Falkner comes from a long line of underrated bands, from The Three O'Clock to Jellyfish to The Grays. Sadly, this extremely talented singer/songwriter never took off as a solo artist either. His first solo effort, "Presents Author Unknown," arrived in 1996 and remains one of my favorite records by him. "Miss Understanding" is just one of many catchy standout tracks. Falkner has also done a wonderful instrumental series called "Bedtime With The Beatles" if you ever need a soothing lullaby.
