All I want is everything (Jellyfish) (LP 2851 - 2853)

Jellyfish  Bellybutton (CD, Charisma Records, 1990) ***** 

Jellyfish  Spilt Milk (CD, Charisma Records, 1993) *****  

Jellyfish  Live at Bogarts (CD, Ominvore Records, 2012) ****  

Genre: Power pop, rock 

Places I remember: HMV (Edinburgh); Real Groovy Records; Fopp

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Ghost at Number One (Spilt Milk)

Gear costume: New Mistake (Spilt Milk)

Active compensatory factors: There are an embarrassment of riches on this pair of studio albums and a live album from powerpoppers Jellyfish.

I have written about them before on this blog, but they haven't featured in this countdown till now.

The band contain three key figures: Andy Sturmer (vocals, drums, guitar); Roger Manning (vocals, keyboards, guitar); and Jason Falkner (bass, guitars) with Andy and Roger writing the songs between them.

Bellybutton was their debut and it is superb! No dud tracks anywhere but it didn't fit the trends of the time (hair metal) so was tragically ignored to an extent. I struggled to find a copy for years but finally found one on holiday in Scotland. 

The guys are super talented, musically, vocally, and in their songwriting. They are Beatles/ Queen/ Badfinger fans, so this is manna from heaven for me. My copy has bonus live tracks (Badfinger/ Macca) that are brilliant as well. They come from the live at Bogarts' gig.

Spilt Milk, their second album, may be even better. The Queen obsession is present from the first song Hush. From there on it's one inspired song after another. They throw the kitchen sink at these arrangements and the technique works like crazy.

It's hard to highlight individual songs because they all have their strengths. I've plumped for a couple from Spilt Milk. Ghost at Number One because it's the first song of theirs I heard on a compilation and fell in love with (those Beach Boy echoes at the end sealed the deal). How does it feel? Brilliant!

The live album is from a 1991 gig, so features material from Bellybutton and some fantastic covers. It kicks off with Argent's Hold Your Head Up and segues into their own song - Hello. More terrific songs follow; the flow and pace is perfectly judged throughout the gig. Gush gush. I love Jellyfish!

Where do they all belong? A trio of power pop gems!