Fan Club From the Rare to the Unreleased... And Back Again

It's unreleased and live Jellyfish music...what more needs be said?OK, if you don't know who Jellyfish is, I suppose quite a lot needs be said, but I only have a couple minutes, so I'll keep it brief.Jellyfish is, quite simply, one of the best bands ever. No hyperbole. I'm trying to be as objective as I can, so I'll list a few reasons I feel this way. First, their harmonies (even live, as evidenced in this boxed set) are amazing. If you enjoyed the Beach Boys, Queen, or ELO, you'll love this band. Second, their lyrics are fantastic. Think Elvis Costello, Tom Waits or the Beatles (in fact, I really relate their sophomore album Spilt Milk to Sgt. Peppers, lyrically and stylistically). Which brings me to the last reason that I'll list here: their style. Jellyfish made their albums EXACTLY as they wanted (or exactly as Andy wanted, but that's another story...), not caving in to the grunge popularity of the time, or really the popularity of ANY one style. Although their debt to some of the forementioned bands is evident, they do have their own sound, which you can hear in full listening to the lush recordings of the two studio albums they left us. What other band has only put out two albums, yet has garnered such a following that necessitated a "best of" album, a live album, a double album of the "music only" of their two studio releases, a tribute album, and now this. Fan Club is a 4-disc compilation of the demos from their two studio albums, Bellybutton and Spilt Milk, as well as live performances of most of the songs from those albums, and some nicely-done covers and unreleased songs.If you aren't a Jellyfish fan yet, but enjoy the artists I've listed above, listen to the album Spilt Milk, and you will be. If you're already a fan, get Fan Club if you can find it. It is a great addition to a too-small repertoire from a band that, in my opinion, really stands head-and-shoulders above anyone making new music today, despite their limited time together.

Let me just say that I have only been a fan for a short time, but they are amazing! I haven't fallen in love with a band like this since Badfinger. The sheer disappointment of knowing that there is no more Fish after this purchase brings a tear to my eye. It felt like I reached the end of Abbey Road again. With that said, this box set is a must have for any fan. Everything "else" that is not on the albums is here.Demo tracks?...you got it...Live tracks?...Absolutely....Interview snippets?....Say no moreI have only recently received this so I'm still exploring the 4 CDs the graced my mailbox a few short days ago. It is nothing short of a gift for the JF Fan that has both albums, memories, and the wonder as to why they weren't more popular than Jesus(a little inside, I know).But why the 4 stars instead of 5 you ask? It's simple. I bought this used for 100 bucks and change and didn't get the book, insert, or poster. I was looking at this thinking ", I won't get the original packaging for sure, but the music and book are there so I'll take the plunge." I received the CDs in slip covers with a few extras, but nothing else. I thought that I would get a copy of the book with something that looked like a baby teethed on it's corner, maybe a loose page or 2, even the ring mark where it was used as a coaster. I got nada.It should've been indicated that this was the condition, but once again the concession wasn't made for such a notation.Final verdict? Jellyfish was, and still is, a damn near perfect pop band and this box set is for the true fan. I've got the music and that's what really counts here. 5/5The seller? Well, I know better for next time.Enjoy!

This box set is awesome! For any fan of this extinct yet ahead of their time band, this is what you have been waiting for! It is filled with the demos from their two albums and a bunch of live recordings and unreleased tracks. The unreleased tracks are what I enjoyed most, because despite the fact that they are listed as demos, the quality and polished sound is right up there with their regular releases. My favorite is "Ignorence is Bliss", Simple superb. This brings together many of the b-sides released only on singles of other songs or in other countrys.IF YOU ARE A NEW FAN OF THE BAND, I recommend first picking up Spilt Milk and Bellybutton. While the box set contains all of the songs from these albums, they are all demos, and are nearly as crisp as the finished product. These tracks are true demos, where the music and vocals sound very thrown together. I love hearing them because I enjoy discovering how their thought process came together, but their albums are the best for getting to know the band. Hearing this set would be like reading the scrap notes an author uses to write a book; a good glimpse of what is to come but only really enjoyable once it is understood where it leads.

What a great band and thanks for the great box set. I think It's great that they can release a four cd boxset of this brilliant band when they only ever released two studio albums, it just shows how talented they were and and I'm sure they would be just as good, if they ever got back together again, i think there is more chance of seeing me jump over the moon tonight than Jellyfish getting back together again. Go to Ebay under dvd there is couple of great live Jellyfish concerts.

Great!

買って良かった！これを世の中に出してくれてありがとう！と本気で言いたいです。デモ、ライブのクオリティが高いです。デモの演奏がシンプルだとメロディの良さが光ります。天才集団ジェリーフィッシュは、もっともっと評価されて良かったのに・・・あらためて素晴らしい曲の数々に感激です。いつか彼らの本も出してほしいです。