San Francisco-based power pop quartet Jellyfish only released two full-length albums (Bellybutton [1990] and Spilt Milk [1993]), but their wicked blend of hook-filled, radio-ready melodies, their retro look, and their peerless musicianship won them a devoted following that, over the years, has grown increasingly cultish. Best, which features 20 remastered album cuts and rarities (the juicy bits were culled from 2002’s Fan Club, a limited-edition box set that included four discs of unreleased Jellyfish material (demos, rehearsals, compilation tracks, live recordings, etc.), is about as good a primer as one could hope for, offering up a wide breadth of hits and fan favorites that do little to dispel the group’s legacy as top-notch musicians and woefully underrated songwriters. For newbies, it doesn't matter if you start here or end up here after buying the albums, as either path is lined with gold.
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