Review - Jelly Jam

My, what a long, long review. Not much else to add, I suppose, except that I still listen to this one now and then, a whopping ten years later. The trio just put out a new album, their third, and the rumors are that a fourth is in the works. Oh joy! Oh rapture!

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To me, the last King's X album sounded like they were just going through the motions, hashing together ten quick songs to fulfill contractual obligations. Doug dominated the tracks, making it sound like a Pound Hound project, and Ty apparently spent most of the album in the john.

Or maybe his creative juices were busy collaborating on his latest side band, The Jelly Jam.

When the keyboardist for his first side project, Platypus, decided to leave the band, the remaining members knew that there was still plenty of magic to be mined. Working in the familiar confines of a three-piece combo, guitarist/vocalist Ty Tabor of King's X, bassist John Myung of Dream Theatre, and drummer Rod Morgenstein of Dixie Dregs have created an album of songs that far surpasses anything recorded by Platypus. Less jazzy and more rock-n-roll than their earlier work, these songs start strong and get stronger. On the first listen you may find a track or two that you enjoy but give it three more spins and it'll plow into you line an angry linebacker on steroids. So good are these tunes that I've been putting off reviewing this album just so I can justify a few more listens. Where most albums begin to lose their luster after five spins past these jaded ears, this album is well into the twenties and I still love what I hear.

Imagine crunching 70's era rock with a bit of classic prog, add Beatlesque vocal stylings, astounding guitar tones, appealing melodies, and death-defying drum work that even non-drummers notice, and you have The Jelly Jam. The first track, "I Can't Help You", is dense and heavy, charging through gritty progressive meter changes with a great in-the-gut riff. The funky wah guitar of "No Remedy" will remind fans of prime King's X while "Nature's Girl" features frenzied guitars battling to reach the half-time candy chorus. "Feeling" is the first song that broke me wide open. Lyrically set on Ty's "busted marriage", this song is packed with emotion. Loping bass lines and a complex drum figure in the verse make way for an ultra-crunchy and powerfully intense bridge. Ty's clean vocals part the waters with "Leave me my red cherry wine/ And I know I'll be doing just fine / 'Cause I'm keeping this deep heart of mine / From feeling" as the song segues into a placid, extended solo section reminiscent of "The Burning Down" from the classic Gretchen album, later rising again like the Phoenix, building more tension to unbearable levels. With no chance to recover, The Jelly Jam next hits you with "Reliving", a song slower in tempo but just as heavy with heartfelt anguish and crying, screaming guitar. The title track opens with the same guitar figure used in "Reliving" but these talented musicians turn it into a spacey six-minute impromptu jam. I'm not sure if Ty is trying to say something about his "home" band with "I Am The King" but this heavy humdinger with killer drums packs a powerful wallop, juxtaposing an angsty chorus with a calm verse. "The King's Dance" is an instrumental based on the melodies from the previous track, all of which melts into "Under The Tree". Here an Asian-influenced verse comes head to head with a crushing ball bridge full of distortion. The second half of the song is an extended, spacey solo, again like the classic early King's X albums, featuring Ty's signature guitar tone.

The flow of this album, with songs borrowing themes from one another, leads to a very coherent and always interesting album. The music is complex but doesn't reveal it's true nature unless you are listening for it, masked as it is in easily digestible melodies and great vocals. While I've made many comparisons to early King's X albums, the biggest hit is in terms of feel. There is a chemistry going on here, a spark between three musicians at the top of their craft, each excited to be a part of a kinetic creativity that can't be formulated by studio gizmos. This one's a solid 10… what more can I say?

This review first appeared in WhatzUp, April 2002.

Review - Platypus - Ice Cycles

I prefer this second album to their first but would gladly settle to be able to write songs 1/20th as good as any on either album.

Progressive rock is often criticized (and rightly so) for over-indulging technical abilities at the expense of the song. Form a "super group" with some of progressive rock's most talented musicians and you might get a cesspool of technical grandstanding. Might. With Platypus, though, the result is a collection of great songs backed with outstanding musicianship. This aquatic creature is comprised of John Myung (bass, Dream Theatre), Derek Sherinian (keyboards, Planet X), Ty Tabor (guitar and vocals, King's X), and Rod Morgenstein (drums, Dixie Dregs). The songs on this release are more radio-friendly than their first, although they are also darker and harder. Instead of the plentiful long instrumentals of When Pus Comes to Shove, Ice Cycles has only two instrumentals and six songs with lyrics. As Tabor handles the vocals and lyrics, these songs tend to have a more Beatle-ish feel, much like his solo albums.

"The Tower" as an up-tempo romp mixed with slower verse sections accompanied by some incredible drumming and an extended bridge where the musicians trade off solos. "Cry" is a dark, sobering song of desperation. Fans of Alice Cooper with recognize a piano part from "I Love the Dead" within and it fits in quite naturally with the dour mood of the song. In "I Need You", Platypus digs a deep groove with some emotive bass playing and some very substantive vocals. "Gone" is a six-minute ode to missed opportunities with an smoldering slow burn and a simple chorus of "Something has changed / Something is wrong / Something is gone." As with their first album, the best tracks are the instrumentals. "25" starts with heavy, fevered guitar riff and keeps it that way with a piece that switches between 70s fusion and dirty Mississippi rock, plus a few other styles to keep the listener on their toes as each musician takes their turn to show off their chops. Not to be outdone, the album ends with "Partial To The Bean", a ten minute pastiche comprised of seven sections that range from an aggressive and frenetic meter-swapping funhouse to the soothing and hypnotic mid-section to a Dark-Side-Of-The-Moon keyboard driven piece called "Platmosis" that opens up into more inventive guitar madness. Overall, this sophomore album is more homogenous than the debut, finding the members maturing from a side-project into a real band.

This review first appeared in WhatzUp, January 2001.

Review - Platypus - When Pus Comes To Shove

This band morphed into The Jelly Jam when the keyboardist left. I likes 'em better as a power trio but the two Platypus albums ain't nothin' to shake a stick at.

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About six months ago I downloaded an MP3 file of a song by the new "progressive supergroup" Platypus and started annoying my coworkers by turning my computer up to eleven. I have suffered through months of domestic release delays until early this month, this strange creature was born in the form of their first album When Pus Comes to Shove. And my stereo hasn't been the same since.

Playpus is comprised of bassist John Myung and keyboardist Derek Sherinian of Dream Theater (whose music is best described as Bach meets Metallica in Kanas), drummer Rod Morgenstein of the legendary jazz-southern rock fusion band Dixie Dregs, and guitarist Ty Tabor of King's X (whose sound and style laid the foundation for many of today's bands including Soundgarden, Collective Soul and Alice in Chains. Together they have combined the best of their respective bands, creating a musical masterpiece of progressive rock not heard in years. While the songs range from new age to ballads to full out rock, the spirit of disciplined chaos, intricately woven parts, humor, and freewheeling mania continue throughout the 50+ minute CD of half instrumental, half lyrical songs.

"Rock Balls/Destination Moon" retains the free jamming feeling of classic Kansas. This track especially is drenched in organs and keyboards, giving a Deep Purple vibe that none of the band members expected. "Platt Opus" continues this sound, expanding it with tightly intertwined melodies, a playful "Dixie Dregs" spirit and 18/4 meter. "Chimes" is a piano/keyboard piece composed in irregular meter that somehow manages to remain relaxed, flowing, and meditative. Borrowing from the mellow rock of Steely Dan, "Bye Bye" combines Satrianiesque guitar parts with Tabor's Beatle-induced vocal harmonies to create a song that makes you scream for more! For my money, though, the two best songs are "Willie Brown" and "I'm With You", both of which sound like Gretchen-era King's X. "Willie Brown" is full of Hendrix fuzz guitar that starts in 5/4+4/4 meter and builds to a manic, fevered instrumental romp a la' "Moanjam" from the King's X album Faith Hope Love. In contrast, "I'm With You" keeps the same feel throughout, but what a feel. From the very first guitar riff, it tugs at you with a smoldering intensity that bursts into flame during the chorus where Ty breaks out the candy-flavored harmonies that are richer and brighter than anything he was ever written. With the adventurous spirit of the 70s combined with the sound and intensity of today, this is perfect music for turning up loud driving around with the top down.

This review first appeared in WhatzUp, March 1999.