Jars Of Clay – If I Left The Zoo
Jars of Clay have always impressed me with their sound, and this album sees them venturing even further afield with their always admirable production values. Kicking off with “Goodbye, Goodnight”, If I Left The Zoo almost sounds like Jellyfish’s Spilt Milk in style (if not necessarily in content). The band vastly widens its spectrum of different vocal styles (a black southern gospel choir backing up on “I’m Alright”), instruments (“Goodbye, Goodnight”‘s banjo, among other things), and various effects and filters which can make the band sound 
post-modern one second and 70’s-retro the next. If I’m not mistaken, I think the lyrics are growing more complex and mature as well. The better songs include the aforementioned first track, “No One Loves Me Like You”, “Can’t Erase It”, and “Collide”.
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- Goodbye, Goodnight (2:53)
- Unforgetful You (3:21)
- Collide (4:46)
- No One Loves Me Like You (3:49)
- Famous Last Words (3:27)
- Sad Clown (4:27)
- Hand (3:37)
- I’m Alright (3:40)
- Grace (4:31)
- Can’t Erase It (3:35)
- River Constantine (4:50)
Released by: Essential
Release date: 1999
Total running time: 42:58
When I picked up Jewel’s sophomore effort, I worried that it was bound to be affected to some degree by the success of her previous album, but pleasantly, though it echoes the same signature sound, it isn’t Pieces Of You, Part II. In a very short time, Spirit has earned my respect with such memorable songs as “Deep Water”, “Down So Long” (the closest this album comes to the grittier sound of “Who Will Save Your Soul?”, which is actually the song that made me sit up and pay attention to Jewel), and the first single, “Hands”. If anything, Jewel’s lyrical skill has intensified on this album, but in a few places it seems as though the edge of the music composition has suffered. Some of the songs are very predictable in the 
instrumental department, and end up being carried by the vocal alone, which seems like a slight letdown after some of the well-composed music on Jewel’s first album. Though this is still a solid collection, I think Jewel will need to concentrate more on the music for the next album, and may have to invent a slightly new sound to avoid creating a sonic signature that makes every album or song sound the same.
This is a rockin’ selection of hysterically funny covers of the immortal tunes from those educational animated shorts that used to give ABC’s Saturday morning cartoons such a distinct identity. ABC tries to brand itself with an incredibly annoying series of banana-yellow graphics these days, but that will never even approach the popularity or instant recognition factor that ABC had with the Schoolhouse Rocks cartoons. Schoolhouse Rocks officially ascends to the status of cultural icon with this cover album, featuring a series of often faithful (and occasionally way-the-hell-out-there) covers performed by alt-rock and rap artists. The original Schoolhouse Rocks theme opens the proceedings, and Deluxx Folk Implosion promptly crashes the party with a very good copy of “I’m Just A Bill”, adding the modern touch of vocals dripping with thick, syrupy sarcasm. It’s hard to bang one’s head and laugh out loud at the same time, but this is a good song with which to try. Other standouts include a very good homage to “Electricity, Electricity” by all-girl band Goodness, and Ween’s very accurate rendition of “The Shot Heard ‘Round The World”. The more rap-oriented 
This girl’s just now hitting it big, and this album has been out for two years!? Amazing. Her presence on Atlantic seems to make it likely that the label sought her out as a kind of folksy Tori Amos clone, but Jewel is much more than that. I will admit that the single “Who Will Save Your Soul” mesmerized me into buying this album, and I’m glad it did. There are several live tracks that really come across as average, but the last song, “Amen”, is really where Jewel comes into her own and proves that she could indeed be the next Tori Amos without being a Tori clone. She abandons the folky style that has come to be her trademark and does 
So, here it is. My first conscious alternative music purchase. I suppose that honor could be bestowed upon the Finn album, but I bought that on the fine reputation of the artists concerned. I heard the single “Flood” from Jars of Clay on a long business trip (the alternative-ish radio station in Fayetteville was the only one that wasn’t driving me up the wall with redneck clichè) without realizing who had done the song. Now I’ve found the CD. And I’m amazed. These guys border on – hang on to your hats – Christian alternative! It wasn’t until I listened to all the words again that it dawned on me. In places, it’s obvious, and in others the references are quite subtle indeed. I wonder if anyone else has noticed this. But that aside, these guys are 
It’s really too bad Jellyfish split up, because from the sound of this album and its solitary follow-up, they could have amassed a following as the premiere pop group of the 1990s. These guys really enjoyed making their music, and their joy in doing so is evident just from listening to it. If you need proof, listen to the goofy song “Now She Knows She’s Wrong”. I remember hearing “The King Is Half-Undressed” several years ago on MTV and disregarding the entire song until the bridge, which consists of some absolutely entrancing Beatlesque-going-on-ELO harmonies, and it turns out the rest of Bellybutton was at least as good as that one song, if not better. I have to single out “The Man I Used To Be”, “Bedspring Kiss” and especially the sobering “She Still Loves Him” – about a woman trapped in an abusive relationship – for special 
This definitive collection of Howard Jones’ singles is a must if, like me, you’re a student of pop music of the ’80s. Featuring singles as early as “New Song” (believe me, you’ve heard this, even if you don’t think you have), “Things Can Only Get Better”, the familiar Phil Collins-produced version of “No One Is To Blame”, “Life In One Day”, later songs such as “Everlasting Love” and “Lift Me Up” and a newly recorded cover of Donald Fagen’s “I.G.Y.”, this album probably has whatever you’re looking for unless you’re 
Jellyfish added a new dimension to their 1970s-inspired pop sound by allowing more than just a little influence from Queen sneak into their second – and, due to the quick breakup of a very promising band, last – album. From the opening lullabye number right into the immensely Queen-esque “Joining A Fan Club”, it’s obvious that Jellyfish assimilated some of the best and most distinctive trademarks of Freddie Mercury and friends. The precision of the vocal harmonies on this album are amazing to hear, as is the hauntingly familiar hard-rock-and-thrashing-vocals approach, also inspired by Queen. The only thing that really tips one off that this is not Queen is the absence of Brian May’s unmistakable guitar