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1999 F Jason Falkner Non-Soundtrack Music

Jason Falkner – Can You Still Feel?

2 min read

Order this CDIt took me a while to warm to the second solo project by Jellyfish’s original guitarist, and after a week or so of listening to it, the thought has occurred that perhaps I set my expectations too high for it as well. Opening up with a very brief, low-key opening, the album jumps into high gear with Author Unknown (which actually borrows its title from Jason’s first album). Again, the emphasis seems to be on 70’s-style power pop, though the production values here skew a little more Beatlesque and groovy than the first album did. My favorites – so far – include “Revelation”, the very cool “Holiday” (which also has some of the best lyrics I’ve heard anyone write in a long time), and the heavy “I Already Know”. I can’t put a finger on why the album as a whole doesn’t grab me like its predecessor did – some of its songs are certainly worthy of 4 out of 4the honor – but it could be the leaning toward obviously-dated 70’s production techniques and keyboards, even though I tend to enjoy a lot of music that really is from that period. But in retrospect, it took me a long time to warm to some of the songs on Jason’s first album which now rank as my favorites, so it may be a month or three before the real brilliance behind Can You Still Feel? hits me.

  1. The Invitation (0:26)
  2. Author Unknown (3:32)
  3. Revelation (5:45)
  4. My Lucky Day (3:25)
  5. Holiday (3:59)
  6. Eloquence (3:42)
  7. I Already Know (4:26)
  8. See You Again (5:06)
  9. Honey (4:15)
  10. The Plan (4:45)
  11. All God’s Creatures (2:54)
  12. Good Night, Sweet Night (4:10)

Released by: Elektra
Release date: 1999
Total running time: 46:27

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Categories
1996 F Jason Falkner Non-Soundtrack Music

Jason Falkner presents Author Unknown

2 min read

Order this CDOne of the most unexpectedly brilliant gems of the 90’s was Jellyfish, the short-lived prophets of power-pop who broke up not long after releasing their 1992 album, the nothing-short-of-astounding Spilt Milk. Jellyfish seemed to draw inspiration from the Beatles, ELO, Queen, and almost every other landmark pop act of the past 30 years all at once. And now we can hear the person who is perhaps least credited for that sound – Jellyfish alumnus Jason Falkner. In his self-performed and self-produced debut album, Falkner proves that he is more than capable of matching Jellyfish’s best efforts on his own. The album kicks off strongly with “I Live”, a song which immediately calls up instinctive memories of Argent’s “Hold Your Head High”. My note of the similarity is a compliment, not an accusation of plagarism – the rock-anthem tone is what the two songs share. Other standouts are “Don’t Show Me Heaven”, which starts out deceptively with cheesy synthesizers and drum machines which smoothly segue into another rock anthem; the Clapton-esque “Afraid Himself To Be”, and the final track, “Untitled”, which is possibly the best 4 out of 4thing on the entire album. If you don’t get a chill from hearing Falkner pull off an acoustic-going-orchestral number, sounding like he’s channeling the Beatles and Jeff Lynne at the same time, you need to listen again, and maybe once more after that. It’s the perfect hook for the album’s end – offering the best hint that Jason Falkner has a great deal more to offer us in the future. Maybe Jellyfish isn’t dead after all.

  1. I Live (3:11)
  2. Miracle Medicine (3:27)
  3. Hectified (2:44)
  4. Don’t Show Me Heaven (4:15)
  5. She Goes To Bed (4:17)
  6. Nobody Knows (4:06)
  7. Follow Me (4:08)
  8. Before My Heart Attacks (3:43)
  9. Afraid Himself To Be (3:41)
  10. Miss Understanding (2:59)
  11. I Go Astray (3:50)
  12. Untitled (4:01)

Released by: Elektra
Release date: 1996
Total running time: 44:24

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