Music: The Merrymakers

I’m actually a little bit ashamed. Sometimes good things are too close to recognize.

During my late upbringing in Piteå there was a band called Merrymakers; a band that made it to the international scene. But sometimes it’s strange, people that you went to school with; can they really be top class material? Yes, they can.

In my case, I totally missed out on their awesome music, which is actually even more strange since I totally loved Jellyfish and ABBA, and I think there are so many influences from both of them here.

So, if you want to have a taste, and don’t want to make the same mistake as I did, check them out.

Their Facebook-page could be found here

Final update, and INDEX of Best Albums of All Times

This “Best Album Of All Times” needed an Index since it will be kept as a separate category. After some thoughts I also rearranged some albums to my final list, so here’s the final list updated with both initial and final positions.

If you click on the link you’ll be redirected to each review.

Place Artist Album name Position after some thoughts
1 Journey Raised on Radio 1
2 Keane Hopes and fears 2
3 Toto Fahrenheit 4
4 Sixx A-M Heroin Diaries 3
5 Hoobastank The Reason 5
6 Jellyfish Bellybutton 7
7 U2 Joshua Tree 6
8 Babyface Unplugged NYC 1997 8
9 Phenomena Phenomena I 9
10 Sara Isaksson Red Eden 11
11 AC/DC Back in black 10
12 Michael Jackson Bad 13
13 Blacknuss Gold 14
14 Mötley Crüe Shout at the devil 16
15 Coldplay Viva La Vida or Death and all his friends 12
16 Gary Moore? Wild Frontier 17
17 Stephen simmonds For Father 18
18 Ratt Out of the cellar 19
19 Aldo Nova Twitch 20
20 Rage Against The Machine Rage Against The Machine 21
21 Dire Straits On Every Street 22
22 The Fray The Fray 23
23 Metallica Metallica 24
24 Adele 21 25
25 Top Gun Motion Picture Soundtrack 26
26 David Foster David Foster 27
27 Nirvana Nevermind 28
28 Peter Gabriel So 15
29 Abba The Album 29
30 Robert Plant / Alison Krauss Raising sand 30
31 Johnny Hates Jazz Turn Back the Clock 31
32 Bruce Hornsby The Way It Is 32
33 Level 42 Running in the family 33
34 Chicago Chicago 17 34
35 Marc Cohn Marc Cohn 35
36 Richard Marx Richard Marx 36
37 Guns n roses Greatest Hits 37
38 Europé Wings of tomorrow 38
39 Saga Wildest Dreams 39
40 Tommy Nilsson Follow the road 40

Before the last two at the top – Short Summary Top 40 – 2

Before we enter the top-2… short summary of the tracks on places 40 – 2 (with links to albums available on Spotify):

3 Toto – The Seventh One
4 Sixx A.M – Heroin Diaries
5 Hoobastank – The Reason
6 Jellyfish – Bellybutton
7 U2 – Joshua Tree
8 Babyface – Unplugged NYC 1997
9 Phenomena – Phenomena I
10 Sara Isaksson – Red Eden
11 AC/DC – Back In Black
12 Michael Jackson – Bad
13 Blacknuss – Gold
14 Mötley Crüe – Shout at the Devil
15 Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death and all his friends
16 Gary Moore – Wild Frontier
17 Stephen Simmonds – For Father
18 Ratt – Out Of The Cellar
19 Aldo Nova – Twitch
20 Rage Against The Machine – Rage Against The Machine
21 Dire Straits – On every street (Special mention Brothers in arms)
22 The Fray – The Fray
23 Metallica – Metallica
24 Adele – 21
25 Top Gun – Motion Picture Soundtrack
26 David Foster
27 Nirvana – Nevermind
28 Peter Gabriel – So
29 Abba – The Album
30 Robert Plant / Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
31 Johnny Hates Jazz – Turn Back The Clock
32 Bruce Hornsby – The Way It is
33 Level 42 – Running in the family
34 Chicago – Chicago 17
35 Marc Cohn – Marc Cohn
36 Richard Marx – Richard Marx
37 Gun’s n Roses – Apetite for Destruction
38 Europe – Wings of Tomorrow
39 Saga – Wildest Dreams
40 Elvis Presley – G.I Blues

Best Album Of All Times – Number 6

Best Album Of All Times – Number 6: Jellyfish – Bellybutton (1990)

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Ok, so we’re getting close to the absolute top! On 6:th place I’ve put an album that, at the time when it hit the market, sounded like nothing else! This was the time when the grunge had hit the market massively, and the audience weren’t looking for a new amazing pop act.

Influences from Beatles, Queen, pop, folk lore… the list goes on, but still a pop-album. This is an album that sounds like anything else.

So, who are Jellyfish? The band members:

Andy Sturmer – Drums / Vocals / Guitar / Keyboards

Roger Manning Jr – Harpsichord / Keyboards / Piano / Vocals / Backing Vocals

Jason Falkner – Bass / Guitar / Vocals

Even though the band has received some amazing reviews from the critics over the years, they’ve never been a big hit in the wider streams or commercially. But my feeling is that the few that have discovered the album, are all true fans. Even the later Split Milk, which sounds like a true continuation of Bellybutton is a must-hear.

What I really like with every album that’s left on this list, is that they are well kept together. Every song has it’s place, and everything is well collected. This also goes for this amazing album, Bellybutton by Jellyfish.

So, if you haven’t heard them yet (which the most people haven’t) you should check them out, straight away.

<- Back to number 7