“Spilt Milk” is the second and last studio album by American rock band Jellyfish, released on February 9th, 1993, by Charisma Records. It features a harsher and more ornate sound than their previous, “Bellybutton” (1990). As with “Bellybutton”, “Spilt Milk” was written and co-produced by founding members Andy Sturmer and Roger Manning. Albhy Galuten and Jack Joseph Puig also returned as producers.
Named for the hard work and turmoil surrounding its making, Spilt Milk was recorded after the departure of bassist Chris Manning (who was replaced by Tim Smith) and lead guitarist Jason Faulkner. Guitar duties were instead handled by session musicians Jon Brion and Lyle Workman. Production lasted several months due to the record’s complicated orchestrations, and ultimately ran over-budget.
The album was supported with a yearlong tour that introduced guitarist Eric Dover into the band’s line-up. “Spilt Milk” performed below commercial expectations, Singles “The Ghost at Number One” and “New Mistake” charted .
“Spilt Milk” was the vision of what we set out to do fully realized. Everything Andy and I would stay up late dreaming and talking and fantasizing about we went for on “Bellybutton”, which I was proud of. But on “Spilt Milk” we saw all those ideas seen through to fruition.
Roger Manning,
The press described “Spilt Milk” as being “as compelling a homage to the Beatles and the Beach Boys as there is”, but one that is “so heavy on production sleight-of-hand that the melodies sometimes collapse beneath the weight of the sound.” Though he criticized the album for being “frustratingly derivative”, he praised its “sprawling production and loving performances”
Manning and Sturmer collaborated with Ringo Starr for his 1992 solo album “Time Takes Time”. They were then invited to work with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. Wilson and Jellyfish only had one song-writing session that was unproductive. Manning described the experience as “utterly surreal”. After their sessions with Starr and Wilson, the band was dedicated to making their next album “their masterpiece”
An expanded deluxe edition of the album was released by Omnivore Recordings in 2015
The Fat Angel Sings 