Jughead - “Halfway Home To Elvis”
Progressive supergroup Platypus split in 2000 after two releases, resulting in the projects The Jelly Jam and Jughead, both featuring King’s X guitarist Ty Tabor. In the former, Tabor continued on with Dream Theater bassist John Myung and drummer Rod Morgenstein (Dixie Dregs, Winger), while the latter saw saw Tabor and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (former Dream Theater and current Black Country Communion ivory tickler) team with the fraternal rhythm section of Matt and Gregg Bissonette.
On its 2002 self-titled release, Jughead focuses on crafting concise pop tunes that get straight to the point—with the exception of the eight-minute album closer “Paging Willie Mays”—rather than on extended jams and progressive instrumental suites. Although all but the three songs repurposed from the Bissonette’s former group The Mustard Seeds are credited to the entire band, I’m fairly certain Matt Bissonette and Ty Tabor are responsible for the songwriting on the album, which spotlights both writers’ affinity for the Beatles and is far poppier than anything on a King’s X or Ty Tabor solo release. The result is 45 minutes of pure pop goodness.
Enjoy!
