School Of Fish - School Of Fish (1991)

Josh Clayton-Felt was one of the many fantastic songwriters that emerged in the early '90s with a hot debut album that was quickly forgotten about when grunge arrived. Although School of Fish had a minor hit with the rolling "3 Strange Days," there were several equally great songs on the album that should have made a dent. "Talk Like Strangers" had a nice lazy shuffle and a funky breakdown, while "King of the Dollar" rocks hard and strong. The psychedelic production and Michael Ward's guitar work strengthen the weaker songs. Clayton-Felt's rich, soulful voice is what makes this album a treat, and his ear for catchy hook lines make this a solid, listenable album. Much like contemporaries Jellyfish and Dramarama, School of Fish called it quits a few years later and Clayton-Felt had a strong solo career that was cut short by his tragic death. Fans of good guitar pop should hunt down this album; it might introduce you to an unrecognized talent. by Bradley Torreano

School of Fish was an alternative rock band which formed in 1989 and disbanded in 1994. The core members were Josh Clayton-Felt and Michael Ward who would play club dates in Los Angeles, California as a duo accompanied by programmed drums and bass. The band signed with Capitol Records in 1990, and released their first single on that same year on 7-inch vinyl. Their self-titled debut was released in March 1991, followed by their first single, "Three Strange Days." Also during the same year, they appeared on a KROQ concert disc called the Acoustic Christmas. Their second album, Human Cannonball, was released in 1993. The album did not sell very well and was not as successful as the self-titled album. Shortly thereafter, the band broke up.
Singer Josh Clayton-Felt died on January 19, 2000 at 32 of testicular cancer. His death effectively ended any hopes of a School of Fish reunion.
Guitarist Michael Ward went on to play with John Hiatt and eventually became a member of The Wallflowers. Chad Fischer went on to form the band Lazlo Bane, most known for original opening credits of the TV show Scrubs. He also performed music in the Garden State movie soundtrack. Christopher MacDonald, who played bass with the band on tour, but did not play on any School of Fish recordings, records synthesizer space music under the name Telomere.

*First 2 Tracks Are Joined As One Track (track 1 only :39 sec long & fades into 3 strange days already)

One Of My Favorite Albums Of The 90's
1. Intro
2. 3 Strange Days
3. Talk Like Strangers
4. Deep End
5. King Of The Dollar
6. Speechless
7. Wrong
8. Rose Colored Glasses
9. Under The Microscope
10. Fell
11. Euphoria

320AAC
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