Track list

Lightning Seeds - Jollification

01. Perfect 03:29
02. Lucky You 04:19
03. Open Goals 03:50
04. Change 04:03
05. Why Why Why 04:14
06. Marvellous 05:31
07. Feeling Lazy 03:55
08. My Best Day 05:00
09. Punch & Judy 03:17
10. Telling Tales 02:52

Biography by Jason Ankeny

The wispy pop outfit the Lightning Seeds were essentially the solo project of noted producer Ian Broudie. Born August 4, 1958 in Liverpool, England, Broudie first emerged as a member of Big in Japan, a product of the same Liverpudlian post-punk scene which gave rise to Echo & the Bunnymen, the Teardrop Explodes and Icicle Works. After Big in Japan split in 1979, Broudie followed a brief tenure in the Original Mirrors by producing the first two Bunnymen LPs, Crocodiles and Heaven Up Here, as well as work by the Fall, Wah! and Frazier Chorus.
Seeking to return to performing, in 1982 Broudie teamed with Wild Swans vocalist Paul Simpson; under the name Care; the duo released a series of shimmering singles which pointed in the direction Broudie followed in the Lightning Seeds, a one-man band backed by pop luminaries and session players. After scoring an international hit with the lush single "Pure," the Lightning Seeds issued their debut LP Cloudcuckooland in 1989. Still, despite the record's success, Broudie again returned to production, helming albums for groups like the Primitives, Sleeper, Alison Moyet and the Frank & Walters.
In 1992, Broudie revived the Lightning Seeds guise for Sense, on which he made synth programmer Simon Rogers (formerly of the Fall) a full musical partner; for 1994's Jollification, he formed a touring band (comprised of keyboardist Ali Kane, former Rain bassist Martyn Campbell and ex-Icicle Works drummer Chris Sharrock) to play his first live shows since serving in the Original Mirrors over a decade ago. The British chart hits "Ready or Not" and "Three Lions on a Shirt" followed in 1996.

Review by Jason Damas

For the Lightning Seeds' third album, Jollification, Ian Broudie wrote his strongest batch of songs yet and managed to return to the top of the British charts. At ten tracks, Jollification is overly brief; eight of the ten tracks are genuine keepers and rank amongst the band's best work. "Lucky You," "Marvelous," "Perfect," and "Change" (which received some recognition in the U.S. due to its exposure in the movie Clueless), were all modern British pop gems that arrived at the height of Brit-pop. While the album is occasionally too produced -- this is especially pronounced in the more synthesizer-driven songs -- the melodies dominate despite their occasional stiffness. Jollification is Broudie's most cohesive and consistent album to date.