Listening to Green Jelly

I remember when I first really started getting into music I used to buy Hit Parader and Rip Magazine all the time. This was back even before Rip Magazine took on its new format and it looked all metal with a torn-up logo. I think it was either my second or third issue that I bought while on vacation in Orlando with my family. We went every year. I picked it up at the hotel’s gift shop and I remember reading about Green Jelly for the first time. I had never heard their music, but they had lots of shots of their stage performance as they were all dressed up in costumes. Now, I had never even heard of Gwar yet, so I would of course later learn that Green Jelly was the biggest rip-off of Gwar ever, but for the time being I thought it was pretty cool. I remember specifically that issue also had a feature on Rancid, who I already liked because my friend Daniel made me a tape.

When I got back from vacation, I bought this album. I remember listening to it all throughout grade 8. I didn’t have a discman back then, but I copied all of my CD’s onto tape so I could listen to them in my headphones. I absolutely loved the band, and I guess they were part of my natural progression into metal. I think being so young I just liked how funny it was and all the different characters. I remember this was when pogs were big too and I saw an ad in one magazine for absolutely free Green Jelly pogs. I didn’t even have to send postage and they were sent to me several weeks later.

I later grew out of the band and ended up trading in my 333 album – probably for something heavier. I wish I still had it.