1/24/2024 0 Comments Blind melonOverall, then, Blind Melon contains one great song and a slew of others that range from good to very good. The song’s cathartic finish is both mournful and celebratory, leaving it tantalizingly unclear whether he ever finds the peace he’s looking for. The only thing that can save him, the man thinks, is connection with another human being - “Stay with me and I’ll have it made”. (Did all of us who sang along with “No Rain” back in the day realize just how dark it is?) As brought to vivid life by Hoon’s vocals, the lyrics depict an isolated man teetering on the edge of depression: “I don’t understand why I sleep all day / And I start to complain that there’s no rain / And all I can do is read a book to stay awake / And it rips my life away, but it’s a great escape”. The music is as gorgeous as ever, but listening to the song now, I find myself struck more by the naked desperation described in the lyrics. The single “Tones of Home” is another good track, despite having the most petulant lyrics on the album (“Nobody here really understands me”, Hoon whines).īut let’s get back to “No Rain”, which remains the high point of the album and, for my money, one of the best pop songs of the past two decades. Or “Paper Scratcher”, which alternates between prickly hard rock and melodic pop. Check out “Holyman”, which, after a pretty preamble of mandolin and chiming guitar, kicks into gear with propulsive rhythm guitar and drums, only to slow back down for the chorus. The better tracks on Blind Melon have an epic feel because of the band’s fondness for switching tempos and moods within a single song. Topping everything off is Hoon’s blockbuster screech of a voice, a fiery mix of Robert Plant, Axl Rose, and Perry Farrell. The band keeps the sound from devolving into empty retro-ism, though, by adding the rhythmic pulse of funk and a keen sense of melody. It’s clear that they grew up on a steady diet of ’70s rock - you hear the proto-metal growl of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin in a lot of these tracks, along with the sweaty, down-home guitar flourishes of Southern rock giants like Lynyrd Skynyrd. The members of Blind Melon - guitarists Rogers Stevens and Christopher Thorn, bassist Brad Smith, drummer Glen Graham, and doomed frontman Shannon Hoon - came together in California, but all hailed originally from small towns in either the South or Midwest. I wouldn’t rank the album with the era’s best, but it’s a solid piece of work that contains one shining moment of genius. Universal has just released an expanded edition of the album, complete with spruced-up sound and a bonus EP of previously unreleased tracks. Now Blind Melon joins many of its Clinton-era counterparts on the reissue train. If a circa-1993 CD shelf had Pearl Jam’s Ten and Nirvana’s Nevermind on it, you could bet that Blind Melon’s disc was somewhere nearby. The song’s sunny groove was inescapable on rock radio and MTV, and it made Blind Melon a touchstone of the early alternative era. There you have the first few seconds of “No Rain”, the breakout hit by Blind Melon from the group’s 1992 self-titled debut. The vocals enter last - earnest, plaintive, a bit of distortion hinting at some inner darkness. Then comes a breezy, shuffling beat, propelled by finger-snap percussion and jaunty strums of an acoustic guitar. ![]() Blind Melon is currently working on their fourth studio album, which is tentatively due for release in 2020.It starts with ringing guitar tones that glide through the air like ripples in a pond. Shortly after its release, Warren left Blind Melon but rejoined in 2010, when the band returned to performing occasional gigs. The remaining members reformed the band in 2006 with Warren and recorded one album with him, For My Friends (2008). After four years of unsuccessfully searching for a replacement for Hoon, Blind Melon officially dissolved in 1999. They are best known for their 1993 hit " No Rain", and enjoyed critical and commercial success in the early 1990s with their neo-psychedelic take on alternative rock.īlind Melon released two albums on Capitol Records – Blind Melon (1992) and Soup (1995) – before their original lead vocalist Shannon Hoon died of a drug overdose on the band's tour bus in New Orleans on October 21, 1995. The band currently consists of guitarists Rogers Stevens and Christopher Thorn, drummer Glen Graham, vocalist Travis Warren and bassist Nathan Towne. You can view the original article here.īlind Melon is an American rock band formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California, by five musicians: three from Mississippi, one from Pennsylvania and one from Indiana. ![]() ![]() ![]() The following article has been largely taken from Wikipedia's "Blind Melon" article. Unified Theory, Awolnation, Abandon Jalopy Alternative Rock, American Trad Rock, Grunge
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |