Blind Melon
Blind Melon

THE REVIEW

The Blind Melon formed in 1989 in Los Angeles by two musicians from Mississippi, guitarist Roger Stevens and bassist Brad Smith. The lineup boasted the charismatic Shannon Hoon on vocals, who became famous for backing vocals on The Garden and Don't Cry by Guns N' Roses. In 1991, the band was finally about to release its first EP under the production of David Briggs, when for unknown and unspecified reasons, this project was shelved. Despite the initial difficulties, the guys did not give up and immediately returned to the studio with a new producer, Rick Parashar (famous for the Temple Of The Dog album), and their self-titled debut album was released in 1992 by Capitol.

The sound is strongly close to the "Seattle grunge", although it stands out for a distinct taste for melody both in harder and softer tracks. The real hit is No Rain (the video clip is wonderful), a song that has now become famous, which allowed the band to climb the charts and become known to the wider public; the structure of the song is quite simple, a mix of country rock and acid rock with Shannon’s voice sounding childlike in its sweetness and carefreeness. Other notable tracks are the funk rock Soak The Sin, Tones Of Home, and Time, heavily inspired by blues rock and Led Zeppelin. Change, on the other hand, is a splendid country ballad characterized by a strongly romantic vein, highlighted by a sweet acoustic guitar and the sound of the harmonica in the introduction, while I Wonder confirms that the group is tightly knit and capable of creating catchy melodies, thanks also to Roger Stevens' guitar sound, which is never trivial and very appealing. Despite this, the song in which Hoon's voice and charisma perhaps emerge the most is Deserted, also enriched by a genuinely heartfelt solo; the folk influence is instead exalted in Sleepyhouse.

Following the positive feedback from the album, the band embarked on a tour as a support group for artists like Neil Young and Lenny Kravitz, then continued with their own tour that kept them busy and traveling around the world through '94. An unforgettable appearance at Woodstock as the opening band for the Rolling Stones deserves mention. After the release of the subsequent Soup ('95), Shannon Hoon was found dead of a cocaine overdose; this tragic episode marked the end of Blind Melon. Although they were a band that did not bring any innovation to the musical field, merely riding the wave of the moment, listening to their music, one cannot remain indifferent in the face of such sincerity and spontaneity in conveying emotions. Blind Melon were not geniuses; they were just guys... but for this reason, their music is profoundly personal and deserves to be listened to. Now only a few remember them... but they certainly do not deserve to go unnoticed. Blind Melon is truly an excellent album, successfully crafted and well packaged.

All I can say is that my life is pretty plain
You don't like my point of view
Ya think that I'm insane
Its not sane... its not sane
"No Rain"