Blind Melon (album)

Blind Melon is the debut studio album by American rock band Blind Melon, released on September 22, 1992, through Capitol Records. "No Rain" became Blind Melon's breakthrough single.

Blind Melon
Studio album by
Blind Melon
ReleasedSeptember 22, 1992 (1992-09-22)
RecordedFebruary–June 1992
StudioLondon Bridge (Seattle)
Genre
Length55:18
LabelCapitol
Producer
Blind Melon chronology
Blind Melon
(1992)		 Soup
(1995)
Singles from Blind Melon
  1. "Tones of Home"
    Released: 1992
  2. "No Rain"
    Released: 1993
  3. "I Wonder"
    Released: 1993
  4. "Change"
    Released: 1993
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Consumer GuideC+[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[4]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]

Background

In 1990, lead singer Shannon Hoon moved from Indiana to Los Angeles. Soon he met guitarist Rogers Stevens and bassist Brad Smith, both Mississippi natives who had come to Los Angeles a year earlier. They began playing together and then recruited a second guitarist, Christopher Thorn. The foursome then looked for a drummer in the local area, but months passed and their search was unsuccessful. Stevens and Smith eventually persuaded Glen Graham to come to Los Angeles and join the band.

After Blind Melon recorded a four-song demo called The Goodfoot Workshop, Capitol Records became interested and signed them in 1991 although they never released the band's demo as an EP.[6] Blind Melon then collaborated with producer David Briggs to put together their first EP titled The Sippin' Time Sessions. However, the record was not released due to "slick and doctored" results that were unanticipated.[7]

In late 1991, Blind Melon decided to leave Los Angeles to record its debut album since they felt the city did not reflect their music style. The band retreated to Chapel Hill North Carolina because of its "good music scene", however they could not find an affordable house big enough there for them and their equipment.[8] The band eventually rented a house at 926 West Trinity Avenue in Durham, North Carolina.[9]

Production

Some recording sessions for the album took place at their Durham, North Carolina, residence, nicknamed the 'Sleepyhouse'. Thorn stated, "We rehearsed in the house and recorded in the house. We became a much better band in the house, and that's where we really developed our sound."[8] However, Blind Melon recorded the bulk of the album with producer Rick Parashar (who had produced Pearl Jam's Ten) at London Bridge Studio in Seattle. The recording sessions for Blind Melon were completed in the spring of 1992.[7]

Blind Melon's production is marked by the use of outdated amplifiers and other antiquated studio technology.[10] Modern studio effects were not used in its production as the band wanted to create a pure and "intimate" sounding record.[9] Hoon stated, "We all kind of liked the production that was on a lot of early Stones records, [where] whatever it is you're playing is what it's going to sound like."[9]

On the album, Rogers Stevens's guitar playing is predominantly heard in the right channel, while Chris Thorn's is in the left.

Composition

The album's music style has been described as alternative, southern rock with a '70s retro-rock feel.[9][11] Hoon's vocals on the record are high-pitched, and "scratchy" sounding.[11] A couple of the songs on Blind Melon criticize religion. "Holyman" slams people who maintain that only their religious views are right, and "Dear Ol' Dad" is about Hoon's ex-girlfriend who left him because of religion.[9] The song "Sleepyhouse" is a recollection of a time the band spent at their residence of the same name, and with friends at a yellow house in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.[8] The lyrics to "Tones of Home" were written collaboratively.

Artwork

Blind Melon's cover art is based on a 1975 photograph of Georgia Graham, Glen Graham's younger sister, in a bee costume at a "long-ago" school play. “We were all sitting around in the living room and that picture just jumped out at us. Someone jokingly said, ‘That would make a great album cover.’ ”[12][13][14] The cover art further inspired the concept of the 'Bee Girl' character in the band's video for "No Rain". Samuel Bayer, the video's director, selected Heather DeLoach for the 'Bee Girl' role because she looked similar to Graham's sister in the photograph.[12]

In 2021, the band shared this comment by Glen Graham on Facebook: "This photo was taken around 1976 at Joe Cook Jr. High School auditorium in Columbus, MS during a Jazz/Tap/Ballet recital of 4-6 year olds conducted by Mrs. Betty Lott's English School of Dance. Blind Melon spent about six weeks in Columbus in the winter of '91 before moving to what we dubbed the Sleepy House in Durham, NC. During that time, Christopher Thorn spotted the photo in my parents house and suggested using it for the album cover."[15]

Legacy and accolades

In 2022, Guitar World ranked Blind Melon #8 on their list of "The 30 greatest rock guitar albums of 1992".[16]

Track listing

All songs written by Blind Melon.

No.TitleLength
1."Soak the Sin"4:01
2."Tones of Home"4:26
3."I Wonder"5:31
4."Paper Scratcher"3:14
5."Dear Ol' Dad"3:02
6."Change"3:41
7."No Rain"3:37
8."Deserted"4:20
9."Sleepyhouse"4:29
10."Holyman"4:47
11."Seed to a Tree"3:29
12."Drive"4:39
13."Time"6:02

20th anniversary edition
  • Released April 16, 2013
  • Includes bonus tracks from the previously unreleased Sippin' Time Sessions EP.
No.TitleLength
14."Dear Ol' Dad"3:03
15."Soul One"3:41
16."Tones of Home"4:51
17."Seed to a Tree"3:25
18."Mother"6:14

Personnel

Blind Melon

  • Blind Melon – producer, art direction, mixing
  • Shannon Hoon – vocals, acoustic guitar, tambourine
  • Brad Smith – bass guitar, flute, backing vocals
  • Rogers Stevens – lead guitar
  • Christopher Thorn – rhythm guitar, mandolin
  • Glen Graham – percussion, drums

Additional musician

Production

  • George Marino – mastering
  • Rick Parashar – producer, engineer, mixing
  • Jon Plum – assistant engineer
  • Tommy Steele – art direction
  • Heather Devlin – photography

Charts

Singles
Year Single Chart Peak
position
1992 "Tones of Home" US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks[23] 20
1993 "No Rain" US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks[23] 1
1993 "No Rain" US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks[23] 1
1993 "No Rain" US Billboard Hot 100[23] 20
1993 "No Rain" US Billboard Mainstream Top 40[23] 4
1993 "Tones of Home" US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks[23] 10

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[26] 4× Platinum 400,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[27] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[28] 4× Platinum 4,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

Footnotes

  1. Allmusic review
  2. Christgau, Robert (October 15, 2000). "Blind Melon". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 9780312245603.
  3. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 2691. ISBN 9780857125958.
  4. Farber, Jim (November 6, 1992). "Blind Melon". Entertainment Weekly.
  5. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. pp. 84–5. ISBN 9780743201698.
  6. Chapman (2008), p. 109
  7. Prato, Greg. "Blind Melon Biography". Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  8. Currin, Grayson (November 28, 2007). "A reunited Blind Melon reminisces about its time in Durham". Independent Weekly. Archived from the original on September 20, 2011. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  9. Billik, Kira (August 1, 1993). "Blind Melon plays in mellow tone". Associated Press. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  10. Reynolds, Simon (December 5, 1993). "POP VIEW; The Perils of Loving Old Records Too Much". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  11. Love, Andrew (January 4, 1993). "Blind Melon presents mixed musical bag". Ocala Star-Banner. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
  12. Kaufman, Gil (December 10, 2008). "Blind Melon 'Bee Girl' Grows Up, Has Eye On Acting Career". MTV. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  13. "To Bee or Not to Bee". Entertainment Weekly. September 24, 1993. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  14. Neely, Kim (November 11, 1993). "Blind Melon: Knee-Deep in the Hoopla". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  15. "Blind Melon on Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on 2022-04-27.
  16. Prato, Greg (April 28, 2022). "The 30 greatest rock guitar albums of 1992". Guitar World. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  17. "Australiancharts.com – Blind Melon – Blind Melon". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  18. "Austriancharts.at – Blind Melon – Blind Melon" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  19. "Dutchcharts.nl – Blind Melon – Blind Melon" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  20. "Offiziellecharts.de – Blind Melon – Blind Melon" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  21. "Charts.nz – Blind Melon – Blind Melon". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  22. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  23. "Blind Melon Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  24. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1993". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  25. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  26. "Canadian album certifications – Blind Melon – Blind Melon". Music Canada. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  27. "British album certifications – Blind Melon – Blind Melon". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  28. "American album certifications – Blind Melon – Blind Melon". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 7, 2021.

Bibliography

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