Additional information
Blind Melon: Shannon Hoon (vocals); Thomas Rogers Stevens, Christopher Thorn (guitar); Brad Smith (bass); Glen Graham (drums). Additional personnel: Sabbi Kahn (sarangi). Recorded at London Bridge Studios, Seattle, Washington in February 1992. Personnel: Shannon Hoon (vocals); Christopher Thorn, Rogers Stevens (guitar); Glenn Graham (drums, percussion); Brad Smith (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Rick Parashar; Blind Melon; Brad Smith . Recording information: London Bridge Studios, Seattle, WA (06/1992); Sound City, Los Angeles (06/1992); London Bridge Studios, Seattle, WA (07/1991); Sound City, Los Angeles (07/1991). Photographer: Heather Devlin. Given the preponderance of synthesizers and samples on contemporary radio outlets, fans of guitar bands must be feeling a little let down, when along comes a Blind Melon. BLIND MELON puts a contemporary slant on metal, blues and assorted psychedelia without sounding lost in the past. Nevertheless, their deep roots in classic FM sounds help define their appeal, not unlike that of a Pearl Jam. Vocalist Hoon howls at the moon in the best tradition of Robert Plant, Ozzy Osbourne and Axl Rose, while the Glen Graham-Brad Smith rhythm team moves convincingly from rock thrash ("Paper Scratcher") to funk ("Seed To A Tree") and even some country and eastern sounds ("Holyman," "Sleepyhouse"). But the heart and soul of BLIND MELON are the loose spacey exchanges between guitarists Christopher Thorn and Roger Stevens, who sound at times like the Grateful Dead paraphrasing Led Zeppelin ("Soak The Sun," "No Rain"). Blind Melon was nominated for a 1994 Grammy Award as "Best New Artist."
Reviews
Rolling Stone (12/23/93, p.156) - "...Influences from the '70s abound, from Shannon Hoon's sunny Steve Miller-style vocals to tempo shifts of Jethro Tull-ish trickiness and whole pastures for jamming, jamming and jamming. Aural tie-dye, Blind Melon offer (expert) pickin' and wide-eyed grinnin'..." Entertainment Weekly (11/6/92, p.67) - "...Like Zeppelin at its most abstract, Blind Melon's guitar riffs morph from metal to blues to psychedelia. This is great stuff for guitar fans who like their music cliche-free..." - Rating: B+ Q (6/93, p.94) - 3 Stars - Good - "...Blind Melon exhibit a baffling diversity of influences...hangs together remarkably well, with an absorbing, unforced intimacy as the key to successfully weaving such faded threads into a colourful, contemporary garment. Ones to watch..."
