Self-Titled
An American Four piece rock band from San Francisco with a debut album that just totally rocks! For a first album that really just throws everything out of you it's exactly what I want as a listener! Just the raw rock sound they provide. The album was a commercial success and so it should of been. Leading up to the album they were getting all sorts of attention to sign to a major record label. They finally made a decision with the record label Elektra that had the likes of Metallica and Motley Crue.
The band started in 1993 and had alternative band member changes throughout that period. They finally got their sound and got signed to produce this album that was released in April, 1997! The influences they put into the album is very varied within each song and they do bring a unique style that justifies the sound of the 90's alternative rock scene.
Trivia
Michael Urbano from the band Smash Mouth, performs drums on the first four songs in the album. His band yet to make mainstream success till 1999.
Stephen Jenkins has a lisp, you can spot it in live performances.
Album Artwork
The first 500,000 sales of the album were in gold and the bands logo was in red. Vice versa here below after these sales at the band request when their popularity went berserk and in need of more copies! Don't think much meaning went into the artwork that pictures a yelling character with one eye covered with three fingers. This becoming their trademark within the bands name of Third Eye Blind (Obviously)
Track Listing
Track 1- Losing A Whole Year
Soft intro riff of a guitar that you expect to carry in for longer but just gets straight into the track. The range of vocals from Stephen Jenkins is excellently produced. The use of his high pitched, fast paced vocals is unique in it's right. The meaning of the song is pretty simple. A past relationship reflecting and wondering what made you take that path. The words can be transformed into your own experiences with the lyrics put across in the song. Such a good song to start the album being progressive and experimental, yet simply laid out.
Track 2 - Narcolepsy
Has such a edge to it. Being so calm at the start with soft guitar licks and vocals to just progressively exploding your mind with overdrive of hard rock! You probably would of thought this could of easily been the first track to wake you up. The progression of this song is amazing, it just doesn't ease slightly till the end of the song. If you wanna know what Narcolepsy means, its a condition to fall asleep whenever in relaxing surroundings. Very similar to a Ramones sound!
Track 3 - Semi-Charmed Life
Where to begin in this song? Just the fast awe of Stephens fast rapping and not giving him a chance to breathe till after the chorus. The different styles of genres put into the song is extraordinary. This song was a response to Lou Reed's "Walk On The Wild Side" but from a San Francisco perspective with the growing interest on hip-hop. The simple doot, doot, doot they stole from Lou Reed which is involved in the intro that may turn some listeners away, being so catchy and repetitive. Once you get the whole feel of the song theirs no way you can't fall in love with band. The songs meaning is about crystal meth and being addicted. This time Stephen wants to try something else and begin something new with his life that includes romance. The catchy melody within the song is very uplifting and it takes you away from the dark lyrics.
Track 4 - Jumper
First acoustic track that has such a catchy melody with simple guitar. Easily connected with suicide Stephen in a interview spoke about demons that we have, people then understanding your problems and have to make time with them so we can move on from these past situation. Very uplifting song if your feeling alienated from this world. The song was built on a young homosexual man that was having a difficult time at school being pressurised into a military family to then sadly taking his own life. This song can have so much meaning to yourself and a simple song that you can sing along too. This song was considered the most powerful influential 90's alternative rock sound with the powerful messages within.
Track 5 - Graduate
Obviously a song to show you've achieved something and finally proven yourself. Awesome live performance below of the band changing the chorus lyrics to "Can I Masterbate" instead of "Graduate." They were cut for a few seconds while on live air at the 1997 AMA awards. The song is moderately heavy and has lush breakdowns in-between the verses with great co-ordantional sound from the whole group. This song can have a mass appeal to the teenage angst within school and the feelings of finishing studies and questioning if you will succeed. Very uplifting song and can help you pull through the pressures of upcoming deadlines and exams. The energy bodes well within the song!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2WUyaNgFH8
Track 6 - How's It Going To Be?
Taking it back down a notch, the song starts off with chilled guitar riff being a slowly paced rock song, that has Stephen pouring his heart out. Very powerful song in trying to understand the future and dealing with things that are changing and the people around you, that were once close but now drifting away from what you and how it used to be. This song does just transform your mind into memories of your past surely! It just has that type of atmosphere within it. Something everyone can easily relate too within the same subject, of having fear that times are changing that were once good and not knowing, going into the unknown.
Track 7 - Thanks A Lot
Just the high pitched shrieks within the songs chorus of Thanks A Lot grabs you. The song has the same structure as the first track with the soft guitar introduction but then showing its experimental guitar side within the song.
Track 8 - Burning Man
Moderate rock song with high pitched vocals to introduce the song describing that life is too short and not wasting it. It progressively takes it's time to reach the repetitive chorus. The theme is very similar that of the other songs in the album, being love themed.
Track 9 - Good For You
Hard song but yet feeling delayed with the guitar that keeps it at a awesome tempo. Kickass song thats its a gothic rock song about a stalker. "Grabbing you" part gives it away and asking whether if it's good for you. The solo at the end is just awesome and the diverse sound they put into the song is very dynamic and unique.
Track 10 - London
Repetitive chorus of "I don't wanna go to London" Very different song compared to the others for sure. The drums start the song this time and have a guitar that uses bends very frequently. The lyrics seem to be about another romance story but not wanting to travel long distances for unworthy cause. But could easily be related to cocaine and a girls addiction to the drug.
Track 11 - I Want You
"Well you do, you do, you do. Your making me want you!" Catchy awesome song. Acoustic song that gets you really involved into the lyrics and melody. The song can drift you away and in your own interpretation of the simple young love lyrics. Creating your own meaning towards the sound if you fully concentrate.
Track 12 - The Background
I just love the sudden fade in of the song. The background perfectly describing the song title being a background song thats so delicate that you can peacefully relax to as you do your thing. Having such transformations within the songs for this band just makes them that extra awesome because they're so diverse with this studio album. Soon as it hits halfway the hardness picks up from the rest of the band and you can get this ear ripping solo.
Track 13 - Motorcycle Drive By
Nice finger picking of the acoustic guitar that Stephen describes as a story of a trip to see a girl in New York, travelling from San Francisco but not working out then releasing that negativity by going surfing and feeling alive again. We'll never know if thats correct but the song again is about something that made him sad but then releasing that emotion back by doing something that makes him feel alive again. I like the quick change in his feelings because instead of being so miserable you should be enjoying small things in life.
Track 14 - God Of Wine
Very surreal song that talks about everything ending within space and what we create will eventually be nothing due to the universe collapsing. The use of alcohol can help us diverse us away from the fear of death and normal life itself thats the meaning I take away with me here. A slow paced song that has a very structured process like the others of a catchy chorus "Can't keep it all together."Such an awesome song to end the album with the relation of ending everything like this album has just done.
LIve Performances
3eB still tour to this day but not so much towards the Europe side of the water! Even though the band had their difficulties with success after this album they still advertise their music throughout the states. Problems with copyright among the band members and taking each other to court over ownership stakes. People online say how bad they're at performing and this band can be either your thing or not. If you have one bad performance as a band, compared to 10 good performances, your always going to be labelled bad overall so I have to experience them myself because I have yet to go to a 3eb show. Hopefully one day I will but it won't feel like the tour they did when they released this album. Just a shame I wasn't in this generation, but as a young audience you can easily relate to the songs because nearly 20 years on, I do. With this album it's sounds so perfect that it was never going to be perfectly recreated live. All of their songs are so powerful and have so much enthusiasm within it, plus I think the singer Stephen struggles with his lisp.
Merchandise
Not much of a message from the band promotional side of it. The iconic logo still lingers on the shirt as a trademark of the 3B, with a small E in the B within a ringed circle. The shirts are average priced and designed well for you to proudly walk down the street with.
Rating
I rate this album 10/10! Just an action packed album for me to stick on when I'm bored. I don't get bored of the sound from Third Eye Blind and they produce such a fresh experimented raw rock sound!
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