Third Eye Blind; Self Titled

Released: April 1997
Label: Elektra Records
Producer: Stephan Jenkins, Eric Valentine

The first and self titled release by Third Eye Blind was, in my opinion, their best. It was fun, it had catchy lyrics, and it rocked from front to back.

There were 5 singles on this disc: "Semi-Charmed Life", "Graduate", "How's It Going To Be", "Losing A Whole Year", and "Jumper". "Semi-Charmed Life" was by far the most popular release on the radio and on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at #4. But it would be pretty far fetched to say that those were the only good songs on the CD. For my money the best song was "Motorcycle Drive By." It was one of those songs where as you listen you can almost see the picture Stephan Jenkins (vocals) is painting for you. You almost squint as he sings about the sun crashing through the window. And your heart breaks just a little when he sings, "I've never been so alone, and I've... never been so alive." Stephan Jenkins says the song is "a journal entry made on a trip to New York to visit a girl I used to go out with. Needless to say, the trip didn't work out. I went back to San Francisco and went surfing which is what the last verse is about and wrote the song."

Something I have always found funny about 3EB's songs is that a lot of them have questionable content or topics, but because they have a peppy sound, and the lyrics aren't easy to catch on to at some points, you will catch lots of soccer moms and conservative people singing, unknowingly, about speed addicts and sex.

I saw Third Eye Blind in concert a short time after the album was released. They played a great show at the Memorial Theatre in Sacramento, California, but I honestly have to question the people who booked the show. The opening act was some DJ just spinning records and scratching, then Redman from Wu-Tang clan came on, then I think it was a group called Sebadoh played and then 3EB. It was pretty obvious that everyone there was only there for one group. Actually, I just looked up the band Sebadoh and I kinda wish I would have payed more attention to them at the time, but maybe that's for another post...

For those of you out there that loved this disc you should know that the 3EB boys are still recording, touring, and going strong. In fact, they released their 4th album, "Ursa Major", back in August of 2009. Hit http://www.3eb.com/ if you want to catch up with them.

So, hope you all enjoy this review. It came via request so if you would like me to review something from back in the day just leave it in the comments.

PEACE!