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List Price: $10.98 | | Label: Capitol
Salesrank: 204770
Released: September 22, 1992 |
| Our Price: $4.99 |
| Used Price: $0.01 |
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| Media: Audio Cassette |
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Blind Melon Track Listing:
1. Soak the Sin
2. Tones of Home
3. I Wonder
4. Paper Scratcher
5. Dear Ol' Dad
6. Change
7. No Rain
8. Deserted
9. Sleepyhouse
10. Holyman
11. Seed to a Tree
12. Drive
13. Time
Blind Melon Reviews:
Green Andy Reviews: Blind Melon - Blind Melon 
2009-10-04 - Blind Melon were one of the tougher bands to categorize during the Alternative Explosion of the early 1990's. Not because they work in an esoteric style; the band plays lightly psychedelic classic rock, and their music fits squarely into the jam band tradition. But if you wanted a new band to sell in those days, you had to market them as "alternative". So poor Blind Melon were forced to compete in the same field as L7 and Nirvana, and took a lot of criticism ("alternative to what?") for a description they had nothing to do with. Fortunately the band found their crowd organically, and mainstream rock fans who dug Led Zeppelin and the Black Crowes found their way over to Blind Melon eventually.
Listening to the album now, Blind Melon's self-titled debut is a remarkable straightforward heavy rock album, filled with inventive riffs and melodies, dusted with psychedelic leanings and occasional country sensibilities, and blessed with an expressive singer. Furthermore, it's almost completely free from 90's production techniques, so it's aged a lot better than other albums from the era (like Pearl Jam's debut TEN, which sounds rather slick in comparison). The album is loaded with ambitious yet low-key compositions, like the soaring opener "Soak the Sin" the very Led Zeppelin-esque "I Wonder", which swings from a delicately-picked intro to an uptempo solo-driven middle section and back, and of course the hippie-ish jam hit single "No Rain". Singer Shannon Hoon lacks the rampant ego that makes so many blue-eyed soul crooners so hard to stomach, and I've never understood why he takes as much criticism as he does. The band is equally unpretentious, and their hardest-rocking numbers here, like the slightly Jane's Addiction-leaning "Tones of Home" and the funky "Seed to a Tree", just sound like great ways to get a crowd going at their show.
As I said, Blind Melon were ultimately embraced by the classic rock-loving crowd, which meant that the jocks in high school totally dug them, and cranky elitist hipsters like me tended to fault the band for their fanbase. But listen to Blind Melon with an open mind, and the band's good nature shines through on every song, and makes it impossible to dislike them. The sound of this album has since been resurrected by an entire new generation of bands picking out the best bits of rhythm and blues and folk and reinventing them (As Tall As Lions, Mewithoutyou, The New Pornographers, etc.). So now more than ever, it's worth giving Blind Melon a listen. It doesn't have a great rep, and the album cover is ugly (sorry kid, I know everyone is pretty in their own way, but that's a damn unflattering shot of you), but the music contained in it is totally worthwhile.
top 10 
2009-09-27 - Someone once asked what my favorite song of all time was. Thats impossable to answer. but asked what my favorite album was, I came up with four of five. Blind melon was in there, I don't feel there are any bad songs on this album. and only 2 I will skip if i'm not in the right mood. In my opinion a good album is one you like from start to finish, and it flowes well together. This is just such an album..
Great album
2009-07-03 - I remember buying this one on tape when I was young. Both of the CD's they made before Shannon died are awesome.. not a single track I don't like. Nico (that was release after his death) is also a great CD, but not one I can listen to front to back like the other ones.
knock my songs off
2009-04-25 - I remember when this album came out and the hit was "no rain". It was quickly put in category of those bands paying homage to Neil Young. After ten years or more I bought it and it blew my mind. Though I love "no rain" the remaining songs in the album are more in the tradition of Derek and Dominoes's Layla, with a hint of Black Crowes, and a pinch of Rod Stewart's "Every picture tells a story". Wonderful mandolin and slide guitar on some tracks. The the way all the instruments weave in and out really reminds me of the Layla album. When you sit down and listen to the whole album you realized how much YOU screwed up because this was not a one song band and not enough attention was paid to them. The songs are tight and Hoon really belts things out. Just really a knockout album.
Shannon Hoon Sings The Best Tune
2009-03-04 - I remember many years ago hearing this albulm on casette tape and falling in love. In fact it is on my ipod now and it is the current CD in my car's CD player.
I absolutely love Blind Melon. This CD and Soup are my favorite CD's of all time. I love the structures of the songs, the many instruments, (there are tons, Variety, Variety, Variety), that raspy distint voice of Hoon's. You can't go wrong here. Jam Band Heaven!
If you have never had that chance to experience Melon, give it a try, you won't be let down!
