I Once Was Blind, But Now I See...

All bands come and go. Some by choice, others by fate. Some groups span decades, others only months. In the early nineties, there was a band who rose to popularity overnight, and like many others before and after them, vanished the next day. Now, that's not to say they weren't great -- they were. Blind Melon was a melting pot of modern music. To be exact: a dash of the Dead, a pinch of Zeppelin, a tablespoon of Pearl Jam, one cup Black Crowes, and... Bam! Perfection! You can't say that about the Killers.

However, despite a debut album that went platinum four times, their legacy still remains a little girl in a bee suit. That is a shame. Sure, "No Rain" was a great song, and still is, but it's unfortunate that this is how the band is remembered. They were capable of so much more. Just listen to their self-titled first album. They were a musician's band -- respected their influences and understood their instruments. They were psychedelic, hard southern rock, and jam band all meshed into one. They were a feel-good band in a period dominated by the angst-ridden Seattle sound. And it didn't hurt that they wrote brilliant songs. Hell, this was a band that opened for the Rolling Stones and Neil Young. Let me repeat: THE ROLLING STONES and NEIL YOUNG. They liked being the underdog -- always on the cusp of really breaking out. And Shannon Hoon. He was the love child that Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin never had. He was beyond his years. He got it.

And then, just like that, it was over.

So, do yourself a favor. Go to Itunes or visit your record store and pick up a copy of Blind Melon. It's the best $9.99 you'll ever spend -- trust me.

"Galaxie" from Blind Melon's second album Soup