«Flashback« Third Eye Blind /// The Burning Ear

i’ve never been so alone and i’ve never been so alive

♫ Third Eye Blind – Motorcycle Drive By / 1997

♫ Third Eye Blind – Graduate / 1997

It’s really kind of weird how divided people are over Third Eye Blind. I feel like it can be pretty easily traced back to their 1997 debut album which spawned so many radio singles that it was hard not to feel like the whole album was being jammed down your throat. I can totally get how people were turned off. It’s really too bad though. Those of us that managed to fall in love with that album were not only able to enjoy it’s brilliance (and the hugely underrated “Motorcycle Drive By,” above), but also get down with it’s fantastic 1999 follow up, Blue. While Third Eye Blind was packed with charging guitars and anthemic hooks that got it so much radio attention, Blue flexed it’s offbeat muscle a bit more, venturing into a bit more radio-unfriendly territory. The result was nonetheless fantastic.

♫ Third Eye Blind – Anything / 1999

♫ Third Eye Blind – Darwin / 1999

Post-Blue, the band tooe 4 years off and Stephen Jenkins wen’t through a much scrutinized relationship with Charlize Theron. Out of that came 2003′s under-appreciated Out of The Vein. I’ll leave that album alone for now because either 1) You already have it and love it, 2) you hate Third Eye Blind and won’t listen to it any tracks I post anyway, or 3) These four tracks will rekindle an interest in them and you will realize that you may have wrote them off too soon. Either way, this band has been one of the mainstays of my musical upbringing. Third Eye Blind’s debut was the album of my first relationship and it’s troubled themes sound-tracked her insanity perfectly. Blue came along during my first real love and it’s more explicit sex-related tracks were well timed. Anyway, that’s enough from me on the issue. For those of you stoked on Third Eye Blind then stay tuned for my coverage of their latest album, Ursa Major, coming later today…

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