Music sticks with us for different reasons. Sometimes it’s the musical proficiency of the band. Sometimes a band is buoyed by an incredible drummer. Sometimes it’s the vocalist who gives you the chills. And sometimes, yes, sometimes it’s the fact that a band writes fantastic, influential songs with staying power. That, my friends, is the reason why Third Eye Blind’s self-titled debut is still incredibly influential, both on the current landscape of musicians, and on a generation of kids who grew up listening to the band on the radio.
“How’s it gonna be, when you found out there was nothing?”
My first exposure to this album was sometime in the late ’90s, I believe it was “Semi-Charmed Life” that came on the radio when I was riding with my mom somewhere. And as an 8-year old boy, I didn’t understand the blatantly explicit reference to drug use (seriously, crystal meth!!!). But it didn’t matter. When you’re that young, all that matters is how catchy a song is, and how well you can sing along to it.
It’s interesting to think about the musical landscape in 1997. Post-grunge, pop, and hip-hop ruled the airwaves. Alternative rock was still booming, though. Matchbox 20 and Goo Goo Dolls were pumping out hit after megahit, and platinum album after platinum album. Third Eye Blind was grouped in there, too. But their self-titled debut album was more or less unmatched by any of their peers. There weren’t any filler tracks, and it was buoyed by huge hits like “Jumper”, “Graduate”, and “Semi-Charmed Life”. These were songs that, if you had the radio on, were nearly inescapable in the late ’90s. And unlike similar bands like Semisonic or Dishwalla (totally unfair, they’re great), Third Eye Blind still has a rabid fanbase today – they’re going on tour with Dashboard Confessional. Even bands like The Maine, The Band Camino and plenty of pop-punk bands are heavily influenced by Third Eye Blind – especially in terms of song structure and that “anthemic” quality that those bands carry quite well.
The lyrical subject matter is relevant, too. Often, it’s the words that keep me coming back for more. And if they’re presented with more hooks than a tackle box, they succeed. Can’t everyone relate to the lyrics about not knowing whether to step over the proverbial edge in “Jumper”, with the heartbreaking line “If you do not want to see me again, I would understand”? I know I’ve felt that way before, especially growing up and feeling incredibly out of place.
The reasons why this album is super important are many, but suffice it to say, if the measure of an album is how many times you listen to it and how long it stays in your collection, then Third Eye Blind is one of my favorite albums of all time. It essentially captures emotion and energy in a bottle, and you know you’ve hit platinum when the non-singles are great songs – “Motorcycle Driveby” might actually be the best song on the album you haven’t listened to. Speaking of platinum, it literally is platinum – 6 times over.
Third Eye Blind is an incredibly catchy album that captures certain spirits and emotions that most other bands couldn’t ever duplicate.
