Blind Melon
Nico
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Blind Melon
Nico
Capitol, 1996
RiYL: Jane's Addiction, Candlebox, Guns 'N Roses |
The band's first big break came almost a year after its self-titled debut album's release, when a late single -- the simple, poppy "No Rain" -- became a hit through MTV's normally dark and heavy Headbanger's Ball. The band's third album, Nico, is no less an oddity.
A swan song for the band, Nico was released just more than a year after lead singer Shannon Hoon died of a cocaine overdose while on tour supporting sophomore release Soup. The album is a collection of previously unreleased tracks spanning the band's career and gives the listener further insight into the music of Blind Melon and the talent of Hoon.
The songs span from one of the band's first recordings to three songs from the Soup recording sessions to acoustic songs recorded in a cabin in California while on vacation, including the last sessions Blind Melon ever spent in the studio.
While two songs, "St. Andrew's Hall" and "No Rain (Ripped Away version)," have previously appeared on albums in different versions, none of the remaining 11 songs have been officially released in any form. Yet Nico is Blind Melon's most consistent piece of work, perhaps because of its raw feel. Many of the songs were recorded while on tour and the band's chemistry is documented in the tightness and emotion of these songs.
"Pull" and "Soup" are Soup outtakes and are similar to the material on the album, with their catchy hooks and introspective lyrics. There are two covers on the Nico, Steppenwolf's "The Pusher" and John Lennon's "John Sinclair." The latter offers a glimpse of Hoon paying tribute to one of his heroes with a song that was originally recorded for a Lennon tribute album.
Some of the songs offer ironic and eerie lyrical content in light of Hoon's tragic end. "Hell,'' which bassist Brad Smith regards as Hoon's "swan song,'' contains the lyric "I'll disintegrate over time if I expect my body to keep up with my mind."
The album's title is a nod to Hoon's daughter, a mere 13 1/2 weeks old when her father passed away. "Shannon's greatest creation was Nico, so it seems like a perfect title,'' guitarist Christopher Thorn said around the time the album was released.
The album seems to be part of the process of putting Hoon to rest. The remaining members (Thorn, Smith, guitarist Rogers Stevens and drummer Glen Graham) want to continue making music together, evidenced by an ad Stevens placed in the Village Voice during the winter of '96 advertising for a lead singer.
But amid the hype surrounding Nico, it is clear that Blind Melon as a band was put to rest with Hoon's untimely death. Nico can be perceived, then, as a closure for the band. This compilation is a way for Blind Melon and its fans to celebrate Hoon by remembering his talent and spirit, rather than the unfortunate circumstances surrounding his death.
TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.