This time around antiGUY looks at a hugely popular band that he originally dismissed. The band is, Third Eye Blind and it took the intervention of rocknworld.com's special feature editor, Debbie Seagle and Managing Editor Keavin Wiggins to help change his mind. Read on to discover how this seemingly impossible task was accomplished.

Third Eye Blind - All That Glitters is Blue.

It is not often that I admit that I was wrong about a band. Typically, my first impressions are right on the mark. When I first heard Third Eye Blind I quickly equated them to a mindless chick pop band. Come on, didn't that "Doot doot doot" song (semi-charmed life) grate on your nerves a little by the millionth time you heard it? I thought this band was just another crop of eye candy for the kiddies who watch MTV to go goo goo over. Never in a million years would I think that they were serious musicians and had some intelligence to their music. 

What changed my mind? It was the sneakiness of my comrades from Rock n World, Debbie Seagle and her willing accomplice, Keavin Wiggins. It seems like every time I see Debbie, she hands me a new CD and exclaims, " You have to check these guys out!" 9 out of 10 times she is right. How she got me to listen to Third Eye Blind's newest release "Blue" is a funny story. Because our company is a true internet company, with all of us working from home offices most of the time, coordinating projects and stories through email and conference calls, we don't get to see one another in person on a daily basis. Right before one of our editorial meetings 
(where we get together to discuss, well editorial type things, for Rock n World and antiMUSIC,) Debbie handed me a tape and says the usual, " Hey dude, you gotta check these guys out". I asked her who is was and she simply replied "A great band on Elektra Records".  That got the best of my curiosity. I mean Elektra has one of the best rock rosters of any of the major labels. With bands like Metallica, Pantera, AC/DC, Bad Company, Staind, Jackson Brown, X, The Doors and one of my favorite progressive rock bands Dream Theater, Elektra has a track record that is hard to beat. With that in mind I sat through the meeting anticipating the drive home when I could listen to this mysterious tape Debbie gave me. 

Blue opens with lead vocalist Stephen Jenkins singing the first few bars of "Anything" almost a cappella. After the mellowness of the first vocal lines, the song kicks into high gear turning into a high-energy modern rock number. I loved the guitar riffs here in their march like melody that carries the song's abundant energy to a tempestuous level as the almost poetic lyrics make this an easy song to love. 

"Wounded" continues the musical ecstasy. Although a mellower song than the opener, the guitar work is none the less impressive with a heavy use of harmonics and riff happy chorus lines. The vocals are exceptional with Jenkins switching from his normal vocal rang to falsetto at a few points that add a real dynamic to the band's overall sound. 

If I had known this was the band that unleashed "Semi-charmed Life" on the world, the next song would have definitely changed my perspective of them. "10 Days Late" is an exceptional song, not only for the music and melody, but the heavy subject matter of the lyric contrasts beautifully with the upbeat feel of the tune. Basically, the song is a story of a guy being told by his girlfriend that she is pregnant and how he deals with the news.  The lyrics capture the overwhelming emotion of the situation, however the upbeat feel of the song is brilliantly contradictory to the story being told. 

"Never Let You Go" is quite simply a hit! This is my favorite song on the album. Jenkin's falsetto vocals once again steal the day here. I admit this is a pop single, but it is just plain addictive. This song is a fun, guilty pleasure that showcases Third Eye Blind's appeal and song writing prowess.   "Deep Inside of You" is the obligatory love ballad. However, it's not the typical flowery and overly sentimental affair that many bands seem to be pushing these days. It's one of the very few songs that deal with what it is like to fall in love in a true to life fashion.  It even made someone as jaded as myself think back fondly on past love affairs. Plus lines like "I never felt alone until I meet you", easily explains why women love this band so much. If guys like myself could come up with lines like that, we wouldn't have to ask, "what's your sign?" and invariably strike out. 

That is just half of this exceptional album, I strongly recommend that those who once thought of Third Eye Blind as a chick band, give them another shot. I know I am not sorry about being tricked into doing so. Music, at its core, is supposed to be more than catchy hooks and a memorable melody. Songwriters who have gone beyond that and made the listener empathize with the emotion that the song is supposed to convey at a personal level, will always be remembered. That is why I honestly think that in a few years when all the hit pop bands of today are long forgotten and their shallow music is a footnote in music history, Third Eye Blind will stand the test of time and be remembered for their genius.  At the end of the day, a catchy song hook may be fun to sing along with and will sell records in the short run. However, it is those who put their heart and soul into their music that will be remembered and not tossed aside when the next pop band comes on the scene. I once thought of Third Eye Blind as one of those pop bands, but I was wrong. I think that they are indeed serious musicians that deserve respect and admiration. They have certainly earned mine. 

Listen to samples or purchase this title online

Previous On Second Thought Reviews.
A Second chance to discover a great band.
antiGUY tells you why he is an Enuff Z'nuff convert why you should be too!

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