Reclaiming the 90s: Third Eye Blind’s Blue

Reclaiming the 90s: Third Eye Blind’s Blue

By: Daniel Wipert

In this new feature, we will reexamine albums from the 1990s that were lost in their own time. The main goal is to reclaim great music that was never fully recognized by critics or the masses. First up is Third Eye

Blind’s Blue .

A funny thing happened to Third Eye Blind along the way to becoming one of the biggest rock bands of the 90’s. They released slightly difficult sophomore album that was universally panned by critics and fans alike. They never recovered and now they play the 90’s nostalgia tour with Better Than Ezra and Cracker.

Third Eye Blind’s debut album was a monster… everyone loved it. The singles were flawless alternative hits (“Semi-Charmed Life,” “Jumper,” “Graduate,” “How’s It Going to Be,”). They essentially defined the popular sound of late 90’s alternative rock. Their follow-up Blue was released two years later (1999) to very little fanfare. Fans and critics were expecting another album of super hits. Instead they got a collection of strange songs that did not fit the mold of “Jumper” or “Semi-Charmed Life.” The songs on Blue are messy, bombastic, and pretentious. These are not the tight and simple rock songs that become radio hits. Blue is an album of conflicted songs that do not necessarily shine on their own. Rather, Blue is a great record to listen to from beginning to end. It is remarkably even and well-constructed. It is one of the few albums that I enjoy listening to in its entirely, and my enjoyment of it has only increased with the years.

What makes Blue such an interesting and rewarding album is the total lack of restraint by Stephans Jenkins and Kevin Cadogan, Third Eye Blind’s two principals members and songwriters. Often ambition and ego are a noxious mix that results in mediocrity and artistic impotence (Oasis’ Be Here Now). In some rare cases, popular artists are able to look beyond themselves and create a great work of art in spite of their desire to be popular. It is clear upon listening to Blue that Third Eye Blind was attempting to create their defining work.

Case in point, “The Red Summer Sun.” Third Eye Blind never released anything like it before. It is pure ambition and ridiculousness. The dynamics are all over the place. Part of you probably wants to hate it (especially during the middle breakdown where Jenkins screams like a fool), but you soon realize they went for it and made it. “The Red Summer Sun” is Third Eye Blind holding nothing back. It is over-the-top and full of itself. Most importantly, it is a genuine expression of the artist’s feelings. When I listen to Blue, I feel like I am listening to a concept-album written by a total douchebag who lives only to get laid and write songs about it. What’s strange is that this frat boy created something magical in the process of stroking his own ego. He transcends himself by completing indulging in himself. It’s really fucking weird. I truly have never heard anything like it before.

Even the more normal songs like “1000 Julys” have an odd edge to them. The first part of the song trudges along without a care or desire to be anything special. Once you get to the first chorus it seems like it could be b-side to “Jumper.” Then Jenkins and Cadogan get bored and begin to twist the song until it reaches an unexpected outro that makes listening to the rest of the song worth it. This the MO of Blue. On the surface, many of these songs are middling, but at moments they completely breakdown and become something else, something better. For instance, on “Deep Inside of You” there is unexpected bridge that changes the feel of the entire song. It is a moment of transcendence that makes the rest of the song lose focus while also enhancing the immensity of the music.

There is a persistent conflict playing out in these songs. One could imagine Jenkins and Cadogan stepping into the studio with the dream of making one of greatest rock albums ever. They had already created one of the most popular albums of the 90’s, now was their chance to make their mark on the history of rock. The conflict that arises in these songs is between the desire to be great and realization that they can’t make it. The abrupt changes, awkward bridges, and dynamic outros suggest that Third Eye Blind had become bored with their own music, and they desperately wanted to escape.

I am of the belief that all great art comes forth from deep conflicts within the artist. Blue overflows with narcissism, self-hatred, and resignation. You can hear them trying to break free from themselves and their music. Do they succeed… Of course not, but that is what makes the album so interesting and deep. Blue is a record of a band imploding. Third Eye Blind could have made an another album full of solid pop songs like “Jumper” or “Semi-Charmed Life.” They would have been one of the biggest bands in the world, but they decided to push themselves towards something more. They completely failed, but their failure led to one of the most interesting and rewarding alternative rock albums of the 1990’s.