Third Eye Blind (album)

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Third Eye Blind
Third eye blind self titled.jpg
Studio album by
Third Eye Blind
ReleasedApril 8, 1997 (1997-04-08)
Recorded1995–1996
StudioToast Studios, Skywalker Ranch & H.O.S. (San Francisco)
Genre
Length57:40
LabelElektra
Producer
Third Eye Blind chronology
Third Eye Blind
(1997) 		Blue
(1999)
Singles from Third Eye Blind
  1. "Semi-Charmed Life"
    Released: February 18, 1997
  2. "Graduate"
    Released: August 1997
  3. "How's It Going to Be"
    Released: November 1997
  4. "Losing a Whole Year"
    Released: March 1998
  5. "Jumper"
    Released: August 1998

Third Eye Blind is the debut studio album by American rock band Third Eye Blind, released on April 8, 1997 by Elektra Records. The album was collectively written by Stephan Jenkins and Kevin Cadogan, while production was helmed by Jenkins and Eric Valentine. Recorded in and around San Francisco at Toast Studios, Skywalker Ranch, and H.O.S., the album incorporates elements of alternative rock, post-grunge, and power pop. Thematically, the album focuses on topics such as relationships, drug addiction, suicide prevention, and the band's experience of being signed to a major record label. Third Eye Blind was promoted with five singles: "Semi-Charmed Life", "Graduate", "How's It Going to Be", "Losing a Whole Year", and "Jumper".

Music and lyrics[]

The central theme of Third Eye Blind is loss, with the album exploring subjects such as suicide, crystal methamphetamine addiction, and sexual abuse.[2][3] "Semi-Charmed Life", an alternative rock song composed with a rap-influenced singing style, was one of the first songs recorded for the album. The song focuses on a crystal methamphetamine addiction, although Jenkins contends that it more broadly relates to changing periods in one's life.[4]

Title and artwork[]

When developing a band name and a title for their debut record, Jenkins sought a name with "wit and a sense of punk-rock irony".[5] The name "Third Eye Blind" is meant to refer to a metaphysical third eye, however, the band also intended to satirize the concept.[5] Alli and Ro-Starr were responsible for the album's art direction, with the latter also crafting the band's "falling man" logo. Kate Garner was responsible for the album's photography, with the exclusion of the album cover which was shot by Christine Alicino on December 16, 1996 in San Francisco, California.[6] The shot features model Shandra Boatwright, eyes closed with her mouth wide open, as her and Jenkins' hands are placed on her forehead. Alicino commented that she was hired to "photograph a young woman with an expressive mouth in my edgy polaroid style".[6] In order to achieve this expressive appearance, Boatwright wore bright red lipstick and dark eyeliner.[6]

The first pressing of Third Eye Blind in the United States featured a sepia-toned album cover with a red band logo. This pressing was limited to approximately 500,000 copies in the country, however, it was still employed in the United Kingdom and other European nations. The second pressing of the album featured these colors reverted, with a red-toned cover and yellow band logo. In Japan, the album was released with a cyan, negative photo cover.[7] The 20th anniversary edition of the album features a black-toned version of the cover.[8]

Documentary[]

In December 2019, a 22-minute documentary short film titled Motorcycle Drive By was announced on Third Eye Blind's Twitter page.[9] The documentary is directed by David Wexler and focuses on the backstory of the song of same name.[10] The documentary was originally planned to premiere on April 17, 2020 at the 19th Tribeca Film Festival, although the film festival was indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] The documentary was then released on May 29, 2020 on YouTube as part of the We Are One: A Global Film Festival.[12]

Touring[]

Third Eye Blind performed across the United States alongside Eve 6 on MTV's Campus Invasion tour.[13] The band also performed as an opening act for The Rolling Stones and U2 on their respective tours.[14]

Reception[]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic4/5 stars[15]
Christgau's Consumer Guide(neither)[16]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music5/5 stars[17]
Entertainment WeeklyB[18]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide3/5 stars[19]

Critical reception to Third Eye Blind was generally positive. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described Third Eye Blind as "easy on the ears," stating that "its straight-ahead professionalism makes it a pleasurable listen for post-grungers".[15] David Grad of Entertainment Weekly described the album as "balancing a cheery ear for harmonies with a finely honed sense of despair".[18]

Third Eye Blind was a sleeper hit, entering the Billboard album charts at number 135 and then peaking at number 25 nearly a year after release.[20] The album spent a total of 106 weeks on the chart, and was certified 6x platinum by the RIAA in August 2001.[21][22] As of April 2017, Third Eye Blind has sold over 6 million units in the U.S., selling approximately 84,000 units in its best week.[23][24] The album remains as Third Eye Blind's most successful release, accounting for the plurality of their career sales.[25]

Track listing[]

Third Eye Blind – Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Losing a Whole Year"Stephan Jenkins · Kevin Cadogan3:21
2."Narcolepsy"Jenkins · Cadogan3:49
3."Semi-Charmed Life"Jenkins4:29
4."Jumper"Jenkins4:33
5."Graduate"Jenkins · Cadogan3:10
6."How's It Going to Be"Jenkins · Cadogan4:14
7."Thanks a Lot"Jenkins · Cadogan4:58
8."Burning Man"Jenkins · Cadogan3:00
9."Good for You"Jenkins · Cadogan3:52
10."London"Jenkins · Cadogan3:07
11."I Want You"Jenkins4:29
12."The Background"Jenkins · Cadogan4:57
13."Motorcycle Drive By"Jenkins4:23
14."God of Wine"Jenkins · Cadogan5:18
Third Eye Blind – Japanese bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
15."Tattoo of the Sun"Jenkins · Cadogan · Arion Salazar4:16

20th anniversary edition[]

In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the release of the band's debut album, Rhino Records reissued the album on June 9, 2017. The release consists of the original album remastered and eight bonus tracks of previously unreleased material.[26] The reissue was released in three formats: digital download, vinyl, and CD.

2017 Reissue CD 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Losing a Whole Year"Jenkins · Cadogan3:21
2."Narcolepsy"Jenkins · Cadogan3:49
3."Semi-Charmed Life"Jenkins4:29
4."Jumper"Jenkins4:33
5."Graduate"Jenkins · Cadogan3:10
6."How's It Going to Be"Jenkins · Cadogan4:14
7."Thanks a Lot"Jenkins · Cadogan4:58
8."Burning Man"Jenkins · Cadogan3:00
9."Good for You"Jenkins · Cadogan3:52
10."London"Jenkins · Cadogan3:07
11."I Want You"Jenkins4:29
12."The Background"Jenkins · Cadogan4:57
13."Motorcycle Drive By"Jenkins4:23
14."God of Wine"Jenkins · Cadogan5:18
2017 Reissue CD 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Alright Caroline" (2016 recording)Jenkins4:50
2."Scattered" (2016 recording)Jenkins3:17
3."Slow Motion" (Demo)Jenkins4:36
4."Semi-Charmed Life" (Demo)Jenkins4:19
5."A Kiss Goodnight" (Demo)Jenkins · Cadogan3:14
6."Scattered" (Demo)Jenkins3:16
7."Heroin" (Demo)Lou Reed4:44
8."Tattoo of the Sun" (2017 version)Jenkins4:30

Personnel[]

Third Eye Blind

  • Kevin Cadogan – lead guitar (tracks 1–14); backing vocals (tracks 1, 3–6, 10); autoharp (track 6)
  • Brad Hargreaves – drums (tracks 3–5, 7–10, 12, 14)
  • Stephan Jenkins – lead vocals (all tracks); percussion (tracks 1, 4–5, 11, 13–14); brushes (track 3); guitar (3–4, 7, 11); programming (tracks 3, 13); keyboard arrangements (tracks 4, 7, 11, 14); drums (tracks 11, 13); acoustic guitar (track 13)
  • Arion Salazar – bass guitar (tracks 1–10, 12–14); backing vocals (tracks 2, 4–6, 9–10, 13); piano (track 4)

Additional musicians

  • Michael Urbano – drums (tracks 1–2, 6, 13)
  • Eric Valentine – programming (tracks 3, 11, 13); piano (tracks 7, 14); guitar (track 11); keyboards (track 11)
  • Ari Gorman – cello (track 6)

Design

  • Alli – art direction
  • Ro-Starr – art direction, logos/design
  • Christine Alicino – front cover photo
  • Kate Garner – photography

Charts[]

Certifications and sales[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[32] Platinum 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[33] Gold 7,500^
United States (RIAA)[34] 6× Platinum 6,000,000^
Summaries

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history[]

Region Date Format
United States[35] April 8, 1997
Japan[35] May 25, 1997 CD
United Kingdom[35] July 14, 1997
  • CD
  • LP

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Third Eye Blind Screamer". Pitchfork.
  2. ^ "Third Eye Blind Is Breaking Through". Chicago Tribune. October 17, 1997. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  3. ^ "'There Was No Overnight Success': An Oral History of Third Eye Blind's Self-Titled Debut". Billboard. April 6, 2017. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  4. ^ Pearlman, Mischa (October 18, 2020). "How I Wrote Semi-Charmed Life, By Third Eye Blind's Stephan Jenkins". Kerrang!. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Bozza, Anthony (April 30, 1998). "Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Born in Shadow: Self-Titled, Behind the Photograph". Third Eye Blind Lifestyle. September 15, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  7. ^ "Third Eye Blind". Andrew-Turnbull.net. Retrieved on 12-12-08.
  8. ^ "Third Eye Blind - Self-Titled - 20th Anniversary Edition -IN STOCK - Third Eye Blind". 3eb.com. Retrieved on 10-29-17.
  9. ^ Third Eye Blind (@ThirdEyeBlind). "A documentary is being made about our song Motorcycle Drive By. We would love to see your design for a poster! Submit them on socials with #3ebMDB". Twitter. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  10. ^ Martoccio, Angie (March 5, 2020). "Third Eye Blind Documentary to Premiere at 2020 Tribeca Film Festival". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  11. ^ Garvey, Marianne (March 12, 2020). "Tribeca Film Festival postponed due to coronavirus". CNN. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  12. ^ McNary, Dave (May 26, 2020). "YouTube, Tribeca Unveil Lineup for Free 'We Are One: A Global Film Festival'". Variety. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  13. ^ "Third Eye Blind, Eve 6 Head Back to School for Campus Invasion Tour". MTV News. September 25, 1998. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  14. ^ "News Flash: Third Eye Blind Opening for U2, Stones". MTV News. September 19, 1997. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Third Eye Blind – Third Eye Blind". AllMusic. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  16. ^ Christgau, Robert (2000). "Third Eye Blind: Third Eye Blind". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-24560-2. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  17. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). "Third Eye Blind". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19531-373-9.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b Grad, David (April 25, 1997). "Third Eye Blind". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  19. ^ Moon, Tom (2004). "Third Eye Blind". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 810. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  20. ^ "Top 200 Albums | Billboard 200 chart". Billboard.
  21. ^ "Third Eye Blind Chart History". Billboard.
  22. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA.
  23. ^ Joffe, Justin (April 7, 2017). "Stephan Jenkins on 'Third Eye Blind' 20 Years Later". Observer. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  24. ^ "Manson Bids to Be 'Golden' Boy". Billboard. May 24, 2003. p. 10.
  25. ^ Espinoza, Russ (August 17, 2019). "Third Eye Blind Set Fall Tour To Showcase New Album". Forbes. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  26. ^ Cook-Wilson, Winston (June 16, 2020). "Third Eye Blind Recreates Your '90s Bedroom to Celebrate 20th Anniversary of Their Self-Titled Debut". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  27. ^ "australian-charts.com - Third Eye Blind - Third Eye Blind". australian-charts.com.
  28. ^ "Charts.nz – Third Eye Blind – Third Eye Blind". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  29. ^ "Third Eye Blind Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  30. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  31. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1999". Billboard. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  32. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Third Eye Blind – Third Eye Blind". Music Canada. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  33. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Third Eye Blind – Third Eye Blind". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  34. ^ "American album certifications – Third Eye Blind – Third Eye Blind". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  35. ^ Jump up to: a b c Reece, Doug (May 31, 1997). "Third Eye Blind Shines" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 109 no. 22. p. 17. Retrieved October 17, 2020.

External links[]

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