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Give it up for the fucking Gin Blossoms

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In a right world, these guys would be listed with Jeff Buckley as the pinnacle of sensitive-guy rock. (I do notice they seem to be gaining in respectability, though.) So let us celebrate these unjustly ignored adult alternative gods, may they continue to rock on.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Sunday, 5 September 2004 06:35 (twenty years ago)

No they wouldn't. They are justifiably relegated to the sickly, foul-smelling, waste-choked bed pan of deservedly-forgotten pop history where they belong.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 5 September 2004 06:37 (twenty years ago)

I think you meant: In a right world, these guys would be listed with Jeff Buckley. I assume the rest is a typo.

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 5 September 2004 06:38 (twenty years ago)

I don't really like either of you.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Sunday, 5 September 2004 06:39 (twenty years ago)

Hahahahaha

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 5 September 2004 06:39 (twenty years ago)

I still have a really soft spot for "Follow You Down" - especially the harmonica. A great single.

― edward o (edwardo), Sunday, 5 September 2004 11:38 (twenty years ago)

"Till I Hear it from You" was quite lovely, still is I guess

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Sunday, 5 September 2004 11:42 (twenty years ago)

"Hey Jealousy," "Follow You Down," "Til I Hear It From You" (co-written by Marshall Crenshaw, ya know) and "Found Out About You" are enjoyable. I might even like them more than Jeff Buckley.

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 5 September 2004 14:01 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, those are all really good. They came on the radio, I never turned it off. "Alison Road" was probably the only single of theirs that didn't work for me.

― edward o (edwardo), Sunday, 5 September 2004 14:02 (twenty years ago)

I did know that (thanks tho), gave me a whole new respect for MC tho not enough to listen to his recs again really AS YET

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Sunday, 5 September 2004 14:58 (twenty years ago)

"Hey Jealousy" is simply one of the best songs of the 90s. If there's any justice it'll at least make it in the 80s or 90s of the ILM poll, but of course it won't.

"Follow You Down," "'Til I Hear it From You," "Found Out About You," "Lost Horizons," "Day Job," "Alison Road"...also great.

Ken fucking rocks for representing. DOUG HOPKINS 4 LIFE!!

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Sunday, 5 September 2004 16:35 (twenty years ago)

all there songs are the same, i mean they have almost exactly the same melodic trick. whether that's good or bad or neither i leave to you.

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Sunday, 5 September 2004 16:47 (twenty years ago)

manthony otm. gin blossoms blow away jeff buckley any day of the week.

― drew, Sunday, 5 September 2004 16:52 (twenty years ago)

the story about them I saw on VH1 was pretty sad: band member who writes most of their songs including biggest hit is kicked out of band for drinking problem, holds grudge against them and commits suicide.

― Al (sitcom), Sunday, 5 September 2004 17:00 (twenty years ago)

Oh please people....do come to your senses, won't you? We may not all appreciate the same music, but there's simply no denying that the Gin Blossoms were the blandest of blandy bland blandophiles ever to blandify. I mean, these guys make Maroon 5 look like fuckin' Einsturzende Neubauten. They're all Abott. No Costello.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 5 September 2004 17:35 (twenty years ago)

and they're not cowboys!!

― Al (sitcom), Sunday, 5 September 2004 17:37 (twenty years ago)

And they NEVER came close to actually rocking....not even when shitting all over a cover of Kiss' "Christine Sixteen" (butchered on the Kiss My Ass tribute). Jeff Buckley, by comparison, had a voice that -- love it or hate it -- you couldn't mistake for anyone else's (well, apart from maybe his father's.....and Robert Plant's after a painful castration). Jeff Buckley rocked and had an aesthetic and mystique that was actively captivating. The Gin Blossoms, meanwhile, were ultimately just a Letter to Cleo cover band without an E.G. Daily imperonator up front. Translation: YAWN, THEY SUCK!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 5 September 2004 17:38 (twenty years ago)

but they put out at least 3(that i've heard) wonderful guitar pop songs. They weren't the second coming, they probably weren't that great a band, they weren't glamorous or particularily inventive, but those 3 singles are f'ing fantastic, that counts for something.

Gin Blossoms vs. Bush, Our Lady Peace, The Tea Party, I Mother Earth, Tonic, The Verve Pipe etc. ad nauseum = no contest!

― derrick (derrick), Sunday, 5 September 2004 17:45 (twenty years ago)

You know, it's too bad that Damn Yankees never gets any respect. In a perfect world, they'd be put right up there with the Black Crowes.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Sunday, 5 September 2004 17:49 (twenty years ago)

then they would truly be "high enough"

― Gear! (Gear!), Sunday, 5 September 2004 17:50 (twenty years ago)

I think you meant: In a right world, these guys would be listed with Jeff Buckley. I assume the rest is a typo.

I like this assessment.

It's not the band's fault, but I remember one odious interview from Flipside around 1994 where some other noname group that thought they were going to get somewhere had one member say, "It's so great that KROQ has started playing real music like the Gin Blossoms instead of Depeche Mode." I hope said no-name's act's bones are bleaching somewhere.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 5 September 2004 17:55 (twenty years ago)

god, the gin blossoms...thinking about them makes me depressed.

the blandness, the unspeakable blandness....

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Sunday, 5 September 2004 18:29 (twenty years ago)

i place my vote with the "but they've got a couple good songs!" camp.

― jake b. (cerybut), Sunday, 5 September 2004 19:25 (twenty years ago)

It's so great that KROQ has started playing real music like the Gin Blossoms instead of Depeche Mode."

This man was absolutely correct.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Sunday, 5 September 2004 20:05 (twenty years ago)

"It's so great that KROQ has started playing real music like the Gin Blossoms instead of Depeche Mode."

Death is too good for that man. He should be flayed alive and have bits cut off of him for an entire year, and then served on fine china to his own family in a lovingly prepared stew.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 5 September 2004 20:39 (twenty years ago)

I much prefer Replacements Ultra-lite to Robert Plant's after a painful castration

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 5 September 2004 21:47 (twenty years ago)

plus the Gin Blossoms never bothered to rape "Kanga Roo"

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 5 September 2004 21:49 (twenty years ago)

there are so many other bands to hate before we get to the gin blossoms. i mean, they had some songs that have some real merit even if they aren't terribly exciting.

there is def. a direct line between gin blossoms and late replacements, but then i like late replacements more than most.

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Sunday, 5 September 2004 21:54 (twenty years ago)

All Shook Down is mad underrated, imo.

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 5 September 2004 21:55 (twenty years ago)

"Hey Jealousy" > "Dyslexic Heart"

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 5 September 2004 21:56 (twenty years ago)

The other day, I was stopped behind a beige early-90's Ford Explorer at Coronado Island. There were three stickers on the back of the Ford Explorer. One was The Wallflowers, one was Third Eye Blind, and the other was a severly faded Zooropa-era U2 sticker.

― f ath, Sunday, 5 September 2004 21:58 (twenty years ago)

the gin blossoms--or at least, the singles of theirs that i know--really mined one aspect of the late replacements' style to the exclusion of some of the others. granted it's one of the better aspects of said style (the sort of offhanded melancholy in pocket narratives stuff) but still, feels a bit monochromatic even in the course of one song. i definitely do not hate the gin blossoms though. in their bridges of their better songs there's a little space for minor pop catharsis, definitely.


xpost

haha i was thinking about the wallflowers' "one headlight" the other day for some reason. i sort of mildly like that song too, and it was totally inescapable for a while there, but there's no way it's gonna appear on the ILM 1990s poll (w/good reason i suppose)

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Sunday, 5 September 2004 22:00 (twenty years ago)

It's got some wack lyrics, but that disco bass guarantees I'll listen to "One Headlight" anytime it's on the radio.

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 5 September 2004 22:02 (twenty years ago)

the organ part's great too. It's only Jakob's Dylan McKay-esque vocals that keep it from being a classic.

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 5 September 2004 22:02 (twenty years ago)

do you mean disco bass drum?

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Sunday, 5 September 2004 22:08 (twenty years ago)

nah, the dum-duddu-dum-duddu-dum-duddu-dum bass line. It's also in the Dismemberment Plan's "Superpowers" to similar effect.

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 5 September 2004 22:09 (twenty years ago)

This man was absolutely correct.

You are welcome to him.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 5 September 2004 22:17 (twenty years ago)

is everyone here like 39, balding, wearing dockers?

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Sunday, 5 September 2004 22:18 (twenty years ago)

1 out of 3. here's a cookie.

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 5 September 2004 22:18 (twenty years ago)

0 out of 3 for me.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 5 September 2004 22:20 (twenty years ago)

"Whoa, Blossom!"
http://slowpencil.net/chako/notebook/archives/joey_blossom.jpg

― joseph pot (STINKOR™), Sunday, 5 September 2004 22:41 (twenty years ago)

For me, the Gin Blossoms were part of that whole Third-Matchbox-From-The-Eye-Tonic wave, an era that is probably best forgotten.

ultimately just a Letter to Cleo cover band without an E.G. Daily imperonator up front

Careful, Alex, if you say that girl's name 5 times in a darkened room
you become Paul Reubens.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Sunday, 5 September 2004 23:55 (twenty years ago)

i do like the gin blossoms more than jeff buckley. better songs.

― frankE (frankE), Monday, 6 September 2004 00:54 (twenty years ago)

I sotr of like "One Headlight" too, mainly the organ and the insistent rhythm

― Gear! (Gear!), Monday, 6 September 2004 01:05 (twenty years ago)

This is such a weird thread. I had no idea about you people.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Monday, 6 September 2004 01:27 (twenty years ago)

"Follow You Down," "Til I Hear It From You", "Found Out About You"... Jesus, the song titles alone are making me yawn. And those horrible harmony vocals in every chorus... ack. Gin Blossoms make Better Than Ezra sound like Pixies.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Monday, 6 September 2004 01:48 (twenty years ago)

"Good" rocks!

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 6 September 2004 01:48 (twenty years ago)

but Better Than Ezra leads us into the world of donkey voice, which leads us to Rob Thomas. The waters now truly get dangerous.

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 6 September 2004 01:49 (twenty years ago)

I. AM. APPALLED.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 6 September 2004 03:01 (twenty years ago)

I have this weird vision where punk rock began with Frampton.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 6 September 2004 03:02 (twenty years ago)

"For me, the Gin Blossoms were part of that whole Third-Matchbox-From-The-Eye-Tonic wave, an era that is probably best forgotten. "

WE MUST NEVER FORGET.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 6 September 2004 03:05 (twenty years ago)

NEVER AGAIN!

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 6 September 2004 03:06 (twenty years ago)

but Better Than Ezra leads us into the world of donkey voice, which leads us to Rob Thomas. The waters now truly get dangerous.

donkey voice? please expound on this.

― artdamages (artdamages), Monday, 6 September 2004 03:28 (twenty years ago)

i dunno, gin blossoms were much less aggressive than those other bands, their music is relatively unpretentious and, as noted above, really even-keeled (this is an observation not a criticism or compliment). also they had better songs and an inoffensive lead singer.

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Monday, 6 September 2004 03:49 (twenty years ago)

For me, the Gin Blossoms were part of that whole Third-Matchbox-From-The-Eye-Tonic wave, an era that is probably best forgotten.

What? Not only are Gin Blossoms about five times as good as any of these bands, they were hardly from the same era--none of these bands even had a single hit before the Blossoms were broken up.

And Anthony's right, BTE aren't nearly that bad--I'd peg 'em one below the Gin Blossoms. "Good," "In the Blood," "Desperately Wanting" are all fine songs.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Monday, 6 September 2004 04:38 (twenty years ago)

ts bte vs bto

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Monday, 6 September 2004 04:39 (twenty years ago)

Oh, and "Hey Jealousy" > "Dyslexic Heart," but "Waiting for Somebody" is arguably just as good. And "6th Avenue Heartache" is way better than "One Headlight"

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Monday, 6 September 2004 04:40 (twenty years ago)

"one headlight" is the only song i like by them because of the aforementioned disco effect

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Monday, 6 September 2004 04:41 (twenty years ago)

"Good," "In the Blood," "Desperately Wanting" are all fine songs.

Word. Actually, I picked both BTE albums up really cheap. Not very good, and "In The Blood" sounded awful - I remember it being less harsh. Must have been a single mix that I liked. "Desperately Wanting" is really, really good though.

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 6 September 2004 04:42 (twenty years ago)

"In the Blood" is my favorite, actually.

Haha, recently I found both Soul Asylum's Grave Dancer's Union and BTE's Deluxe for $3 each, and I could only buy one--I ended up going with Soul Asylum, but now I'm not so sure.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Monday, 6 September 2004 04:45 (twenty years ago)

such purchases would disrupt the immaculate purity of my record collection

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Monday, 6 September 2004 04:45 (twenty years ago)

I still like In The Blood, but having not heard it in five years when I bought that album, for it to sound completely different, more jagged and less poppy than I'd remembered, was really weird. I do think you made the wrong choice buying Soul Asylum, though. DW has probably aged the best, King of New Orleans has not aged well at all, and it wasn't very good back then. A lot of the BTE hate must stem from that song.

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 6 September 2004 04:47 (twenty years ago)

I already said all of this, though:

Top Ten Mediocre Post-Grunge/Alternative Bands

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Monday, 6 September 2004 04:49 (twenty years ago)

i'm so glad the 90s are over

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Monday, 6 September 2004 04:49 (twenty years ago)

What can I say, I'm a sucker for "Somebody to Shove".

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Monday, 6 September 2004 04:49 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, it was nice seeing a few other people out of the woodwork on that. Is holystoning on here?

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 6 September 2004 04:50 (twenty years ago)

I don't think so. He writes for I Love the 90s though.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Monday, 6 September 2004 04:54 (twenty years ago)

I cannot believe this thread. I cannot believe this band has champions. I need to go outside and get some fresh air.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 6 September 2004 13:13 (twenty years ago)

Alex, your venom is delightful, but you're not always right.

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 6 September 2004 13:13 (twenty years ago)

Oh yes I am. Hahahaha. My wife better not read this.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 6 September 2004 13:17 (twenty years ago)

Really, I was just listening to Follow You Down today, and it reminds me that at the time (I'd have been 13 or 14) it sounded like the sort of music that mid-20s, vacuous office workers would have on while they typed away, sort of humming along.

I've become one of those people and life's not all bad, and Follow You Down is still bloody great.

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 6 September 2004 13:19 (twenty years ago)

Alex, your venom is delightful, but you're not always right.
-- edward o (edwardo...), September 6th, 2004.

he's right in this instance.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 6 September 2004 13:22 (twenty years ago)

I'd let out a big, boistrous "FUCKIN' A!",...but I'm sitting in neighborhood coffee shop/internet cafe.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 6 September 2004 13:23 (twenty years ago)

Your claque doesn't faze me!

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 6 September 2004 13:26 (twenty years ago)

:::goes to look up 'claque' in the dictionary:::

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 6 September 2004 13:28 (twenty years ago)

(I mean the word in its less insulting sense, obviously)

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 6 September 2004 13:33 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...
Found Out About you is a bad Byrds rewrite with a lazy chorus and the rest of those bands are awful, but Hey Jelousy is pretty undeniable if you enjoy hooks.

― danh (danh), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 16:16 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...
i'd rather not have to wait for the singles poll to load to have continue this discussion.

from there:
The Replacements couldn't work up the same dippy enthusiasm for lightweight stuff that the Gin Blossoms did, cuz they weren't as dippy.

I guess it depends on the meaning of the word "lightweight". Lightweigh in what way?

― john'n'chicago, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 22:48 (twenty years ago)

I also sort of wonder if some people hold the band's later singles against "Hey Jealousy"--songs like "Allison Road," "'Til I Hear it From You" and "Follow You Down," while all still excellent, are far wimpier and much less energetic than "Hey Jealousy"'s vitality, and perhaps make the song lose any sort of edge through association. There's nothing "lightweight" about "Hey Jealousy," though, not really.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 22:58 (twenty years ago)

Personally, I love "Allison Road". It may not ring as "true" or "genunie" as "Hey Jealousy", but it's damn close to being a perfect pop song.

― john'n'chicago, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 23:03 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, "Allison Road" is good stuff. Not one of my personal favorites but a pretty enough jangle-pop number.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 23:05 (twenty years ago)

of all the alt-rock hitmakers who flopped on the followup and fell off the face of the earth, this was the second most surprising to me, after live)(who i guess didn't really fall off the face of the earth), and sorta vaguely smashing pumpkins.

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 23:12 (twenty years ago)

Hey Jealousy fucking rules. IT IS A KILLER JAM, NO DOUBT.

― Ian John50n (orion), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 23:13 (twenty years ago)

I do love how the narrator/singer "Hey Jealousy" sounds completely defeated from the first line of the song, though. The "All I wanna do's be with you / Feel like I matter, too" line comes out like the self-directed rambling of a man who's at his wits end.

Also, the way he drags out "yeaars" (in "If I hadn't blown the whole thing years ago") a bit longer than the rest of the words is truly depressing. Maybe cuz he's so desperate for something that happened a long time ago. This is not some fresh wound. It's been festering.

― john'n'chicago, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 23:16 (twenty years ago)

Right, exactly. He's drunk, he's not thinking clearly but he's being more honest than he has been in a very long time. This is his last chance and he knows it.

Thinking about it, this song actually has a lot in common with "There is a Light That Never Goes Out"--the driving theme, the sense of urgency and importance of the moment ("oh god, my chance has come at last"), the feeling of having nowhere else to turn, the doomed and hopeless romanticism. The main difference, I suppose, is that Morrissey couldn't be totally honest ("but then a strange fear gripped me and I just couldn't ask") but Wilson / Hopkins are, though the next day they'll probably wish they hadn't been.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 23:22 (twenty years ago)

The sound of "Hey Jealousy" is pretty lightweight. As I said on that thread, the schism for me is Wilson/Hopkins as opposed to Westerberg/Westerberg.

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 23:26 (twenty years ago)

admittedly its also tainted by context, polish and croon.

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 23:27 (twenty years ago)

and do remember that I voted for "Hey Jealousy." So I ain't a hater.

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 23:31 (twenty years ago)

I don't hear the lightweighted-ness at all, Anthony. No more than any other alternative rock song of the period, anyway--maybe it's a bit light compared to grungers like AIC or Soundgarden, but it's not much lighter than, say, Soul Asylum or Cracker. That's just the way most alternative rock sounded around '93, I think.

The guitar solo is one of the best parts of the song, also.

(yeah, I saw that you voted for it--really the fact that 10 people voted for it at all is sort of an accomplishment, even if it wasn't quite enough to get it on the list. It's a start.)

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 23:35 (twenty years ago)

xpost:
along those lines... this song does adam durwitz kinda goes for the same thing on "Mr. Jones". the drunk, desperate man placing his hopes in the hands of a someone else's acceptance. granted it's a different scene, different moment, different attitude. durwitz takes it from wanting the blonde across the bar to wanting to become a "big big star". "when everybody loves me, i'm never gonna be lonely" is as tragic in its own way as grovelling drunk at the feet of your ex. just more narcisisticly so.

― john'n'chicago, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 23:37 (twenty years ago)

remove "this song does" in my last post

― john'n'chi cago, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 23:39 (twenty years ago)

When I heard that "Mr. Jones" was about Duritz's cock, it sort of ruined any chances of me taking the song seriously. I'll try to the next time I hear it, though.

I guess I sort of understand what you're saying, with the "believe in me / 'coz I don't believe in anything" break especially. That song always seemed a bit too good-timey to really be a cry of desperation, though. I think closer to "Hey Jealousy," in fact, is "A Long December"--it's much slower, but it sounds just as desperate and defeated. The video goes along way towards that as well.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 23:40 (twenty years ago)

agreed re: "a long december". it's a great song and way better than "mr. jones".

part of what ended up getting cut in my editing was that "hey jealousy" does what "mr. jones" tries to do much better.

― john'n'chicago, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 23:43 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I'll agree with that.

Another song along the same lines is Soul Asylum's "Somebody to Shove," though it's a bit more hopeful sounding and (unfortunately) has a bit of a throwaway bridge and title. The chorus, though, fucking knocks me dead.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 23:48 (twenty years ago)

Oh, hey, it was fifteen votes, not ten. Fucking righteous.

I smell revolution.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 23:51 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...
I recently discovered their 1989 album Dusted. Wow, it's really good! It sounds like a long-lost Replacements album or something.

― richard wood johnson (rwj), Tuesday, 5 September 2006 14:17 (eighteen years ago)

four months pass...
bump! anyone heard Dusted? Get that shit!

― richard wood johnson (rwj), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 02:43 (eighteen years ago)

Anthony and the Good Doctor are quite right. Context is all -- "Til I Hear It From You" blasting in the Target kitchenware aisle at 3 pm inspires an appropriate but unexpected wistfulness.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 03:51 (eighteen years ago)

one year passes...

haha, just heard "Found Out About You" for the first time in about 15 years. Back then that song (and all the Gin Blossoms songs) were so ubiquitous and "alternative" they were a total joke, even to us 12 year olds. But you know what? It's some pretty OK pop. Of course I still smile my ass off whenever someone jokingly plays "Hey Jealousy" in a bar.

― burt_stanton, Monday, 23 June 2008 06:28 (sixteen years ago)

Haha I was hoping this thread'd remind me of the one really good song these guys had and hey, I told me just about straight away. Thanks, me.

― Niles Caulder, Monday, 23 June 2008 06:58 (sixteen years ago)

one year passes...

HEY JEALOUSY

― ian, Tuesday, 3 November 2009 21:28 (fifteen years ago)

total jam imo

― call all destroyer, Tuesday, 3 November 2009 21:30 (fifteen years ago)

Just heard they're playing down the street from my work at the Hard Rock Cafe during the Denver International Film Festival. True story.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 3 November 2009 21:31 (fifteen years ago)

This band always seemed so dreary and same-y to me.

― Daniel, Esq., Tuesday, 3 November 2009 21:33 (fifteen years ago)

love these guys

― iatee, Tuesday, 3 November 2009 21:36 (fifteen years ago)

HEY JEALOUSY

― ian, Tuesday, November 3, 2009 9:28 PM (55 minutes ago) Bookmark

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

― "I get through more mojitos.." (bear, bear, bear), Tuesday, 3 November 2009 22:41 (fifteen years ago)

Can't believe I thought this would be close:

Taking Sides: Gin Blossoms vs. Toad The Wet Sprocket

― Mark, Wednesday, 4 November 2009 02:39 (fifteen years ago)

don't forget baout 'found out about you'

― quaq quao, sweetie (electricsound), Wednesday, 4 November 2009 02:44 (fifteen years ago)

seven months pass...

hahaha found out about you came up twice on the radio recently, taunting me into buying a gin blossoms best of.

― call all destroyer, Friday, 11 June 2010 22:22 (fifteen years ago)

good pop instincts and surprisingly well-recorded

― call all destroyer, Friday, 11 June 2010 22:23 (fifteen years ago)

mental note: ridicule cad at next bos-fap

― Roberto Spiralli, Friday, 11 June 2010 22:25 (fifteen years ago)

lol excellent revive by me

― call all destroyer, Friday, 11 June 2010 22:30 (fifteen years ago)

the story about them I saw on VH1 was pretty sad: band member who writes most of their songs including biggest hit is kicked out of band for drinking problem, holds grudge against them and commits suicide.

Huh I was just reading about that on their wikipedia article, inspired by this thread revive - bummer, man.

― atoms breaking heart (a passing spacecadet), Friday, 11 June 2010 22:40 (fifteen years ago)

...sorry to be a downer on lighthearted 90s nostalgia thread. Got to admit I was glad to youtube Hey Jealousy after all these years.

― atoms breaking heart (a passing spacecadet), Friday, 11 June 2010 22:50 (fifteen years ago)

(Also obv my reading of the article was inspired by this thread, not the article itself. Time I was less awake and less on the internet.)

― atoms breaking heart (a passing spacecadet), Friday, 11 June 2010 22:51 (fifteen years ago)

one year passes...

appreciating the off-balance progression in the chorus of "Found Out About You". This is a lot like "With Every Heartbeat" - you never really get a nice return to the tonic, except a fake one that has the loud 1 note on "Whispers at the bus stop" but is actually a IV chord. They could have done away with the bridge but it's 1992 after all so I forgive them.

― skip, Thursday, 16 February 2012 00:28 (thirteen years ago)

three years pass...

"follow you down" is some cast in amber 90's gold

the uncool Lemonheads

― hackshaw, Monday, 18 May 2015 22:39 (ten years ago)

Haha I dig that comparison.

― Heroic melancholy continues to have a forceful grip on (bernard snowy), Tuesday, 19 May 2015 11:31 (ten years ago)

seven years pass...

really good songwriters

obviously part of the landfill alternative era but they really were in their hearts a mid-80s US jangle band, they should have put out two records on IRS, then a major label flop, and opened for half of REM's Life's Rich Pageant tour dates

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 11 January 2023 15:28 (two years ago)

otm. been weirdly stuck on 29 for the last few months
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq7psoiaBkw

― im a beacon of light (Spottie), Wednesday, 11 January 2023 15:45 (two years ago)

yeah, they were Phoenix and I would sometimes see them play in Tucson in the late 80s. They were part of this desert rock scene (basically Jangle Rock with some Crazy Horse influence) along with Sidewinders/Sand Rubies. It was pretty surprising when they hit big, as they seemed sort of an earlier era.

― Motion to adjourn to enjoy a footling (President Keyes), Wednesday, 11 January 2023 15:56 (two years ago)

from Phoenix

― Motion to adjourn to enjoy a footling (President Keyes), Wednesday, 11 January 2023 15:57 (two years ago)

"Allison Road" is such a beautiful song

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 11 January 2023 16:09 (two years ago)

looking at the spotify numbers and im surprised that one isnt up there with hey jealousy and found out about you, seems like its the one i hear in the open the most these days.

congratulations im sorry has three really beautiful songs; not only numb, as long as it matters and competition smile.

― im a beacon of light (Spottie), Wednesday, 11 January 2023 16:18 (two years ago)

i never listened to that kinda figured it wouldn't be much considering what happened

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 11 January 2023 16:19 (two years ago)

Gin Blossoms are shit .... then, now and forever.

― Alex in NYC, Wednesday, 11 January 2023 16:22 (two years ago)

classic imo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFy0_DstfRk

― im a beacon of light (Spottie), Wednesday, 11 January 2023 16:24 (two years ago)

yeah, I dug these guys a lot. still love "Found Out About You", and obv "Hey Jealousy", both karaoke favs. deep cuts are great.

my bro saw them a few years ago at a wine festival, said they were awesome.

― fentanyl young (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 11 January 2023 16:25 (two years ago)

Alex!! hey!

yeah, they were Phoenix and I would sometimes see them play in Tucson in the late 80s. They were part of this desert rock scene (basically Jangle Rock with some Crazy Horse influence) along with Sidewinders/Sand Rubies. It was pretty surprising when they hit big, as they seemed sort of an earlier era.

― Motion to adjourn to enjoy a footling (President Keyes), Wednesday, January 11, 2023 9:56 AM (twenty-seven minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

listening to the album Cuacha by Sand Rubies and yeah this is very Gin Blossoms wow

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 11 January 2023 16:25 (two years ago)

my bro saw them a few years ago at a wine festival, said they were awesome.

― fentanyl young (Neanderthal), Wednesday, January 11, 2023 10:25 AM (twelve seconds ago) bookmarkflaglink

haha the gin blossoms playing the catalina wine mixer is perfect

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 11 January 2023 16:26 (two years ago)

The Wine Moms

― Lord Pickles (Boring, Maryland), Wednesday, 11 January 2023 16:51 (two years ago)

one year passes...

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/gin-blossoms-new-miserable-experience/

― President Keyes, Sunday, 3 March 2024 21:51 (one year ago)


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