Hints Allegations & Things Left Unsaid

In 1994, the alternative movement had been in full swing for about 2 years ever since Nirvana released their breakthrough album NEVERMIND that changed the course of pop music forever. That same year (1994), Nirvana leader Kurt Cobain would be found dead and alternative would no longer be the innovative genre it was when they came along. With grunge on the verge of becoming a parody of itself, slowly mainstream rock was on its way back to being a legitimate style, and a band like Collective Soul was to lead the way. Of course, at the time their debut album HINTS, ALLEGATIONS & THINGS LEFT UNSAID was being recorded, there wasn't a band so to speak, just Ed Roland performing solo on a demo tape. His record company loved it enough so that Roland reformed the recently-disbanded group to be Collective Soul again. It was a good move because Ed Roland may have been the man behind Collective Soul, but he couldn't have done it all alone (What to do when he begins to tour? He can't play all the instruments then, can he?). The first single, "Shine" blasted out of many a radio during the summer of 1994, and not only did it become a hit on alternative radio (despite the fact that Collective Soul has never referred to themselves as a grunge band), but became a considerable hit on top 40 radio as well, even being certified gold. The guitars may have been loud and bombastic, but the lyrics were something grunge could never have mastered: an upbeat song of spiritual searching with a positive message. "Shine" could have also worked as a gospel tune, and would be remade as such by Dolly Parton on her LITTLE SPARROW album. With songs like this, Ed Roland shows he may be a less-depressing role model for the music that would eventually metamorphasize into modern rock. "Sister Don't Cry", "Heaven's Already Here" and "Reach" are much more encouraging and upbeat than any of the many "hate myself and want to die" manifestos that all the other grunge acts were creating. There are also songs that have been made just to play loud and hard, like "Love Lifted Me", "Wasting Time", "Goodnight, Good Guy" and the punk-inspired "Scream". To further show Collective Soul's multi-faceted personality, "In A Moment", "Burning Bridges" and "All" have more in common with Badfinger than Bad Company, thanks to their luscious vocal harmonies. With alternative and grunge's days numbered in the spring of 1994, pioneers like Pearl Jam and Nirvana (or its offshoot, the Foo Fighters) would need to think fast if they wanted to stay in the game. Both of those bands have done that by evoking the past they so much wanted to avoid when they made touchstones like NEVERMIND and TEN. As a result, modern rock bands have become less distinctive than usual. But while Collective Soul may have been considered hacks at the time they arrived, and to some extent still are today, HINTS, ALLEGATIONS & THINGS LEFT UNSAID sort of foreshadowed grunge's eventual fall in favor (which started with Kurt Cobain's suicide) with its aim to merge elements of older genres with more modern techniques. And with that, they indicated that would be the ultimate remedy for a modern rock band wishing to stay afloat after the trend they came in on ran out of steam.

These days, nobody really knows about the existence of this album, and even the band Collective Soul. What a shame. Ed Roland and company can put down catchy guitar riffs and hummable choruses better than pretty much all of the big names in 90's pop/rock, including Third Eye Blind, Matchbox Twenty, Hootie and the Blowfish and the Gin Blossoms. Also, unlike 99% of these other bands, Collective Soul have a lead guitarist who can actually PLAY for a change... and a rhythm section to match his talent. Why then, you might ask, is this band not as famous as the aforementioned Matchbox Twenty? It's actually quite simple: this album arrived way ahead of its time... and still managed to sell 2 million copies on the strength of its one hit: Shine.

Now, I won't even talk about Shine in this review, because chances are that if you're even considering buying this album, it's because you've heard that song. So the question is: is the rest of the material good? The answer to that question is: yes, doubtlessly! Goodnight, Good Guy is such an insanely perfect pop/rock gem, that I was singing along with it and loving it on my first listen: something that does not occur with me very often. Wasting Time starts out with a cool little piano (or is it an organ?) riff and progresses into an incredibly cool song with yet another hummable chorus. Sister, Don't Cry features a surprisingly passionate vocal performance by Ed Roland, one that I did not expect from him, being very familiar with his style from my other Collective Soul albums. Other great moments on the CD are Burning Bridges, Heaven's Already Here and All. The rest of the tracks are mostly not stellar, but still good enough for you to listen through the whole album without skipping any songs and still want more. The perfect pop/rock record.

If you liked this CD, I recommend that you go and take a listen to Collective Soul's Self-Titled and Disciplined Breakdown, and then move on to the slightly different (but still very cool) Dosage. If you choose to get Blender, get it last.

My only complaint about this album is that "Shine" is the first track. It happens to be one of the greatest songs of all-time (not to mention on this CD.) It's unfair that the listener hears "Shine" then completely ignores the other tracks. My reccomendation to you is to listen to every track exept for "Shine" first. There are some AMAZING songs on this CD: "Breathe" and "Burning Bridges" just to name a few. You are for sure going to enjoy this album.