Love Letter To A Record: LOSER On Blind Melon’s ‘Blind Melon’

November 23, 2018

Many of us can link a certain album to pivotal moments in our lives. Whether it’s the first record you bought with your own money, the chord you first learnt to play on guitar, the song that soundtracked your first kiss, the album that got you those awkward and painful pubescent years or the one that set off light bulbs in your brain and inspired you to take a big leap of faith into the unknown – music is often the catalyst for change in our lives and can even help shape who we become.

In this series, Music Feeds asks artists to reflect on their relationship with music and share with us stories about the effect music has had on their lives.

Craig Selak, LOSER – Blind Melon by Blind Melon

Dear Blind Melon,

From the moment I first heard ‘No Rain’ I knew you had to be mine. You had a lot of admirers back then, but they were only into you because of your hit. ‘One Hit Wonder’ they called you. But I knew better. I could hear something deeper. As soon as I could get to JB HiFi and pick you up, I made my move, and I haven’t stopped listening to you since.

The clashing of your melodic southern-twanged guitars, the understated melodic counterpoints of your basslines, the almost jazz-like movements in your drumming, and THAT voice. Sometimes you hear a piece of music and it feels as though someone has reached into your mind and subconsciously pulled your reality out. That’s what it was like listening to songs like ‘Drive’, ‘Sleepyhouse’ and ‘Paper Scratcher’ for the first time.

https://youtu.be/RzQIuP1Tcqo

Even though grunge was literally exploding everywhere, you managed to maintain your unique identity and thrive. At times you scream in a psychedelic dream pallet of colours and emotions, only to have calmed to a smooth caress moments later. Like Fleetwood Mac perfectly fused with Grateful Dead.

An album so criminally underrated, even musicians over 20 years later are still being influenced by you without realising it. When I was down you picked me up, when I was happy you celebrated with me and when I was looking for a new reason to be inspired, you got me high on music.

It’s impossible to put into words the impact that you’ve made on my life. Every time I pick up a bass or collaborate with other musicians, I am constantly drawn to your reference. I wouldn’t have it any other way. The bassline in ‘Tones Of Home’ has literally shaped me as a musician, and therefore helped define me as a person.

To anyone who has not had the pleasure of meeting you yet, I ask this – do you like albums where you don’t have to skip one single track? Do you like having your mind blown by music? Are you constantly complaining that you’ve ‘listened to everything on Spotify already’?

Have you heard Blind Melon?

–

LOSER’s new EP ‘Restless Noise’ is out now. The band will kick off a short east coast tour next week! Peep dates below as well as their video for ‘Phase Me’.