Old Miserable Experience: Re-Visiting The Gin Blossoms
So when Albert asked me to take over the blog for a week while he visits the homeland of Italia, he right off the bat mentioned that I could talk about the Gin Blossoms, ’cause it’s no secret in my circle of friends (we’ve been boys since junior high) that I have a girlish infatuation with them.
That being said, back in 1994, which I’d say is the most influential year of my life musically (my first cassette tape that I ever purchased, a secret that will be revealed later this week), the Gin Blossoms were EVERYWHERE. Single after single ruled the local alt-rock stations (103.9 and y100 holla):
Hey Jealousy
Found Out About You
Until I Fall Away
Alison Road
And a few years later would infect our brains with their jangle-pop hooks with:
Follow You Down
‘Till I Heat It From You
Now, everyone, whether they like it or not, has been caught singing one of the Gin’s singles at some point in their lives.
I can’t help it – they’re easy listening rock sound combined with kinda darkish-if-you-think-about-it drinking lyrics are a catchy combo.
A startling discovery I made a few years ago is that this band is not the shiny happy persona they seem to give off in their music. Rather, the band went through much turmoil through recording their album which, because of said turmoil, would be labeled “New Miserable Experience”.
As the album was getting finished, the band had to pretty much kick major songwriting contributor and guitarist Doug Hopkins out of the band. His alcoholism was taking it’s toll on the band and the management, and a decision had to be made.
Almost a year later, the band hit it big with the single “Hey Jealousy”. Can you imagine how Hopkins felt as the songs he wrote played in the car radio on his drive to work everyday?
It got the best of him. Hopkins took his own life in 1993, way before the media blitz that would entail after Mr. Nirvana’s own suicide years later. I was only 11 so maybe I just don’t remember the news, but it would be years before I ever heard this story.
Just something I think not too many people (who were 11 like me) ever knew as they bopped their heads on the way to school everyday.
Comments Off