Soup

Most '90s rock bands who enjoyed massive breakthrough success with their debut album seemed to follow it up with an effort similarly styled to its predecessor, hence guaranteeing repeat success. This proved not to be the case with Blind Melon. It appeared as though the band rejected the jovial spirit of "No Rain" and focused on much darker material for their follow-up, Soup. While it did not match the commercial success of the debut, Soup proved to be a challenging, gripping record that is just as strong and perhaps even more rewarding. Shannon Hoon was in the throes of drug addiction (which would prove fatal only two months after the album's release), and his experience at a drug detox. Soup deserved to be another big hit, but due to MTV and radio's abrupt abandonment of the band, harsh reviews from close-minded critics, and worst of all, Hoon's untimely death mid-tour, all hopes of the album receiving the attention it deserved were extinguished. Soup is one of the most underrated and overlooked great rock albums of the '90s.

Woodstock '94 Saugerties, New York 8/13/1994

Perhaps one of the most memorable moments in Woodstock history-an inebriated Shannon Hoon jumping around onstage wearing his girlfriend's dress. Sounds as if a recipe for a disaster. Surprisingly, Blind Melon steals the afternoon with extended jams and tight band interplay between guitarists Christopher Thorn and Rogers Stevens-almost perfect for Woodstock '94's '70s feel-good vibe. Hoon's onstage antics was more or less was a mere distraction and/or a sign of things to come for Blind Melon. Hoon was found dead a year later of a heart attack brought on by a cocaine overdose.

Blind Melon

Managing to be equally mellow and introspective as well as rough and rocking, Blind Melon's 1992 self-titled debut remains one of the purest sounding rock albums of recent time, completely devoid of '90s production tricks. While the group was never the toast of the critics, their self-titled 1992 debut has held up incredibly well over time, resembling a true rock classic. For reasons unknown, the late Shannon Hoon was, unfairly, usually the brunt of reviewer's criticisms, yet his angelic voice and talent for penning lyrics that examined the ups and downs of everyday life were an integral part of Blind Melon's sound, as well as the band's supreme jamming interplay.