March 22, 1994 - Collective Soul and Hints, Allegations And Things Left Unsaid

Two weeks after my last release a new band joins my library when Collective Soul released their debut album "Hints, Allegations And Things Left Unsaid" on March 22, 1994. But who are Collective Soul? They are a five-piece rock band from Stockbridge, Georgia consisting of lead singer/guitarist Ed Roland, his brother, rhythm guitarist Dean Roland, lead guitarist Ross Childress, bassist Will Turpin and drummer Shane Evans. This album was actually originally recorded as just a demo, but the hit single "Shine" gained the band so much popularity that it wound up being released as their first studio album, despite not even being mixed at all! Frontman Ed Roland views their next album as their true debut, since this was never meant to be an album, but it's album length at over 45 minutes and I think it's their true debut album even though it might be less produced. Let's see what Collective Soul is all about!

The album begins with the mega-hit "Shine" which to this day is probably still their most famous and recognizable song. It's driven by an extremely catchy guitar riff and Ed sings a nice verse overtop in a pop-y but solid voice. The guitar switches to a nice heavy riff and Ed just says "yeah" a couple times before they reach the breezy and catchy chorus. After another verse and chorus it's epic solo time as Childress delivers a pretty sweet guitar solo. After the solo there's a nice only guitar part that leads nicely into a final verse and chorus. The closing part has some solid vocals from Ed as he lets loose a bit and they finish it off with one last heavy part to end this instant classic. Up next is "Goodnight, Good Guy" and they kick right into a simple but upbeat riff, then things settle down for a very light verse. The chorus is also pretty soft but also fairly catchy and then we hear the upbeat opening riff again to set up the next verse. After another verse and chorus there's a brief new bridge that sets the stage for a light but decent guitar solo. It goes right into the chorus and then there's a final chorus with some more raised, solid vocals by Ed and a final upbeat part to finish it off. Track 3 is "Wasting Time", a much less succesful single, and we hear Matt Serletic (keyboards, trombones, string arrangements) playing some simple organ while Ed begins a soft verse and some light guitar eventually joins in followed by some violin as well that sounds pretty good. This song has another light and breezy chorus and then we hear a light but solid little solo by Childress. There's one more chorus and then another little solo takes us right to the end of this short song. The next song is "Sister Don't Cry" and Serletic shows up again with a simple but solid piano riff that keeps the pace while Ed sings softly overtop and we hear some very light guitar as well. Serletic switches to some different keyboards for this interesting chorus that is a little different, but it's back to piano for the verse. Another verse and chorus later and it's time for a "solo" that is really just some stuff that fits the mood but isn't really a solo. They then play a final chorus to close things out. Track 5 is "Love Lifted Me" and it has a simple and soft opening before Turpin drives the verse with some cool bass. The guitar plays nicely off the bass in this catchy main riff and Ed sings a solid verse to match. The soft opening turns out to be the chorus riff and Ed sings a soft chorus overtop to match. After another verse and chorus they snap nicely into a new riff led by some cool lead guitar from Childress and Ed sounds great overtop, ending this new verse with a couple "just lift me up!" that sets the stage nicely for the solo. Childress delivers a short but pretty cool solo, and then they jam out the chorus several times until the song eventually fades to an end. Up next is "In A Moment" and one Roland brother plays an acoustic guitar riff to start us off before Childress comes in with a slow electric guitar riff that drives this pop-y song. Ed begins the first verse overtop and it flows nicely into the chorus which has some catchy guitar and Ed singing softly overtop. They never really stray from these two riffs and while it's not bad by any means, it is a little dull and not their best song. Track 7 is a short song called "Heaven's Already Here" and it's driven by some light but solid acoustic guitar and Evans plays some nice light drums as well. Ed sings a soft verse to match the mood and it flows right into a similar chorus that has an extra light guitar riff that adds an extra bit of soft coolness. This guitar sticks around for the next short verse and after another chorus the acoustic guitar plays us out to end this short but cool little tune. The next song "Pretty Donna" is even shorter than the last song and we hear an entire string ensemble that sounds pretty good, almost church-like. It's got a bit of a sad feel to it, but it sounds solid, though it's a bit weird that none of the actual band members play on it. After this interlude we're onto "Reach" which starts like it might be an upbeat electric song, but it shifts suddenly into an acoustic-led main riff that is pretty soft but also sounds pretty catchy and Ed sings a nice verse to match the mood. There's some electric guitar in the chorus, but it's really drab and dull and it makes for a pretty forgettable chorus. After another acoustic verse and another chorus Ed sings a new bridge verse that sounds alright but then it's right back to the boring chorus which they jam out for way too long. Up next is another single titled "Breathe" and it starts with a nice catchy guitar riff before things shift to a nice hard rock verse with Ed nicely singing overtop, including a cool "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeaaah"! It's a pretty catchy verse and it's easy to see why this was a single. They play another verse before finally reaching the pop-y chorus and then it's solo time. Childress doesn't get too fancy, but he plays a solid solo that matches the mood and it leads into a final verse before they close out the song with Ed singing "c'mon now people, c'mon now breathe" in a decent ending. Track 11 is "Scream" and it's driven by a nice fast-paced rock riff with Ed singing quickly and nicely along with the fast guitars. Things lead right into a nice chorus that ends with Ed nicely singing "I just wanna scream!" and then moving right into a quick "scream about nothing, yeah." which sounds pretty cool. They play another solid verse and chorus and then Childress delivers a decent little solo. Right after the solo we hear just Turpin play the main riff on bass and he sounds pretty good until Ed says "giddy up, go" and everyone snaps back in for a final verse and chorus to finish off thisboretty cool little song. The next song is "Burning Bridges" and both Roland brothers play some different light guitar riffs that go nicely together and Ed starts to sing a light verse to match the slow and breezy mood. It flows right into a similarly light chorus and after running through another verse and chorus there's a brief new bridge riff that sets the stage nicely for Childress's solo. He delivers a short but pretty cool solo, then they jam out a couple slow choruses before ending the song as it began with the two light guitars. The final song on the album is called "All" and it nicely alternates between some light and dreamy stuff and some nice heavier stuff in this unique and interesting verse. The chorus is pretty light and fluffy but they transition nicely back to the main riff. After another verse and chorus there's a new happy-go-lucky riff that just sounds so cheery and it sets the stage beautifully for Childress to enter and play a simple but awesome sounding guitar solo. They proceed to jam out a couple fluffy choruses before unexcitedly just lightly fading out for the final 20 seconds. A weird way to end an otherwise good song.

That is the end of "Hints, Allegations And Things Left Unsaid" and I thought it was a decent debut album for Collective Soul, especially considering it was just a demo. "Shine" is easily the best song and an instant radio classic but there are other solod songs on this album, and there are also a few average ones. It's still a good introduction to the light and pop-y style of rock that Collective Soul play, mixes with bits of nice heaviness for great effect. I'm sure they can improve upon this though, and I can't wait to hear what their first fully produced album will sound like.