Third Eye Blind (1997)

Third Eye Blind is the debut studio album by American rock band Third Eye Blind, released on April 8, 1997, by Elektra Records. The album was collectively written by Stephan Jenkins and Kevin Cadogan, while production was helmed by Jenkins and Eric Valentine. Recorded in and around San Francisco at Toast Studios, Skywalker Ranch, and H.O.S., the album incorporates elements of alternative rock, post-grunge and power pop. Thematically, the album focuses on topics such as relationships, drug addiction, suicide prevention, and the band's experience of being signed to a major record label. Third Eye Blind was promoted with five singles: "Semi-Charmed Life", "Graduate", "How's It Going to Be", "Losing a Whole Year", and "Jumper".

Music and lyrics

The central theme of Third Eye Blind is loss, with the album exploring subjects such as suicide, crystal methamphetamine addiction, and sexual abuse. "Semi-Charmed Life", an alternative rock song composed with a rap-influenced singing style, was one of the first songs recorded for the album. The song focuses on a crystal methamphetamine addiction, although Jenkins contends that it more broadly relates to changing periods in one's life.

Title and artwork

When developing a band name and a title for their debut record, Jenkins sought a name with "wit and a sense of punk-rock irony". The name "Third Eye Blind" is meant to refer to a metaphysical third eye; however, the band also intended to satirize the concept. Alli and Ro-Starr were responsible for the album's art direction, with the latter also crafting the band's "falling man" logo. Kate Garner was responsible for the album's photography, with the exclusion of the album cover which was shot by Christine Alicino on December 16, 1996, in San Francisco, California. The shot features model Shandra Boatwright, eyes closed with her mouth wide open, as her and Jenkins' hands are placed on her forehead. Alicino commented that she was hired to "photograph a young woman with an expressive mouth in my edgy polaroid style". In order to achieve this expressive appearance, Boatwright wore bright red lipstick and dark eyeliner by makeup artist Raul Anthony also from San Francisco. Later Raul was hired to do hair and makeup for the band's first music video.

The first pressing of Third Eye Blind in the United States featured a sepia-toned album cover with a red band logo. This pressing was limited to approximately 500,000 copies in the country. However, it was still employed in the United Kingdom and other European nations. The second pressing of the album featured these colors reverted, with a red-toned cover and yellow band logo. In Japan, the album was released with a cyan, negative photo cover. The 20th anniversary edition of the album features a black-toned version of the cover.

In April 2022, Jenkins stated on Twitter that the sepia-toned cover is "how [the artwork is] supposed to be," although the artwork was changed to a red-tone due to Elektra Records finding the latter to be "more flashy."