A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon [Paperback]

Greg Prato (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 17, 2008

One of the most tragic stories of the 1990’s rock world was that of singer Shannon Hoon, and his band, Blind Melon. Despite scoring one of the decade’s most enduring singles and videos, “No Rain,”and a quadruple platinum hit with their 1992 self-titled debut album (in addition to touring alongside rock’s biggest names), Hoon could not overcome a dangerous drug addiction. Only two records into a promising career, Hoon was dead from an overdose at the age of 28. ‘A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other’ is the first book to tell the group’s story—culled from over 50 exclusive interviews (including the surviving band members and those closest to the band) and featuring many never-before-seen photos. “I am honored that Greg has painstakingly accounted for what the hell happened during those crazy times. He has summed up all the chaos, jubilation, and paranoia that is Blind Melon.” -Brad Smith, Blind Melon bassist

Editorial Reviews

Review

"People who know and love Shannon will enjoy reliving the moments chronicled. Anyone who didn't know him will certainly know him now. You managed to capture the personality of Shannon, the good and the bad, I'm thankful it was mostly good. Thank you for immortalizing my son in print." --Nel Hoon (Shannon Hoon's mother), letter to author

"Probably as close as anyone outside the group will ever come to knowing our story, 'A Devil On One Shoulder' is an honest portrait of the Blind Melon experience as told by those who were there. A great read - thanks Greg." --Glen Graham (Blind Melon drummer)

"Greg, you did a great job on the book, you captured so many details. Maybe too many details. Ha! When my daughter is old enough, I will let her read it. On second thought, maybe I should let her read it after I am dead..." --Brad Smith (Blind Melon bassist)

"'A Devil on One Shoulder' offers an unparalleled account for the many fans who were left bewildered by Hoon's untimely death." --subba-cultcha.com

"From its startling jacket image of Shannon Hoon standing on the ledge of a high balcony apparently about to step off, there's an air of melancholic inevitability about Greg Prato's excellent history of Blind Melon." --Classic Rock Magazine, December 2008

"I am absorbed by what already goes down as one of my favorite all-time reads...'A Devil on One Shoulder.' I swear to you, it is a must read. I strongly recommend this. A killer effort." --Jeff Pearlman (Author, 'The Bad Guys Won!')

"Prato not only manages to gather the specifics, but more importantly paints a picture of a band and frontman possessed of brilliance yet troubled demons." --Under the Radar Magazine, Year End Edition 2008

"A Devil on One Shoulder' shows that Blind Melon was more than a one hit wonder band on some 'best of the 90's' show. It's gives you a real feel of what Shannnon really meant to music." --Stone & Double T WXRX, Rockford, IL

About the Author

Greg Prato is a Long Island, New York-–based journalist, whose writing has appeared in such renowned publications as Rolling Stone, All Music Guide, and Classic Rock Magazine. He is the author of several popular books, 'A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon,' 'Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story,' 'Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music, 'No Schlock . . . Just Rock!,' 'The Eric Carr Story,' 'MTV Ruled the World: The Early Years of Music Video,' and 'Sack Exchange: The Definitive Oral History of the 1980s New York Jets.'

Product Details

• Paperback: 348 pages
• Publisher: Greg Prato (September 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0615252397
• ISBN-13: 978-0615252391
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #171,905 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Greg Prato is a Long Island, New York-–based journalist, whose writing has appeared in such renowned publications as Rolling Stone, All Music Guide, and Classic Rock Magazine. He is the author of several popular books, 'A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon,' 'Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story,' 'Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music, 'No Schlock . . . Just Rock!,' 'The Eric Carr Story,' 'MTV Ruled the World: The Early Years of Music Video,' and 'Sack Exchange: The Definitive Oral History of the 1980s New York Jets.'

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Letters from the porcupine, they'll stick straight through you..., October 11, 2008

By 

Brad Weitz (Cincinnati, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon (Paperback)

A Devil On One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other is a fantastic read. Greg Prato has documented the complete story of one of most underrated bands to ever be labeled a "one hit wonder".

Whether you're a hardcore "Melonhead" or a casual fan of music/rock biographies, the story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon, as captured here, is fascinating.

From Shannon's mother, Nel Hoon to Alice In Chains Jerry Cantrell to Guns N Roses/Velvet Revolver's Duff McKagan (and everyone else in between), the cast of characters paints a vivid picture of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon.

This is a hard book to put down once picked up. I don't think I even blinked during the chapters entitled; October, 21 1995 and Aftermath. I highly recommend this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From the mouths of those that were there, April 13, 2009

By 

vedhead011 (The 847) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon (Paperback)

I opened this book and couldn't put it down until I finished it. It truly does tell the story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon, and tells it in the best possibly way; from the mouths of the people that lived it. The story is told in a series of quotes from band members, record company people, family and friends obtained through interviews by the author. And in the case of Hoon, the quotes were taken from published interviews from the 90's. There could no be no purer way for this story to be told. The interviewees were candid and open; they seemed to hold nothing back. Their words and stories spoke so clearly of those times and what Shannon Hoon meant to them that I truly felt that I got to know him and his tendencies through this book. I felt as if I truly had spent those hours not reading a book, but spending time with these people and their friend Shannon. Which made for emotional results even though I knew the end to this story. When the fateful end of Shannon Hoon's life came in this book I immediately felt the loss of him. My heart broke, and I missed him. Just from reading a book 13 and a half years after the event. I do not have the book in front of me as I review it, but someone in there said something along the lines of "everyone who met him thought Shannon was their best friend" and it was easy to see that.

As Shannon Hoon had the most powerful personality of the subjects in the book, and people seemed to speak most about their relationship with him, it is easy to focus on him. But through the honesty of Rogers Stevens, Christopher Thorn, Brad Smith, and Glen Graham you felt closer to them as well. They give valuable details of life in the band Blind Melon, everything from stories from the road to recollections of recording and some song meanings. A casual rock and roll fan will see from this book that Blind Melon was a band, and not just Shannon Hoon.

Your heart really goes out to the people that were close to Shannon Hoon. People whose lives were touched very deeply for knowing him, and who had to deal with the pain of losing him. I extend gratitude to those willing to speak about those times for this project, and credit to the author for the Shannon Hoon quotes he chose to give the singer's perspective of that time in his life with his band. Strongest recommendation for anyone that is a fan of 90's music, and this is a flat out must read for any Blind Melon fan.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We never got a chance to say goodbye., November 20, 2008

By 

Jason Kaiser - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon (Paperback)

A book that relays the story of Shannon and Blind Melon is long overdue. Throughout the years all that we have gotten to detail the story behind one of the most underrated and under appreciated bands of 90's was a short Documentary entitled "Letter From a Porcupine", and a less telling Behind the Music, which almost seemed to have a negative slant on the story focusing little on the bands rise and more on Shannon's trouble's with addiction. Greg Prato nailed it with this book. He maintains a nice balance between the good times and the bad times. The First half of the book details how BM came to be. It starts of as a humorous tale of five friends trying to make it as a band. From their humble beginnings in their home towns, to the fateful moment when they all finally came together. This book is full of stories and quotes that have never been seen before, including a few quotes from Shannon from past interviews. The quotes really give you the feeling that these guys were a close knit family. The quotes Greg compiled in this first part are some of my favorites. It's full of humorous and sometimes touching stories, showing just how fun Shannon and the guys were to be around and how much Shannon cared for everyone he met.
Towards the end the book, however the tone changes. You really get a feel for the pain everyone went through, trying to make it as a band while still trying to keep everyone healthy and happy. The quotes presented in the closing chapters of this book are amazing. It really shows how much of an imapact Shannon left on everyone he met.

If you are a fan of Blind Melon and Shannon this is a must buy. Every story, and quote comes straight from the source and is written in interview fashion, showing only what those closest to the band had to say . If you ever wanted to get up close and personal with Shannon, Christopher, Brad, Rogers and Glenn this is your book. And I really mean this last bit. This is our book. Greg wrote this for the fans and it shows that Greg is one of us.