Customer Reviews

Out of the Vein [Limited Edition w/ Bonus DVD]

5 star:		(216)
4 star:		(83)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

It's been close to 4 years since the release of Third Eye Blind's sophomore release. 4 years wasn't too much time for 3eb to loose their grip though. Their new record, Out of the Vein, houses all the goodness that made their debut a must. Frontman Stephan Jenkins leads 3eb with a brand new fresh load of songs to put them back on the map. Despite the weak new single "Blinded" Out of the Vein boasts excellent tracks like "Forget Myself" "Crystal Baller" "Wake For Young Souls" "Misfits" and "Good Man." Jenkins keeps up his lyrical guiness up with a poetic renactment of his break-up with actress Charlize Theron which covers just about the whole album despite "Misfits" and "Wake For Young Souls." As always you can pick up on his love for Greek Mythology ("Chemicals wear me down in your summertime bacchanalian"). The only big mistake was to leave out the stunning Slow Motion-ish track "My Time in Exile" only featured on the DVD. Never-the-less Third Eye Blind still prove they can rock on Out of the Vein. 8/10
Highlights: "Wake For Young Souls" "Crystal Baller" "Forget Myself" "Misfits" "Good Man"

Probably one of the most powerful lyrical phrases I've ever heard. I have had this CD since it's (agonizingly long awaited) release date nearly two years ago, and it's still in my CD-changer and playing right now. For no particular reaaon (as I feel I am "preaching tot he choir" here) I felt compelled to put up a quick review for my fellow music afficionados. On a scale of 1 to 5 this one warrants a solid 24. Of the over 600 record/CD's I've been amassing for some 20 years, "Out of the Vein" has definitely lodged itself solidly in my own personal "Hall of Fame". Third Eye Blind is a tremendous musical powerhouse, one that I can only hope goes on to a decades-spanning career the likes of which exemplified by a few of my other personal favorites: Rush, Yes, U2, and the hopefully not much longer to be dormant Van Halen. At the risk of grandiosity... I see Stephan Jenkins coming into the same circle of songwriting geniuses as Neil Peart and Bruce Hornsby. On a more personal note, I can identify with the emotional suffering of a "messy breakup", and a few years back during the personal devastation of my own divorce, it was 3EB's "Blue" that - for reasons I can't explain - played a BIG part in my ability to move on and begin healing. When I hear lines like "I kept your sweater until the scent was gone / Wrapped up in my hands when the days were long." I can FEEL in a very real and visceral way exactly what Stephan is communicating. [[The only other "sonic therapy" to ever get into me as directly is Bruce Hornsby's live rendition of Jerry Garcia's "Lady With A Fan" found on his "Here Comes The Noisemakers" double CD from 2000 -- check it out]] Maybe it's the fusion of such powerful personal feelings set against a backdrop of energetic, upbeat and (most importantly) refeshingly original musical arrangements that gives 3EB's creations their power, if not a life of their own. Get this CD, Get all three Third Eye Blind releases -- You will be anything but disappointed. --Bob

Third Eye Blind, in my opinion, is one of the most innovative rock groups of our time, it seems as though they are always looking to raise the standard musically, not settling for run-of-the-mill music. The album is contagious, to be honest I wasn't real thrilled with the first listen, but after a few spins, I found myself craving more. Other than a few sexual innuendos, lyrically I enjoyed it. I can say with confidence that this was my favorite album of 2003, and even after 50+ listens, the effect is the same. 'Crystal Baller', 'My Hit and Run' and the opening track 'Faster' are some highlights, definitely check it out and let it grow on you...

Third Eye has achieved a following and fan base through their ability to connect with the common listener. Relationships, fights, sex, death, and self doubt are just some of the topics they tend to touch on, but lead singer Stephan Jenkins has the ability to make you step into his life.
With the release of their third effort, Out Of Vein, things have not changed. The lyrics are just as dark, the sex is just as raw, and the tones have an uplifting but negative vibe at the same time. For a true Third Eye fan, this is a Third Eye CD. If your someone who is looking for Semi-Charmed Kinda Life, that was 5 years ago, times change, and so does music. All in all, it's the same band, and they continue to evolve their sound.

Okay, I was in 8th grade when Third Eye Blind came on the scene with their self-titled debut. That album kinda blew my mind and if you don't already own it, definitely pick up a copy. It still holds up in my more diverse collection of today as a gem. Unfortunately, 3eb's follow up, "Blue" , didn't quite capture the spirit of the original (while it's grown on me a lot and there are certainly some great songs, it's mainly overproduced and underwhelming). And then it looked like Jenkins and co. would be residing in the "where are they now" bin. Then the band sorta regained their spark and found new footing, and I decided to let the buzz guide my purchase and hence bought "Out of the Vein". And I'm very glad I did. The album flows seemlessly from track to track and lyrically it's definitely the best 3eb album yet. It almost has a Pinkerton-like feel blended with a little more pop sensability. Check out standout tracks "Forget Myself" "Crystal Baller" and "Wake For Young Souls" which are instantly 3eb classics that hold up very well alongside anything from the previous 2 albums (on a side note, the current singe "Blinded (When I See You)" while a very good song, isn't nearly the best this album has to offer). Also interesting are "Misfits" and "Self-Righteous" which are different sounding then the standard 3eb offering without veering too much into mediocrity (like perhaps some of the later half of "Blue"). Of course, I'm really just getting into the album . Yet it's already reestablished Third Eye Blind in my mind as a legitimate rock n' roll band that has tremendous potential. I really hope that they don't wait another 4 years before coming up with a new album, but then again, it's quality not quantity that counts. Oh, and they are amazing live. Definitely check em out. And buy this album immediately...you also get a cool DVD where the band makes a few homages to Spinal Tap...which is just awesome in and of itself. Anyway, I can't was going to give the album 4 stars because it's not like one of the all time classic albums, but then I figured based on quality of songwriting, production, overall vision and what not, it really is a beautiful peace of work. So I gave it 5 stars. Enjoy.

In my first listen to "Out of the Vein" I wasn't sure what to think of this new album of 3eb. It seemed different than "Blue", but it wasn't the Self-Titled very much either.

That is, basically, because it's neither. It has some elements from Blue, where Stephan Jenkins and the gang decided to use very "pop"-ish sounds, and had maybe two or three songs that stood out. But it also reminds various songs off the self-titled CD, which was definitely the better out of the two.

"Out of the Vein" is a great mix of the Self-Titled and "Blue". It has the perkyness and vividness of "Blue" (in songs like "Forget Myself", "Faster" and "Blinded") but some of the 'blueness' and sadness of the Self-Titled (heard in "Crystal Baller", "Misfits" and "Self Righetous").

This album has a much better flow than the previous (the tiresome "Blue" was very bunched up in genres of songs), and a much more evolved musical sense from the Self-Titled.

Jenkins wrote or co-wrote every single song in this album, and you can feel it. His incredible voice (for my opinion) fits every song, and you know he sings with feeling.

Kudos to Stephan Jenkins, Arion Salazar, Tony Fredianelli and Brad Hargreaves for a great third album, a gift to all 3eb fans.

I've been a music connoisseur for a long time now. From Rap, Hip Hop, Country, Christian, House, Techno, Folk, Jazz, Classic, Punk I've literally bought CDs from every possible genre on Amazon. I love music. And of all my CDs, this is one that I always come back to. Genre-wise, this would be closest to pop rock, but much like Maroon Five's "Songs About Jane", this type of mainstreamish rock is less canned and just never seems to get old. Especially since the lyrics on this album are well written. For the past 3 years this CD has always resurfaced for me.

However, like 99% of CDs there are imperfections. 11 and 12 should pretty much be stricken from this great compilation, but that still leaves 12 (if you count the hidden track) WORTHY tunes that will always be there waiting for you in your CD/MP3 collection.

This is an excellent CD.

Praise: From the drudgery of the past six years of pop music hell, this phoenix, Third Eye Blind, rises with their third cd, "Out Of The Vein", which is arguably their best. There are definite hits like "Faster", "Crystal Baller" and "Can't Get Away" with unbeatable hooks. There are secondary hits like "Wake For Young Souls", "Palm Reader" and "Company" and there is some strong songwriting from Jenkins. In fact, with repeated listens, the words are just as thoughtful as the music is invigorating. The dvd "The Making of" is an amusing 21 minute expose of the band behind the scenes. They all seem like good guys on the surface at least! The dvd is not a waste, but not necessarily worth viewing repeatedly.

Criticism: The band slightly alters their signature sound still playing it safe musically. What was Jenkins thinking with "Self Righteous" and "Misfits"? Both disrupt the vibe and flow of the cd with their discordant sounds. Sure, maybe the lyrics are decent, but the songs are speedbumps on an otherwise perfect disc.

Conclusion: A definite must for 3EB fans. Could this band be the next U2? Thoughtful and charsimatic Jenkins and a strong band with individual personalities could lead to superstardom, who knows?

I have been a Third Eye Blind fan since 1998 when "Semi-Charmed Life" became a pop smash. Since then, I have followed the band and became a huge fan of their first self titled cd. Their second album "Blue" was a bit of a disappointment but it still garnered success off of the radio friendly "Never Let You Go." Nearly three and a half years later, Third Eye blind has returned strongly with "Out of the Vein" The cd track listing that is posted right now is incorrect. The true order is

1.Faster 7/10 rating
Awesome song, great guitars, suggestive lyrics (probably why the cd got a parental advisory sticker)

2.Blinded (When I See You) 8/10 rating
This is the first single off this album and will stick in your head immediately after hearing it. Catchy tune with great lyrics.

3.Forget Myself 8/10
Another catchy song, definitely has single potential.

4.Danger 7/10
Upbeat rockin song, great background vocals on this one.

5.Crystal Baller 10/10
This song is flawless from the beautiful lyrics to the wonderful guitar work. In my opinion, the second best song on the cd,

6.My Hit and Run 7/10
Great song, interesting story behind it

7.Misfits 6/10
Whether he admits to it or not, this song was co-written by Fred Durst, which is probably why this is one of my least faves on the album.

8.Can't Get Away From You 10/10
Best song on the album

9. Wake For Young Souls 7/10
An oldie from 3eb, this song was originally written in 1994.

10.Palm Reader 7/10
Catchy tune

11.Self Righteous 6/10
Still not sure about this song, it might be too slow but it might still grow on me

12.Company 6/10
Decent song, not one of the best on the cd tho.

13.Good Man 9/10
Awesome song

Hidden track- Another Life 8/10
Another great song, just let Good Man keep playing and at the 4:52 second mark, this song will start up.

Overall, this is a great cd from the best lyricist (Stephan Jenkins) on Earth and one of the most musically talented bands as well. See them live and you will really be able to feel 3eb's energy.

This is 3eb's third album. Here u can find this band at their punkiest prime. Not so lyrically forced as their first 2 albums but still not a dissapointment. I think "hit and run" is one of ther best songs and u also get a hidden track "another life" and "time in exile"<---only in bonus dvd. Overall a good cd, dvd is good to making my money worth while. If your a fan of softer and gentle 3eb there blue and dubut album will give u a rise so pick em all up and have a fun time being lost in jenkins words. hes a genius.