Gin Blossoms

In the hands of smart guys, trebly, chiming guitars and spare, certain melodies took
divergent paths in ancient days ­ toward the Byrds' clear skies and the Velvet
Underground's blue-lit alleys. R.E.M., of course, fused the directions in the '80s, creating a
freeway that soon became crowded. Arizona's Gin Blossoms approach the Athens, Ga.,
demigods with the reverence popsters used to accord the Beatles, but so smartl... More >

Even if you hate weak guys a lot more than I do, you can't deny that "Hey Jealousy" is a classic--Peter Buck himself would kill (or at least steal) for that gold-plated guitar hook. But though the guy who came up with it is now dead, the group and its handlers jangle on through mediocre follow-ups programmers wouldn't have played twice before "Hey Jealousy" softened them up. Released in 1992, the album is now double platinum, on the charts a year and a half after it broke. And I wouldn't put it past them to sell the next one too. The marketplace--what mere journalist can fathom it? (Grade: C+)