Soup

Soup is the second album by the American alternative rock band Blind Melon, released shortly before vocalist Shannon Hoon’s fatal drug overdose, making it his final album with the band.

Thematically, the album is much darker than the band’s multi-platinum debut. “2 X 4” is about Hoon’s experience at a drug detox, the country-tinged “Skinned” is about serial killer Ed Gein, “Car Seat (God’s Presents)” is about Susan Smith who killed her children by driving her car into a lake in Union, SC, and “St. Andrew’s Fall” is about suicide by jumping from a 20-story building. Alternatively, “New Life” is about the birth of Hoon’s daughter Nico Blue, “Wilt” is about having bad breath, although in Captain Beefheart-esque lyrics, “Galaxie” is about Hoon’s experience with his car, a 1965 Ford Galaxie, and “Lemonade” is a tongue-in-cheek song about a bar brawl.

“Most ’90s rock bands who enjoyed massive breakthrough success with their debut album seemed to follow it up with an effort similarly styled to its predecessor, hence guaranteeing repeat success. This proved not to be the case with Blind Melon. It appeared as though the band rejected the jovial spirit of No Rain and focused on much darker material for their follow-up, Soup. While it did not match the commercial success of the debut, Soup proved to be a challenging, gripping record that is just as strong and perhaps even more rewarding.