In 1993, there was a lot going on within the Alternative Rock music scene. Kurt Cobain was still around; Nirvana released In Utero, The Cranberries released their debut album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?, and another new band called Collective Soul was starting to make a splash. Out of Georgia, Collective Soul was young, fresh, and riding high on the popularity of their debut single, “Shine.” A song that would become synonymous with them, who had the foresight to see it would be the first of a string of mainstream Alternative Rock success for Collective Soul? Probably no one because the future is impossible to predict, but here we are in 2023, and the band is highly active while celebrating the 30th anniversary of their first album, Hints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid.
Amazing when you think about it, since then, the band has ten more studio albums, right through to 2022’s Vibrating. Impressive within itself in times where bands come and go, the boldest aspect is they would crack the Top 10 in Mainstream Rock Charts with eleven singles between 1994 and 2000! Seven of them reached number one on these charts, two peaked at number two, and in less than a decade, they solidified themselves as an elite Rock band. A combination of fantastic songwriting and no-frills guitar-driven Rock-n-Roll, by 2001, they were already ready to put out a greatest hits album.
Originally released on September 18, 2001, a week after the tragic terrorist attacks that struck America, the compilation 7even Year Itch, 1994–2001, was the glimmer of hope many needed in such dark times. As a result, it sold 225,000 copies within the first year and has sold over 500,000 copies to this date. A marker in Collective Soul’s continuous story, in 2023, the band re-released it on vinyl for the first time ever.
Released through Craft Recordings on December 1st, the new vinyl pressing is available in several exclusive variants, including standard black, red, and yellow swirl (via Target), clear with black splatter (via Walmart), and black and gray marble (via Craft Recordings). All quite lovely and of very high quality; the re-release mirrors the original CD release as much as the content. Including fourteen tracks, many of which were huge hits, for those who do not recall, it also has two previously unreleased songs – “Next Homecoming” and “Energy.” A cool feature when it was originally put out twenty-two years ago, to this day, these two cuts are still only exclusively available through this collection.
With all these factors in mind, Craft Recordings does a fine job of presenting this fantastic Collective Soul’s greatest hits collection. In truth, it is a perfect piece to any ‘90s Rock fan’s collection, even if they are not entirely well-versed in Collective Soul. It should be on your wish list for those who are fans because the sound quality is also fantastic. Looking at present times, as mentioned, Collective Soul released a new studio album in 2022. In 2023, they did some touring, and in 2024, they plan on additional touring in January and on the Rock Legends Cruise sailing out of Fort Lauderdale, FL, on February 22nd. All very exciting; it is not too late to go out and pick up 7even Year Itch, 1994–2001, on vinyl as a Christmas gift because Cryptic Rock gives it 5 out of 5 stars.
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