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

by Greg Prato

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

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Rock N Roll

344 pages, Paperback

First published September 17, 2008

About the author

Greg Prato is a Long Island, New York-based journalist, whose writing has appeared in such renowned publications as Rolling Stone. 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,' 'Sack Exchange: The Definitive Oral History of the 1980s New York Jets,' 'Too High to Die: Meet the Meat Puppets,' 'Dynasty: The Oral History of the New York Islanders, 1972-1984,' and 'The Faith No More & Mr. Bungle Companion.'

Reviews

[Unlovely Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

“They take the music off into uncharted places.” That's what Robert Plant said about Blind Melon, and I think that this quote can really sum up the essence of this great band.
During the grunge era, Blind Melon were able to stand out by taking the epic music of the 60s and turning it into something personal and absolutely unique.
This book collects precious quotes from the bandmembers (even past Shannon's interviews), their wives and girlfriends, friends and other musicians who got the chance to know them and play with them.
This stratagem permitted to open a window and look into their lives with such a honesty and such a naturalness that it's all so heart-warming... I don't know, I still have chills!
This book does justice to Shannon, but it does with a brutal honesty that everybody should appreciate: it doesn't idolize him or label him like a junkie or a loser who didn't do anything good during his entire life... I really liked this choice, every biography should be objective like this one.
In conclusion, I have to say that "A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon" is not only about the rise and fall of a beautiful band full of wonderful and talented human beings or the tormented life of a legend who's still missed... it's a story of friendship and musical affinities, success and mistakes, failures and rebirth... life, death and love.

[Vicente Ribes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un buen libro y uno de los pocos que nos habla de ese fenomenal grupo que fue Blind Melon. Creadores de un crisol de canciones a caballo entre el grungre y el rock clasico cuya carrera duro poco al morir su cantante Shannon Hoon y quedar el grupo huérfano de su voz principal.
Este libro narrado a modo de historia oral nos cuenta las vivencias de los propios protagonistas: la infancia y amistad de Shannon y Axl Rose en Indiana, su llegada a los Angeles y la formación de Blind Melon, el éxito derivado de la salida de la canción de "No rain"...
Una lástima que solo pudiesen entregarnos tres discos porque Shannon justo murió después de sacar el segundo "Soup", una maravilla y uno de los mejores discos de los 90.

[Lylah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd known about this book for a while but hadn't read it because I feared it was the kind of bad, fan-written bio that just makes you cringe. But after seeing a few good reviews I gave it a chance and was pleasantly surprised. It's actually a well researched and edited oral history that really does the band and Shannon Hoon justice. Probably not something that will interest those who aren't big fans of the band, but definitely recommended to long-term fans like me.

[Vonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the most beautiful voice and charismatic personality in rock. Rock star, husband, son, father and sadly, drug abuser. Mesmerizing biography that breaks your heart. Such a happy, loving talented person that no matter how hard he fought he just couldn't kick his drug habit.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a huge fan of Blind Melon, this book really made me feel more of a connection with who the band was. I like how it is written, more of an interview format. Not just Q & A, but a topic then different perspectives. I laughed, I cried, I couldn't put it down.... and now the only thing I have listened to the past 3 weeks is Blind Melon.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

How in the world someone can claim to have "written" a book, when all they did was transcribe interviews, is beyond me. Maybe it's only the aspiring writer in me that takes offense at someone plopping their name on something compiled as though they wrote it, but the book really should have said that it was edited by Greg Prato, rather than by him. I would then have known that it was just interviews, rather than a biography. I was looking forward to reading this book, and was greatly disappointed to find out that was all this was - a bunch of interviews with way too many people to keep track of. After the first couple of chapters, I got sick of flipping back to the front to figure out who each person was, as I quickly forgot by the time their name showed up again.

It was horribly edited, with a lot of mistakes, which I guess is what you get from a self-published book. It's as if no one even read over the manuscript before it was printed, and relied entirely on spellcheck.

This had potential to be good, but fell short when the supposed "author" decided that all he needed was the mash together the interviews into some semblance of a timeline; had he actually used them as a catalyst to add some writing in between other people's words in an effort to help paint the picture of what was going on, it might have been great. I would assume since he is a journalist by profession that he has the ability to write, why he chose not to is strange. Don't get me wrong - the interviews at time are interesting, and it's nice at times to hear the stories straight from the horse's mouth so to speak, but having it entirely composed of the interviews makes it quite hard to sit & read for very long, and some parts of Blind Melon & Shannon Hoon's journey are screaming for someone to actually write about, rather than just transcribe.

The one good thing about this book; it got me interested in listening to more Blind Melon. I originally was only interested in this book for two reasons; because of Shannon's connection with Guns n' Roses, since they are one of my all-time favourite bands, and because I like reading rock biographies. I was only familiar with two Blind Melon songs prior to this book, but have since found & fell in love with other songs mentioned in the book after reading about them. So I guess you did that much for me, Mr. Prato.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad in depth look of the life of an amazing talent lost to drugs... Well written - tons of insight from people who knew Shannon Hoon the best. Good read for anyone who is a Blind Melon or Shannon Hoon fan.

[Dani M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 5 stars rating is not for the book itself, as I didn’t think the “oral story” structure was presented in the best way. But at the end, once you get used to the “piece by piece” rythm, the content is there and all come together.

The 5 stars are for their story and for the feelings that were brought back by their memories. Maybe the 5 stars are for Blind Melon.

For quite a few moments, I was that anger Brazilian teenager again. A teenager living in a barely democratic country, becoming a metalhead that loved grunge (people, clothes, attitude and music) and punk rock.

Also a teenager that only knew No Rain and Tones of Home and could not learn about Blind Melon’s history “live” because it was the 90s and the news were not on our screens minutes after the facts.

It’s ok, I learned about them as an adult. And this book made me enjoy the highs and mourn the lows as if we were close friends.

*** If you’re a fan, make a favour to yourself and go watch their 2 Meters Session on YouTube ****

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oral biographies, even if you love the subject, can be exhausting and feel overly long. This book is only for big fans of the band.

[Maciej · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I must say that I've learned a lot about Shannon and the gang from the book. It's not the greatest book ever written, especially that it's mostly made up of interviews, however it's an amazing read for anyone interested in the band and Shannon Hoon. The interviews are well structured and the author knows the topic very well, as he's a close friend of Blind Melon. I really enjoyed the crazy stories and devoured this book in two days. One of my favourite rock'n'roll books ever.

[Frostygirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book! It was nice to take an in depth look into Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon. They are an awesome band!

[CRlovebooks ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book!!!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan, read this immediately. It's like hanging out in a room with your friends.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to go on a long tangent with an album review before I can talk about the book.

If you came of age in the 90s, then you know Blind Melon for their huge hit song No Rain (or at least the "bee girl" MTV video that went along with it). They rocketed to stardom, but their singer tragically died of a drug overdose a few short years later. I was aware of this, but I wasn't a particular fan of the band one way or the other at the time.

Their rise to fame and subsequent tragedy is a compelling human interest story on its own, but the thing that drew me more specifically to their music and story was the discovery of their 2nd album, Soup. I wasn't aware of it when it came out, but some friends recommended it to me some time later (probably a year or two after Hoon's death). It's definitely not for everyone, and it does not contain a "No Rain, part 2" song (and thus it was comparative commercial failure), but *that* music really struck me and I still think about it 30 years later. I've always wanted to know how this came to be as part of the story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon.

This seems like kind of a random band/album to fixate on, but I've thought about it a good bit. Here's what went into that album that you can hear in the music. They already had the basic ingredients of a band with a unique vibe among their grunge contemporaries and a gifted, iconic vocalist. But there is a lot more going on at this point. They were clearly rebelling against expectations from their catchy, pop-style hit single, and the music went in a darker direction. You can hear tension and creative differences in the band, as the album and even individual songs pinball through different musical styles. That said, the band knows how to play complimentary music that's greater than the sum of its parts. They are locked in at the peak of their powers, the hard-earned result of a brutal touring schedule in support their previous hit album. You can hear a light hand at production that lets the music sound spontaneous, as if the band is sitting with you in your house. Above all else, you hear vocals and lyrics from a singer who is obviously struggling with addiction and mental challenges and is pouring every ounce of raw, vulnerable emotion into the music. It saturates the lyrics, the tone, and the melody. This album didn't come from a healthy place; there is something fundamentally sad but beautiful about it. *If* the music connects with you (that's a big if; music is always subjective), then it will stick with you for a while. I really wanted to understand how this happened in the context of the story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon.

Still with me? Here are my remarks on the book. If you want to learn some insights about the kinds of things I described above, you will indeed find some here. The format of the chapters is to have a very brief (just a few sentences) of context from the author to set the stage, followed by a verbatim quotes from the band (including Hoon), the label, their friends, and family about what was going on in that time period. It's less "writing" and more like curating interview excerpts. I guess somewhat echoing their music, there is a lot of contradiction in the accounts, and it is up to the reader to piece together their own view of the story. It's definitely fascinating but also heartbreaking to get perspective on Hoon's personal decline from those closest to him.

This isn't for everyone; it isn't a comprehensive story, and it simply isn't very readable if the band and the music isn't already important to you for some reason.

I was also a little disconcerted by not knowing when the quotes were transcribed. They are presented in chronological order of the story of the band more or less, but clearly were collected at different points in time. I often wondered if people were remarking from the perspective of "in the heat of the moment", or remarking from the perspective of "looking back now that I know everything that transpired and have reflected on it". I'm assuming some of both, but it would help with my interpretation to know for sure. There is a lot more context listed in notes at the end of the books, so the information is available, just not readily at hand while you are reading, at least in the Kindle edition.

There were a lot of surprises and insights, and things that made me go back and listen to specific songs and watch specific videos or concert recordings from a different point of view (and wow, that Galaxy video really is every bit as terrible as the band said it was. Yikes!).

I would 100% read this again, but I can't say I would recommend it unless you are already a fan.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. It really made me think about life and death, as you get a picture into a talented but troubled soul in Shannon Hoon. I can't give it a 5, though, if only because it's only a series of interviews. I wish the author would have inserted a little more of his voice, and maybe structured it differently. The first few pages/chapters were weird - I didn't want this book to be only about Shannon Hoon, but I came to understand a little more about him as the book went on, so I understood why the first chapters were like that. But a introduction, hook, or thesis statement in the beginning would have really helped out this book.

[Ryan Hake · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d say it’s more 3 stars but I love this band and grew up inspired by Shannon Hoon that I gotta give it 4. A nice collection of interviews. I had kind of expected more of a biography but found it very intimate and enjoyable.

[Kevin LaBrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for fans of Blind Melon (of which i am) and a great read if you are not.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. Interesting to get most or all sides of the countless stories in a sadly shortened life and career.

[Jitte Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good and easy read. It was great to get a deeper insight into Hoon. Only three stars as the entire book is made up of interview quotes with zero narrative around the quotes... Which gets a little repetitive and/or disjointed at times. Worth a read for anyone who is a fan of Blind Melon. But not the ultimate biography by any means.

[Nick Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a shame, but a wonderful insight to an amazing band, and a truly one of a kind person. Still missed all these years later

[Aina Binde · Rating 5 out of 5]

To anyone fascinated by Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon, this is a must read.

[Dana Szcyrek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never has a death of a singer affected me this way since Freddie Mercury. Shannon Hoon was everything an amazing soulful singer could be. Lyrical genuis, there isn't a bad song on thier debut album. Reading his story, Greg Prato captured the pure essence of Blind Melon

[LA Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragic but riveting story of Blind Melon’s Shannon Hoon.
A story so riveting I have read it more than once.

[Jean-Marie Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book can become a little tedious due to its interview style, it reveals so much more than the press ever did about Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon. The more stunning revelations include Hoon's mental illness that fueled his drug addiction, his friendship with Layne Staley and his role in Hoon's final descent, and just how rapid that final descent was for him. In certain places the book is hard to put down, especially during those pages that chronicle his life after the making of 'Soup,' since you certainly know that Hoon's death is coming. Little new is revealed about that death, yet it is discussed in a way that connects you to the moments surrounding the discovery of his body and it stays with you as you read the last chapters of the book. Multiple remembrances of Hoon fill the last good chapter of the book, while the final one could have been cut as it simply reads as press for the first Blind Melon recordings without Hoon as singer. The book paints an interesting picture of one of the most charismatic and lovable lead singers of the early 1990s: a man who was prone to excess well before the Blind Melon years, but also extremely compassionate and full of life with an evil tyrannical (and paranoid) side when under the influence. Great discussions from the band, particularly drummer Glen Graham whose eloquence and emotional intelligence gives the greatest insight into Hoon. A good read that makes you love and pity Hoon even more than you did before.

[XandreRL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shannon Hoon y sus Blind Melon fueron un frontman y una banda inclasificables, geniales e inigualables. Esta es la historia de la tristemente corta carrera de Hoon y los Melon, contada por sus principales protagonistas. Quizás la edición sea (muy) mejorable, así como algunos aspectos de la estructura, pero es un placer encontrarse con algo de la casi inexistente literatura sobre uno de los músicos más especiales de la historia. Le entran a uno escalofríos de todo lo que nos podría haber dado estas más de dos décadas desde que nos dejó....

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

was an amazing book... sometimes confusing to keep straight who people were talking (besides band members and celebrities). Gave so much more meaning to their music for me. Would highly recommend it for anyone that is a fan or if you think you know who Blind Melon was ... here is the chance to know what they were really about. So sad to see such a great talent gone too early.

[Michelle Muller · Rating 3 out of 5]

It helped answer a lot of the why and how questions around Shannon Hoon's untimely passing. I loved the behind the scenes stories but the writing was a bit choppy. Also a few typos throughout. If you're a Blind Melon fan, you'll enjoy the book.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my new favorite books. I love the way it was written and suggest it to anyone who is a fan of the band.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. Must read for all Melonheads.

[Nessel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Blind Melon, loving their music!
So sad...