Collective Soul

The typical Collective Soul song has a one-word title, runs between three and five minutes, prosecutes a catchy '70s-style melody over warm, burbling '90s-style guitars, frets about the human condition, and dominates rock radio for months at a time. These mellow Georgia boys have never been anywhere near fashionable, but they have enjoyed a longer and more fruitful run than most of their flashier grunge-era peers, despite one of the sorriest names any worthy band has ever saddled itself with. Ed Roland, a Southern preacher's kid who was forbidden to listen to rock & roll growing up, is the singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer whose spiritual concerns and studio perfectionism define the band, and each of Collective Soul's albums has its share of smartly crafted hits. The best are on Collective Soul, which features the rumbling ballad "December" (you remember, it's the one that goes, "Turn your head now, baby, just spit me out"), and Disciplined Breakdown, which has the gorgeous "Listen." "December" sounds a bit like Nirvana, "Listen" sounds a lot like Three Dog Night, and those parameters pretty much sum up the band's sound. Both of these high points appear alongside "Gel," "Heavy," "Run," and other hits on Collective Soul's stellar best-of collection, which is recommended despite the extremely regrettable title 7even Year Itch. (ROB SHEFFIELD)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide