matchbox twenty - Mad Season [Special Package]

Upon its release in 1996, Matchbox Twenty's debut album Yourself and Someone Like You didn't seem like a sure-fire blockbuster, partially because in the wake of grunge and alt-rock, it seemed a little too straightforward, anthemic, and mainstream. As it turned out, those were the very things that made it a huge success. It stayed on the charts for years, as it spun off a series of singles that found their niche on rock and pop radio, then stayed there for the better course of a year. As the group prepared their second album, they didn't fade away, thanks to the unexpected success of lead singer/songwriter Rob Thomas's guest vocals on Santana's comeback single, "Smooth." That song had Latin rhythms that tagged it as a Santana song, but its classicist structure and earnest melodicism made it seem as much a Matchbox Twenty tune as a Santana number. Read More