Customer Reviews

Throwing Copper (Bonus CD)

5 star:		(182)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There really isn't any other reason for me to be writing this review only to tell the poor souls who do not yet own this album that their is seriously something wrong with you. Live exploded onto the scene in the mid 90's once hits like "Selling the Drama", "I, Alone", and "Lightening Crashes" hit the airwaves. This was mainstream music, yes, but back then mainstream music wasn't anything to look down upon as it has sadly become now at the turn of the century. This mainstream music has depth, meaning, musical ability and most important of all, integrity.
This album is one of those rarities you really don't find much of anymore, an album you want to listen to all the way straight through and only repeat once it's over. Other albums of this nature include (for me anyway) "Blackwater Park" by Opeth, and "Master of Puppets" by Metallica.
The album kicks off great with Dam at Otter Creek, it's a slow and creepy song that works great as a lead-in to the rock and roll mayhem about to be ensued in the next few tracks. "Iris," and "Top" are my favorites off the album, as they are both deeply melodic and hypnotizing. Then again, every song on this one is very hypnotizing in it's flawless mixture of semi-progressive rock music and folk influence (I don't think you'll really find any traces of metal in here though). The hits just keep on hitting all the way through till the end. If there was any complaint I'd have about this album it's only that some of the songs are just too short. For example, "Waitress" I think is a great song, unfortunately, it only goes for about 2 and a half minutes. I think Live would do great with 6 and 7 plus minute songs.
That's about it though, otherwise there are no complaints at all, just applauds. This is the only album by Live I've heard though, as most of my money goes towards Metal CD's, but I'll have to pick up more from these guys soon. The bottom line is, BUY THIS.

Even after the countless times I've listened to this album over the past 10 years in which I've possessed it, I can still feel the same boundless charge of fervor that endeared me to it in the first place. Indeed, this music has never worn out for me, and I'm assured it never will.

In the nineties there were quite a lot of very talented bands swarming the popular music scene. Songs by Hootie & the Blowfish, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Faith No More & others filled the radio and gave definition to a great decade for rock. However, nothing comes close- at least not for me- in summing up those poignant years, as Live's "Throwing Copper". Lead singer Ed Kowalczyk's potent vocals give fiery life to lyrics already intense with emotion: songs often beginning as quiet, moving testimonies- though always ominous of some coming storm- then which build to crescendos of heart-throbbing passion.

The lyrics herein are of a poetic nature, really - and they're very personal, as each individual interpretation can be as ardent, as raging as the most intensely felt emotion - as deep and dark and vast as a storm filled sea.

I've been listening to it often, of late- and it's truly a force all its own: Songs: with words like- "Our love is like water - Pinned down and abused for being strange," or "I alone love you; I alone tempt you; I alone love you; Fear is not the end of this!" or "I was reaching forward, I was already there- reading too much and losing my head," or "Warm bodies, I sense, are not machines that can only make money- Past, perfect, tense: Words for a feeling and all I've discovered..." -They can, each one of them, enliven even the weariest of souls with an abundant pounding passion.

Ranting and raging against all civilized decorum, these songs would deign not ever fade quietly with the passing of the years. Oh no- they'll continue to haunt one with their impassioned avowals.

Would that all excellent music could age so finely!

+1994+ I was driving eastbound on Belleview on my way to high school in my old Blue Jeep. The overpass to I-25 was directly in front of me...and the radio started playing "I Alone." I've never forgotten. But the radio went into some other song eventually. Maybe a week later I heard it again, this time driving westbound at night, and a female DJ said "That was Live..." I cannot express my frustration, having never heard of a band called "Live" (did I misunderstand her?) and the recording certainly *wasn't* live.

+Ten Years Later+ With today's Internet, it's easy to track down these things, but I wasn't so lucky in 1994. I still don't know how I found out who Live was, but I was fortunate to finally have this album placed into my hands.

+Throwing Copper+ is masterful, a thought-out, original, musically creative album that, in my opinion, hasn't been equaled until "Birds of Pray." Kowalczyk's lyrics are some of the best I've ever heard, and Live's music is shamelessly good. It took me a long time to get used to the "rock-frequency formula" -- Live's songs tend to start in a quiet trough, then reach a loud crest, fall quiet again, and finally become some super force of pure energy. "Iris" became an instant hit for me, and I've played this song thousands of times. "Pillar of Davidson" is underrated and is also one of my favorites.

+Also, something+ about the end of "White, Discussion" haunts me, as if I've heard it before...I guess I'll always wonder.

+To this day+ I have never had such a vivid recollection of a song on the radio, one that caught my attention, only to bring back floods of memories a decade later...I think that's a shame for the music world. But Live definitely struck a chord with me and I'm thankful I was even listening to the radio that morning.

THROWING COPPER deserves the recognition it continues to receive without question. Live has not made another record with this much power, energy, or meaning, and it's likely they never will again. Even the lesser known tracks are memorable like the fast-paced "Top" and the two social commentaries "Waitress" and "Shit Towne," which contains humorously addictive lyrics. "Stage" is one of the fastest and most hard rocking songs Live has never done with its opening that simply explodes in your ears. Of course the hits like "Selling The Drama," "I Alone," and "All Over You" are great, but the best of these has to be their breakthrough, "Lightning Crashes." Many alternative-era bands since Live have gained success with ballads, but none of them sound like this song. Unlike other hit ballads, every part of it is important, not just the rousing and immortal chorus. Perhaps only "Smells Like Teen Spirit" ranks above "Lightning Crashes" as the most important rock song of the 90's, and no one should expect that Live could ever duplicate the greatness of this track, or this album. With its emotion, blazing guitars, and freshness that still remains today, THROWING COPPER has given Live deserved success regardless of what happens during the rest of their career.

Involved in a discussion as to what we considered to be the best album of the last decade of the last century of the last millenium, I was somewhat surprised to come to the conclusion that "Throwing Copper" was my personal favorite ("Ten" came in second, and, yes, I see the similarities between the two works). My students were surprised I even listen to anything that came out after the Beatles broke up.

On several tracks the thing that stands out the most for me is the drumming. I find that I like good drumming (e.g., John Bonham on "Dazed and Confused" from Led Zeppelin I and most of Dave Grohl's work with Nirvana).

What also strikes me is the musical range of the album, which can go from quiet ("lighting cashes") to fast ("stage") to epic ("pillars of davidson"). I also like the way they use space (e.g., the way that one chord holds in "I Alone" while the drumming and voice continue). I like what Chad Gracey does and I think it adds something to most of the tracks on this album.

The weakest part of the album is, of course, the lyrics. They aren't much and they get repeated a lot, but this is not a serious consideration because the voice here functions as a musical instrument. Kowalcyk's vocalizations are the instrument (similar to Cobain with Nirvana). The *harmonies* between the final chorus and the undertheme in "pillar of davidson" is the point, not the particular words. In a sense it is like opera, where people sing in Italian and all you get is a sense of emotional coloring. You don't want to be sitting there following alone with the lyrics/libretto.

The fact that Live might never top this effort is not unique. You can make the same case for Nirvana, Peral Jam, Hootie & The Blowfish, No Doubt, Hole, Jewel, Fiona Apple, and countless other singers and groups who have smash debuts and then fail to scale the heights a second time.

Now if somebody can just explain the cover painting in terms of the title...

Alternative Rock was pretty much the soundtrack of my youth, if you wanna act like I had one, which probably explains why it took so long for me to become really, seriously interested in music. Now, don't get me wrong, most of your mid-90's stuff wasn't really bad, but it tended to be pretty bland. There was some good stuff back then, however, and Live's 'Throwing Copper' is about as good as alt-rock comes.

Ed Kowalcyzk is perhaps the best singer of any of the various alternative bands that became really big, and this is largely what separates Live from the pack. His voice falls nicely into that range where he can manage strong melody and severe aggression, and his vocals are really extraordinarily passionate most of the time. The instruments are nowhere near as important as the vocals, for the most part, but they aren't as formless and primitive as were plenty of alt-rock bands, and they nicely mix both acoustic and hard rock stylings.

But, in the end, 'Throwing Copper' is just a great collection of very memorable, widely varied songs. 'The Dam at Otter Creek' is an unexpected opener, an exceedingly dark and angry song, with a great slow build. I dunno if this shoulda been the opening track, but it's a very good song no matter what. 'Selling the Drama' is a proto-typical alt-rock song, but it's about as good as they come, with just a great chorus. 'I Alone' was another big radio hit, and is the extreme extension of the traditional soft-loud dynamics of alt-rock. When that song gets going, it just explodes. 'Lightning Crashes' was wildly, ludicrously overplayed at the time, but I can recognize it as a truly great song again, now that I don't have to hear it every damn day. Another fine example of Live's perfect understanding of subtle dynamics. 'All Over You' is probably the catchiest, most energetic thing on the album. Brilliant chorus, great driving riff. 'T.B.D.' is not one of the very best tracks on the album, but it is interestingly different. A very, very slow and moody track with a great, hypnotic bassline. 'Pillar of Davidson' is an slight epic towards the end of the album, one of the more hopeful sounding songs. Though I haven't discussed all the tracks, there isn't a weak one here. It's not paced quite right, a little front heavy, and perhaps could stand to have maybe 2 tracks lopped off for momentum's sake, but there really isn't anything begging to be removed.

Anyway, this is a great album. Certainly one of the best alternative albums I've ever heard.

I'd still like to definitively know what the CD title means (I have an unconfirmed idea).

This album is great from start to finish, and gets a lot of cycles in my CD player. From the very opening track, Dam at Otter Creek, to the final track (which is not listed on the CD), Untitled, this disc is destined to be a classic. Some may say it's boring re-tread genre music, but then we're all entitled to our own opinions.

I don't give a - well, you know - about what tracks get a lot of airplay, mostly because I've never been one to listen to what's "hot" simply because of someone else's say-so. In saying that, here are the tracks that I care to say this about that:

White, Discussion; Iris; Drama; TBD; Pillar of Davidson.

The untitled track is somewhat corny, but fun to listen to; I usually skip over it unless I'm in the mood to hear Live sound like country bumpkins.

This CD is always good for shouting/singing along to whenever I'm in need of a good emotional release - try Iris, TBD, or I Alone - you'll see what I mean.

Peace Out.

What a great album. I've always been a fan of this band, not a huge fan, but a fan nonetheless. This is probably the best Live has put out in my opinion. From beginning to end pretty much every track is good. There are a few not so good ones but mostly the entire album is great. My favorite songs from the album are "I Alone", "Lightning Crashes", "White Discussion", and "Waitress". Here are my track ratings...

1. Dam at Otter Creek - 9/10
2. Selling the Drama - 9.5/10
3. I Alone - 10/10
4. Iris - 9.5/10
5. Lightning Crashes - 10/10
6. Top - 9.5/10
7. All Over You - 9/10
8. Shit Towne - 9/10
9. T.B.D. - 9.5/10
10. Stage - 8/10
11. Waitress - 10/10
12. Pillar of Davidson - 8.5/10
13. White, Discussion - 10/10
14. (Hidden Track) - 7/10

Overall: 91% A-

It's a solid album by a really good band. I have other cd's by them but this one is probably the best they've done. If you enjoy the radio singles a lot and other stuff Live has done you will probably end up liking the entire "Throwing Copper" album. It's an album that delivers.

First of all, a couple of comments to previous reviews...who cares about Nirvana? This is better than any Nirvana album. Also, I agree with a negative review..."Lightening Crashes" was & still is OVERPLAYED & overrated, mainly radio/mtv's fault. So on to the review... After hearing the new "Dolphin's Cry" single, I've re-fallen in love with this album, which I got in 1994, 1 of the rare albums that I got before radio/mtv killed the singles. I loved "Selling the Drama" when I first heard it on the radio, & cuz I loved their songs "Operation Spirit" & "Pain lies on the Riverside" in 1992 when I was in high school, I was hoping this album would satisfy me the way the singles did, & it did by far. I killed this album before radio even played the other singles, like "All over you", which I reallly like d before it got overkilled! My personal favorite on here is "Pillar of Davidson" (listening to it now), & who cares abot the length? 6 minutes for this awesome song doesn't even seem long enough! "Iris" is also a favorite, as is the untitled last track. If you're new to Live because of their new material, this is definitely a must, because it came out in the best year of rock in this decade ('94).

I tucked into this CD on the strength of the reviews here on Amazon. I'm trying to find new music after years of sticking in a narrow trough. This was a total coup, absolutely fulfilling. I play it sandwiched between REM, Something for Kate, and a couple of others - it shines like gold. Thanks you reviewers. Great stuff!