Monday, July 15, 2013

The angel closes her eyes...

Artist: Live
Album: Throwing Copper
Released: April 26, 1994

Before I actually talk about the album, one bit of frustration with this band: It is really hard to search for them online.  Obviously they named their band "Live" before the whole internet explosion, so this wasn't in their minds, but try going on YouTube or Google and searching for "Live Top" or "Live Stage" and you'll get tons of results that don't have anything to do with this album.  Frustrating indeed.

But anyway I have to say that this is a really enjoyable album.  It doesn't have many standout tracks, but it is consistently solid from start to finish.  It was released around the end of the grunge era and at the very beginning of the post-grunge era, and seems to be stuck somewhere in between.  It is even borderline heavy metal in a few spots.  But despite not being neatly classified, Throwing Copper still manages to capture the mood of rock music 20 years ago.

If you had a radio on back in early 1995, you may have heard "Lightning Crashes" quite a bit.  It quickly became a favorite of mine when I was 10 years old and remains so to this day. It was inspired by a high school friend of the band who was killed by a drunk driver and how her organs were later used to save others' lives; more generally, it's about the cycle of life and death.  It's such a heartfelt song, performed perfectly; one of my all-time favorites.

That being said, it is not really representative of the rest of the album.  Instead of being diverse from one song to the next, it rides in waves, more intense and polished rock in the middle with more light-hearted, raw emotion at the beginning and end.  "The Dam at Otter Creek" at the beginning sets the tone for the album well, slowly building up throughout to an intense ending.  I have to say, whenever I listen to this album, "Selling the Drama" always seems to get stuck in my head the most.  I can't put my finger on it, but it's one of the most enjoyable tracks.  "I Alone" still gets airtime today, but I don't like it as much.  It's decent, but a little repetitive not really their style.

My other favorite is "Pillar of Davidson".  Songs that are almost seven minutes long usually don't make it on the radio, but I still think this would have been a great radio hit.  I also think "Top" is an underrated track.  "Waitress" is kind of a fun song, while they tried, with surprising success, to incorporate a little country with "Horse" at the end.  I mentioned before that there aren't many standout tracks; indeed, "Iris", "Shit Towne", "T.B.D.", "Stage", and "White, Discussion" are all solid tracks that serve as more than just filler, even if there isn't a lot of diversity of sound.  I gotta say that, to me, "All Over You" stands out like a sore thumb.  You ever listen to a song that's only four minutes but just seems to drag on forever?  That's the case here; it's just too repetitive and not distinctive enough to be a really enjoyable track.

Throwing Copper is certainly Live's best known album, though they did stay together for over a decade afterwards and have some more moderately successful hits.  They temporarily disbanded a few years ago, and a nasty conflict between Ed Kowalczyk and the other band members led to his leaving the band and being replaced as singer.  Like many other successful '90s bands that are still hanging in there, they will always be associated most with what they did years earlier.

Track #, Name of Song, Duration, My Rating
1. The Dam at Otter Creek (4:43) - 9/10
2. Selling the Drama (3:26) - 10/10
3. I Alone (3:50) - 8/10
4. Iris (3:59) - 8/10
5. Lightning Crashes (5:25) - 10/10
6. Top (2:42) - 9/10
7. All Over You (3:59) - 7/10
8. Shit Towne (3:48) - 8/10
9. T.B.D. (4:28) - 8/10
10. Stage (3:08) - 8/10
11. Waitress (2:49) - 9/10
12. Pillar of Davidson (6:46) - 10/10
13. White, Discussion (6:08) - 8/10
14. Horse (4:16) - 9/10

Thursday, May 2, 2013

The picture kept will remind me...

Artist: Pearl Jam
Album: Vs.
Released: October 19, 1993

This is my second post about Pearl Jam; the first one, about Ten, was my very first post and I decided it was time to write about them again.  I previously discussed how Ten today remains a pioneer album for the grunge movement of the early '90s.  Two years later, Vs. was a highly anticipated album; indeed, it set a new record for most copies sold in the first week after release (a record that has since been broken).

Now, if you've followed Pearl Jam's entire career, you know that they were never really comfortable with such incredible success.  At this point, they were already taking measures to step back from the spotlight; for example, they didn't make music videos for any of the songs on this album.  But starting with their third album, Vitalogy, they experimented in other types of rock, and even recorded a couple of really bizarre songs (listen to "Bugs" or "Stupid Mop" if you get the chance and you'll get what I mean).

In fact, with Vs. there are some early signs of already drifting away from the predictable (and I do not mean this in a bad way) grunge rock of Ten.  The album starts off similar to Ten with "Go" and "Animal"; they aren't really what I would call standout tracks, but still are awesome songs.  The band then shows a softer side with "Daughter"; a song that many of the band's hardcore fans probably weren't expecting.  However, it's a great song and they totally nailed it.  They tried this again later with "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town", which is still a good song but I think they were trying just a little too hard on this one.

The middle of the album features some of the same social consciousness of Ten.  "Dissident" could easily fit into Ten; the main riff is great and it's a solid track, though not among what I would consider to be the band's very best.  The other three songs are less subtle in their social criticisms.  I'm thinking particularly of "Glorified G" and Eddie Vedder's mocking of a gun enthusiast friend ("Got a gun, fact I've got two/That's ok man cause I love God"; "Don't think, dumb is strength/Never shot at a living thing").  It's actually a very enjoyable song; I prefer it to "W.M.A.", which is alright but a little melodramatic, and "Blood", in which they tried to combine hard rock with a little psychedelic; the result isn't terrible, but not their best either.

The rest of the album isn't just filler; there's some great stuff.  "Rearviewmirror" has become one of my favorite Pearl Jam tracks; the same passion they bring to many other tracks, mixed with some new found optimism to make for a really enjoyable song.  "Rats" and "Leash" are two solid tracks that also follow the Ten formula pretty well.  I really like "Indifference"; possibly my all-time favorite closing track to an album.  It's mellow and contemplative, with a great mixture of riffs and vocals.

So, to come back to my early points, Vs. was a great follow up to Ten and pleased most Pearl Jam fans.  Yet there were some early signs of changing direction, and this became much more realized with Vitalogy a year later (but I'll get into that at a future date).  To conclude, Vs. was not the groundbreaking album that Ten was, and it might not have as many memorable tracks.  But this was still a masterful effort, and when putting everything into context it might be their most impressive album.

Track #, Name of Song, Duration, My Rating
1. Go (3:13) - 9/10
2. Animal (2:49) - 9/10
3. Daughter (3:55) - 10/10
4. Glorified G (3:27) - 9/10
5. Dissident (3:35) - 9/10
6. W.M.A. (5:59) - 8/10
7. Blood (2:50) - 7/10
8. Rearviewmirror (4:43) - 10/10
9. Rats (4:15) - 8/10
10. Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town (3:16) - 9/10
11. Leash (3:09) - 8/10
12. Indifference (5:08) - 10/10

By the way, if you get the deluxe edition (with Vitalogy plus another live album), make sure you listen to their acoustic version of Hold On; it's really good!

Friday, February 22, 2013

With the birds I'll share this lonely view...

Artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Album: Californication
Released: June 7, 1999

I tend to forget sometimes that Red Hot Chili Peppers have actually been around for quite a while.  The band formed about 30 years ago and has had steady success, lots of hits, and many fans; yet they have been just edgy and alternative enough that they haven't been fully embraced by the mainstream pop scene.  They haven't really had that one big hit that defines their career; I suppose "Under the Bridge" somewhat fits that description, though it's not usually mentioned among the biggest hits of the '90s.

The band has always been hit or miss with me; I can't say that I like everything I've heard from them.  They hit a lull in the mid '90s; honestly, I don't know what the heck they were trying to do with their cover of "Love Rollercoaster".  But they did come back pretty strong with Californication in 1999, producing a few memorable hits that still get radio time today.  In fact, this ended up being their biggest selling album, and they've put out a couple more successful albums since then.

This band is known for their punk/funk brand of rock, though with Californication they went a little more mellow and alternative.  In fact, this really sounds more like it came out in about 1995 than in 1999.  There is a mix of easy and upbeat on this album, sometimes even within one song.  "Scar Tissue" is one of the more laid back songs; it was a big hit and also one of my favorites.  I really like how they used this formula with a few other songs on the album.  "Emit Remmus" is another example of this.  It has more of a raw grunge sound, and I really like how it turned out; though not nearly as well known as "Scar Tissue", I would say that these are my two favorites.

The other two radio hits were "Other Side" and "Californication", which have the post-grunge sound of the mid '90s.  They're both good, but I prefer the former.  Though not included in the big hits, the band's earlier sound shows up quite a bit, including the first two songs.  "Around the World" has that mix of punk and alternative that I alluded to before, though I think they pulled it off well.  "Parallel Universe" has the upbeat pace, and they also did a good job with it.  This sound is revived towards the end with "Right on Time", which is catchy but not among my favorites.

For me, the album does tend to drop off after my favorites, especially towards the end, but this is at least made tolerable by the fact that there is some variety.  Their funk/psychedelic background shows up in songs like "Get on Top", "Easily", and "Savior", which are all decent but not standout tracks.  I have to say by the time we get to "Purple Stain", this gets a little old.  I think they once again did a good job with the mellower sounds on "This Velvet Glove".  I think the much slower "Porcelain" is a good break in the middle of the album.  As many other rock bands, they tried their hand at acoustic with "Road Trippin'".  I can't say that I was impressed, but I've heard worse efforts in this regard.

Maybe you could say that Red Hot Chili Peppers had "arrived" when they appeared on The Simpsons back in 1993; Moe tried to get them to change their lyrics to be less offensive, and Barney chanted, "We want chilly willy!"  But with Californication in 1999, the band redefined their career and set course for a steady path of success for years afterward.  I'm never going to consider it among my all-time favorite albums, but there are some great tracks on there that I always enjoy.

Track #, Name of Song, Duration, My Rating
1. Around the World (3:58) - 9/10
2. Parallel Universe (4:29) - 9/10
3. Scar Tissue (3:35) - 10/10
4. Otherside (4:15) - 10/10
5. Get On Top (3:18) - 8/10
6. Californication (5:29) - 9/10
7. Easily (3:51) - 8/10
8. Porcelain (2:43) - 8/10
9. Emit Remmus (4:00) - 10/10
10. I Like Dirt (2:37) - 8/10
11. This Velvet Glove (3:45) - 9/10
12. Savior (4:52) - 8/10
13. Purple Stain (4:13) - 7/10
14. Right on Time (1:52) - 8/10
15. Road Trippin' (3:24) - 7/10

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Slowly walking down the hall...

Artist: Oasis
Album: What's the Story (Morning Glory)?
Released: October 2, 1995

When I was in college several years ago, and Coldplay was really popular, I heard someone say that Oasis was "the Coldplay of their time".  To me that makes sense in the fact that they are both mainly mellow groups that have many listeners but don't quite get the media hype of other artists or bands.  Oasis is still well known among those who listened to the radio in the '90s or otherwise know a lot about music from that era, but even among some of them, the band is an afterthought today.  It will be interesting to see if Coldplay is in that same situation in 5-10 years.

Anyway, What's the Story (Morning Glory)? was their breakthrough album and by far their most well known album to this day, at least in the US.  Definitely Maybe was released a year earlier and was a big success in the UK, setting up a breakthrough onto the worldwide, mainstream stage with What's the Story.  Even though many critics familiar with Definitely Maybe didn't think that What's the Story was as strong of an album, it still was wildly successful and greatly expanded interest not only in the band itself, but in British Indie rock in general.  Indeed, I first learned about Oasis when I heard "Wonderwall" on the radio a lot in fifth grade.  I've heard quite a few people claim them to be a '90s version of the Beatles, and I guess I can see that.  Some of their songs even have a quasi-psychedelic quality while retaining a '90s grunge/post grunge sound.

Now, taking away as much of the context as I can, I am a big Oasis fan and enjoy many of their songs.  But if you know me, particularly anything about my taste in music, you know that I get irritated very easily when a song (or album) gets overplayed and overhyped.  But also as a child of the 1990s, I can't help but say that "Wonderwall" and "Champagne Supernova" are two awesome songs!  These are probably their two most popular and well known tracks today, though they had many other hit singles that aren't as well known.  The vocals are definitely what make "Wonderwall" a great song.  The guitars are what make "Champagne Supernova" so great, and being over seven minutes long, it's easy to get lost in that song without it seeming too drawn out.  Indeed, whenever I hear it, it seems like about 4-5 minutes.

There really is not a weak track on this album, though I still have my favorites.  I really like the optimism of "Some Might Say"; it's also really catchy and has some cool lyrics.  Most of the other songs are still good, though at times it feels like there isn't enough variety of sound.  That's why I didn't give "Hello" a 10/10 rating; same for "Morning Glory", which is a really cool song but has moved down my list slightly as time goes on.  Besides being a big hit, "Wonderwall" provides a more laid back sound compared with several of the other more intense tracks.  For that same reason, "Cast No Shadow" has grown on me more over time.  "Don't Look Back in Anger" and "She's Electric" are interesting because they have a retro feel, though I don't think the band is at their strongest with this formula, at least not on this album.  "Roll with It" and "Hey Now!" are pretty similar to "Hello" and "Some Might Say", respectively, and while they're decent songs, they don't stand out as much.

The next album from Oasis, Be Here Now, produced a few hits, but as is often the case with big breakthrough albums, they never replicated the success of What's the Story.  Some infighting within the band certainly didn't help, though they have continued to put out albums since then.  In any case, What's the Story (Morning Glory)? has to be considered a classic of the 1990's.  The big hits alone make it memorable, but the rest of the album, though there isn't much variety, is still a great listen.  If you're a '90s music person, chances are you're already familiar with this album, so I would recommend trying out some of their other stuff as well.  I'm sure I'll be reviewing their other albums at a later date.

Track #, Name of Song, Duration, My Rating
1. Hello (3:22) - 9/10
2. Roll with It (3:59) - 8/10
3. Wonderwall (4:18) - 10/10
4. Don't Look Back in Anger (4:47) - 8/10
5. Hey Now! (5:41) - 8/10
6. (Untitled Track) (0:44)
7. Some Might Say (5:28) - 10/10
8. Cast No Shadow (4:51) - 9/10
9. She's Electric (3:40) - 8/10
10. Morning Glory (5:03) - 9/10
11. (Untitled Track) (0:39)
12. Champagne Supernova (7:27) - 10/10

(Note: The two untitled tracks are short reprisals of other tracks, and I decided not to rate them.)