Throwing Copper (25th Anniversary Edition)

LIVEが1994年に発表したマルチ・プラチナム・アルバム『Throwing Copper』の、未発表ボーナス・トラック3曲を追加した25周年記念LPリイシュー!

LIVE:米ペンシルベニア州出身のEd Kowalczyk (vo, g)、Chad Taylor (g, back vo)、Patrick Dahlheimer (b) 、Chad Gracey (ds, perc.)の4人によるバンド。全世界で2,200万枚を超えるアルバム・セールスを誇り、1994年『Throwing Copper』、1997年『Secret Samadhi』の2作が全米アルバム・チャートNO.1。800万枚超のセールスとなった『Throwing Copper』からはシングル「Lightning Crashes」が全米Modern Rock Radioチャートで10週連続NO.1を記録。『Secret Samadhi』は初登場NO.1の快挙を達成。

「Hold Me Up」、「We Deal In Dreams」、「Susquehanna」の未発表3曲をボーナス・トラック収録。

Rolling Stone (8/11/94, p.70) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...this Pennsylvania quartet seems ready-made for alternative stardom....Live capture the anger and ache of the moment in riveting songs driven home by expert players..." Spin (2/96, p.45) - Voted Best Album in the Annual Readers Poll for 1995. Q (11/94, p.115) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...It regularly veers toward collective greatness..."

On Throwing Copper, Live tightened their sound, added crashing crescendos for dramatic effect, and injected some anger into their sound and songwriting. They also eased up a bit on the Eastern philosophy; the result is a more cohesive, memorable record overall, and quite an improvement from the sometimes overly precious Mental Jewelry. And for all of Mental Jewelry's ideologies, Throwing Copper is ultimately a more passionate and successful album, thanks to tracks like "I Alone," "Selling the Drama," and "All Over You," all of which received heavy radio play. The rebirth-themed "Lightning Crashes," the album's biggest hit, was written in memory of Barbara Lewis, a classmate who was killed by a drunk driver in 1993. Other standouts include the Kurt Cobain/Courtney Love-inspired "Stage," the apocalyptic "White, Discussion," the bass-driven, obsessive "Iris," and the dark "Dam at Otter Creek." Of course, Ed Kowalczyk couldn't resist throwing in a song like "T.B.D." (for the Tibetan Book of the Dead), based on Aldous Huxley's slow descent into death, aided by heroin. Its melodrama is a bit much, even for Live, and is just a sign of things to come on their next album, Secret Samadhi. But Throwing Copper is still a huge improvement from Mental Jewelry, and is the least overtly preachy Live album to date. ~ Gina Boldman