1994 was a bit of a pivotal year in rock music. Grunge had gone as quickly as it appeared and by 94 it was all but a post (mortem) grunge environment, where it seemed only a few tastes of the grunge sound was going to survive. You did get your Jar of Flies by Alice In Chains, but they ventured too far down the depression line for most to follow. Post (or rather neo) punk emerged with Green Day and its copycats. The pop-trends of the eighties were dead and gone and mainstream turned towards hiphop and RnB. In this musical mess Live had a giant hit with their surprisingly solid and musical album Throwing Copper
I remember this album was everywhere in the stores back then, but I was personally going through a sort of confused and backtracking period. 94 eas the year that vinyl disappeared for real from the stores andI went digging vinyl crates for seventies rock instead, turning my back on the confused 90s.
It has only been a couple of decades later I have rediscovered what I missed, and there are lots of good stuff that passed under my radar in this forgotten decade. Live is certainly one of those I have warmed up to, as I have found they have a lot more to give than the obvious radio friendly hits.
The most notable aspect is the prominent similarity between the lead singer Kowalcyk voice and that of REM’s Michael Stipe. It is quite incredible at times. But Live has a degree of more rock and grungyness that REM ever had. But I fear that some of the albums success lies in this coincedence. What makes the album stand out to me are the non hit tracks, that, when you listen through a few times, have a lot of suttle litlle inspirations, that are downplayed to secure the grungy feel, bu gives the right diversity and playfulness that is needed to distance it from what could easily have become a parody of a wannaby wave rider on the deaththrows of grunge.
They do manage to reach a Hootie And The Blowfish style mainstreamy sound, but there is way more edge in Live and in the long run they will be remembered, while Hootie won’t.
The tempo changes are very welcome and the level differences in rockyness between the tracks is another plus. My favorite track is Iris, which is really melodic and good groovy rocking, with fine tempo shifts and very good percussion by Gracey. But it is a pretty well rounded effort, with only a couple og fillery tracks.