"SELLING THE DRAMA" LIVE (1994)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 7: York, PA

When I went off to college, grunge exploded. Everyone and their non-fanatic roommates were listening to Nirvana and Pearl Jam. But the true music fans, we’re devouring Smashing Pumpkins, Jane’s Addiction and Live. Throwing Copper is the album that I remember my college years by. Not Ten. Not Nevermind. It was still rock ‘n roll to me, but it was relatable. And the song that reeled me into the full album was “Selling the Drama”.

The thing that Live mastered as well as anyone at the time was the quiet-loud-quiet dynamic. Several of their songs on Throwing Copper have it as their blueprint, including “Iris”, “All Over You” and “I Alone”. But “Selling the Drama” stood out with its R.E.M.-esque mid-tempo melody before exploding into the chorus. The highlight, for me, was a self-fulfilling prophesy. Being able to see Live play “Selling the Drama” live. They were damn good in the live setting, and you better be with that band name.

“AND TO CHRIST A CROSS. AND TO ME A CHAIR. I WILL SIT AND EARN THE RANSOM FROM UP HERE.”

"WHITE, DISCUSSION" LIVE (1994)

I started Mental Jukebox nearly three years ago at the beginning of the pandemic. During this time, I’ve discovered new music, rediscovered old favorites and I’ve met passionate music fans around the world. And when things opened up, I kept on blogging. This month, the jukebox goes deeper. The term “deep cut” has multiple meanings. It can refer to lesser known album tracks from well-known artists. It can also refer to tracks from lesser known artists. This month, I’ll be featuring both types. #DeepCutsFeb

There might not be a more important album from 1994 for me than Throwing Copper. It was a saving grace in many ways. The recognition that rock could survive – and even thrive – past this grunge era. Leave the plaid shirts and thrashing guitar feedback at home, but bring the bangers out in full force. It’s like Live took the Pixies blueprint of quiet-loud-quiet dynamics, skipped over the grunge sound, and landed somewhere different. I played the album to death from beginning to end. It’s deep, for sure. Just have a listen to this under-the-radar track, “White, Discussion”.

It seems ironic that a band that intentionally veered the grunge template has a song whose structure is reminiscent of Pearl Jam. But that’s the way Live goes. Those minor chords cascade down as Kowalczyk’s vocals evoke a Vedder-esque rant. The quiet parts erupt like molten lava into the loud parts. Or maybe more like an exorcism of the establishment. So many bands have tried to do that in an authentic way. Live actually pulled it off.

"LIGHTNING CRASHES" LIVE (1994)

One of the most powerful things about music is that it is the soundtrack of our lives. Fellow music fanatic Sharon Hepworth started a music challenge on Twitter for the month of July. Each day, fans around the world will select a song from their life and describe what it means to us. These are my songs. #SoundtrackToYourLife

Day 16

My college years were the era in my life when my passion for music exploded. Going to school in Boston, I was lucky to catch so many great bands coming through the New England corridor. I was also writing album reviews every week for the school newspaper, combining my love for music and writing. And I was surrounded by people with all kinds of musical interests. I absorbed the music in all kinds of environments: bars, stadiums, theaters, mosh pits, and raves. Throwing Copper is one of my favorite albums from this special season in my life. I caught them at Brandeis University’s Gosman Center. The Oklahoma City bombing occurred earlier that month – and the band dedicated their power ballad “Lightning Crashes” to the victims and the city.

“Lightning Crashes” is a bit of a musical anomaly compared to the rest of Throwing Copper. Throughout the album, Ed Kowalczyk’s vocals and the music give us heavy doses of quiet-loud-quiet dynamics. The shifts are sudden and explosive. But with “Lightning Crashes”, the track is one steady crescendo. The tension doesn’t catch you by surprise. Instead, it lures you along past the second verse and chorus only to finally unleash itself in the bridge, like a grunge-era “Stairway to Heaven”. The song brings me back in time when it seemed Live was on top of the music world.

“Pale blue colored iris, presents the circle, and puts the glory out to hide.”

"ALL OVER YOU" LIVE (1994)

Each day in November, I’m revisiting a song from the 90’s — a decade that was a sorta coming of age for me. In that span, I experienced high school, college and my time as a young single guy in New York City. It was a decade of ups and downs, and the music never stopped playing during that span. It was always there with me. #30DaysOf90sSongs

Based on their body of work, the Pixies and Nirvana are true masters of quiet-loud-quiet dynamics. But I would argue that Live belongs right up there in the discussion of bands who did it best. Practically the entire Throwing Copper album was a quiet-loud-quiet clinic. It was not only a great recording, it was also a great tour, as the band truly thrived in the live setting. When I saw them on the Throwing Copper tour, I was enthralled by these slow hushes that erupted into these fits. One of the songs that pulled it off most naturally was “All Over You”.

This song would practically lull you in the verses with those soft guitar arpeggios and high hat hits. But before you knew it, it flew into high gear in the chorus. Chad Taylor turned a simple chord progression into an ass-kicking guitar riff. Ed Kowalczyk sang like a Michael Stipe with some serious anger management issues. “All Over You” just had this intensity to it, making those quiet, brief lulls a seemingly necessary respite before going back into the chorus and getting our minds blown once again.

“Our love is like water.”

"SELLING THE DRAMA" LIVE (1994)

For the second half of September, I’m putting my Mental Jukebox into a time machine, featuring the best songs on the best albums from the very best years of music. #70sThrough90sBestAlbum

When I went off to college, grunge exploded. Everyone and their non-fanatic roommates were listening to Nirvana and Pearl Jam. But the true music fans, we’re devouring Smashing Pumpkins, Jane’s Addiction and Live. Throwing Copper is the album that I remember my college years by. Not Ten. Not Nevermind. It was still rock ‘n roll to me, but it was relatable. And the song that reeled me into the full album was “Selling the Drama”.

The thing that Live mastered as well as anyone at the time was the quiet-loud-quiet dynamic. Several of their songs on Throwing Copper have it as their blueprint, including “Iris”, “All Over You” and “I Alone”. But “Selling the Drama” stood out with its R.E.M.-esque mid-tempo melody before exploding into the chorus. The highlight, for me, was a self-fulfilling prophesy. Being able to see Live play “Selling the Drama” live. They were damn good in the live setting, and you better be with that band name.

“And to Christ a cross. And to me a chair. I will sit and earn the ransom from up here.”

"IRIS" LIVE (1994)

I saw these guys back in 1994 at Brandeis University’s Gosman Center. They were touring to promote Throwing Copper, which later became a multi-platinum selling album. “Lightning Crashes”, “Selling the Drama” and “I Alone” all made a splash on college rock stations. But “Iris” was the song that batted clean-up on Throwing Copper. It brought the power, perfecting the pregnant pause and erupting out of it with brute force. It was easy for me to like “Iris” from the first listen. Once I got to the :19 mark, I was all in.

“The felix of your truth will always break it. And the iris of your eye will always shake it.”