Album Analysis, Throwing Copper Options

[Hoodstock]

Since Live is wrapping up and the board members are attacking each other, I thought it would be a good idea to provide a place to discuss Live's work. And a good place to start with their work is Throwing Copper.

The Idea - Analyze the album (in this case Throwing Copper) song by song, stating whatever you want or whatever comes to mind about each song. Go into as much or as little detail as you want and then summarize your overall thoughts on the album at the end. Just speak your mind openly. If there is a lot of feedback, we can do it again with another album at a later time.

You can copy and paste the following to make it easy if you want:

1. The Dam At Otter Creek

2. Selling The Drama

3. I Alone

4. Iris

5. Lightning Crashes

6. Top

7. All Over You

8. Shit Towne

9. T.B.D.

10. Stage

11. Waitress

12. Pillar of Davidson

13. White, Discussion

14. Hidden Track (Horse)

Overall Summary:

[K. Schrader]

nice topic, i think how about we do this for more Live albums?


1. The Dam At Otter Creek- eerie, ominous and powerful; this song always grabs my attention immediately and in my opinion is a great set-up for STD, as it drops you off from such a powerful end to a calmer beginning.

2. Selling The Drama- As with most, this was my first Live song. Never get sick of it, and loved it even more to see it performed live. Damn, the lyrics to this song are on my wall.

3. I Alone- I used to play this song all the time, loved it... but now it suffers from 'Lightning Crashes' syndrome, i suppose. I still love it, though i'll pick other songs over this one in my random listening. I think it should be dropped from the current setlist.

4. Iris- in my ears, perfect. This song just has such a wonderful energy to it that is absent in almost every other Live song; its completely unique. Dark, angry, nearly violent. Drums and bass are simple yet powerful, is this a Live trademark? and that guitar, sounds wonderful yet that pounding riff is only one chord... haha, love it

5. Lightning Crashes- we all know the story with LC; wonderful, though only on occasion. Overplayed in the extreme.

6. Top- One of my favourite Live songs, no doubt. Very short, but it gets the message across not only quickly, but efficiently. One of Live's best lyrics, well balanced instrumentation, and wow does anyone remember when they used to play this song live how Ed would shout, 'no, sir!' right after the first chorus? i wish he would've put that extra anger in for the album, but hey it still sounds wonderful. The final lyric, 'we need love, not leaders', is perhaps an all encompassing lyric for many of Live's earlier albums.

7. All Over You- What can i say that hasn't already been said before? Wonderful song, maybe a little overplayed, but i still love it every time i hear it. That chord progression in the intro is awesome fun to play as well.

8. Shit Towne- Now this is rockin'. The only song of Live's with Ed doing a solo, nothing flash at all but hey its a nice little tidbit, also if i read correctly in an old interview it was done within one take. The 'do me wrong' section of this song, finally leading back into the chorus, is probably Live at their most rock-orientated.

9. T.B.D- Awesome. That is all, awesome.

10. Stage- Perfect placement right after T.B.D in my view; the solo is again a great example of Chad T's simple guitar work, yet it sounds wonderful. Absolutely love the energy in this song.

11. Waitress- Again, one of my favourite Live songs. Wonderful message, and a great tune. And the whistling section? my favourite part of the song, and right after the grunge-esque mega distortion on the guitars? ahh... *plays it*

12. Pillar of Davidson- Yet again, one of my favourite Live songs. Not much will be said about this song, as i cannot really put it into words, but its awfully haunting, melancholic, however seemingly lifting in the final chorus with the backing vocal. Classic.

13. White, Discussion- F*cking awesome. Let's leave it at that.

14. Hidden Track (Horse)- This is the best song to end a Live album besides Gas Hed Goes West, in my opinion. The calm after the storm, for sure, and the carefree sound leaves you well relaxed by the time the cd has stopped spinning. And it's hidden? it comes right out of the blue, doesn't it? Or, right out of that mass echoing distortion from W,D. Whatever, great finish to a great album. If Live could write songs like this again, i'd be more than happy, though, i wish for them to improve on this. I believe that they have it in them, they all just need to get together like they did in the early days, share around the songwriting experience and give it their all; TC is to me a real classic, a near perfect Live album, yet i still have this feeling that they can top themselves, still.

This post has been edited by K. Schrader: Oct 18 2007, 3:25 pm