Throwing Copper Explained

Throwing Copper
Type:studio
Artist:Live
Cover:livecopper.jpg
Recorded:July–September 1993
Studio:Pachyderm (Cannon Falls, Minnesota)
Genre:
Label:Radioactive
Producer:
Prev Title:Mental Jewelry
Prev Year:1991
Next Title:Secret Samadhi
Next Year:1997

Throwing Copper is the third studio album by American alternative rock band Live, released on April 26, 1994, on former MCA Records subsidiary Radioactive Records.[3] It was produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads and was recorded at Pachyderm Recording Studio. Throwing Copper has generally been regarded as Live's best album, having sold over 8 million copies and certified 8× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Cover art

The cover art is a painting by Scottish artist Peter Howson titled Sisters of Mercy. On September 23, 2005, it was sold for $186,000 by Christie's in New York. The painting is oil on canvas and measures NaNcm (-2,147,483,648inches).[4]

25th anniversary reissue

In May 2019, the band announced a 25th-anniversary reissue of Throwing Copper, which was released on July 19.[5] The reissue contains three bonus tracks: "Hold Me Up", which was recorded during the original Throwing Copper sessions and later heard in the 2008 comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno but was not officially released;[6] "We Deal in Dreams", which had been released as a single off the band's 2004 compilation album ; and "Susquehanna", another previously unreleased track originally recorded in 1993, though it had been written during recording sessions for the band's first studio album, Mental Jewelry.

Critical reception

Throwing Copper has typically been regarded as Live's strongest album. A Rolling Stone review stated that the band "strive for an epic sound" and successfully execute on that goal; retrospective reviews have been similarly positive, with the Jakarta Post describing the album as "a solid beast from front to back" and uDiscoverMusic characterizing it as "challenging, yet commendably powerful".[7] [8] The instrumentation on the album has been generally praised: Rolling Stone considered the musicians to be "expert players [who] drop musical smart bombs with unerring precision", and the Jakarta Post referred to the music as "absolutely dynamic and catchy". Singer Ed Kowalczyk was applauded for his vocal performance as well, with a retrospective Stereogum review noting his ability to "raise his voice from a plaintive hush to a clenched roar".[9]

The lyrics of the album received more mixed reviews. The Jakarta Post felt that Throwing Copper "managed to push earnestness and wild esotericism as far as it could go without feeling resoundingly cheesy", but Gina Boldman of AllMusic was more negative, stating that the album's "melodrama [is] a bit much". Stereogum described Kowalczyk's lyrics as "mystic gibberish" that nevertheless featured "memorably inscrutable turns of phrase".

A 2024 review by Paolo Ragusa of Consequence of Sound credits this album with starting post-grunge and shifting rock music to a new direction after the death of Kurt Cobain by combining some harder rock influences with clearer vocals, softer guitar melodies, and the production of Jerry Harrison to make a distinct sound.[10]

Track listing

Notes

Personnel

Adapted credits from the liner notes of Throwing Copper.[11]

Live
Technical personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1994–97)! scope="col"
Peak
position
European Albums (European Top 100 Albums)[12] 26

Year-end charts

Chart (1995)! scope="col"
Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[13] 8
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[14] 40
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[15] 17
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[16] 21
European Albums (European Top 100 Albums)[17] 100
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[18] 68
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[19] 7
US Billboard 200[20] 8
Chart (1996)! scope="col"
Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[21] 8
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[22] 21
US Billboard 200[23] 95
Chart (1997)! scope="col"
Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[24] 55
Chart (2002)!scope="col"
Position
Canadian Alternative Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[25] 150

Singles

Sales chart performance for singles from Throwing Copper
SongPeak chart positions
US (Airplay)US (M.R.)AustraliaNedUKGer
"Selling the Drama"[27] [28] [29] 43149153089
"I Alone"[30] 386 —2048 —
"Lightning Crashes"[31] 12113 —33 —
"All Over You"334 — —48 —
"White, Discussion"7115 — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Thee. Marcel. August 1, 2019. After 25 years, Live's 'Throwing Copper' remains alternative rock gem. October 20, 2020. The Jakarta Post. October 23, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201023062213/https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2019/08/01/after-25-years-lives-throwing-copper-remains-alternative-rock-gem.html. live.
  2. Web site: Top 10 Post-Grunge Albums From the '90s That Actually Stood the Test of Time. Ultimate Guitar. 2023-12-25. 2023-12-26. Jorge. Martins. 2023-12-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20231226095431/https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/articles/features/top_10_post-grunge_albums_from_the_90s_that_actually_stood_the_test_of_time-160555.
  3. Web site: +Live+ Today Release The Super Deluxe 25th Anniversary Edition Of Their Landmark 8x Multi-Platinum Sophomore Album 'Throwing Copper' . . July 19, 2019 . June 1, 2020 . July 11, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230711020843/https://www.umgcatalog.com/live-today-release-super-deluxe-25th-anniversary-edition-their-landmark-8x-multi-platinum/ . live .
  4. http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/paintings/peter-howson-sisters-of-mercy-4560961-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=4560961&sid=1f18aa4b-313d-4b20-8ada-3e943f7aa7dc "Peter Howson (b. 1958) – Sisters of Mercy"
  5. Web site: Throwing Copper Super Deluxe 25th Anniversary Edition Box Set (2LP+2CD). Friends of Live. September 13, 2020. October 5, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201005234709/https://shop.freaks4live.com/products/super-deluxe-25th-anniversary-edition-2lp-2cd. live.
  6. Hear Live Rip Through Previously Unreleased Track 'Hold Me Up' . . May 30, 2019 . December 31, 2019 . Blistein . Jon.
  7. Web site: Thee . Marcel . After 25 years, Live's 'Throwing Copper' remains alternative rock gem . . 2019-08-01 . 2022-09-02 . October 23, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201023062213/https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2019/08/01/after-25-years-lives-throwing-copper-remains-alternative-rock-gem.html . live .
  8. Web site: Peacock . Tim . 'Throwing Copper': How Live Fashioned a Platinum-Grade Alt.Rock Classic . uDiscoverMusic . 2022-04-26 . 2022-09-02 . September 2, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220902215011/https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/live-throwing-copper-album/ . live .
  9. Web site: DeVille . Chris . Throwing Copper Turns 20 . . 2014-04-18 . 2022-09-02 . September 2, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220902212004/https://www.stereogum.com/1676412/throwing-copper-turns-20/reviews/the-anniversary/ . live .
  10. Web site: en-US . Following Kurt Cobain’s Death, Live’s Throwing Copper Birthed the Post-Grunge Movement . Features > Anniversaries > Dust 'Em Off . Paolo . Ragusa . 2024-05-22 . 2024-07-01.
  11. Throwing Copper. Live. 1994. Radioactive Records. liner notes. RARD-10997.
  12. Eurochart Top 100 Albums - August 5, 1995. Music & Media. 12. 31. 10. August 5, 1995. November 18, 2021.
  13. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1995. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 18, 2021. November 11, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201111173446/https://www.aria.com.au/charts/1995/albums-chart. live.
  14. Web site: Jahreshitparade Alben 1995. austriancharts.at. January 18, 2021. January 23, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210123062724/https://austriancharts.at/year.asp?cat=a&id=1995. live.
  15. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1995. Ultratop. January 18, 2021. February 2, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210202000251/https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1995&cat=a. live.
  16. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 1995. dutchcharts.nl. January 18, 2021. June 20, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190620005440/https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1995&cat=a. live.
  17. December 23, 1995 . Year End Sales Charts – European Top 100 Albums 1995 . . 14. November 18, 2021.
  18. Web site: Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts. de. GfK Entertainment. January 18, 2021. May 9, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150509161524/https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1995. live.
  19. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 1995. The Official NZ Music Charts. November 16, 2021. May 11, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150511194735/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=3884. live.
  20. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995. Billboard. January 18, 2021.
  21. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1996. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 18, 2021. March 13, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210313224405/https://www.aria.com.au/charts/1996/albums-chart. live.
  22. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 1996. The Official NZ Music Charts. November 16, 2021. May 11, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150511194745/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=3885. live.
  23. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996. Billboard. January 18, 2021.
  24. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1997. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 18, 2021. April 14, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160414071040/http://www.ariacharts.com.au/annual-charts/1997/albums-chart. live.
  25. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20040902000408/http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2002_alt2.html. September 2, 2004. Canada's Top 200 Alternative albums of 2002. Jam!. March 28, 2022.
  26. Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade > Top Pop Albums of the '90s . . 111 . 52 . December 25, 1999 . October 15, 2010 . Mayfield . Geoff.
  27. https://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/1d2ab/Live-Selling-The-Drama "Ultratop entry for Selling the Drama"
  28. http://www.allmusic.com/album/throwing-copper-r199090/charts-awards/billboard-single "Throwing Copper > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles"
  29. http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/LIVE/?type=single "Chartverfolgung / LIVE / Single "
  30. https://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/1d2a9/Live-I-Alone "Ultratop entry for I Alone"
  31. https://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/1d2af/Live-Lightning-Crashes "Ultratop entry for Lightning Crashes"

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