Live "V" 2001**

I got this recently with a bunch of other cd's for 1 euro per piece. They were more than 30 of them, some only vaguely familiar and some that did get some exposure in their time, but were subsequently forgotten. I'm in the process of listening to them and will be presenting them here among other new purchases and random choices from my collection. There were a lot of Live cd's in that box, a statement of both their former popularity in The Netherlands and current unfashionable status. I remember liking their debut "Throwing Copper" back in the day but I haven't listened to it for what seems to be a decade. "V" is the second Live album in my collection and their 5th in chronological order. It's commendable for trying to distance itself from the "grunge" label by bringing together different elements: Beatle balladry, U2 epic rock, hard rock guitars, rap-metal fusion (RHCP, Faith No More) etc. One of my favourite details is the ever present but discreet oriental melodic lines. Opener and lead single "Simple Creed" is a strong track and features a guest rap by Tricky. "Deep Enough" is a radio friendly rocker, introduced with a solitary piano to make room for a melange of all the aforementioned elements: hard rock guitars, eastern melodies, nu-metal (system of the down-like), rap, the works... "Call Me a Fool" and "Nobody Knows" are a couple of Beatles influenced ballads. The latter, although a good song, suddenly had me wondering what John Lennon's ghost thinks of all his imitators. Does he smile pleased at the flattery or is he sharpening a stick for when he finally meets them? "Forever May Not Be Long Enough" is the 3rd single from the album, a hard rocker with Arabic flourishes and incidentally the theme song of the "mummy returns" movie. "Overcome", the second single, is a beautiful ballad with piano and strings that sounds like it escaped from REM's "automatic for the people". Due to the timing of its release and message it has become forever connected with the 9/11 attacks, something also stressed by the video clip. "People Like You" reminds me a bit of Guns 'n' Roses, "OK?" is funk metal, "Transmit Your Love" and "Hero of Love" are power ballads and the rest rather generic 90's grunge rock. My copy of the album closes with an (unannounced) alternative version of "Deep Enough". Overall, it's a listenable but undistinguished album. Play it if you nostalgic for the "good ole days" of grunge. It'll melt your nostalgia away...

**** for Simple Creed, Deep Enough (both versions)

*** for Like a Soldier, People Like You, Forever May Not Be Long Enough, Nobody Knows, Overcome

** for Intro, Transmit Your Love, Call Me a Fool, Flow, The Ride, OK?, Hero of Love