Various Artists
Home Alive: The Art Of Self-Defense
»
Various Artists
Home Alive: The Art Of Self-Defense
Epic, 1996
RiYL: No Alternative, Music For Our Mother Ocean |
At worst, it downright sucks.
The collective was formed in the wake of the brutal rape and murder of Seattle rock artist Mia Zapata. It is dedicated to teaching women self-defense and helping them get "home alive"at night. When Zapata's former bandmates began assembling the album to benefit the group, some of Seattle's best, including the Big Three -- Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam -- jumped on the bandwagon to pay tribute to their late friend and peer.
Unfortunately they didn't jump on with very good songs. The surviving members of Nirvana turned in a horrid live version of "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" from the band's final tour. Soundgarden turns up with "Kyle Petty (Son of Richard)," a song already released as a B-side, that trudges along dreadfully slowly. Pearl Jam comes up short as well with a cover of the Holland-Dozier-Holland song, "Leaving Here." Guitarist Mike McCready is missing in action, and Eddie Vedder's soul-inflected singing is a bit hard to stomach.
A good portion of the double album is dedicated to alternative rockers giving spoken word performances. Two words: Who cares.
With all the big-name disappointments, a lot of the smaller bands on the compilation shine. Green Apple Quick Step turns in "Party Dream," a bouncy, acoustic number. And Zapata shows up posthumously on the Gits' "Guilt With Your Head" as well as her own "Social Love," illustrating the real tragedy of her loss.
The Presidents of the United States of America open the second disc with a splendid Mudhoney-esque song "Confusion.'' Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson's "Mommy Why" works as an atmospheric folk tune but sounds a lot like Temple of the Dog's "Personal Jesus.''
Still, a few songs don't make a double album and inevitably Home Alive doesn't amount to much. The few songs that do work would have been better served on a smaller album. If this is the best Seattle can do, then grunge truly is dead.
DAVID THOMAS |