Candlebox - Alive In Seattle (2008)

"Alive In Seattle" album by Candlebox was released Sep 02, 2008 on the Image Entertainment label. Shortly after reforming in 2006, Candlebox returned to Seattle with all four original members in tow to play this memorable show at the storied Showbox Theater. Post-grunge mainstays Candlebox followed up their 2008 studio release "Into The Sun" with a live album, released the same year, which finds them back in their hometown. It is the music of our youth, the music that defeated hair metal and the era that brought us Candlebox. Everyone remembers their mega hit, "Far Behind", with that signature guitar intro and all the other memories of 1993 that come with it.  The set opens with raucous versions of “Arrow” and “Simple Lessons”, and the electric atmosphere is tangible. Even when the band slows it down a little with “Change”, the crowd overpowers the band during the chorus in which you can’t help but smile for Candlebox, knowing so many fans are still out there.  The band tears through a bunch of hits and lesser-known tracks over the next hour. “A Stone’s Throw Away” and “Understanding” sound great, but the band really shines on the melancholic “Blossom” (the crowd is great on this track, too). And they just destroy “Best Friend” already one of the group’s fastest, heaviest songs, bludgeoning the crowd with it (in a good way), with so much energy that Kevin Martin almost struggles to keep up with the vocals.  But it’s the hits that shine brightest here. The second the tell-tale opening riff of “You” hits, you can feel the energy shift in the room. The guitar work, which was always good on the studio version, is stellar toward the end of the song as everything starts to derail. Then, closing out the set, an intense rendition of “Far Behind” and a welcome surprise encore of “Cover Me”. The band sounds great, the set list has a nice mix from the band’s first three albums and the energy is phenomenal throughout. They always associated the band with that era of "modern rock". In listening to this disc, the band has a heavy, blues based sound that sort of reminds me of Mother Love Bone. Vocalist Kevin Martin has a big rock voice and the live mix on the disc sounds great. The energy of the crowd adds to the atmosphere of the show as Candlebox is playing some of their best loved songs to a hometown crowd. It's an appropriate homecoming since Candlebox has always stayed the sonic course that originated with native city pioneers Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam. While Candlebox's sound may have been more commercial than their first-wave brethren, this live set, which features a mix of old and new material, packs more grungy punch than their sometimes too-clean studio efforts.

 

01  "Arrow"  (Candlebox, Peter Klett)  - 3:40    

02  "Simple Lesson"  (Candlebox)  - 2:59    

03  "Change"  (Candlebox, Peter Klett)  - 6:24    

04  "Blossom"  (Candlebox)  - 4:21    

05  "Don't You"  (Candlebox)  - 3:12    

06  "No Sense"  (Candlebox)  - 6:02    

07  "Understanding"  (Candlebox)   - 4:25    

08  "You"  (Candlebox)  - 5:16    

09  "A Stone's Throw Away"  (Candlebox)  - 5:46    

10  "Sometimes"  (Candlebox)  - 4:46    

11  "10,000 Horses"  (Candlebox)  - 5:41    

12  "Best Friend"  (Candlebox)  - 3:13    

13  "Happy Pills"  (Candlebox)  - 3:10    

14  "Far Behind"  (Candlebox)  - 5:11    

15  "Cover Me"  (Candlebox, Peter Klett)  - 5:10    

Released:  September 2, 2008

Label:  Image Entertainment

Genre:  Post-Grunge, Alternative Rock

Length:  69:16

Producer:  Shalini Waran, Michael Sarna

Engineer:  Kelly Gray

Personnel

Kevin Martin - lead vocals, guitar

Peter Klett - lead guitar

Sean Hennesy - rhythm guitar

Adam Kury - bass

Scott Mercado - drums