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More Music than you'll hear on MTVBy Margaret Rimsky In the music industry these days, saying the word "alternative" packs about as much punch as saying "liberal" during a political discussion. Both words seem to have lost their original meaning, and what was once radical tends more and more toward the mindlessly mainstream. Your best bet on the road to college cool is to avoid both stigmas like the plague. But if you're truly cool, you'll recognize that there's a reason for alternative's paradoxical migration over to Top 40--the genre, cliché though it may be, has yielded some pretty darn good tunes, even if they are radio-friendly.120 Minutes Live, the first compilation album produced by MTV's decade-old alternative show, is remarkably representative of the triumphs and foibles of modern rock. Unlike the early stages of alternative music, the songs from the early years of 120 Minutes are comfortingly accessible and familiar. P.J. Harvey is one of the album's highlights, indulging us with a characteristically steamy live version of "C'mon Billy." The potency and soulfulness of the song grab hold and won't let go, casting a Dionysian spell over the listener. The album caters to our Dionysian needs in more ways than one, serving up modern rock addictions in Morphine's "Honey White" and Porno for Pyros' "Kimberley Austin." Like the rest of the album, these live versions are excessively similar to the studio-recorded versions. But hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The Sex Pistols track, taken from their 1996 Filthy Lucre tour, seems to embrace a similar philosophy. Steve Jones's guitar on "Pretty Vacant" is as good as ever, even if Lydon, whose recent work has centered more around rap and electronica, sounds less punk than he should. Nonetheless, the band's timeless style shines through, and "Pretty Vacant," even if it's live, is still good stuff. In the same punk vein, Bad Religion offers us a characteristically tight "American Jesus" that would compel the stiffest of Yalies to get up and jump around against his will. The repetition of "One nation under God" gets tiresome, but we have to allow a little leeway to one of the greatest modern punk bands. At other times, 120 Minutes has a tendency to sound like a Summer of '93 mix, steering into the cute and nostalgic. The Violent Femmes chime in with their popular "Kiss Off," while They Might Be Giants offer us a playful-bordering-on-impotent "Particle Man." Both invite the listener on a foolish little stroll down memory lane which is not entirely welcome. The disc has its super-cool moments, but it also falls a little too deep into the radio-friendly trap. Weezer's performance of "Undone (The Sweater Song)" is predictably irritating, and, as usual, Evan Dando puts one too many packets of Sweet-n-Low in his "It's About Time." Despite its predictability and mild betrayal of alternative rock's rebellious roots, 120 Minutes Live is, with a few exceptions, a classic, reliable, quality sampling of '90s mainstream alternative. It is a comprehensive soundtrack to the past half decade in rock--a great album to own if you can admit to yourself that you miss the days of humming along to "Undone" in spite of yourself. (Atlantic/MTV)
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