the chorus sounds like Kelly Clarkson's Behind these Hazel Eyes. Pretty run of the mill tune. On the first listen it felt like i'd heard it before.

Pretty sure people said this about one of his other tunes from Alive - possibly the opening track? I can't remember it's name.

It did sound like I'd heard it before. I listened to it twice (sucker for punishment!) and to me it sounded like bits and pieces of songs off Alive.

i do like the guys voice. but something about it reminds me of something pink would sing.

I'm not sure about Pink, but possibly Scott Stap could take it for his solo or Creed album

Watch your words

Do you think he can really adapt the tune?

The Garden is a good song for Ed if you ask me.
It's a song we could expect from Ed.
I don't like all the Christian lyrics, but the sound is good.

Is that really the name of his new record, The Garden and the new single is Rise. So predictable and cookie cutter. Not interested!

Good to see nothings changed here the site is still plagued by the ed haters.
I like rise and garden - especially garden since he has tried a few unique things with it and his voice is so unique and different I could listen to it many times. Go ED!!!!

It's inconceivable to me that someone could be a fan of old Ed (when he was, you know, good), and also a fan of new Ed with absolutely no sadness in them for how far down the shitter his talent has gone. Maybe you can like his new stuff in and of itself, but surely you can't be happy that he went from penning MJ-TDTH to stuff like this?

Let me clarify, I don't hate Ed. I'm simply beyond disappointed with Ed and the music he now creates. He's gone from writing songs for TC, SS, and TDTH to writing stuff like The Garden.

And yes, I do like the voice, but at this point in his career I feel that he is not utilizing it on good material and it is simply going to waste (adding to the disappointment). A voice can only carry so much of a song.

This post has been edited by Hoodstock: Nov 1 2012, 5:34 am

I agree. Ed is my all time favourite vocalist. I used to think that i would enjoy him singing anything. But when the lyrics are made up of nauseating cliche upon cliche i draw a line. On the Garden I think his voice still sounds in great shape but i couldn't get through a second listen.

I love the old version of his voice. I have a couple of the recordings from those first acoustic ones he started to sell but I'm at the point where I skip over them when they start on my playlists. Never thought that day would come for me - that I don't even like the way he now sings the Live songs I loved to death. That nasal sound kills it and the bits sounding like a 13yo boy whose voice is cracking - shudder

Listened to both The Garden and Rise again. Neither as openly embarrassing as some of his other material, but it is really, REALLY formulaic/AI-esque. It blows my mind how someone could ever go from writing MJ-TDTH material to this... and be okay with it. Does he feel he's lost his talent? Is he aware his writing is leagues, leagues, LEAGUES below what it was? What does he think was the catalyst for his change in approach? If you tell me it's God I might have to blow up a church to make things even again.

It makes me sad that he seems so set on this kind of cookie cutter stuff. It's weird. It's not like he left Live to do singer-songwriter stuff really. He left to do American Idol cookie cutter pop rock. Why not just stop being a prick, stay with the band and fucking SLAY again with some real quality shit. Ed wrote and song on DON'T WAIT. You heard that shit!? FUCK. If he's happier making this kind of music then, hey, power to him. But really, what happen, man. What the fuck happened to Ed Kowalczyk?

Someone please explain to me how and why he went from fronting a world class rock band that spunked out masterpieces like White Discussion, Lakini's Juice, Don't Wait...... to cheeseballing solo over In Your Light etc.