I agree totally. A lot of the lyrics on SS were crap...stuff about smorgashbords, lets hang out in a church and go find lurch, skinning deer, bagels in my oven, sally jesse raphael, puke stinking like beer...not the finest lyrics I ever heard. Still love the album though.

I think alot of people on this board still haven't come to terms with the fact that the whole 'grunge" or "alternative" era (while I do hate these labels) is over. I can't think of any grunge bands from back in the days of TC and SS that are still around and still sound the same. I'm sure someone will come up with some, but I think of a lot that have totally changed and mellowed. Pearl Jam being a prime example.

You rock, my friend. You rock.

Y'all realize that those of us that hate the new stuff and love the old stuff love a totally different band than those of you that love the new stuff and think the old stuff is 'retarded'

I know that sounds realllllllly obvious as we say it, but lets face it, a lot of us aren't getting that.

To say the lyrics of SS are 'retarded' is to totally miss the point of that album and it's awesomeness. That cd is the greatest fucking thing ever made IMO. Nothing by any other band can ever come close to how i feel about it. And TDTH is a very close 2nd.

I will sure as hell take crazy amazing songs like Insomnia and the hole in the Universe over ANY song that actually contains the lines 'la da da da' and 'oooh baby'

Its all subjective. Some lyrics from Live's earlier CD's are downright assinine. On the other hand, some lyrics from the newer CD's are dopey as heck. However, other lyrics are totally amazing and I feel that is true from both era's of CD's.

I love all of Live's work. I feel I've grown with the band, and am open to whatever path they decide to travel next. I am totally enjoying the ride. BTW, I actually love the song "The Ride" from V, but I don't want to start a whole other argument.

I hate how he sings "in the east", and it sounds all eastern. stupid.

Well, I completely disagree with what you said.
Dolphins Cry a standout rocker? That song was designed to be a pop song to appeal to the mainstream crowd.
Live is a completely different band now and for you to say that TDTH is as pop as SFBM is ridiclulous.
Where Fishes Go a pop song? Are you serious.

Exactly, you back up the lyrics of SS because you think the album is so downright amazing. I don't disagree that the album was awesome, but I think you ripping the lyrics of SFBM does not make much sense while standing for the lyrics of SS. I think you simply like the music from SS, it captures a point in your life (as it does mine), and so you backup the lyrics with whatever Ed said. Now you don't like the music, so lyrics that you would have looked past or saw deeper into before, you choose not to, and rip them instead.

This post has been edited by LiveattheOasis: Apr 12 2006, 9:09 pm

Very well said

i dont think its the lyrics necessarily its just the tone of the album. It's not live. Personally i think mystery is a fantastic song (even though they messed up the recording with the strings. And how come at the end where they sing '.....see it for your self', Ed sings over it so you can barely hear it?? that really really irritates me because it is/was my favourite part from the concert recordings). In fact I like all the songs so the best way for me to put it is

I love Songs From Black Mountain

I hate that it's from Live

Dude, now he just says the same things over and over. Theres nothing original anymore. No I dont want him to sing about Bagels again but come on!

weird lyrics + awesome music = greatness

ok lyrics + really polished pretty little tunes = the same cd every other band can make

The originality is what is missing!!! The thing that made Live DIFFERENT is what is missing.

Jen,

Have you even heard the CD yet? Its like you made about your mind after only hearing the single. At least give it a chance.

This post has been edited by SJN1279: Apr 12 2006, 10:08 pm

What I heard of it - were perfect neat little songs that didn't even sound like Live to me.

But yeah, I despise 'The River'. Appoligies to anyone that likes it.

This post has been edited by Jennyfoo: Apr 12 2006, 10:15 pm

It's fine to be dissapointed with the album, outside of a couple of songs I don't like it much, but are you guys surprised? Live isn't making the same kind of music nor the same quality of music that they were 10 years ago...OH MY GOD! What a shocker!

They're all like what, 40 years old now? With families, kids (anybody besides Ed?)...of course they lost their edge.

Unlike in the 90's, Live isn't the number one thing going on in these guys lives. They all have a bunch of other bizznezz going on. And don't they all live at opposites ends of the U.S.? To expect them to all come together, collaberate, and dedicate huge amounts of time to an album right now isn't realistic.

That said, they're not selling out, they're not going to make music just for the sake of making music. We all know Ed believes in his work, and I'm sure the others do as well. What would be the point in just throwing an album together if they didn't believe in it? None of them are short on money.

To hold the above against them is just dumb...SFBM Live isn't the same band I know from the TC era. They're not making the same music now, but they're still the same band...still the same guys...stop the hatin' already.

So what if they made a bad album. At least they still rock out in concert, and still enjoy touring.

Live fans are lucky. I don't think this music would have seen the light of day without their history and fanbase after the lackluster performance of their last two releases (at least in the US). It just doesn't work that way. This new stuff is not really my cup of tea but to those who like it, they are lucky. Now, to say that you can't make inspired, real rock music when you are pushing 40 is not true. I know of a band that did just that. Unfortunately (like LIVE) they had two lackluster releases under their belt but they got dropped before releasing what would surely have been a major hit on multiple formats. Don't belive me. Check it out here So as I see it, good for LIVE and good for the fans who like the new stuff because the business is really tough.

It's fun reading how people tear this apart. I have a new found admiration for critics that actually put their opinions to print.

Anyway, as a life long LIVE fan I have to get it off my chest too. So many things have already been posted here, so I'll try not to repeat and just pick up on the good stuff:

1) Do any of the songs on SFBM make you stop and listen? NO! I still remember exactly where I was when I first heard Operation Spirit come over the airwaves. Not many bands can do that over and over again. LIVE did a few times for the first 10 years. But not since.

2) The discussions about "too pop or not too pop" are rediculous. The real problem I see is that the new label is getting in the way of the music to the same degree as the last label neglected the band. Anybody who has the early leaks of some of the songs would have to be def to not hear what has happened. They killed some really good songs by trying to make them too appealable to a broader audience, i.e. to fit into a mold, i.e. to get them on the radio and get more records sold!!! I for one believe that anybody who sets out to make music in that way is destined to fail. In the Dual Disk interviews they talk about how they tracked the whole thing in 3 weeks. YIKES!! And then it has taken them almost a year to release it? That says loads about the amount of post production that took place! What a shame.

3) I think somebody already mentioned it, but it has to be said again: this album is not a LIVE album. It is the Ed K. album with backing by the artists formerly known as live. I don't know how they wrote music earlier. I have always understood that Ed comes in with the lyric and the songs worked to some degree, but then they evolve into the album. But not this time. It's all ED! Why else is he travelling the world promoting it alone with his acoustic and not the rest of the band? And it is because of that that I think it also sounds so different to the past. Everybody talks about SS. Well they went off to Jamaica for 6 months and jammed and got friendly with the gardner back then ..the result was some really freaky stuff that rocked. SFBM does not have that quality and I believe never was intended too. Those are just different eras!! Then (young guys blown away by massive commercial success and pissin' in the wind of the mainstream - I really liked that quote!) and now (mature artists trying to make a living doing what they love).

4) A famous legendary artist once said: "You can make one crap album and get away with it. If you make two, you're out!" Well, in terms of commercial success, LIVE should now be "out" but they are NOT! Their longevity and following still means something, but they won't be on the cover of Rolling Stone ever again!

Summary? I think it is all about expectation management. I will listen to SFBM, but more often then not I will revert to other albums that I like better. It has it's moments, but it does not blow me away with amazing new sounds that convince of something greater.

I give it a 5 Dick!

PS Sorry about the length of the post but if you no likey, then just skippy

Your post may be long but I think you got some points there