Who is your preferred singer for +Live+? Options

[throwing_cheetahs]

I chose Ed of course.

[FishOutaWater]

My preferred singer is Ed.

I loved The Gracious Few. I loved seeing Chris Shinn in concert with CCP, but I wasn't really a huge fan of The Turn. There was just something missing for me and I haven't really listened to it since it first came out. I am not a fan of Ed's solo work and I'm not a fan of Chris Shinn's solo work. But there is just something about the unique tone in Ed's voice that is so special, and I have always been a sucker for Ed's voice. And I don't think that he has gone downhill. I hate when he tries to change the songs and do vocal runs like a reality show contestant, but when he sticks to the plan and sings with passion, I am a fan.

As my first post here in many years, I would like to pick up where I left off, by saying that what I personally think made Live great was the collaboration of all four members of Live. Even accepting that Ed wrote the lyrics and the main framework of the music and brought them to the studio, Live would not have been Live without Gracey's distinctive and identifiable drums and the great contribution of Patrick's bass and Chad's perfectly-crafted and skillfully-placed guitar riffs and accents. The creative contributions of all 4 band members to what made Live great were interdependent with each other. When I listen to demos and the Churchbox sessions I can hear how the songs evolved and developed into a final piece that really moves you. And I believe that the evolution of those songs from Ed's singer songwriter framework to the studio recordings on the albums and amazing stage performances for two decades came from a creative process and contribution of all 4 members of the band. I don't think that Ed guided the hands of Chad, Chad and Patrick with each drum beat and pick of the guitar, and withoutALL of that, none of them would have been as successful as they were and none of us would probably be here talking about them.

It seems clear to me that after Ed took over creative control from beginning to end, Live produced a different product. Most people like the later catalog less than the first four albums and the decline of success is a quantitative measure of that. At the end, I was highly critical of Ed's lyrics and song writing when he became less metaphorical and poetic, and started relying more on explicit similes, more overtly Christian lyrics, more dependent on water symbolism and less philosophical. I longed for his writing to return to the genius of Mental Jewelry and Throwing Copper.

I am very optimistic that Ed, Chad, Chad and Patrick can work together the way they used to and crank up those creative juices again to create some new music that sounds better than anything they've produced together, individually or with others since 1999. There are plenty of examples out there right now of seasoned rockers still bringing it with great new music and I have no reason to believe that Live can't do that too. I believe (without knowing any facts) that we will hear new music and see some shows in the next 12 to 18 months, and I remain cautiously optimistic that we can hear some new Live music that pleases everyone, no matter if you are an Ed solo fan, a TGF fan, a Chris Shinn fan or whatever.

As for whether this is a money grab? I don't think so. These guys are artists. You can see that in all of their activities over the years. Chas Taylor and Ed have been the most visible, and you can see that they care about the music and they want to create and perform. And they are lifelong friends who have struggled together, risen to the peak of fame, and experienced a ride together that few can even imagine. They have a bond of friendship and shared experience. I don't find it hard to believe that they could have found common ground, forgiveness and reconciliation. Particularly when, if any of us have been listening to their music, transcending differences and finding peace has been what Live is all about.

I know I might get criticized for making a long post, but I want to say one last thing. Whether you like Chris Shinn in Live or not, I think Chris deserves some serious appreciation for handling himself with class, dignity and respect for Live. I am not aware of him ever saying anything that disrespected Ed or Live's past. he could have said and one a lot of things that fanned the flames of Ed verses no-Ed, and that was a difficult path to walk and those were huge shoes to fill. He performed the songs from the early catalog with reverence and passion. He was humble, energetic, and he himself seemed like a fan. I met him on many occasions and there could be a more gracious guy. If Live moves on with Ed, Chris was a spark that kept the Live flame alive. I don't think that anyone could have done it better.