Should Live Call It Quits?, Is it time? Options

[Hoodstock]

I am a huge Live fan. I have enjoyed every CD (except V, which I can't even listen to except for Simple Creed) but I'm finding that the band has lost originality. I tried making a CD of my favorite songs recently and had trouble placing songs in order since every song is about love or includes water in it in some way. I miss the fun songs like Waitress and Shit Towne, they are lacking from newer live CD's. Instead we get songs that include earth elements, are about love over and over again, and sorry attempts to protest the war in some way. I would appreciate a new live CD that did not include songs about love, and had nothing to do with water (streams, rivers, ect.) or the sun, and did not mention the war (those songs especially never even seem to be very good at all) (p.s. I am not stating this as any type of comment on the war). Unless Ed can come up with lyrics on original topics that are radio worthy in the U.S., or that make me want to turn up Live and rock my speakers again , maybe live should hang up their hat and do greatest hits tours ever so often.

The newer Live seems stale and old before I even replay the CD.

[fallen angel]

It's not fucking opinion. You keep missing the point. Yes, SOME people connect with, and find Lives recent offerings pleasant and enjoy it (though I still fail to see how- it's all so cheesy...)
Sure, Live may be expressing themselves and the music and lyrics may reflect their current state of mind. But the resulting sound is certainly nothing original. In my opinion, it's far harder to write music that leans towards 'happier' aspects of life, without coming off as cheesy or uninspired. That doesn't mean it can't be done, but you can hardly claim that SFBM achieves it.

Music has been about structure, and the right sounds 'etc etc etc' for MANY years. Surely that is the main point? Surely artists should go out of their way to try and achieve a perfectly written song every time they compose? Classical music was originally very structured, and whilst over many years instrumentation, timbre, dynamics, ornamentation, and structure changed, composers that are still widely recognized today knew the rules before breaking them. Though I certainly can't claim to know anything about the history of art, I'm fairly sure I remember reading that Picasso's earliest works did follow the conventions of the time. (I'm not entirely sure though). Since I know nothing about it, I don't really want to compare the two.

I don't know what your point was about rap music. It's hardly like Live have created a controversial fan-spiltter of an album due to being unique and original- quite the opposite. And clearly we have different definitions of an open mind. The fact that you were insulting 'opera' music which you don't appear to know anything about proves that.

i can see where your coming from but your missing my point. "perfectly written" to who? who gets to decide if its perfectly written? why does making music have to be about follow some rule? why cant they just say, 'fuck that' we'll make what we want and those who like it, listen to it, and those who dont, dont. and if they are still enjoying what they are doing they from there point of view their is no reason why they would quit or change. so you dont like the last few albums, thats fine, there were a couple of songs on their that even i didnt connect with. i feel home was cheesy. but other songs like river and wings i loved. that may be me being cheesy, but i dont really care, it makes me happy and thats all that matters. do you understand? and who said that in the beginning when they first started playing they didnt learn and follow music rules and now after over 15 yrs and 8 albums and a best of ( i include DOAD) they cant turn around and say, we can get inspiration from our own music ( where you think they are being repeatative) or get their inspiration more from where they are at personally, religiously, mentally rather than musically. what if they are just using music to tell a story or communicate rather than making music just for the sake of rocking on. they cant just make what everyone else wants them to for the sake of making good money, that would be what you call selling out. this is not a job for them, its a passion, their passion.

Havent they? maybe not controversial but it has started to split the fans, we are now either diciding to continue to buy new albums or not or we are sitting there trying to stick up for the band, fighting with each other. +LIVE+ fans can be damm bitchy!!! have you noticed? and it may not be completely unique for them but they are still one of a very few bands who are writing about religon, peace, love, light, high sense of oneself. to me they still have an edge on rock that not many go near.

im not saying you have to have the same thoughts as me or anyone else for that matter, thats the beauty of opinion. art/music/creativity is what ever you want it to be.

This post has been edited by fallen angel: Oct 25 2006, 11:41 pm