It's official: Live are breaking up!!, Hypothetical Discussion Options

[Wambangalang]

...is what you'd be reading if live decided to call it quits. I honestly think its around the corner. Ed talking down the importance of releasing full studio albums, the atrocious album sales, the general lack of interest even amoungst their own fan community. This is how bands fizzle out. Theyre not gonna make another throwing copper anytime soon. i think we all just face the music and start a money pool

im placing $10 on May 2008

[Wambangalang]

they need a complete transformation in terms of their public image. They need to re-invent themselves as musicians. like the artist formally known as prince, known now as prince, did.

[edstipe]

they need a complete transformation in terms of their public image. They need to re-invent themselves as musicians. like the artist formally known as prince, known now as prince, did.

You're on the right track here, but it's more than this. They need to regain their credibility as artists. That doesn't mean they need to "re-invent" themselves -- rather, it means that they need to win back the respectability that they have lost the last few years.

I see the progression of Live like this:

- DOAD/Mental Jewelry: The band is just discovering themselves. These albums are both "safe" and somewhat amateurish, but the guys are clearly passionate about their music and eager to make a mark on the world. They don't have the skills or experience yet to do anything revolutionary, but their music and passion gain them many fans and some double-takes within the industry.

- Throwing Copper: Their third album is a culmination of the artistic effort and dedication they built momentum with in making their first two records. This is where it all comes together -- creativity, passion, hooks, variety, and a collection of damn fine songs. The album makes the band a lot of money, wins them a lot of acclaim, and finally puts them on the rock and roll map. They are on top of the world.

- Secret Samadhi: The success of Throwing Copper has the band feeling comfortable exploring a darker, more abstract side; the result is an incredibly mysterious, deep record that is undoubtedly the most artistic collection of songs the band has ever put out. However, this also marks a turning point for the band, because although the record hits the top of the charts its first week out, it falls off quickly after that and comes nowhere near the sales of its predecessor. The band realizes that although this is their artistic peak, it's not what the public is going to shell out money for, and they never challenge themselves musically in the same way again.

- The Distance to Here: An attempt to return to the core sounds/style of Throwing Copper, likely in response to the lack of acclaim garnered by SS. Still, these songs are fresh, well-written, creative, and artistic; they reveal the maturity gained by the band over the years. At its core, TDTH is an overall better album than Throwing Copper; it takes a similar approach, but does so in a way that takes the songwriting to a new level, rather than simply regurgitating what has already been done. The result is what many would consider the band's masterpiece. Unfortunately, times and tastes of the public have changed considerably, and although The Dolphin's Cry is a hit, the album once again shows a decline in sales and critical interest.

At this point the band is faced with a critical decision: continue improving upon its core sound and pushing the limit of their abilities, or try something completely different in an attempt to find a new audience that will help put money in their pockets. Then comes:

- V: To me, V is an obvious attempt to make music not for creative/artistic purposes, but for the purpose of trying to appeal to the public's tastes. It's a weird attempt at a mix of club music, rap-rock, and hard rock, combined with only a few tracks (like Overcome) that are actually Live's style. I often wonder what the fuck the band was thinking when they allowed this garbage to be put out. Although they DID have the right perception of the style in terms of what the public taste was, the mistake they made was thinking that they could actually make good music in this style; as a result, the songs were mostly horrendous, the record sold horribly, and it's only mild hit was a consequence of timing (with the 9/11 attacks giving a small bit of attention to Overcome). This was a HUGE turning point -- and a huge step back for the band -- because it marked the first time the band made music that didn't seem to come from their soul.

- Birds of Pray: A second attempt to return to the sounds of Throwing Copper, probably with the realization that rediscovering their old niche is the only possible way for the band to sell a ton of records again. Unfortunately, unlike their previous attempt (TDTH), the passion is gone; the band sounds like it doesn't care enough, and the result is a transparent attempt to regurgitate old sounds without putting much artistic effort into the music. There ARE a few good tracks here, but the album is mostly filler material, and it's obvious that the band is not pushing themselves musically or artistically anymore.

- Songs From Black Mountain: At this point, it seems like the band has lost all of its inspiration and passion. After BoP, the band realizes that people generally don't care about their music anymore, so there's no point in trying to recapture the glory of the past. Instead, they once again try to find a niche in a category that is popular at the time -- adult contemporary pop. The result is a record that sounds like it's trying too hard to be like Matchbox 20; the style completely prohibits the guys from showcasing their talents, and as a consequence, the effort is half-assed and dull. It seems at this point that the band has resigned itself to the idea that they are not going to ever enjoy the success that they once had, and so they settle into mediocrity, content to sell enough records, and play enough shows, to make a decent living. This also comes through in their live shows, where they play uncreative, repetitive setlists and rarely push themselves as musicians in the way they once did.

The obvious question, then, is where does Live go from here? There are two possibilities:

a) Settle deeper into mediocrity, putting out an album every few years that lacks passion and effort; one that enough people will buy to make a profit, but that fails to make a blip on the radar of good music. This is the easiest, most comfortable choice -- especially since families and middle-age have hit the band -- because it doesn't require much risk or effort, and allows them to keep on making music indefinitely.

or

b) Get inspired and start making rock music that is inspired and passionate again. This is more difficult because it requires time, effort, and risk that can make or break the band; if they truly try to recapture their old passion, but fail, then they will have no other choice but to break up and move on to other things. However, if they succeed, the band's rebirth becomes possible, and it will be the first step to regaining credibility from the industry and their fans. One caveat of this choice: it requires a catalyst that will kick the band in the ass and make them realize that there is value in exploring artistry and creativity again, despite the lack of profit that will likely come with the effort.


I like to think I have faith that the band will choose option b at some point, simply because I KNOW that the guys are talented musicians who may still have passion and inspiration left in them. I have confidence that the guys can recover from the last three albums and put out a great record again, but I struggle to understand exactly what it is that is preventing them from doing so.

The good news is that it has been done before, by some of Live's contemporaries. U2, for example, made some terrible records after Achtung Baby (Pop and Zooropa), and lost a lot of credibility as a result, but have obviously come back strong and regained their footing in the music industry.

Similarly, Pearl Jam fell completely off the charts for many years, and recorded two of their worst albums (Riot Act and Binaural) before finding deep inspiration in the urgency of the post-9/11 world and creating a record (Self-Titled) that is beautifully artistic and garnered heaps of respectability by critics, fans, and others bands alike. Soon afterward Eddie Vedder penned one of the greatest movie soundtracks of our time, is nominated for a Grammy as a result, and Pearl Jam is once again highly respected as a whole.

So, the possibility is there. I'm curious to see what happens next.

[SJN1279]

Similarly, Pearl Jam fell completely off the charts for many years, and recorded two of their worst albums (Riot Act and Binaural) before finding deep inspiration in the urgency of the post-9/11 world and creating a record (Self-Titled) that is beautifully artistic and garnered heaps of respectability by critics, fans, and others bands alike. Soon afterward Eddie Vedder penned one of the greatest movie soundtracks of our time, is nominated for a Grammy as a result, and Pearl Jam is once again highly respected as a whole.

I think Pearl Jam's or Eddie Vedder's latest work is awful. At least Riot Act had an awesome single "I Am Mine." Nothing off of PJ's last album is listenable. That goes double for Eddie Vedder's pompous, ear-grating solo project.

As the Simpsons say, the grammy isn't even a real award!