LIVE vs. the perception of SFBM Options

[flaterik]

There is a lot of talk going on about pop or not pop, old vs. new LIVE, etc. I for one am a bit disappointed in the finished product of the SFBM album, but now I realize why. I had heard some early versions of some of the new songs (don't know where ) and saw the boyz play some of the new stuff in New Jersey last November and I was stoked. Then I got my hands on the disk and...well... it tasted like a British Ale...flat and warm! Now on the weekend I saw the Rockpalast broadcast and WHAMO!! It was clear. I always knew the new songs were good (ok, average by LIVE standards, but still light years ahead of standard radio trash ), but the production on the album and the overzealous "accoustic version" marketing just killed them. Made them flat. The songs have their moments but just don't go anywhere. When you see the new songs played in concert you will know what I mean. Totally different energy!!!!

Any thoughts!?

[FishOutaWater]

Please point me to these layers of creativity. I cannot find a single moment on the album. I do not see how knowledge of these 'wisdom teachings' would affect your perception of lyrics on this album. No matter what way you look at them, they're simple, cheesy, and actually quite embarrasing to listen to.

You reinforce my point with your very inability to see anything interesting in this album and the fact that you can't understand how an appreciation of the concepts of nonduality, the infinite love of "Big Mind", and the manner in which looking deeply at the world "like a Buddha sitting in a chair" and resting in the present moment, informed by the infinite consciousness, can possibly add to your appreciation of the album.

It's all about paradigms. If you approach this album from one paradigm you will get a totally differnt experience from the album than experiencing it from a different paradigm.

My point is that if you read some books by Ken Wilber, Jiddu Krishnamurti, the yoga sutras of Patanjali, Thich Nhat Hanh, the Dali Lhama, many other books on Dharma wisdom, read the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, experience Big Mind by Genpo Roshi and then listen to the album again, you might gain some insight into what some of these lyrics describe below the surface. If you haven't seen spiruality from the paradigm from which some of those Eastern spiritual tradtions come from, you might not get the same thing from the album.

There are an infinite number of paradigms, as many as life experiences can offer. Accounting for all of these paradigms is taking an "integral" approach. I am just suggesting that if you were to have a background and understanding in some of the spirituality that actually inspired some of these songs, they might mean something more to you.

I'm not trying to say that Ed is a guru or that this album should only be accessible to a spiritually enlightened being. I'm saying that it is common knowledge that Ed writes about this stuff. He has for years and he makes no secret about it. He has read and studied a lot and his lyrics are infused with an understanding and experience of deep spiritual principles and like good poetry, they convey a message on several levels about love, peace, happiness and the oneness of all things. There really aren't any other songwriters out there right now that do that. It's pretty amazing stuff.