The Garden EP Options

[FishOutaWater]

I don't dislike the genre of music that The Garden fits into. I like Coldplay and U2 and whatnot.

And I do not think that I am being biased by the facts and circumstances surrounding Ed's relationship with Live.

And I think that I can honestly assess this new music on its own without doing a comparison to older Live material.

With all of that being said, I think this EP is really putrid garbage. It is so bad creatively - both the lyrics and the music. It wreaks of desperation. Like a desperate attempt to try and cash in and monetize any goodwill that Ed can mine from his Live heritage and a depsperate attempt to sell music and merchandise to make a living and support his family. It is bereft of creativity. LIsten to Coldplay or The Black Keys and then listen to The Garden. It is garbage in comparison. And then when you factor in the fact that Ed keeps beating a dead horse with the same hackneyed themes and cliches, it just seems more creatively empty. It's sad and funny.

[PurdueSteve]

Here's my take, not that I consider myself a great music critique or anything.

The "sound" of the EP is modern. I'll give Ed that. It sounds like something a kid or young adult would be into (within the pop genre of course). Ed's voice sounds good. I can't recall any extreme unnecessary falsetto.

It's the lyrics that are trash. It's the lyrics that are just plain corny. Even though not overly and blatantly religious (think church songs) I can't help but associate them to a tacky Sunday school song.

I'm not sure if I like it better than Alive. I think Ed's voice is better than on Alive but I think the lyrics are equally bad, if not worse. I find that I can tolerate the EP if it's on in the background and I'm not thinking about it while listening to it.

I'm not a follower of the Beatles or any of their member's individual work so I don't know the original "Mind Games", but I think Ed's version is ok. I found the hook of the song stuck in my head. The Remix blows.

The remixes in general all pretty much suck, especially the one where "Eddd Co-Wall_Chick" is announced like he's running out of the tunnel as a starter in an NBA game. I understand it was just something experimental and perhaps something fun for him. No harm no foul. I don't enjoy the dance/techno like remixes of Live songs that have been passed around as B-sides either.

I've learned not to compare Ed to his glory days with Live. That ed is gone and is dead. If I take Ed out of the Live MJ, TC, SS, TDTH equation and instead just try to compare him with today's music, he's not that bad. I think the problem for most of us is that we know what he once did, where he once stood and that comparison is somewhat inevitable.

If only he'd just write better lyrics. C'mon Ed!

[briburge]

its ok. i can listen to it. its not live of of yesteryear and doesn't feel as passionate as those first 4 albums. more of the same from ed. i like mind games.

[sellingthdrama]

I've learned not to compare Ed to his glory days with Live. That ed is gone and is dead. If I take Ed out of the Live MJ, TC, SS, TDTH equation and instead just try to compare him with today's music, he's not that bad. I think the problem for most of us is that we know what he once did, where he once stood and that comparison is somewhat inevitable.

Wow. You know what? I never really accepted that old Ed is "gone and dead". My hang-up was that I keep wanting him to be old Ed, and I take it out on his new music. You're right that compared to today's pop, it stands up (minus cheesy lyrics), and I can actually start to like it for what it is instead of hate it for what it's not. Thank you for that.

Part of me never wanted to accept that old Live was dead, and that came out as animosity towards new Ed. Old Live lives on within us, and I can argue that within us is the only place it ever lived. Lesson learned. (I still can't excuse $50 lyric sheets, though).

It's obvious now that ten years ago, you had one guy and three guys that needed to go in different directions. Looks like they handled it poorly, but finally got the job done and went their separate ways. To each his own, we all make mistakes. I'm glad both camps are where they want to be.

[Sonic Tonic]

Wow. You know what? I never really accepted that old Ed is "gone and dead". My hang-up was that I keep wanting him to be old Ed, and I take it out on his new music. You're right that compared to today's pop, it stands up (minus cheesy lyrics), and I can actually start to like it for what it is instead of hate it for what it's not. Thank you for that.

And that is all that it should become to people at this point. I look at the music itself. As always I check out anything he releases and so far it is a pile of steaming shit to me. Thus I move along till next time, roll of toilet paper in hand.

This post has been edited by Sonic Tonic: Nov 21 2012, 11:16 am

[SJN1279]

he'll make sure it fits into his Ed=MC2 equation

I can't wait until new LIVE comes out. While I'm sure some fans will love it, other fans are going to hate it, and I know it is going to drive you to the brink of insanity.

[Aitkens]

I can't wait until new LIVE comes out. While I'm sure some fans will love it, other fans are going to hate it, and I know it is going to drive you to the brink of insanity.

You won't listen to it anyway, as you have already "counted yourself out".

[+Ed+]

Part of me never wanted to accept that old Live was dead, and that came out as animosity towards new Ed. Old Live lives on within us, and I can argue that within us is the only place it ever lived.

Brilliantly stated!

I can't wait until new LIVE comes out. While I'm sure some fans will love it, other fans are going to hate it, and I know it is going to drive you to the brink of insanity.

Will you answer my question, Nick?

[FishOutaWater]

I can't wait until new LIVE comes out. While I'm sure some fans will love it, other fans are going to hate it, and I know it is going to drive you to the brink of insanity.

I will be happy to have that debate. I look forward to it. I have a feeling that if I compare Live's upcoming album to BoP, SFBM, Alive or The Garden it will be easy to contrast the musicianship, creativity, lyrics, soul, energy, relevance, uniqueness, originality, etc. I could already do that with the TGF album. It won't drive me insane to see you criticize it any more than it drives me insane to hear anyone else with no credibility or knowledge about a subject who is so demonstrably biased toward, and "in the pocket" of, one side of an argument spout nonsense. Things that do make me insane is when people like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh spout nonsense, because I know that millions of blind followers listen to and believe what they say and it has actual influence. But I don't think that you opinion of Live's new album is going to do that.

[SJN1279]

It won't drive me insane to see you criticize it any more than it drives me insane to hear anyone else with no credibility or knowledge about a subject who is so demonstrably biased toward, and "in the pocket" of, one side of an argument spout nonsense.

Ok Mr. LIVE Fan Journal....

[FishOutaWater]

Ok Mr. LIVE Fan Journal....

I don't get it. Is that supposed to be some sort of shot at me?

I think what you are saying is that I am biased and in the pocket of the band.

I have openly criticized Live's website. I have said that I don't really care for Chirs Shinn's solo album. I have complained vigorously about the lack of progress and how much time things were taking and their lack of marketing efforts. I have even stated that I don't thik that Kevin's vocals were the very best choice for TGF and that he tried to cram too many lyrics into the TGF songs (although I have grown to like both much more). I have said that I like SFBM. I don't have any contact with the band and I am not in their pocket. I try to write an objective, informative blog, expressing my personal views, as a fan of the band Live.

You on the other hand have never said a single critical thing about Ed in years. You Admin his Facebook and Twitter account and you promote his gigs and album releases on here like a volunteer concert promoter. You have said that you don't even recognize the current line-up of Live and you can be counted out. You are an Ed fan and you are not a fan of Live, and yet you post continuously on a Fans of Live message board.

Please don't equate me with you. It's not even close.

This post has been edited by FishOutaWater: Nov 21 2012, 11:44 am

[OutToDry]

I can't wait until new LIVE comes out. While I'm sure some fans will love it, other fans are going to hate it, and I know it is going to drive you to the brink of insanity.

How can you make for certain that others will hate it? Are you their secret psychic? Are you saying you are now the 2010's version of Stalin or Mussolini? Hitler?



I am not going to go insane if some don't like it. I don't care who they are. You'll just keep banging your drum here like some sad twisted fuck

[OutToDry]

I don't get it. Is that supposed to be some sort of shot at me?

I think what you are saying is that I am biased and in the pocket of the band.

I have openly criticized Live's website. I have said that I don't really care for Chirs Shinn's solo album. I have complained vigorously about the lack of progress and how much time things were taking and their lack of marketing efforts. I have even stated that I don't thik that Kevin's vocals were the very best choice for TGF and that he tried to cram too many lyrics into the TGF songs (although I have grown to like both much more). I have said that I like SFBM. I don't have any contact with the band and I am not in their pocket. I try to write an objective, informative blog, expressing my personal views, as a fan of the band Live.

You on the other hand have never said a single critical thing about Ed in years. You Admin his Facebook and Twitter account and you promote his gigs and album releases on here like a volunteer concert promoter. You have said that you don't even recognize the current line-up of Live and you can be counted out. You are an Ed fan and you are not a fan of Live, and yet you post continuously on a Fans of Live message board.

Please don't equate me with you. It's not even close.

Nick is a promoter in a circus sideshow.

Yeah, he took a shot at you. But you make it perfectly clear who he is and what he does.

Nick cannot even articulate a sensible discussion about music and thinks Ed's EP is like Live from 2000-on. Many of us would like to wipe that era from the history books. He's on record as it's Ed's best work. Now that is some serious in the pocket spin.



This post has been edited by OutToDry: Nov 21 2012, 12:13 pm

[themaestro]

I think there are similarities to TDTH, BOP, and SFBM in the new EP.

Similar to TDTH? What are you listening to? I don't hear any similarity to BOP either. Maybe a little SFBM. His sound now nothing like Live at all. To reference Live at all is completely off base. What does anyone think of when they think of the "sound" of Live? Certainly not SFBM. Most people think of 90s era Live, to which this has no resemblance whatsoever. If a fan of Live picked this up expecting it to sound like Live they'd be completely befuddled. Perhaps they would like it as something completely different. I don't know what to even compare it to though. I don't listen to Christian Pop music but I've heard enough to say it's probably closest to that.

[+Ed+]

I do not hear any similiarities to anything Live have done. Except for the sound of the voice.


Nick, will you answer my question please?