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

[edstipe]

I blame Live's decline on the Europeans. Every time they go to Holland or Denmark they sell out tickets in seconds and have masses of rabid fans come to their shows. The band therefore regains their belief that they are making great music, and decides to stick with the formula since it is working so well for them. What we are left with is V, BoP, and SFBM.

LIVE just needs a wake up call. They need to start playing to half-full clubs in Amsterdam and half-hearted crowds everywhere. They need something to get angry and/or passionate about (anything except a hurricane, typhoon, or other water-based topic will do). They need to stop making babies and start making powerful riffs and meaningful lyrics. Ed needs to start reading Henry Miller and Jiddu Krishamurti again. The whole band needs to get testicle re-attachment surgery. And, as a final step, the entire band needs to be locked inside a room together and forced to listen to SFBM on repeat for a full 24 hours.

When this happens, great music will pour out of their souls, or else we might as well all lose hope.

[PhoenixDecay]

I blame Live's decline on the Europeans. Every time they go to Holland or Denmark they sell out tickets in seconds and have masses of rabid fans come to their shows. The band therefore regains their belief that they are making great music, and decides to stick with the formula since it is working so well for them. What we are left with is V, BoP, and SFBM.

Of course you can blame the Europeans for that, but don't you think there is something wrong with the attitude to stick with a formula, because the fans seem to like it?
I've read in an article in the German Rolling Stone, and I quote Ed here, that he found his niche in which he's comfortable in, and nobody seems to stop him in making this music. Don't you miss something of the exploring, truth searching, experimenting Ed?
In the last years he got family and he seemed to find his peace. The moment he settled down in his search for truth, he stopped experimenting in the music. It is definately formulaic and they know it (look at the quote). For an artist you could say this is lazy and I don't think the fans should be blamed for it, only because they accept it.

What it comes down to is, there are some, who likes the sound of the settled Live, others don't like it. And others don't like, that there is nothing changing anymore (like myself). Get used to it!

EDIT: If you're consequent you couldn't blame anyone. If you have the opinion, that an artist should make the music only he wants, then you just have to let it go.

And a few words to the people, demanding to forget the band, you once loved: In most cases, and in fact in my case, people are just disappointed, because they think there is an opportunity wasted. It is a personal thing to find musicians with the talent to touch your soul and Live definately did. What the new music does for me now is just a shadow, an echo of the past. I don't want another TC, SS or TDTH, just something inspired (which is often written, but nobody seems to read) The lack of inspiration kills most of the Live-magic and leaves behind the shell and memories.
Of course I have the albums to hear over and over again, but you just want more. I hear other artists, but every band touches your soul in another way and it is frustrating that you cannot get more of the way Live did.
I hope that explains it a little bit.

This post has been edited by PhoenixDecay: Sep 11 2006, 6:12 am

[lien]

I blame Live's decline on the Europeans. Every time they go to Holland or Denmark they sell out tickets in seconds and have masses of rabid fans come to their shows. The band therefore regains their belief that they are making great music, and decides to stick with the formula since it is working so well for them. What we are left with is V, BoP, and SFBM.

LIVE just needs a wake up call. They need to start playing to half-full clubs in Amsterdam and half-hearted crowds everywhere. They need something to get angry and/or passionate about (anything except a hurricane, typhoon, or other water-based topic will do). They need to stop making babies and start making powerful riffs and meaningful lyrics. Ed needs to start reading Henry Miller and Jiddu Krishamurti again. The whole band needs to get testicle re-attachment surgery. And, as a final step, the entire band needs to be locked inside a room together and forced to listen to SFBM on repeat for a full 24 hours.

When this happens, great music will pour out of their souls, or else we might as well all lose hope.

I've read in an article in the German Rolling Stone, and I quote Ed here, that he found his niche in which he's comfortable in, and nobody seems to stop him in making this music. Don't you miss something of the exploring, truth searching, experimenting Ed?
But...in the last years he got family and he seemed to find his peace.

Just wait a few years until his daughters hit puberty...his fear will come back then.

[Senghe]

Just wait a few years until his daughters hit puberty...his fear will come back then.

Oh - I can't wait! Instead of lyrics like "Think of gentle Jesus, buddha under his tree" we're going to have "Don't look at my daughter like that or I'll black your eye, son" and "Be home by 11 or daddy will ground you". What on earth is Ed going to rhyme with contraception and prophylactic?

[slainte]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^OMFG~

as a mom to a ten year old who thinks she is 14 or worse on her bad days, 16.....rock on ed and lets see what he comes up with then.........

This post has been edited by slainte: Sep 11 2006, 8:37 am

[GvB]

Just to help you all a little.

What about:

"Why the fuck did you forget about Jesus and Buddha underneath his tree?"
"And why oh why do you call me names, and why oh why do you hate me?"

But at the other hand, I do like the sweet songs of Live too.

GvB.

[Lis]

I think its something like this, for the older TC lovers:
Their old stuff makes you feel good, and makes you believe you are young again. But, youre not. And the reason youre upset with LIVE is that they arent either. They dont give you a reason or a way to feel young, alive and angry anymore, they make you... christ... they make you face the fact that you have aged and hopefully grown up...
For the younger TC lovers: it relates to your state of mind... you state of mind now is what it was back then for them. But lets face it. LIVE is old, settled and OK with life these days. They are not where you are now. Course you can still be a fan duh.
There is no second TC coming, that time has come and gone. Be glad they did it then, and that at live shows they give you and hour and a half (if you live in Holland almost 3 hours) to feel young, and alive again. Lets just be thankful for that, and lets not dwell on the past so much. Could have and should have are such empty words when you think of it.

Lis
PS... about LIVE being old? Ed is half a year older then I am LOL

[sherocker]

I blame Live's decline on the Europeans. Every time they go to Holland or Denmark they sell out tickets in seconds and have masses of rabid fans come to their shows. The band therefore regains their belief that they are making great music, and decides to stick with the formula since it is working so well for them. What we are left with is V, BoP, and SFBM.

that's just............BULL!! in Holland we think the same as many of u American fans doabout their latest material, the only difference is that we are (maybe) more devoted ? i also detest the phrase 'rabid fans' a wee bit....

This post has been edited by sherocker: Sep 11 2006, 12:16 pm

[edstipe]

that's just............BULL!! in Holland we think the same as many of u American fans doabout their latest material, the only difference is that we are (maybe) more devoted ? i also detest the phrase 'rabid fans' a wee bit....

I can't tell from your response, but I do hope you understand that my entire post was said with complete sarcasm. To honestly blame LIVE's recent, eh, slippage, on Europeans would be pretty silly.

[mfitz804]

The answer is simple. Live's music is what it is.

Either listen or don't listen. Bitching about it will do absolutely nothing. If you want something other than what Live is doing, I am sure there's another bamd that will do it for you. Go listen to that band.

[Alex]

I think its something like this, for the older TC lovers:
Their old stuff makes you feel good, and makes you believe you are young again. But, youre not. And the reason youre upset with LIVE is that they arent either. They dont give you a reason or a way to feel young, alive and angry anymore, they make you... christ... they make you face the fact that you have aged and hopefully grown up...
For the younger TC lovers: it relates to your state of mind... you state of mind now is what it was back then for them. But lets face it. LIVE is old, settled and OK with life these days. They are not where you are now. Course you can still be a fan duh.
There is no second TC coming, that time has come and gone. Be glad they did it then, and that at live shows they give you and hour and a half (if you live in Holland almost 3 hours) to feel young, and alive again. Lets just be thankful for that, and lets not dwell on the past so much. Could have and should have are such empty words when you think of it.

Lis
PS... about LIVE being old? Ed is half a year older then I am LOL

Well, I can see why you'd think like that... but I can honestly say as an 18 year old that I don't necessarily want to hear angry music, nor does TC exactly relate to my 'state of mind'. Everyone gets angry, depressed etc, it's not just limited to angsty teens, and as far as I know when you reach Ed's age you don't suddenly stop feeling like that. I think that's some of what is missing in Live's newer releases- the spectra of emotions is just not there, its all love and happiness and jesus sitting under a tree or whatever. There's nothing wrong with this either, except Ed pulls it off in a very cheesy way, with no underlying meaning, and the music is on par with a high school rock band. 4 chords in each song. 5 if you're lucky.

I don't want to hear angry, or heavy music from Live. I just want to hear something unique, creative & unformulaic. And, like TDTH, SS and TC, well done for what they are.

[Senghe]

I think its something like this, for the older TC lovers:
Their old stuff makes you feel good, and makes you believe you are young again. But, youre not. And the reason youre upset with LIVE is that they arent either. They dont give you a reason or a way to feel young, alive and angry anymore, they make you... christ... they make you face the fact that you have aged and hopefully grown up...

Now Lis, who wants to grow up? I'm 36 so I'm older than both you and Ed, but I'm still young at heart (definitely alive but not really that angry about much). I'm well aware of the passing of time and one can hardly blame Live for the laws of physics, can one? I'm not really upset with Live - frustrated, yes, but I do have some perspective - when it comes down to it the planet isn't going to stop turning if they break up or never make another decent album. And how crap would another Throwing Copper be? I hate bands who repeat the same album over and over again. It would take the magic away. One of the best albums ever and one album that good per lifetime is more than most bands can manage.

[ShowalittleLove]

They should come up with a song with all the anst and raw emotion that you people are asking for all the people who write all these negative comments about them. Or how about a song titled F-Bill O'Rielly as Ed so gracefully stated at the New York concert.

[secretsam]

You're right, the radio plays such original, deep songs

If Live had a semi-decent label, songs from this album would have been on the radio. Ed tried to make a radio-friendly album and succeeded. However, Epic stopped supporting SFBM before the release date. I like all of Live's music, if you don't that's totally cool. But just because you don't find the new music interesting, doesn't mean a band should quit its livelyhood. That's just idiotic babble.

I am a little tired of hearing people blame the record lable for Live's lack of sucess, I have used that line myself of few times. I had to get real with myself and admit that the fact is Live's music just isn't cutting it anymore. I think this new album sucks, I can't even get into it. Do I think that Live should call it quits, no, Do I think they are on the way out, prob so. It will eventually become a reality.

[Lis]

Now Lis, who wants to grow up? I'm 36 so I'm older than both you and Ed, but I'm still young at heart (definitely alive but not really that angry about much). I'm well aware of the passing of time and one can hardly blame Live for the laws of physics, can one? I'm not really upset with Live - frustrated, yes, but I do have some perspective - when it comes down to it the planet isn't going to stop turning if they break up or never make another decent album. And how crap would another Throwing Copper be? I hate bands who repeat the same album over and over again. It would take the magic away. One of the best albums ever and one album that good per lifetime is more than most bands can manage.

Hehe, nobody wants to grow up and some people manage to put it of almost indefinately. But it is fascinating how, when you grow older, most emotions seem to mellow out. yeah I still see injustice and what not but hey what can i do about it by myself? Somehow it all mellows out a bit. In general it just isnt as intens as it used to be.
I must say that it seems like Ed has gotten to that mellowed state in the extreme. And with Ed we dont even get the "i have a crappy job" feeling that some of us in this day and age feel like sometimes, cus he is a musician and loves it... And lyrically that is just plain boring. Im happy for him that hes there, cus he used to be one angry young man. But musically... I cant wait till the kids grow up and hit puberty or whatever that will make him feel something interesting again. Happy people just dont seem to write very interesting lyrics or music for that matter.
One of the main reasons i love LIVE so much is that every album is different. But i do preferr music with a bit of balls in them, thats one of the reasons why V will always be special to me. It may not be the most succesfull experiment they ever did, but at least they went out on a limp.

And to top it all of... if nothing of this gets to Ed emotionally... maybe this will. Adams lyrics are more interesting then yours right now Ed. From what I hear his shows bring a little something new every time aswell... Lets fire up the sibling rivalry if nothing else LOL. As you may or may not know I might be a bit biased where adams concerned, but I seriously feel that if they both keep going in their current directions... Adam will be the more interesting musician to keep track of in the future.

my 2 cents (again) LOL
Lis