Overrated Options

[Pokey]

Run to the water ... never really liked it. Never saw what was so special about it.

[SJN1279]

Run to the water ... never really liked it. Never saw what was so special about it.

That's my favorite Live song....go figure.

[LiveRoCkS77]

I personally think Like I do is musically the best song LIVE has ever done hands down. I think anybody saying it's overrated is just stupid because it's never been rated highly or critically acclaimed by anybody really. As EX said, don't care for the lyrics too much but the songs structure is fucking utterly fantastic.

Ed's voice goes back to his TC type scowl that everybody seems to want back and the guitar work is hands down ten times better than any other LIVE song bar maybe White Discussion. The drums in this song, if you listen close enough and drown out everything else have a unique and driving pace and get back to the alternative style of drumming we heard from Gracey in the early days. Pats bass can be heard quite prominently in this song, which is something we just don't get to hear anymore. On top of all this, the bridge in this song is utterly fantastic, probably better and more climactic than any bridge in any of Live's songs. Coming off a driving chorus, into an eerie sounding interlude where Ed belts out "don't leave" with the background vocals filling in behind it, followed by a wicked little riff and right back into a driving chorus. All finished off with driving guitar and Gracey pounding the fuck out the drums like I've never heard him come even close to doing on any other song.

The song could have been much better lyrically but musically it is pretty damn good. Ten thousand times better than anything off of BOP. A friend and I listened to the album while playing his XBOX and he was blown away by that song. Even he said that it is miles ahead of the rest of the album combined musically and we both agree that it doesn't belong with the rest of the amateurish pop crap on that album. This guy has been writing his own music for a long time and playing guitar for 20 years.

I agree with him whole heartedly. Anybody who says this song is overrated, well, just makes me want to laugh out loud. But I do agree with Nick that it wouldn't have made a great single. The majority of people aren't anywhere near smart enough to appreciate good music. I don't mean just a catchy song, but truly GOOD music that is well written, well played and executed. In my opinion, no other song comes being anywhere near as good musically. Not even close.

This post has been edited by LiveRoCkS77: Mar 1 2008, 8:11 pm

[Existentialist]

I agree with some of those points and disagree with others. I agree that the individual work on the track is outstanding without exception. However, I disagree that Ed's voice returns to its sound of the TC days. It often travels way higher than it did in the TC era, is often obscured by electronic manipulation, and at times sounds very forced. Additionally, I dislike the entire first two minutes of the song. There is way too much dicking around there. I fully appreciate songs that have a slow build up, but the key words are "build up," meaning there is some sort of progression during that time. Like I Do does the same thing for almost the first two minutes, and that's when the lyrics are the most outrageously bad.

It's undeniable that it does have flashes of musical greatness, but I would without hesitation say it is a very overrated song if it is being billed as Live's greatest song ever, or even the undeniable best on BOP for that matter.

[LiveRoCkS77]

That's my favorite Live song....go figure.

One of my favorites too Nick and easily one of the best written songs lyrically by this band. Actually, it probably is THE best. Musically it's just average but the lyrics are very well done. In my opinion, The only other song that is on the same level is TSUFL.

[Hoodstock]

The most overrated song from each album:

MJ - Pain Lies on the Riverside
TC - I Alone
SS - Rattlesnake
TDTH - Voodoo Lady
V - Overcome
BOP - Like I Do
SFBM - Night of Nights

[LiveRoCkS77]

I agree with some of those points and disagree with others. I agree that the individual work on the track is outstanding without exception. However, I disagree that Ed's voice returns to its sound of the TC days. It often travels way higher than it did in the TC era, is often obscured by electronic manipulation, and at times sounds very forced. Additionally, I dislike the entire first two minutes of the song. There is way too much dicking around there. I fully appreciate songs that have a slow build up, but the key words are "build up," meaning there is some sort of progression during that time. Like I Do does the same thing for almost the first two minutes, and that's when the lyrics are the most outrageously bad.

It's undeniable that it does have flashes of musical greatness, but I would without hesitation say it is a very overrated song if it is being billed as Live's greatest song ever, or even the undeniable best on BOP for that matter.

To each their own I guess. It's easily so far better than anything else off of BOP that it's not even worth arguing to me...and that's saying a lot because I'll usually argue any point with just about anyone. This isn't even worth debating to me.

Nothing sounds forced about Ed's voice whatsoever to me. It doesn't travel any higher than it did in the TC era anywhere in the song. As a matter of fact, his pitch is miles lower than it is in half of TC's songs...ala Iris, POD, Lc and most of SS where his voice sounds feminine. None of that is present anyhwere in this song, not for one single word of it. His pitch is much lower and much more masculine in this song than what you are describing. But like I said, this song is so much better musically than anything else off of BOP, it's not even worth arguing. It's like somebody telling me a merry go round doesn't rotate in a circular motion and trying to explain to them that it does, knowing they are mentally challenged.

I'm out of this thread. Laughing harder than I did when I first read the thread. Jesus....

[Pokey]

I can't really explain why I dislike RTTW. I used to really like it. It has a few cool lines in it, but there is just something about it that I don't like now. Maybe it's the imagery it creates for me ... I just see Ed standing on stage with his arms open expecting to ascend to heaven or something, it has that epic/stadium anthem thing to it that I really dislike (I know quite a few live songs have this, but for some reason they don't really annoy me as much). Certainly there are much worse songs that Live has written, but seeing as this isn't that kind of thread and it's an overrated thread, I just think this gets way more love than it deserves.

[Hoodstock]

I can't really explain why I dislike RTTW. I used to really like it. It has a few cool lines in it, but there is just something about it that I don't like now. Maybe it's the imagery it creates for me ... I just see Ed standing on stage with his arms open expecting to ascend to heaven or something, it has that epic/stadium anthem thing to it that I really dislike (I know quite a few live songs have this, but for some reason they don't really annoy me as much). Certainly there are much worse songs that Live has written, but seeing as this isn't that kind of thread and it's an overrated thread, I just think this gets way more love than it deserves.

I agree with you that Run To The Water is overrated. It's alright but I don't really get into it either.

[Badman]

Ed's voice goes back to his TC type scowl that everybody seems to want back and the guitar work is hands down ten times better than any other LIVE song bar maybe White Discussion. The drums in this song have a unique and driving pace

The drumming is notable! It is the Stage of BoP. I love the guitars of Stage even more than White discussion's work.

I think part of the reason I like White discussion is the length of over 6 minutes. I love progressive music and live does not ever satisfy me in that area... I hope someday I can finally see a 12 minute long song with only 3 mins of singing at the most. Ed has wayyy too much control over the process and would never agree to it. Also, I feel that Chad and Pat would have a tough time filling it up as they are not used to it. Gracey could pull a wicked Drum solo though!

[SecretInsomnia]

I never understood all the love for Meltdown either. I like the song, but I never understood its cult following.

its cult following?

I think that's song is more underrated than overrated
In my opinion in the top 10 of best songs by Live! Especially the extended version on the early TDTH demo, as stated before, though it's too bad the quality isn't as good as on the actual album.

[SJN1279]

Does anyone else think that Show is an inferior rip-off of I Alone?

[Merica]

I can see the link, but I wouldn't call it a rip off.

[Nobody Knows]

Mystery is overrated and Horse is even more overrated, dont think its a that good song...

[Badman]

Horse is even more overrated, dont think its a that good song...

Horse can't be overrated... It wasn't even listed as a song on the album and most of the Live community dismisses it. I don't really like it either, sounds like Beautiful Invisible a little to me.

Definition of Overrated: Something that is held high when in reality it is not that grand.

Horse is not held high by anyone... Mystery you have a point with though