Comment about the New Album Options

[LiveRoCkS77]

yep - its true: every album is unique. but to me, SFTBM is the weakest so far. I totally agree with grandpa grizz. the new album doesn´t touch my heart and soul. its an "ok-album" - avarage - nothing more nothing less - far from impressing me much. but anyways its good and i like most of the songs. but its no album to become a dedicated fan.

TDTH, SS and TC are overwhelming - with music that goes so deeeeep. maybe an artist must have "bad times" to write good poetry/good songs. maybe my expectations are much too high.

live is my favourite band, even with weaker albums.

Well, I just can't agree with that at all. IMO, Birds of Pray and V are so much weaker then this album, I can't even measure it. To me, SFBM is their best effort since TDTH by miles and miles and miles and miles.

[Costakoui]

yep - its true: every album is unique. but to me, SFTBM is the weakest so far. I totally agree with grandpa grizz. the new album doesn´t touch my heart and soul. its an "ok-album" - avarage - nothing more nothing less - far from impressing me much. but anyways its good and i like most of the songs. but its no album to become a dedicated fan.

TDTH, SS and TC are overwhelming - with music that goes so deeeeep. maybe an artist must have "bad times" to write good poetry/good songs. maybe my expectations are much too high.

live is my favourite band, even with weaker albums.

I understand what you are saying. Give SFBM some time. When V came out, I thought it was the biggest joke in the music industry at the time. Now, almost five years later I appreciate it as an album and i thank Live for releasing it because I really enjoy most of it. The songs I cannot stand are: Like a soldier, People like you and Ok? People like you would be great if Ed did not reach that annoying high-pitched voice.

[seriakiLLa]

I've been following Live since MJ. I don't know the general opinion on the boards back then, since I got into the Live boards only during the V / BOP era.

Anyway, for me, there was never a point from the MJ to SS era that I felt the band was regressing, and I enjoyed these 3 albums from Day 1.

However, it took a little time for me to get into TDTH, and for me, it's still good, but not up to par with the first three.

V, well, it was the first time I felt disappointed with the band, although I do listen to a few tracks off it from time to time. To the band's credit though, V sounded confident.

BOP, same thing, quite a disappointment, but still I listen to some tracks off it from time to time. For me, Live sounded the least confident in BOP, precarious even. I even remember Ed emphasizing in an interview about not using keyboards in this album, as if to say, this isn't V, give us another chance with this album. However, I also saw BOP as a progression from V, and a sign of a future 'getting back to form.'

As for SFBM, I'm glad to say that Live once again sounds confident and comfortable here. I was expecting it to be bad, but surprisingly, it's growing in me quite fast, and I think it's up to par with TDTH, or even better on some days. It's definitely far from the old Live, but for the first time since V, I can appreciate with this album Live's new direction as a band. This album makes me anticipate the next one, for there are signs that it could get even better.

Just my humble opinion.

Oh, and by the way, I'd rank the albums as follows: SS, TC/MJ, SFBM/TDTH, BOP, V

[michael39]

picked it up today and must say its really good.been listening to them since TC so i've been a fan for a while.(got the dual disc)

[Pokey]

Ok I downloaded the album last night and wow, it is terrible. Seriously, if Live want to go down the pop band road that's fine, but at least make your songs less pretenious. Mystery is just an abomination with those strings, rather than working them into the song subtley it's like "HERE THAT! IT'S STRINGS! AND WE'RE LIVE AND WE DON'T HAVE A BAND MEMBER THAT PLAYS STRINGS BUT YET HERE THEY ARE! ISN'T THAT AMAZING, NOW LISTEN TO THEM FOR A SOLID 3MINS TO LET IT SINK IN!!!" .. well that's the way it comes across to me.
Mystery and Where do we go from here both are missing some sort of kick .. in the chorus you just expect that typical Live BANG! but they just rumble along and lack that typical Live charm.
Ed's voice has obviously been worked over quite a bit by Jim Fuck Off Wirt as well, people will probably rave about his vocals on this album but I think it's one of his worst efforts, so many over dubs and tweaks just seem to take the natural feel of a singer singing a song out of it.

The lyrics are just very unimaginative, just bland and uninspiring ... the best thing I can say about the album is that some of the songs are catchy and you do find yourself singing a long a bit afterwards but really that only lasts for a small amount of time.
Night of Nights I don't mind, I mean again it's not exactly breaking any boundries but as far as just a simple pop song goes that is fun to listen to it'd be my pick off the album.
Wings I find probably the catchiest song on the album, but I don't really like it .. I just find myself singing the song later on .. I still maintain that it sounds like the sort of song that would fit into the opening credits of one of those Dawson's Creek type shows.

I don't much mind Get Ready either .. it's cheesey, but it's one of the only songs that still sound like Live, it's not beautiful in the sense that Dance With You was but it's a sweet love song anyways. Which is the problem, singing about love isn't a bad thing, but an entire album of it barring one song (Home) at least I think it's just one song, I just felt myself saying "ok, I get the point".

Jim Wirt has a lot to answer for though .. he is a terrible producer for Live, he just zaps all of that raw energy and polishes it over and makes it as bland as possible. What happened to Jerry Harrilson(sp?) not that I'm one of these "they need to go back to him!" type people because there are plenty of fish in the sea as far as good producers go .. but did Live and him have a falling out or what?

Anyways, like I said this one is my least favorite Live album by a mile, the only listenable songs to me are 'Get Ready', 'Night of Nights' and probably 'Sofia' .. the problem with Sofia is it could have been so much better .. listen to those early live versions of it where Taylor seemed to just do his own little jams along to it, you could imagine no 2 times they played it would it be exactly the same. The guitars were really rip roaring .. but the studio version has been de-sexed, it's the same polished boring guitar looped over and over. The exact same thing happend with Life Marches On.

Here's hoping they learn from this album, I'm still somewhat hopefuly for the next album .. I don't know why, maybe my faith is in them not sitting around going "hey guys, do you wanna make another album of lovey pop songs with Jim Wirt? I reckon that would be a fresh idea!" ... surely they're going to move on from this phase... aren't they?

[LiveRoCkS77]

Ok I downloaded the album last night and wow, it is terrible. Seriously, if Live want to go down the pop band road that's fine, but at least make your songs less pretenious. Mystery is just an abomination with those strings, rather than working them into the song subtley it's like "HERE THAT! IT'S STRINGS! AND WE'RE LIVE AND WE DON'T HAVE A BAND MEMBER THAT PLAYS STRINGS BUT YET HERE THEY ARE! ISN'T THAT AMAZING, NOW LISTEN TO THEM FOR A SOLID 3MINS TO LET IT SINK IN!!!" .. well that's the way it comes across to me.
Mystery and Where do we go from here both are missing some sort of kick .. in the chorus you just expect that typical Live BANG! but they just rumble along and lack that typical Live charm.
Ed's voice has obviously been worked over quite a bit by Jim Fuck Off Wirt as well, people will probably rave about his vocals on this album but I think it's one of his worst efforts, so many over dubs and tweaks just seem to take the natural feel of a singer singing a song out of it.

The lyrics are just very unimaginative, just bland and uninspiring ... the best thing I can say about the album is that some of the songs are catchy and you do find yourself singing a long a bit afterwards but really that only lasts for a small amount of time.
Night of Nights I don't mind, I mean again it's not exactly breaking any boundries but as far as just a simple pop song goes that is fun to listen to it'd be my pick off the album.
Wings I find probably the catchiest song on the album, but I don't really like it .. I just find myself singing the song later on .. I still maintain that it sounds like the sort of song that would fit into the opening credits of one of those Dawson's Creek type shows.

I don't much mind Get Ready either .. it's cheesey, but it's one of the only songs that still sound like Live, it's not beautiful in the sense that Dance With You was but it's a sweet love song anyways. Which is the problem, singing about love isn't a bad thing, but an entire album of it barring one song (Home) at least I think it's just one song, I just felt myself saying "ok, I get the point".

Jim Wirt has a lot to answer for though .. he is a terrible producer for Live, he just zaps all of that raw energy and polishes it over and makes it as bland as possible. What happened to Jerry Harrilson(sp?) not that I'm one of these "they need to go back to him!" type people because there are plenty of fish in the sea as far as good producers go .. but did Live and him have a falling out or what?

Anyways, like I said this one is my least favorite Live album by a mile, the only listenable songs to me are 'Get Ready', 'Night of Nights' and probably 'Sofia' .. the problem with Sofia is it could have been so much better .. listen to those early live versions of it where Taylor seemed to just do his own little jams along to it, you could imagine no 2 times they played it would it be exactly the same. The guitars were really rip roaring .. but the studio version has been de-sexed, it's the same polished boring guitar looped over and over. The exact same thing happend with Life Marches On.

Here's hoping they learn from this album, I'm still somewhat hopefuly for the next album .. I don't know why, maybe my faith is in them not sitting around going "hey guys, do you wanna make another album of lovey pop songs with Jim Wirt? I reckon that would be a fresh idea!" ... surely they're going to move on from this phase... aren't they?

You don't find Show or Wings to be listenable? I find that a little harsh and unreasonable.

Although I do agree with a lot of what you've said here. Wirt has to go, he's an idiot. I have a lot of other negative things I could say as well but I won't.

To me, although still not very good, this cd is better the BOP or V quite easily. Aside from Like I do from BOP, I think Wings, Night of Nights and Show are all miles better then anything else on BOP. Although both albums are pop, SFBM isn't as electric and not quite as over produced.

I think people are letting their disappointment with another pop album cloud their judgment. This cd isn't that bad although I do agree wholeheartedly that lyrically, it's not very good to say the least. But I think it's definately an improvement over the last 2 and I can't see for the life of me how anybody could think that it isn't. Even the original version of Mystery and Sofia are both better then anything off BOP.

[Pokey]

I don't think it's unreasonable to list Show and Wings as unlistenable. I did say Wings was very catchy though. Show is just lame .. the chorus is just .. well, lame. It's the only word for it "I'll show you free tonight!" .. thanks Ed, nice to know the lady doesn't have to pay for sex with you. The only thing I like about show is that slight ah .. dunno what the technical term for it is, but fuzzyness in Ed's voice, like he's singing into one of those mics that distorts your voice a little like when you hear someone talking at the other end of a walkie-talkie type thing.

I think BOP was better because I think there were better songs on it .. Like I Do and Lighthouse and I was quite fond of Every time I see your face .. and I know that is a pop song too but I thought it was better than anything off SFBM .. but Live dabbled in pop on BOP with Heaven, ETISYF, Out to Dry etc.. and to me I think that's as far as they should have taken it and any further would result in .. well, SFBM.

V I rate higher than BOP and SFBM but I do have a more emotional attatchment to that album .. to me it's a comforting album. What I would think of it if it wern't for that I'm not sure.

[LiveRoCkS77]

I don't think it's unreasonable to list Show and Wings as unlistenable. I did say Wings was very catchy though. Show is just lame .. the chorus is just .. well, lame. It's the only word for it "I'll show you free tonight!" .. thanks Ed, nice to know the lady doesn't have to pay for sex with you. The only thing I like about show is that slight ah .. dunno what the technical term for it is, but fuzzyness in Ed's voice, like he's singing into one of those mics that distorts your voice a little like when you hear someone talking at the other end of a walkie-talkie type thing.

I think BOP was better because I think there were better songs on it .. Like I Do and Lighthouse and I was quite fond of Every time I see your face .. and I know that is a pop song too but I thought it was better than anything off SFBM .. but Live dabbled in pop on BOP with Heaven, ETISYF, Out to Dry etc.. and to me I think that's as far as they should have taken it and any further would result in .. well, SFBM.

V I rate higher than BOP and SFBM but I do have a more emotional attatchment to that album .. to me it's a comforting album. What I would think of it if it wern't for that I'm not sure.

I agree again with most of what you've said except the unlistenable part. I find that comment excessive and kinda....welll..... dumb really. I think you're just holding LIVE up to such a high standard that your judgment is clearly clouded.

Celine Dion is unlistenable. A lot of Rap music is unlistenable. Alot of the unbelieveably crap 80's music was unlistenable. Songs like Wings and Show are far from that. Light years type far. You're not being fair in your comparisons and for somebody who is always on Pheezy's bandwagon as far as objective thinking goes, I find that rather hypocritical.

But that just being one aspect. I can't say I blame you for saying anything else you've said. More constructive bashing like yours would be great if it would rub off on other people around here.

This post has been edited by LiveRoCkS77: Apr 15 2006, 10:54 am

[Pokey]

I don't think it's dumb, if I find those songs too fucking stupid to listen to, then they become unlistenable. True that I probably would listen to them over a bunch of other stuff, but that's if someone said I had to .. I just can't see me listening to the bulk of this album ever again and I've only had it for 2 days.
I dunno wheather I'm holding Live to a higher standard .. maybe because I know what they are capable of I'm disappointed that they aren't pushing themselves, they seem to just be stuck on auto pilot going for much less than they could.
But I don't see how that's a bad thing, there is a difference between accepting change in a band/a new direction and accepting a complete drop in creativity/material.


I'm not on mcpheezy's bandwagon .. he's pretty fucking funny and seems like a nice enough guy but i'm sure there would be a lot we'd disagree on and argue with and if that comes up then so be it, but as far as Live goes we seem to just think along the same lines .. but hey I'm sure I do have a lot more love for the band's older work than he does so meh.

[sherocker]

I really LOVE the new album, and that's about all i have to say on the subject!!

This post has been edited by sherocker: Apr 15 2006, 11:16 am

[LiveRoCkS77]

I don't think it's dumb, if I find those songs too fucking stupid to listen to, then they become unlistenable. True that I probably would listen to them over a bunch of other stuff, but that's if someone said I had to .. I just can't see me listening to the bulk of this album ever again and I've only had it for 2 days.
I dunno wheather I'm holding Live to a higher standard .. maybe because I know what they are capable of I'm disappointed that they aren't pushing themselves, they seem to just be stuck on auto pilot going for much less than they could.
But I don't see how that's a bad thing, there is a difference between accepting change in a band/a new direction and accepting a complete drop in creativity/material.
I'm not on mcpheezy's bandwagon .. he's pretty fucking funny and seems like a nice enough guy but i'm sure there would be a lot we'd disagree on and argue with and if that comes up then so be it, but as far as Live goes we seem to just think along the same lines .. but hey I'm sure I do have a lot more love for the band's older work than he does so meh.

Well, it seems on repeat here but again I agree with most of what you've had to say.

But I don't see how any music fan could fing EITHER of those two songs too "stupid" to listen to. There's nothing stupid about them whatsoever. Sure they may not be the best songs out there but they aren't "stupid" nor are they unlistenable. You backed your assertion up with absolutely nothing and I countered it with examples of music that is unlistenable.

Not to start another fight with you ar anything, but if you're going to lump songs like Wings and Show in with unlistenable crap like the work of that Dion bitch, then I find your comment just plain ignorant and laughable. There's nothing wrong with Wings especially although I do agree that it could be a Dawson's Creek sitcom theme. Doesn't make it bad and certainly doesn't make it unlistenable.

I just think you're pissed at how much you feel they've regressed in their music and aren't being reasonable as far as these songs are concerned. FACT is, these two songs are better then 98% of the shit that is on the radio today and even a lot of that 98 percent is at the very least listenable.

[serene23]

Well, it seems on repeat here but again I agree with most of what you've had to say.

But I don't see how any music fan could fing EITHER of those two songs too "stupid" to listen to. There's nothing stupid about them whatsoever. Sure they may not be the best songs out there but they aren't "stupid" nor are they unlistenable. You backed your assertion up with absolutely nothing and I countered it with examples of music that is unlistenable.

Not to start another fight with you ar anything, but if you're going to lump songs like Wings and Show in with unlistenable crap like the work of that Dion bitch, then I find your comment just plain ignorant and laughable. There's nothing wrong with Wings especially although I do agree that it could be a Dawson's Creek sitcom theme. Doesn't make it bad and certainly doesn't make it unlistenable.

I just think you're pissed at how much you feel they've regressed in their music and aren't being reasonable as far as these songs are concerned. FACT is, these two songs are better then 98% of the shit that is on the radio today and even a lot of that 98 percent is at the very least listenable.

So what would these songs have sounded like had Dr. Dre stepped in to produced like had been rumored for a brief moment.

[Pokey]

But I don't see how any music fan could fing EITHER of those two songs too "stupid" to listen to. There's nothing stupid about them whatsoever. Sure they may not be the best songs out there but they aren't "stupid" nor are they unlistenable. You backed your assertion up with absolutely nothing and I countered it with examples of music that is unlistenable.

But .. I gave examples as well, you told me songs that were unlistenable and I told you songs that were unlistenable (Show and Wings and much of SFBM) the thing is here I guess where opinion does come in to it. Fact is that they aren't good songs, but I guess different people have a higher tolerence to poor songs than others .. or something.

[maninu]

i miss the rock´n roll! where is it gone? love-pop-songs are ok but the whole entire album with lyrics like "girl-you-are-the-one-tralala" is a bit too much for me.
i never ever skipped so many songs on a live album - thats definately fact! I like "show" though. and "where do we go from here".

"get ready" is like an old-fashioned-german-80s-evergreen with this "dumdum" at the end of some lines --- brrrr --- it gives me a bad shudder ...

i don´t know ... I want my "lakini´s juice", "I alone" and "where fishes go" back ... do I expect too much? probably.

hej Mr. chadT ... WHERE THE HELL IS THE STOMP??? lost it???

This post has been edited by maninu: Apr 16 2006, 5:14 am

[baggieneil]

i love it they surprise me everytime what a band they rock & pop they sound great whatever they do.
they can do no wrong in my eyes ,etter than all this british crap over here apart from the stereophonics roll on june 14th