LIVE vs. the perception of SFBM Options

[SJN1279]

200,000 is still shitty sales. Red Ink is only distribution, Live is still on Epic a major label. The record sales reflect the label not the distribution company. 200,000 copies sold will not do the label any good which means they could give a damn about Live

You're absolutely right. However, I think low sales will be Epic's fault. This album is very marketable to an adult audience, but the label doesn't seem to want to put the money behind the release anymore. Regardless, they already paid LIVE for the album, so whatever they decide to do with it is their own business. At least the band got some money out of the deal.

I just hope the band and label part ways before the next album. I still think the band will stay together for a lot of years, and I can't wait for this new tour to start. Chad Taylor said on his myspace that the band is starting rehearsals and SHOULD be adding more songs from "SFBM" at the May shows. Chad Taylor has been wrong before though.

[Pokey]

You're absolutely right. However, I think low sales will be Epic's fault. This album is very marketable to an adult audience, but the label doesn't seem to want to put the money behind the release anymore. Regardless, they already paid LIVE for the album, so whatever they decide to do with it is their own business. At least the band got some money out of the deal.

I just hope the band and label part ways before the next album. I still think the band will stay together for a lot of years, and I can't wait for this new tour to start. Chad Taylor said on his myspace that the band is starting rehearsals and SHOULD be adding more songs from "SFBM" at the May shows. Chad Taylor has been wrong before though.

dude is it ever NOT the record lables fault? They aren't pushing it cos the material doesn't deserve to be pushed that heavily .. it's just not.that.good

I dunno about the adult audience either .. most adults look for music with a bit of substance to it .. I'm not trying to bash the album for the sake of it, but marketing it to the kids atm would be a waste of time too I guess cos everything is all emo and about your girlfriend breaking up with you so it's the end of the world.
The best market to go with this album is for teenybopper, honestly they listen to all that Hilary Duff and Justin Timblerlake stuff .. the lyrics are in the same mould, it's mostly all happy-go-lucky pop .. that should be aim of this stuff.

[livefan86]

That last post there was complete shit. To say that Live should be pushed to an audience that listens to Hillary Duff and Justin Timberlake is absurd. First off that audience does not have enough brain power to even grasp Live's music or lyrics. I'm sure you will think that you will respond by saying that these new lyrics are all happy and sound like that shit but they dont. The lyrics are still deep and just because they are now straight forward does not mean that they fall into teeny bopper shit. Look at the lyrics in the bridge of Mystery, those lyrics are deep and I know for a fact that Hillary Duff or Justing Timberlake could not write lyrics like that.

Songs From Black Mountain may not be Live's best work. There are songs on there that are good and others that are not. This album can sell if pushed the right way, but its not going to sell like past Live records. Also, the only area this album is going to sell in is Adult Contemporary. To say that Live should be pushed to a bunch of emo teenagers and teeny boppers is complete shit. The only music and lyrics those losers can understand is about breaking up with a girlfriend and then slitting their wrist afterwards.

[Alex]

He said market to teenyboppers, NOT emo's. Teenyboppers sound about right.

My eyes have seen the glory of a love that does transcend
My eyes have seen the worst inside of men
And the fear is like a falling bridge broken from the edge
And the proof is in the bloodshot eyes of the one who failed to see

Those lyrics? Oh so deep...

ugh.

[livefan86]

please find me a teeny bopper song that has lyrics like that, I really want to see them. Those lyrics in mystery would fly over the heads of any teeny bopper.

[Pokey]

That last post there was complete shit. To say that Live should be pushed to an audience that listens to Hillary Duff and Justin Timberlake is absurd. First off that audience does not have enough brain power to even grasp Live's music or lyrics. I'm sure you will think that you will respond by saying that these new lyrics are all happy and sound like that shit but they dont. The lyrics are still deep and just because they are now straight forward does not mean that they fall into teeny bopper shit. Look at the lyrics in the bridge of Mystery, those lyrics are deep and I know for a fact that Hillary Duff or Justing Timberlake could not write lyrics like that.

Songs From Black Mountain may not be Live's best work. There are songs on there that are good and others that are not. This album can sell if pushed the right way, but its not going to sell like past Live records. Also, the only area this album is going to sell in is Adult Contemporary. To say that Live should be pushed to a bunch of emo teenagers and teeny boppers is complete shit. The only music and lyrics those losers can understand is about breaking up with a girlfriend and then slitting their wrist afterwards.

eh dude if you think this shit is "deep" and a song like The River is going to go over most 15yr old girls head then you're living a dream. The lyrics on SFBM are shallow pop lyrics and you're probably just used to looking for something a bit deeper from Live and this time there is nothing there.

I know you quoted Mystery but The River being released as a single, I really could see them all running around going "omg lolz it is da sweetest song cos he loves the girl and wants to take her to the river" .. even if they don't have a fucking clue what it's about, it's still the sort of shit they'd gobble up if they were told it's the next big pop thing.

[Jennyfoo]

I honestly dont know WHERE to put this album. The lyrics are poppy and simple for 'teenyboppers' but most of the tunes are too boring for them.

[Erikk]

I make it a point to resist listening to new Live albums before the release date, so, being an American has forced me to hold off on the produced SFBM. However, I have heard the River and all the live versions I could get my hands on, and feel like I can offer some solace:

Why do we love this band? Undoubtedly it's for different reasons, but hopefully I can speak for most of us when I say that Live's spritual movements have captivated and intrigued me from Mental Jewelry on. I personally think that this motion climaxed on TDTH, right around Sparkle and perhaps FTQRR, but you see traces of it on V. BOP gave us, I thought, a new kind of Live album where all the songs were melodic and formulaic, lyrically simple (sometimes mockable so: "Lay with me lady / You're driving me crazy") and with the exception of Like I Do all under 4 minutes in length. Without having heard SFBM, I can easily assert BOP as the least dynamic of Live's first six.

It was either in an article recently linked on this site or one of those podcasts recently posted on friendsoflive.com where Pat (I think) described Ed's recent songwriting trends as "joyful." And, hey, he's got daughters and family living to constantly reinforce this. I would call TDTH joyful as well, but reflective of the kind of joy one receives at the culmination of a long struggle: "I found it! I found it! I found Love!" I thought BOP took that joy and applied it to some basic themes, and it seems that SFBM is just that joy gushing all over itself.

All I mean to say is that, we might have seen this coming. I respected Ed's spiritual insights all through every other album, and I'm prepared to respect them again when I hear the studio versions of these new songs. I clearly cannot judge production value, but I am of the mind that BOP was underproduced, V overproduced, and TDTH was just right, and I realize that this might not jive with the mainstream here.

Erikk