Alternative History Options

[Merica]

Say... what if, in a world far more intelligent and just that ours... TDTH was received as it deserved - tens of millions of albums flowing off the shelves. It's one of the greatest artistic achievements of mankind, and it simply didn't get the reception it deserved.

What if it was even just as big as TC, say? Maybe it contained some of the rockers instead, or maybe it was exactly the same but people just appreciated it more? I wonder how that would affect the history of Live? Maybe V and BOP etc would never have happened, and they would have continued in the TDTH vein? And never broken up?

It's one of the few things I feel sorry for Ed about. Even Chad Taylor said that TDTH was Ed at his absolute very best. He was a genius at the pinnacle of his artistic expression. And it didn't even hit number one on the fucking charts. I can imagine that was a little heart breaking.

What do you think?

[Pokey]

It sure would have been interesting. It was much better received (at least here) than SS was. SS debuted really highly on the heels of TC but I remember reading a review soon after that it was an album "from a band that just isnt trying anymore". I think it would have been more interesting if SS was the absolute take off success. Live stated many times they wrote it as a retreat from the spotlight of TC ... imagine if they in a sense backfired on them and the world dictated that thats what they wanted. Would the brightness of TDTH followed?

I know V was written in a very different way and light to what TDTH was. But even though Ed has changed styles in many ways from album to album (MC to TC to SS to TDTH) were all very different Ed's from the previous. But I struggle to recall another artist having such a dramatic leap in almost every way that Ed did from TDTH to V. He went from penning stunning stuff like RTTW and TSUFL to OK and People Like You. I know that it blows my mind that the same guy that wrote Brothers Unaware also wrote Just In Time. But look how long there was between those songs. TDTH to V was such a drastic change in such a short period.

To your question. If the record company really did have Live by the throat as much as CT has said they did and wanted them pimped out like crazy. Then if TDTH was the success you mentioned then almost contrary to whatever Live wanted to do you'd have to believe the record company would have pushed very hard for TDTH2 rather than V.

Interestingly though as I was thinking the other day. V was still wholely of Live's creation right? They weren't really hearded that way by the record company. CT did state that the record company was looking to pimp them hard, but I think regardless of what music Live were making they were going to get pushed like crazy. So it's more of a shame that there wasn't a TDTH2 because a product that Live were completely happy with unlike V, could have had a very different psychological result on the band when coupled with the pressure of the company. Instead of "yeah they pushed us hard when we were writing our worst material and tempers flared and things began getting shakey." It could have been "they pushed us hard but in the end we came out with our best ever album even topping TDTH". Could have been so different.

rambling.

[tiger]

Say... what if, in a world far more intelligent and just that ours... TDTH was received as it deserved - tens of millions of albums flowing off the shelves. It's one of the greatest artistic achievements of mankind, and it simply didn't get the reception it deserved.

What if it was even just as big as TC, say? Maybe it contained some of the rockers instead, or maybe it was exactly the same but people just appreciated it more? I wonder how that would affect the history of Live? Maybe V and BOP etc would never have happened, and they would have continued in the TDTH vein? And never broken up?

It's one of the few things I feel sorry for Ed about. Even Chad Taylor said that TDTH was Ed at his absolute very best. He was a genius at the pinnacle of his artistic expression. And it didn't even hit number one on the fucking charts. I can imagine that was a little heart breaking.

What do you think?

That would have made Ed's ego even bigger. Maybe he would have been so unyielding that things would have ended there instead of 10 years later.

[OutToDry]

Good thoughts here. The V that got released was not the song versions the band wanted, but truth be told they didn't want it to be released at all. It was supposed to be a concert giveaway for the fans. Record company stuck their collective dick out and pimped it as something they wanted.

[Pokey]

That would have made Ed's ego even bigger. Maybe he would have been so unyielding that things would have ended there instead of 10 years later.

Which ironically could have been a blessing in disguise.

[LivesMeltdown]

Interestingly though as I was thinking the other day. V was still wholely of Live's creation right? They weren't really hearded that way by the record company. CT did state that the record company was looking to pimp them hard, but I think regardless of what music Live were making they were going to get pushed like crazy. So it's more of a shame that there wasn't a TDTH2 because a product that Live were completely happy with unlike V, could have had a very different psychological result on the band when coupled with the pressure of the company. Instead of "yeah they pushed us hard when we were writing our worst material and tempers flared and things began getting shakey." It could have been "they pushed us hard but in the end we came out with our best ever album even topping TDTH". Could have been so different.

rambling.

...and the bad thing is, they easily could've made a TDTH2 album considering they had almost 3 cd's worth of material for that album. Just think of how many great songs didn't make the album (Vine St, Don't Wait, Deeper, Overcome, etc.) Hopefully, one day the rest of the b-sides for TDTH will be released.

[tiger]

Which ironically could have been a blessing in disguise.

Yep. That seems like such a messed up period leading up to and surrounding V that maybe a break would have served them well.

[+Ed+]

99 was the last year of rock musi charting well.


It is too hard for me to think on how it would be any other way

[Wambangalang]

maybe if ed didnt move to hollywood and start going to clubs with celebrities like fred durst and popping pills he may have remained on the right track.

[Sonic Tonic]

I do recall Dolphins Cry being number one for like a month on one of Toronto's biggest radio station countdowns.

[Hoodstock]

Say... what if, in a world far more intelligent and just that ours... TDTH was received as it deserved - tens of millions of albums flowing off the shelves. It's one of the greatest artistic achievements of mankind, and it simply didn't get the reception it deserved.

What if it was even just as big as TC, say? Maybe it contained some of the rockers instead, or maybe it was exactly the same but people just appreciated it more? I wonder how that would affect the history of Live? Maybe V and BOP etc would never have happened, and they would have continued in the TDTH vein? And never broken up?

It's one of the few things I feel sorry for Ed about. Even Chad Taylor said that TDTH was Ed at his absolute very best. He was a genius at the pinnacle of his artistic expression. And it didn't even hit number one on the fucking charts. I can imagine that was a little heart breaking.

What do you think?

I think two simple words - "Dolphin's Cry" - shut this album down in the US. It was the first single off the album and the common comment I heard was that it sounded gay to sing about Dolphin's Crying. I know that's not the literal meaning behind it, but that is how it was recieved.

I think if that single lyric would have been different people here would have recieved the song way better (because other than that it is awesome) and the album would have sold like crazy.

[+Ed+]

it sounded gay to sing about Dolphin's Crying. I know that's not the literal meaning behind it, but that is how it was recieved.

I think only idiots will say that

[Pokey]

Shit on SFBM is mucher gayer. Dolphin's Crying i thought was at least an interesting visual. The name itself is not your average run of the mill boring song title like later singles like Heaven or The River *yawn* I mean they're not even interesting before you hear the song. So no problem with the title or lyric

[Wambangalang]

the album wasnt about bitches and making money, nor was it agressive nor did it appeal to little girls, therefore it didnt make it like it should have.

The 90's died on October 23, 1998. You figure that one out.

[Merica]

If TDTH was stunted because Americans didn't like the name 'Dolphin's Cry'... then that's horrendously pathetic. I hope everyone who has a problem with the name gets nuked into oblivion.