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

[mrmcpheezy]

Whatever. At least you're now willing to admit that your initial statement was wrong, which implicitly means that I was right all along, in spite of how strongly you attempted to defend yourself and your statement. Maybe next time you'll shut the fuck up when I'm talking and realize that I'm probably right.

[XtasyOfDreams]

Gotta love people who always have to be right.

[mrmcpheezy]

Gotta love people who refuse to admit that someone they argued against ended up being correct. Had your arguments outweighed mine I would have had no problem admitting that you had been correct. It's too bad you won't do the same.

[mrmcpheezy]

Now that I think about it, you're probably just mad that I have more posts than you.

[XtasyOfDreams]

Yea...you figured me out. Gotta get those posts in. But, actually, when I said I changed my mind, doesn't that imply that I'm admitting you're right?

[SecretInsomnia]

QUOTE(SecretInsomnia @ Oct 5 2006, 2:50 pm)

Everyone can say they like Live less than they used to, or didn't like them anymore, but! there is no need to tell other people around here they shouldn't like Live anymore.



Where is this happening? In what thread have you seen one person tell another that they shouldn't like live anymore? This accusation has been going around this board ever since I came here, nad yet, I've never seen it happen.


maybe I'm wrong in saying that other people are telling exact in straight words to not like them anyore...oke..but it's just the whole feeling I get by the way many ex-Live fans are telling on this board what their opinion is... their way of talkin like it's not only their way of thinking, but like the things they are saying are just facts ...it gives the feeling they want you to stop listening Live, but maybe your right it's nowhere straight the case.

QUOTE(SecretInsomnia @ Oct 5 2006, 2:50 pm)

And yes, I heard often why they think they should come back... to let us know how stupid you are when you listen to Live's songs and just to open your eyes that we are wrong.



Again, where have you seen this happen? You say here that you've heard people say this is why they come back: who has stated this as a reason for coming to this forum?

well, again I must say I can't give any examples, cause maybe there are no for real...but again the feeling I get. M<aybe I'm the only one who get this feeling and get my conclusions out of that, but i'm just feeling that way. Answers to board members who were askin you several times why YOU come back, were that you want to make something clear to them. You are posting here to make clear your statement Live isn't that good aymore, aren't you ?? (no attack against you, cause you must feel free to spread your meaning, just a question to make my feelings towards you clear).



QUOTE(SecretInsomnia @ Oct 5 2006, 2:50 pm)

Everyone can have his opinion, but I don't need anyone (for people who don't understand, again:) NOT ANYONE, to tell me what kind of music I should like. thanks.



One more time: who (on this forum) has ever told you what kind of music you should like?


again..it's all about my feelings...I guess...there will be some exact examples I guess but I dunno at this moment. Think you were right :my post was not very meaningfull, but see it as some frustrations. I don't mind people telling they don't like Live anymore, or they hate Live, or they want them to quit, or whatever... as long as they don't tell it in a way like it are facts...keep it your opinion.

This post has been edited by SecretInsomnia: Oct 6 2006, 12:59 pm

[Senghe]

As Vicky Pollard from Little Britain would say, YerbutnobutyerbutnobutSHUTUP!

A small part of me wishes they'd split after TDTH and left a perfect, beautiful memory of a three album run that no band has managed to impress me with as much either before or after. But if that had happened I'd have missed out on the best gig of my life, a handful of songs off V, most of BOP which I loved and Night Of Nights. So no, Live shouldn't call it quits. Good on them for enjoying what they are doing and if I don't like what they do I can always choose not to listen.

[Diane]

I'm here because I love Live.
I don't think that they should call it quits.
I like the new stuff.

Simple as that.

[GvB]

I agree with SecretInsomia and found some proof.
It's often not litterlarly said that people shouldn't like for example "V", "BoP" or "SFBM".

But the suggestion lies under it.

Here we go:

From the topic Deconstructing "SFBM":

SFBM IS fucking formulaic and is god damn opposite of intense, so you shitlickers who think that SFBM is the "real" Live and that the other fuckin' four albums are just "fist-pumping" or "depressing" clearly don't understand how bands progress and what a great album is and you can fist-pump on my dick till I splooge on your ignorant face.

From the topic "The 5 Best Live Songs, period":

Flow had the whole "Flow" freakout part that isn't cool.

From the topic: "Everything under the Live setting sun":

Quote: keep the good music coming.
Reply: lol.

From the topic Bold prediction, Lives future:

.... but I still stick to what I'm saying. How can you say the next album is going to be a return to their best stuff when SFBM IS one of their worst? The guitars aren't solid on SFBM so what makes you think they will be solid on the next one?

and read the whole topic: "Maybe Live should call it quits" again, and find out what it suggests (only the title sais enough).

Those are only a few examples.

GvB.

This post has been edited by GvB: Oct 7 2006, 9:20 am

[DesertWater]

LOL.

The day Live abandons creativity is the day I get a record contract.

I've said this before, but Live spending only 3 weeks on their latest album is proof enough that they abandoned creativity. How can a band possibly create an enitire album in that amount of time, let alone three decent songs? Maybe if creativity is pouring through them and they are in that perfect groove, but even then you couldn't crank out twelve songs. The first lines of the album, lalalalalala, are the icing on the cake to a mediocre album. I don't think they should quit, but start trying. If you guys like the new albums than who gives a fuck if other people tell you not to enjoy it. turn up the volume to lalalalalalalal.

[SJN1279]

Lol!

I suppose, I have a mixture of both of the arguments you guys presented. As for them quitting, I can understand why people might wish that. I was really disappointed when I heard Live only spent 3 weeks on SFBM. How do you expect to use all of your creative ideas and energy in three weeks? Then the album's release date got postponded for 8 months or something and it sounded exactly the same as in November. That's pretty fucking disloyal to their fans who have been listening to them since MJ, and they're too lazy to spend a little extra time on their album.

Live spent 3 weeks RECORDING the album. Not creating or writing the album. Secondly LIVE didn't delay the album 8 months, Epic did. I think you're being disloyal to the facts.

I don't want Live to stop making music or break up. They are one of the very few bands that I feel give me my money's worth in concert. They are the only band that I can't take a bathroom break during the show, for fear of missing one of my favorites. I like all of their CD's and hope to get another at some point. This message board has been overrun with negativity for way too long.

The band just needs a break, they've been touring non-stop for over a year. Ticket sales will dwindle without radio airplay and if you play the same areas more than once per year. Live need to rest up and refocus their energy to work on a new album in 1-2 years. Most importantly, they need to distance themselves from the band killer known as Epic(Fuel, Juliana Theory anyone?).



This post has been edited by SJN1279: Oct 7 2006, 11:33 pm

[SecretInsomnia]

Tnx GvB, didn't search for examples at all, but all can see now...there are!

I've said this before, but Live spending only 3 weeks on their latest album is proof enough that they abandoned creativity. How can a band possibly create an enitire album in that amount of time, let alone three decent songs?

yeah, 3 weeks studio time hea, but remember Ed wrote all the songs before. And (and that's maybe sad) the part of each song that was written before they came together, was the basis of the song I guess. It was gonna sound like Ed had imagined, with a little ifluences of each member maybe.

But... TC was recorded in a couple of weeks to, wasn't it? Creative enough, I say!

[DesertWater]

I have no idea how long TC was created, but tons of creativity flowing through that album.

[edstipe]

I'm not quite convinced yet that Live should call it quits.

They still put on a solid (though repetitious and predictable) live show, and they still seem to be genuinely happy playing music together. And, despite the mediocrity of their last few efforts, they have put out a few songs (Night of Nights, Like I Do, Overcome) in recent years that have been mostly adored by their fans.

However, it is clear to even the biggest fan that their creativity has taken a big hit in recent years. This is not only true on their albums, but in their live show as well. Despite the tightness of their performances, playing the same set over and over again is eventually going to dwindle their fan base to smaller and smaller numbers. Without any promise of newness or unpredictably to a show, it becomes less and less likely that fans are going to get as excited for shows, and less and less likely that they will be willing to shell out $35 or whatever to attend. This has already happened to myself and a handful of other fans I have chatted with.

There is a simple principle of economics that I can apply to this: the law of diminishing returns. It basically states that the more you get of something, the less desirable it becomes. This is true in all aspects of life (food, sex, sleep, etc.), but especially to things we have to pay for. To apply it to Live -- the more we get of the same old lackluster songs, and the more we get of the same old predictable setlist, the less likely we are to be interested in the band.

So, I fear, if Live continues on its current path, eventually the band will be FORCED to call it quits due to a shrinking fan base that ultimately makes it unprofitable for them to make music at all. Call me a pessimist, but I truly believe that it's a path they're already treading on.

The solution? In my eyes, Live needs to take 5 or 6 years to work on their next album. They need to make sure that the entire band comes together to create a set of songs that will blow people away. They need to give more songwriting duties to other members of the band (hey, even Pearl Jam has songs on each album with music/lyrics written by guys besides Eddie Vedder, and he's known to be pretty controlling). They need to put their entire heart and soul into EACH AND EVERY song on their next record, and not to settle for mediocrity. I'm a firm believer that if a talented band puts enough time and effort into perfecting a song, eventually it will be something solid, if not spectacular. It's obvious that they didn't take the time to do that with SFBM or BoP (or V for that matter).

In the meantime, they need to also work on re-learning some of their older stuff so that they can pull out surprises during their next tour. I guarantee you the enthusiasm and excitement level from us fans here would shoot up 1000% if we only had some new songs in their performances to discuss and gloat about. That doesn't mean pulling out 2 or 3 songs and playing them every night, but sprinkling in different songs from show to show so that we keep coming back here to see what's new. It's not like it would take a whole lot of effort on their part, either.

As a whole, they need to start caring again. Not just caring about being happy and making simple, mindless music, but about rediscovering who they are and the reaching for the ceiling of their creativity. If they can do that, they can make a comeback in a big way. If not, I'm afraid they're time may be running out.

This post has been edited by edstipe: Oct 8 2006, 9:35 pm

[K. Schrader]

amen, Edstipe.