Live Albums (8)
'Live at the Paradiso Amsterdam'
Release Date 11/11/2008
Tracks 16
Label Wel
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Live celebrates their transition from the majors to Vanguard Records with Live at the Paradiso Amsterdam, their first live recording which is accompanied by their first live video release. The CD and DVD bear slightly different track lists -- the DVD has the full 17-song set while the CD is truncated by three songs ("Mirror Song," "They Stood Up for Love," and "Wings" were all sliced) but is graced by two OK new studio cuts, "Forever" and "Purifier" -- a situation that's bound to frustrate the hardcore fans who are the very audience for this release...and evidenced by the enthusiastic European crowd that sings along very, very loudly with every international hit Live plays, there are still a lot of them out there. They're the audience for this live album, just as they're now the audience for any Live album these days, as the band has fallen out of fashion with not even the endorsement of Daughtry on 2006's American Idol giving the band an uptick on the charts. For some bands, this would be a death knell, but Live always had a palpable sense of faith in their music that leads to legions of faithful fans, the ones who will appreciate how the band hasn't really changed over the years, only grown tighter and muscle-bound, knowing how to turn every arena rock trope without quite seeming like a cliché, at least to the devoted. All of this is on display on either incarnation of Live at the Paradiso Amsterdam and while it will hardly win new fans, it will go a long way to explaining to the doubters why they still have fans almost 15 years after Throwing Copper. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Songs from Black Mountain'
Release Date 1/1/2006
Tracks 12
Label Sony
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What The Critics Say
Live finally settle down -- 15 years after their debut and ten years after the peak of their popularity -- into a comfortable groove with Songs from Black Mountain, their seventh album and first for Epic/Red Ink. The quartet embraces the change in labels as a fresh start, moving away from the faintly desperate attempts at hard rock and grand statements that plagued the group's work since Throwing Copper and easing into quieter sounds and modest ambitions. Not that Live's leader, Ed Kowalczyk, has abandoned his signature spiritual pursuits; nor has the band departed from its U2-fueled anthems -- but neither are nearly as heavy-handed in their attack as they have been in the past. There is a gentleness and genuine sweetness here, a warm mellowing of their signature sound that's appropriate for veteran bandmembers now in their thirties. It also happens to suit Kowalczyk's 12 new songs well. Unlike the tortured tunes that comprised the unsettled 2003 album Birds of Pray, the songs here are warm declarations of love, faith, and family. Sometimes they're filled with angst, sometimes they're sweet (and sometimes they still bear his typically overly earnest lyrics), but they're tied together by a soft, understated touch in both his writing and his singing -- never once does he approach the vocal histrionics that could make some Live albums a little hard to bear -- that constitutes a genuine new wrinkle in their music. It's the sound of the band maturing, and while it's certainly more laid-back than any of Live's previous records, that low-key approach feels right for the music on Songs from Black Mountain and helps make it one of their most consistent and successful records. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
At 12 years and six albums into Live's recording career, the bandmembers have fewer qualms about letting their spirituality and big themes rise to the surface, as the very title of Birds of Pray indicates. They even open the record with "Heaven," a plea to "get back your faith again," where leader Ed Kowalczyk claims "I don't need no one to tell me about heaven/I look at my daughter and I believe." Scott Stapp had similar sentiments about his son on Creed's "With Arms Wide Open," but Kowalczyk's song has grander ambitions, which echo throughout Birds of Pray. He's struggling through the post-9/11 world, believing in "The Sanctity of Dreams" and hoping to "Bring the People Together" as he questions "What Are We Fighting For?" but realizing that "Life Marches On," so he finds solace in his family, particularly his daughter, who is mentioned or alluded to often on these 13 songs. (Interestingly, his song titles state his themes much better than the lyrics, which are either too literal or bewilderingly obtuse.) These are all the concerns of a group whose members are in their thirties, and they appropriately have tweaked the music. It's still recognizably Live music -- big, big guitars, sweeping anthemic choruses, earnest ballads, mildly histrionic vocals, all tied together as post-U2 arena rock -- but it's a little more subdued and a little more serious and quite streamlined, subtly fitting Kowalczyk's themes. The biggest problem with the record is that the eye is on the big picture -- from how the songs fit together to how the overall sound fits a song -- to the extent that the individual moments aren't all that memorable, clearly lacking singles as forceful as those that fueled Throwing Copper and not quite as compelling as a whole as its predecessor, V. These, however, are all signs that Live is growing up and settling down, turning into a solid thirty-something rock band -- it won't gain much attention outside of its core audience, but it will satisfy them, largely because the band is growing with them. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The spiritual qualities in Live's music have often inspired comparisons to Bono and U2, and some admirers have noted the parallels between Ed Kowalczyk's reflections and the imagery that John Lennon employed. But there's another valid comparison that one doesn't often hear: Earth, Wind & Fire. Live's alternative rock sounds nothing like EWF's soul and funk, but lyrically, they do have something in common: an ability to get a positive, uplifting message across without being wimpy. EWF had some of the most gutsy, rump-shaking funk grooves of the '70s, and yet, their lyrics were undeniably spiritual; similarly, Live's fifth album, V, feeds the listeners' mind, spirit, and intellect without letting the body down. Those who think of Live as the conscience of post-grunge alternative rock won't be disappointed by the intelligence and spirituality the Pennsylvanians bring to "People Like You," "Simple Creed," and other enriching tracks. But for all of its thoughtfulness, V has plenty of guts and grit. It also has a willingness to experiment; during the course of the album, Live incorporates everything from hip-hop to Indian music. And the Beatles are still a prominent influence; "Hero of Love," "Nobody Knows," and "Transmit Your Love" are appealing examples of the Fab Four influencing musicians no less than 31 years after their breakup. Is Live the conscience of post-grunge alterna-rock? Reading V's lyric sheet, it would be difficult to argue with that assertion. But Live's ability to get a positive message across doesn't make this album any less edgy -- in fact, V is among the band's most confident and inspired releases. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
'The Distance to Here'
Release Date 10/5/1999
Tracks 13
Label Radioactive
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
After the tepid reaction to the subdued, over-produced Secret Samadhi, Live took some time off to rethink their direction. For their fourth full-length studio album The Distance to Here, the band called on producer Jerry Harrison to recapture the raw energy and emotion that fueled Mental Jewelry and Throwing Copper. A self-conscious response to Secret Samadhi with plenty of guitar riffs, thunderous tempos and a mystical aura, The Distance to Here emerges from their last album's swirling, numbing stupor and regains some of Throwing Copper's aggressive intensity. But Live doesn't just meld their last two albums for this release; it's a livelier, lighter collection. Though the group is slowly evolving their sound -- Ed Kowalczyk's vulnerable-turned-angry vocals have become freer, more confident and more expressive, while Chad Taylor's background vocals add needed depth and harmony - they're retracing their steps before making any major changes. Live made its name by combining brutally honest, searching lyrics with equally intense and emotive music, but the fine line between genuine soul-searching and heavy-handed preaching is in the eye of the beholder. With The Distance, this line sways on individual songs: "Feel the Quiet River Rage," "Sparkle," "Meltdown," "Sun," and the title track -- reflect Live's evolution, but the lumbering "Face and Ghost (The Children's Song)" and the gushy "Dance With Me," aim too high for their own good. This doesn't make for a failed or bad album, just an uneven one. Overall, Live continues to plunge into dramatic, emotional, and spiritual realms, but the band needs to be more adventurous musically to complement its ongoing spiritual journey. ~ Gina Boldman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Throwing Copper made the members of Live into stars, but it didn't necessarily earn them respect. Evidently, the bandmembers thought that the problem lay with Jerry Harrison's crisp, commercial production, so they hired Jay Healey as a co-producer and set out to make a messy, hard-edged visionary statement. Borrowing heavily from Jimmy Page's bag of tricks, Live spikes Secret Samadhi with Eastern-tinged strings, sitars, and powerful overdubbed guitars ("Lakini's Juice" is propelled by a slide guitar riff out of Physical Graffiti). Meanwhile, Ed Kowalczyk's lyrics and singing remain indebted to early U2 -- he wants to say something big in a big way. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On Throwing Copper, Live tightened their sound, added crashing crescendos for dramatic effect, and injected some anger into their sound and songwriting. They also eased up a bit on the Eastern philosophy; the result is a more cohesive, memorable record overall, and quite an improvement from the sometimes overly precious Mental Jewelry. And for all of Mental Jewelry's ideologies, Throwing Copper is ultimately a more passionate and successful album, thanks to tracks like "I Alone," "Selling the Drama," and "All Over You," all of which received heavy radio play. The rebirth-themed "Lightning Crashes," the album's biggest hit, was written in memory of Barbara Lewis, a classmate who was killed by a drunk driver in 1993. Other standouts include the Kurt Cobain/Courtney Love-inspired "Stage," the apocalyptic "White, Discussion," the bass-driven, obsessive "Iris," and the dark "Dam at Otter Creek." Of course, Ed Kowalczyk couldn't resist throwing in a song like "T.B.D." (for the Tibetan Book of the Dead), based on Aldous Huxley's slow descent into death, aided by heroin. Its melodrama is a bit much, even for Live, and is just a sign of things to come on their next album, Secret Samadhi. But Throwing Copper is still a huge improvement from Mental Jewelry, and is the least overtly preachy Live album to date. ~ Gina Boldman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Live's debut album was an impressive set of righteous, hard-driving alternative rock; Mental Jewelry was in the vein of such college-radio favorites as U2, but was more vulnerable and less sanctimonious. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
