Live: Songs From Black Mountain
The problem with being a fan of a band called “Live” is in finding information and rare material. How effective is a web search going to be using the term “live”? You get like a thousand unrelated results. Kind of like looking for information on Cake and getting baking results, but that is another story. (Someday when I am in a band, we are going to have a very unique name. Mark my words!).
So, back to Live. I was thrilled today to get email from Franz in Dorf, Austria, pointing me in the direction of some excellent Live mp3s, and I’d like to share them with you.
- The River, highly recommended new single from the upcoming release Songs From Black Mountain (April 11, 2006). This is a complete studio version (sourced from an online stream by Epic Records).
If “The River” is any indication, I am looking forward to the new album. Two of my favorite Live albums are The Distance To Here (1999) and Throwing Copper (1994) and “The River” reminds me of their more melodic fare of those days. They kind of lost me a bit with 2001′s V, which was a little too hardcore, falling in with that rap-rock craze, and totally turned me off.
Live is doing a Canadian tour, so all my Canadian readers should consider checking them out. (The only problem with Canadian tour is that they are playing with Nickelback, and I truly cannot condone that. My apologies). I saw them at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley with Counting Crows back in ’99 or 2000, and they were excellent, even though Ed Kowalczyk reminded me a bit of Kid Rock or someone in his badass posturing of that era. Whatever. Hopefully there will be less crotch-gesturing in the current tour because the music was really excellent.
Thanks to The Live Lounge for these tracks, and again danke to Franz for pointing me in the right direction. And here’s one more bonus track:
- Running to Stand Still, Live from Metro City in Perth, Australia on December 7th, 2004 (U2 cover)
Name: Heather Browne
yeah Nickelback is the worst ever
Styeiles — January 9, 2006 @ 11:34 pm
Frikin’ a, some new Live. I’ve just started rediscovering them and buying up their catalogue. Haven’t listened to the song yet, but hoping it’s great. And yeah, what an injustice it is that they are opening for Nickelback…
Organizized56 — January 31, 2006 @ 3:45 pm
very cool – they reeeeeeeally like using the water imagery in their songs
jeffro — February 5, 2006 @ 3:51 pm
I saw them tonight! Pictures at my site. He talked about the water imagery and the feminine muse he used for Black Mountain. Cool night!
Interestingly enough, there was a question posed which reflected the comment you made about the difficulty of finding info about them.
Krupo — February 16, 2006 @ 9:32 pm
I love Live. I can’t even begin to explain how much I love Live. I love almost every song off Mental Jewelry, Throwing Copper and Distance to Here. And several songs off of their other albums – but you’re right – they did change after their first albums. I’ve read several interviews lately where they have commented that their next album “Songs From Black Mountain” will see more of a reversal – back to their roots – they’ve commented that people who were really into “Secret Sahmadi” may be disappointed.
One thing I really love about Ed is his candor and his honesty. I also love how he has stayed true to himself. He recently said that he has never written FOR his fans as much as he loves his fans. He has written entirely from what he has been experiencing in his life at the time and it has delighted him when that has been something his fans have been receptive of. He says his fans who were into his harder self will likely be disappointed in “Songs From Black Mountain” because it is mellow. He has aged. He has children. He has found his place in the world where he feels at ease with himself and it will be reflected in this album.
I’m so looking forward to it I can hardly breathe. I so love Live’s music I can’t describe it except for to say it does funny things to my insides. Some tunes get me excited and some just make my heart ache and swell.
I saw them with Nickelback in Lethbridge Alberta. I can attest to the fact that although there were surely people there to see Nickelback there were WAY WAY WAY more people there to see LIVE. It was awesome. Danko Jones opened and when he said “thanks to Nickelback” there were some cheers – but then he said “Live will be next” the whole stadium erupted – it was amazing.
Nickelback should have been opening for Live. Live should have had the whole stage and the better sound system and the lights and the fireworks. They did a WAY better job. They have way better music and are just way more exciting.
They had much better reception. The whole stadium was freakin’ screaming and going crazy. It was incredible. I feel completely honored to have been there.
-LuCynda from Raymond Alberta lucynda@telus.net
I have ALL of their music by the way.
Anonymous — February 20, 2006 @ 11:07 pm
No kidding…I agree with everything you said about Live and Ed…I just saw them last Saturday in Birmingham Alabama at a festival. The only crazy thing is that P.O.D. was right before them and kindof got the audience wound up, so it was a mess to try and experience the joy of Ed and Live. But always a good show…amazing.
Keddiotn — May 9, 2006 @ 3:07 pm
i agree – i was just saying how hard “Live” is to just put into google- i’ve been searching for about an hour for some information on their performance on Ellen monday, and i got 100000000000 other links, its terrible.
Sgambati — June 3, 2006 @ 9:37 pm
im seein LIVE very soon! im totally stoked about it! im only like 14 but iv been exposed to their music almost my whole life! sure some of my frnds think im weird because they’re all into metal at the moment… but i stay loyal to Live! i personally dont get why my frnds dont like them, but hey, i love them! they are awesome!
*TAMI*
Anonymous — September 24, 2006 @ 10:53 am