Search - Live :: Songs From Black Mountain

Familiar sound produces a love it or hate it disc for Live's

A. G. Corwin | 06/06/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Live are back with their new studio album, their seventh, entitled Songs From Black Mountain. Delivering another familiar slice of Live's version of modern rock, Black Mountain sticks directly to the formula that has worked for them on past albums like Throwing Copper, Secret Samadhi, and V. Patrick Dahlheimer's rollicking bass work and Chad Gracey's thumping drums combine tightly with Chad Taylor's strong guitar work to create a nice sonic palette that is both familiar and pleasing, but may be boring to some. Singer Ed Kowlczyk offers up more of his usual soaring choruses and spiritual lyrics, and the result is a familar sounding record.



The first half of the album is its strength. It kicks off strongly with a standard Live kick-off track entitled The River, a gentle opening that bursts into an anthemic chorus backed by strong rhythm guitar. Mystery is more of the same, but with some orchestral touches joining the guitar. Get Ready is acoustic based with lyrics like "the future is now, the past is gone forever" and a growled repetitive chorus of "get ready" that showcases Kowlczyk's vocals perfectly. Show is a typical arena rock song, starting off slow but delivering a fist pumping hard rock chorus. Wings is an upbeat rocker that weaves hard rhythm guitar work with spacey sonic interludes, with a strong harmony laden chorus "it could be the Waves.." The track Sofia is like a harder version of Santana, a slinky and funky ode to a woman, "Sofia I need you like a junkie needs a vein." A very cool track and my favorite on the record.



The second half seems to trail off in quality, like a marathoner getting exhausted close to the finish line. Love Shines(A Song For My Daughters About God) is an introspective track about religion and faith that is good but not remarkable. Where Do We Go From Here is a simple, cleanly produced, classic rhythmic rock song that is the strongest track on the album. Home is a good rock song that attempts to evoke the issue of war and the desire for peace, but falls prey to cliched lyrics. All I Need basically defies description; I can't decide to love it or hate it, but after more listens I'm leaning towards dislike. You Are Not Alone is just plain bizarre, and should have been relegated to a B-side. Closing track Night of Nights is full of random time changes, with no musical coherency allowed to build, ending the album on a down note.



Produced by Incubus and Hoobastank producer Jim Wirt, Songs From Black Mountain was recorded in only three weeks, which may have helped restrain most of Live's usual tendency to over experiment but supressed some of their energy. Every song clocks in around 4 minutes, for a shade over 42 minutes total. If you disliked Live before, nothing about this album will change that viewpoint. Fans seem to have a love or hate it reaction so far, with bland being a common adjective. To me its a consistant record rather than a bland one. Borrow a friend's copy first before buying, make sure its your cup of tea before dropping a Hamilton.



A.G. Corwin

St Louis, MO"

Another stab in the chest

Jason | CaLiFoRNIA | 06/23/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The most apt way to summarize this album -- and it bemoans me to say this -- is that I have absolutely no inclination to play it.



I didn't expect a great deal after 'Birds of Pray', which I thought was hands down their weakest release. For what it's worth, I do find 'Black Mountain' to be one small notch above that album, but really that doesn't mean a thing if you got in my head and magnified the word associations I have with 'Birds'. I think I repressed all the Amazon-appropriate words for that review, so I'm pretty sure a clouded rage lingers around it.



Basically this is light, relatively asinine and completely disposable pop-rock. If it does one thing right, it's the regression to a more flowing pop-natured album than the rigid, static 'Birds'. In this sense I find the album's songs constructed quite a bit like the pop-ballads of 'V', which I never minded in the first place. Sorry to say, however, even the highlights on this album can't much compare to the highlights on that album. Very few of the songs on here are unlistenable -- and a few are really quite enjoyable -- but virtually all of them are pretty lifeless. It's the kinda stuff I except to hear when I'm at a grocery store, which isn't ALL that surprising because I heard 'Birds'' "Run Away" at the local corporate grocery store more times than I'm comfortable with. I mean, this is the band that I cherished with 'Mental Jewelry' and 'Throwing Copper'... raw, biting albums of energy and thought. For shame.



Again... there are some nice songs here. When I first saw the video for the album's single, 'The River', I'm sure my face mutated into a vile, disgusting alien of awkwardness for a split second. The song and video shot through my brain like a nasty tab of LSD. GOD DAMNIT -- why can't Live just write a mother f8)#@;ng rock album again? The video was a disgrace in itself, but the tone of the music was quite literally softer and more timid than I'd heard. And not like, in a sensitive, precious light; more like a weak, lame light. Whatever. This song ultimately is an accurate sign of what the rest of the album comes to be -- breezy, well-natured songs that sound like they could have come from a benign Christian Rock group. I.E. mostly utter sh*#.



Yeah so "Sofia" is a pretty rockin' piece. Ditto with "Where Do We Go From Here". I actually like "Get Ready", which I've already read some people lambast with satanic-fueled anger. The harmony between guitar, drums, and strings near the end of "Mystery" is one of the highlights of the disc... good stuff. But you know what? They're mearly good. The best song on here isn't as good as the worst song on any of Live's releases pre-'V'. Every song on the arena-rock oriented 'The Distance to Here' rapes 'Black Mountain' in a way that I'd turn my head if I had to bear witness to it. I mean, defiles. And sure, "it's a pop album", but you know what? I am a freakin' pop freak. LOVE good pop. ADORE great pop. This isn't good pop. 'V' in my opinion wasn't good pop either, but it was admirable enough for a band trying something new. This isn't pop music worth touching.



Whew. Basically, don't get it. Still love Live for their first four albums, and yet again, don't mind the maligned fifth, 'V'. So despite two bombs, 'Birds of Pray' and now 'Black Mountain', I still really do consider myself a Live fan. I just hope that, if they even do make another album, it gets........ better."

Uninspired

Fred | Chicago, IL USA | 06/21/2006

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Even the most ardent fans of Live must admit that this is possibly the most lame effort the band has made in their entire career. Every artist/band has missteps in their career, and here it is in all its shining non-glory. The problem, though, is that releasing your most boring album at a time when your popularity is already pretty much in the cellar is career suicide. This is a time when a band should sound refreshed, re-energized and ready to play. Unfortunately, "Songs From Black Mountain" may be an indication that the boys just don't have it anymore. All the songs drone on with mediocrity, a lack of melodic hook and missing the raw energy that we've grown accustomed to hearing on every Live album. It sounds as though they've taken the unreleased studio throwaways from previous albums and lumped them together on this disc. This is truly a shame, as I have loved these guys since the beginning.



If you want a lesson on how to do it right, you need to turn to Pearl Jam. After a couple of mediocre, career-threatening albums, they came roaring back with a a re-invigorated and truly inspired effort. The public loves a comeback, and these guys did it right. They ended up debuting at #1 on iTunes and #2 on the Billboard charts. Their first single shot to #1 on modern rock radio. I was so excited to hear that both Pearl Jam and Live had new releases this year, only to be blown away by one and disappointed by the other.



Someone argued that Ed Kowalczyk's having a daughter may have dragged them down somewhat. Guess what? Lots of rock bands have families and still know how to write great songs. It's not Ed's daughter that is the problem here...it's Ed!"