Posted by Rincewind:
Wow...they have really gone down hill after the guy shaved his head and converted to Islam.
Posted by Lakini:
My review of V...
First off, I'd like to say that Live is my favorite band of all time. Their new album is definitely different from their previous four. It has a more poppy sound to it, and lacks some of the spirituality that is so common place with Live. Ed actually raps in a select few of the songs. I think the rapping enhances the song "OK", however, I think it takes away from the song "Like A Soldier." I loved the prerelease of "Like A Soldier" because it sounded like a throw back to the TC days, but the rap in the album version sounds like a last minute decision. Also, I don't think the lyrics are quite up to par with any of their other albums. I've always hailed Ed Kowalcyzk as an amazing lyracist... especially regarding Secret Samahdi and the symbolism used. V is a bit more blunt in the terms of the lyrics, which is not necessarily a bad thing and actually is regarded as an improvement in most of the reviews I've read. But I personally prefer obscurity and symbolism in lyrics. Overall, I still think it is a great album with some stunning ballads such as, Overcome, Transmit Your Love, Hero of Love and Call Me a Fool, and also some great rocking tunes like Deep Enough, Simple Creed and People Like You. Although this is not my favorite Live album, I have a feeling this album will be a favorite among the new generation of rock fans, and may gain Live a larger fan base and hopefully some more respect.
