 Live rose to chart success on the strength of its
anthemic music and idealistic, overtly spiritual
songwriting, two hallmarks which earned the group frequent
comparisons to
U2.
Live first formed in the early '80s in their hometown of
York, Pennsylvania, when future members Chad Taylor
(guitar), Patrick Dahlheimer (bass) and Chad Gracey (drums)
began playing together under the name "First Aid" while
attending middle school. After losing an area talent
contest, they decided to enlist singer
Ed Kowalczyk, and as a foursome the group played under a
series of names before settling on
Public Affection.
After earning a rabid local following, in 1989
Public Affection released a cassette, The Death of a
Dictionary, on their own Action Front label. After
graduating to CBGB and other famed New York clubs, they
earned a demo deal with Giant Records which proved
unsuccessful; the completed demo earned them a deal with
Radioactive, however, and before drawing their new name out
of a hat,
Live recruited
Talking Head
Jerry Harrison to produce their 1991 debut, Mental
Jewelry. A collection of songs based on the writings of
Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti, the record made
Live one of the key players in the post-Nirvana
alternative music scene thanks to singles like "Operation
Spirit (The Tyranny of Tradition)" and "Pain Lies on the
Riverside."
Three years later,
Live returned with the muscular Throwing Copper, which
lingered a number of months on the charts before pushing the
group into the rock mainstream; after a series of popular
singles like "Selling the Drama" and "I Alone," the album's
slow build climaxed with the funereal "Lightning Crashes,"
which propelled the album to the top of the charts and paved
the way for the hits "White, Discussion" and "All Over You."
Secret Samadhi, the third
Live LP, followed in early 1997, but failed to match
either the commercial or critical success of previous
efforts. The band resurfaced two years later with The
Distance to Here. Through 2003,
Live continually refined
their ambitious, spiritual sound; both 2001's V and 2003's
Birds of Pray cracked the Billboard Top 30. ~ Jason Ankeny,
All Music Guide
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