Live Biography
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, the band 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
Popular Biographies:
Los van van Biography: Led by Juan Formell, Los Van Van have become one of the most successful son groups in the world. To the Afro-Spanish sound of traditional Cuban music, Los Van Van have added a strong...
Porn kings Biography: The Porn Kings shape their own brandish style of club/dance music for an eclectic listen similar to their fellow cohorts out of Liverpool. Releasing hits since the mid-'90s, these electronic slicers...
Hawkwind Biography: Any sci-fi fan with long memories probably remembers those 1970's DAW paperback editions of Michael Moorcock's sword-and-sorcery novels, with their images of heavily armored, very muscular warriors,...
Cursive Biography: As early as 1995, the original members of Cursive -- Tim Kasher on guitar and vocals, Clint Schnase on drums, Matt Maginn on bass, and Stephen Pederson on guitar -- began work on their newly...
Time in malta Biography: San Francisco's Time in Malta is an intense three-piece hardcore band that combines elements of melody, power, and heavy metal into a convincing, uplifting powerhouse akin to the works of Boy Sets...
Twelve gauge valentine Biography: With a self-proclaimed cliché hardcore name, Louisiana quartet Twelve Gauge Valentine is Jon Green (vocals), Jonathon Cooper (bass), Josh White (guitar), and Jonathan Webster (drums)....
Nevermore Biography: Nevermore straddles the line between power metal, traditional heavy metal, and the contemporary hard rock scene, eschewing the silly theatrics of the "power scene" in favor of a darker tone, while...
Tangerine dream Biography: Without doubt, the recordings of Tangerine Dream have made the greatest impact on the widest variety of instrumental music during the 1980s and '90s, ranging from the most atmospheric new age and...