Until OK Computer came out, this was the hands down fav for Album Of The Year.  Live has shifted their sound slightly to more of a straight forward, less groove-oriented sound.  The dynamics are still strong, and the guitars have been beefed up with the departure of producer Jerry Harrison.
The tone of the record is a lot more hard than either Mental Jewelry or Throwing Copper. Live has with this record, begun to push themselves to a more mainstream audience than with the previous two efforts.  A lot of this may be accounted for by success and maturity.  They experiment with sounds and structure that is creative yet accessible.
Each of the twelve tunes on the record rip, and is unlike anything the group has done before. In addition to the radio hits "Lakini’s Juice", "Turn My Head", and "Freaks", strong songs include "Unsheathed", "Heropsychomdreamer" and Merica".
Ed Kowalczyk’s lyrics are honest and quite complex, as such they may cause the feeble-minded to get lost.
This album rips, and it is unfortunate that the band did not recieve the support for more of the tracks from this record on the radio.  But then again, the success might kill them.

Rating = 4.5 out of 5
Reviewed by: Rox 2, July 1998

Table

1 =Take it back after you've taped the radio track.

2 =Not bad...some promise, but doesn't follow through consistently.

3 =A solid record all the way through, with maybe one or two flashes of brilliance.

4 =A great record that pushes the musical envelope of the moment. A must buy.

5 =A classic that you'll give to your Grandchildren.

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