Alive

Ed Kowalczyk | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 6, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Megaforce
• ASIN: B003JIFZXM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,467 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Ed Kowalczyk is a powerhouse singer...that drops musical smart bombs with unerring precision.' --Rolling Stone

Product Description

2010 debut solo album from the frontman for Alt-Rock favorites Live. His band has built an impressive resume that includes eight full-length albums, total CD sales exceeding 20 million, a huge international fan base and extensive touring all over the world. Live has been one of the most successful and enduring Alternative Rock bands of the 1990s and 2000s. Alive immediately ignites with his instantly recognizable vocals and trademark lyrics taking the listener to the place where they discovered the power of Live's music and urgency in Ed's voice.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sounds like Live - is that enough?, July 12, 2010

By 

Dony150 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alive (Audio CD)

Alright, so this album is pretty good. Eddie K went off on his own and well, not much changed. That could be good or bad - depends on how you enjoyed the last two Live albums. The good: Ed's on the vocals, and it's like Live never broke up! The bad: There is not much progression or experimentation here from those previous albums.

Here's where I stand - I really enjoyed Birds of Prey (apparently in the minority here), but I couldn't bring myself to buy Black Mountain because I'm not into their softer "pop", and I kinda disliked the single (seriously guys, we've already gone to the riverside, ran to the water, not again...)

In style I think this album is comparable to Birds of Prey, with a couple softer songs mixed in. I like that. There is passion in the vocals, the guitars wail at appropriate moments, and there are some catchy rythms. Lyrically/thematically it is also similar. Birds had a great Christianish single in Heaven - Alive has Grace. Remember the anti-war What Are We Fighting For - Alive has Stand (Chorus: "If you could stand tall with me, what are we fighting for..."). I definitely had that nostalgia when Ed is singing about love again - ahh, how familiar. But while I consistantly liked almost all of the songs on Brids and previous Live albums, I don't know if I can say the same for Alive. And that's the real catch.

So if you've been a Live fan since the 90's, sorry guys, this is no Throwing Copper. But if you like Live's newest stuff, you'll definitely enjoy some of the songs on this album, and you'd do well to check it out.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't Hate Me for Being Honest - I Love Ed, Too, September 16, 2010

By 

Darrell R. Owen "dongledad" (Texas United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Alive (Audio CD)

I am actually very surprised by the plethora of positive reviews on this album so far. A few reviews seem to be rating the man instead of the music - and Ed is definitely a 5-star guy. Some reviewers have self-admittedly placed their comments before even listening to the album or after only one spin of the disc. In fact, though many reviewers admit this solo effort is a complete digression from "Songs from Black Mountain," there are just too many undeserved (in my opinion) 5-star reviews to be had.

I have been a Live fan from the start, and I absolutely loved hearing Ed's voice again. But I want music to make me to break out randomly in song - I am not interested in lyrical depth or meaning. I certainly won't give an undeserved good star rating just because of my commitment to the artist (which I am). What I want from a solo album is the quality we got from Emerson Hart's Cigarettes & Gasoline or Pat Monahan's The Last of Seven. And when Ed's next solo effort comes out it will have to prove itself before I spend that money. I realize that radio and media are never a good litmus test for music or artist quality, but just how much chatter have YOU heard regarding this album? There is just none to be had.

If you wish to spend 99 cents to get at least one track and feel out this album, I recommend "Drive," "Drink," or "Fire on the Mountain." It is mostly downhill from there. The other tracks provide some varying memorable moments (usually in the form of Ed's unique vocal capabilities), but after almost 3 months of listening to this album at work and at home - were this album to disappear from my music server I would never realize it was gone.

Don't hate me for my honesty. I am very glad to see Ed finally branching out to a solo effort and I wish that it had come up with at least a few more top-notch tracks to encourage my support of him should he make a Sophomore album. But with Live's last album so lacking and this one faring somewhat worse, I would rather he and the other members of Live pull together as a team to ensure their next group release is as amazing as we all know Live can be.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ed's Soul is Alive on this Album!!!, July 7, 2010

By 

Shelley Merz (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Alive (Audio CD)

It is wonderful to see Ed back to his songwriting on this album. Alive showcases the true talent of Ed as a musician. The songs are full of passion & show his return to the stage as a performer. "Grace" shows that we can have faith, even in the hardest or darkest of times, while "Zion" is soulful and full of spirit. "Alive" is a return for Ed to his roots...his love of making music for the fans. I had the awesome opportunity to see Ed perform in NYC the day of the album release and it was so great to see his true excitement over this album. It is also wonderful to see how much into the music he gets when he performs. The new band works so well together and it really feels like they've been creating music together for a long time, rather than just a few months. Many Live fans have been waiting a very long time for "Alive" and 7/6/10 marks a day in history for Ed Kowalczyk fans everywhere. May there be many more years of Ed's success as a solo artist!!!!!