Customer Reviews

LIVE YOUR LIFE BE FREE

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This incredible Belinda Carlisle album, her fourth solo release, was unjustifiably neglected and quickly forgotten by the public but not by those of us who recognize the incredible music this singer always delivers. A few tracks are somewhat average, but there are some really great songs on here that I enjoy listening to immensely. Belinda has one of the best voices in the industry, one which conveys passion and emotion vividly to this listener. This album features more up-tempo songs than her previous ones, communicating a "be strong and feel good" message to listeners. Despite the conspicuous absence of several slower ballads, love is still the theme of virtually every song Belinda sings.

The title track is a strong, upbeat song in which Belinda encourages a potential flame to think for himself because he will then surely realize that he should be with her and no one else. The style reminds me in a way of "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" and had all the makings of a big hit. "Do You Feel Like I Feel" is another fast-paced song wherein Belinda wonders if her new flame cares for her the way she cares for him. "Half the World" is a really beautiful love song about separated lovers which also speaks to those who are still waiting to find a soul mate. Featuring poignant lyrics such as "every time you leave, a part of me goes, too" and "the train that takes you from me brings somebody home," it is without a doubt one of Belinda's best love songs. Belinda really jams on the Latin-influenced "You're Nothing Without Me," producing an anthem of self-confidence in reaction to a flame threatening to walk away. "Little Black Book" is a fun little song that reminds me of Belinda's earlier solo recordings. "Love Revolution" features Belinda's huskier singing voice and possesses an infectious tempo. As usual, Belinda concludes the album with a truly superb song. "Loneliness Game" is a song for everyone, really, because everyone experiences loneliness, even the people who seem to have the world in the palm of their hands.

There is no bad song on the album, but a few tracks don't particularly stand out like the others. The music itself has a good bit of variety, as Belinda continued to mature and expand her musical repertoire, so the flow between one song and the next is a little choppy at a couple of places. All in all, though, this is yet another wonderful, underappreciated album from this great and talented singer. The music and style may change from one album to the next, but the unique, passionate voice remains vintage Belinda Carlisle.

This is Belinda's fourth album and quite different from her first three solo albums. It is in general harder and livelier than her previous ones and quite an optimistic album. One can feel that Belinda had quite some fun and joy during the making of this album.

Best Tracks on this album are "I Plead Insanity" (what a beat!), "Love Revolution", "Loneliness Game" (the softest song on the album, a reminder of her past) and the title track "Live Your Life Be Free".

The album contains 11 tracks with a total length of 51:09. Highly recommended.

With this album, Belinda Carlisle begins to take a slight turn from her three previous albums. It rocks a little harder, I think, especially the title track, which I think ranks as one of her five best songs ever. This was the first real commercial disappointment for her in the states, and she really never rebounded. It's a shame, because people are missing out on some really great music with this album and the follow-up "Real". With this album, you can tell she goes a little beyond the safety net vocally, sounding more raw and better than ever. How many people can you say sound better as they age? Belinda definately does.

Live Your Life Be Free is one of Belinda's top three best albums (right up there with her debut and "Heaven On Earth"). It's everything that Runaway Horses wasn't (which definitely isn't a downside). This album has much more of a Pop Rock vibe, while Runaway mostly had an overall slow, plodding dullness to it. The closest Runaway got to having a Rock song on it was "Leave a Light On". Don't get me wrong, it's a classic song and I love it, but it just doesn't have the punch that "Nothing Without me" and "I Plead Insanity" have. Only about half the songs I totally adore without any doubt (Live Your Life Be Free, Do You Feel Like I Feel, Half the World, You Came Out of Nowhere, You're Nothing Without Me, I Plead Insanity, Emotional Highway), the rest could be considered filler. But since half the album is amazing, I'm willing to forgive the mediocrity of the second half.

Don't get me wrong, LYLBF is a great album, but not the killer followup to Runaway Horses we were all hoping for. Featuring 11 great songs, LYLBF creates a variety of mixed impressions. The title track, Little Black Book, Love Revolution, and World of Love the the album a happy, cheerful sound. But Half the World, You're Nothing Without Me and the highly overrated Do You Feel Like I Feel? give a somewhat darker impression. Again, these are all great songs - and Belinda's voice is as stunning as ever, but the album itself is inconsistent and seems hastily cobbled together. The production is slick, the songs are well written, orchestrated and performed, but it is not what the fans were hoping for. Snap it up anyway - it is definately worth a listen.

While not the next Runaway Horses, its still a worthy album. "Half The World" is simply beautiful, and "Little Black Book", while a sad song, has the same thumping chorus you love to sing along with, just like "Mad About You" and "Leave A Light On" from Belinda's previous efforts. I think the biggest problem, if you call it a problem, is that Belinda strays too far with her other tracks from the established sound of her previous albums. Which isn't a bad thing, but I think it may have turned many people off. Still, for something different and interesting to listen to, check it out.

Go-Go's frontwoman Belinda Carlisle is raring to go on this slick pop-rock release (from the beautiful photographs in the booklet to her vocals, which alternate between a purr and a growl), but the disc has some musical lulls that keep it from being the smash-hit album she was probably shooting for. "Half the World" is a lovely ballad, "Little Black Book" a giddy pop confection, but the title track is musically unfocused (perhaps it went through the remixing stages once too often) and "World of Love", a '60's wanna-be, never quite gets off the ground. Belinda switches gears for "You're Nothing Without Me", a surprisingly dark tune that (even more surprisingly) doesn't stick out from the rest of the pop output (which is a credit to the smooth production). Listen for back-up singer 'Cherryl Crowe' on a number of tunes. Carlisle herself is so lively (and is into playing the diva-role with such cheerful intensity) that she very rarely disappoints. 'B'

Length:: 1:13 Mins

In my humble opinion this album yielded Belinda's strongest contribution to pop music; a lot less dark than the (outstanding) Runaway Horses album LYLBF contains upbeat music and crystal clear production. It is such a pity that the album was not promoted as heavily as it should have, only going gold in the UK. Stan out trax are I Plead Insanity - bombastic chorus and fantastic guitar sequence - it stands up there with Heaven Is a Place on Earth in terms of commercial appeal. You're Nothing Without Me chugs along in a 60s kind of way and superbly prefigures I Plead. Third best song is Love Revolution, again an optimisitc, guitar driven pop gem which makes you feel upbeat. It is unfortunate that these three songs were not chosen as singles - while the title track, Do You Feel and Half The World are excellent they lack the punch of these trax. Indeed what is ironic is that in Belinda's current live shows (I saw her as support to Cher in Dublin last week) she sings the albums most haunting yet non-released song Emotional Highway over big hits like We Want The Same Thing and Always Breaking My Heart, which indicates just how strong Belinda herself felt about trax on this opus. Definitely in my top 10 albums - 8 years later

when i first bought this album i was a huge belinda fan and i did not like this album. that was then since then i have to say i think it is wonderful the best tracks are i plead insanity and your nothing without me also little black book i think you would be a fool to not buy this as it is the forgotten gem in her career. buy it and feel the magic.