Love it!
I love almost all of the songs on this CD. It was my first time listening to this band. I had heard the All Over You song on the radio a couple of times, liked it and decided to see what the rest of the album sounds like.

To my suprize, I loved most of the songs, and it's not even my regular genre of music.

Scope's wife

AWESOME COMPILATION !!!
I'm having a hard time removing this CD from my player after 8 months....really, really, good stuff. I don't think the Johnny Cash cover was necessary though.

Just ain't what they used to be
While I don't actually own this particular CD, I do own most of Live's work, up to "V", where I finally gave up in exasperation. I'm so glad another reviewer mentioned two of my favorite songs, "Ghost" (which is actually entitled "Face and Ghost"), and "Voodoo Lady", which are unfortunately missing from this album. My favorite of all Live's albums was Secret Samadhi, then with "The Distance to Here", in my opinion, the downhill roll began, owing partially to the shift in the lyric-writing style, becoming more literal and nauseatingly earnest instead of being so chock-full of the poetic imagery that made Live so original and, well, deep. (I mean, does ANYONE else have lyrics like those in "Lakini's Juice": "I rushed the lady's room, took the water from the toilet, washed her feet and blessed her name"?) It's all but gone in Live's stinker, "Birds of Pray", which made me very sad, with lousy, school-kid lyrics such as those in that vapid song "Heaven": "I don't need nobody to tell me about god and truth, I look at my daughter, and I believe". (Well, good for you, junior, I thought when I first heard this tune, you went ahead and "found god and he was absolutely nothing like me".) All I have to say is, it's too bad they had to change. At one time, they were my favorite band. Now they stand among the ranks of those who coulda been contenders. Let's all shed a tear for Live and their wasted potential.

Great
Live is one of the best band out there! Great music that you can hear anywhere and anytime....

Great track selection for this best of LIVE mix
THE BAND: Ed Kowalczyk (vocals, guitar), Chad Taylor (lead guitar), Patrick Dahlheimer (bass), Chad Gracey (drums & percussion). Hometown: York, PA.

THE DISC: (2004) 19 tracks clocking in at approximately 77 minutes. Included with the disc is a 7-page foldout containing song titles/credits (no lyrics), band photos, what songs came from which albums, a quick paragraph on each album from Kowalczyk, and thank you's. This compilation follows the band from their 1991 debut through "Birds Of Pray" in 2003. There is an additional 2-disc release (the CD with music, and a DVD with interview and videos) also available. Label - Radioactive Records.

ALBUM REPRESENTATION: Mental Jewelry (3 songs), Throwing Copper (5), Secret Samadhi (2), The Distance To Here (3), V (2), Birds Of Pray (2), Unreleased (2).

COMMENTS: Outside of "Throwing Copper" (1994), this "Best Of" compilation might be all the Live you need. It absolutely hits on all the highlights of each album. Tracks 1-3 find the band in raw form from "Mental Jewelry"... singing and playing like they had something to prove. "Operation Spirit" and "Pain Lies On The Riverside" were the standout songs and worthy of inclusion here. Tracks 4-8 are from "Throwing Copper" - easily their biggest and most recognized tunes. "Copper" had so many great songs - and Kowalczyk never sang with such conviction. The melodies were most importantly... memorable. And then Kowalczyk shaved his head and went Zen on everyone. For me, "Secret Samadhi" (1997) was the start of the decline for Live. "Lakini's Juice" was my favorite track from this one because of the weird guitar chords. "Turn My Head" was the other good tune from "Samadhi", but the rest of the album was a mixed bag at best. Kowalczyk singing about spirit, his Holiness, angel wings, birds and dolphins crying in the near future was losing audiences. Not to mention the music just not being that strong - outside of a few tracks on each album - all of which are here on "Awake - Best Of Live". The Distance To Here" made some waves but quickly lost steam and fell from the charts. Their fifth album "V" (labeled as "experimental") was trashed by most major music mags. "Birds Of Pray" was a semi return to form, but once again garnered mixed reviews and almost no FM-airplay. The unreleased "We Deal With Dreams" was an extra song from the "Throwing Copper" sessions and is a nice inclusion here. Live's remake of Johnny Cash's "I Walk The Line" is nothing out of the ordinary, but still respectable. Missing are a few personal favorites (but by no means essential) - "Iris", "Top", "White, Discussion", "Ghost", "Voodoo Lady", and "Graze". This is a fantastic disc because it has the band's best songs over their 1st dozen years ALL in one place. Despite Live's 2nd half fall from the charts, this is a stellar introduction to the band (5 stars).