Live
Secret Samadhi


3.5
great

Review

by Coma1996 USER (5 Reviews)
August 21st, 2011 | 10 replies


Release Date: 1997 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Something you never expected from a band that became so predictable.

During the late 90’s and early 2000’s, Live established themselves as a permanent fixture of alternative rock, and mainstream radio. Their hard-edged choruses and endearing vocals appealed to a wide and varied audience. Multiple singles from 1994’s Throwing Copper are still on high rotation more than 15 years after the albums release. However, even with such previous success, 1997’s follow up Secret Samadhi, which reached number 1 on the US billboard charts, has gone largely under appreciated and unrecognized.

As with many of Live’s albums, religious imagery and references emerges lyrically thought-out. However, Secret Samadhi projects a much darker and introspective aesthetic, which defines this album from other releases. The albums first single, Lakini’s Juice, remains a song, which the band has never surpassed. Combining one of the most distinctive guitar tones and riffs of the late 90’s with a brooding lyrical exploration of human desire, obsession and destruction this track exemplifies the tonality Secret Samadhi aims to achieve.

Freaks, is the most unique and seductive track of the album. A sarcastic-tongue in cheek questioning of what exactly, I am uncertain of (incest, prostitution, adultery and religious persecution appear to be recurring themes in the lyrics) backed musically by a jazz-esque verse and grunge chorus. Every time I listen to this track I feel dirty, confused, yet reaching to start it again. Along with Lakini’s Juice, Freaks is a high point in Live songwriting, not just for this album but also in their long career.

Furthermore the disarmingly beautiful Turn My Head, and the as-aggressive-as-Live-can-get Heropsychodreamer represent moments on Secret Samadhi where we see a side of Live, which seems to have disappeared from subsequent releases.

But the album as a whole is weakened by a majority of mid-tempo rock tracks and too much self-parody. Graze and Gas Hed Goes West are enjoyable tracks with verses consisting of ethereal guitars under sparse vocal, leading into overdriven choruses, but this formula is also done to a much better extent in the album opener, Rattlesnake and the torch song / rock track, Ghost. Similarly, Century, Merica and Insomnia and the Hole in the Universe are all channeling a far too similar energy also. While not horrible or even bad, the common nature of the tracks can leave parts of the album feeling repetitive. Especially when between the aforementioned highlight tracks. The track, Unsheathed, illustrates the lopsided/ uneven feel of the album. At one point slow burning and uninspired, yet at the next the band is driven, experimenting with sound and pushing their boundaries.

Secret Samadhi is a juxtaposition of beauty and boredom. As an album the distance between the highs and the lows is its greatest weakness. The highlight tracks are so perfectly crafted, or utterly unique that other tracks look bad by comparison. For anyone who has had a passing interest in Live, this album is a must, just to see something you never expected from a band that became so predictable.


user ratings (170)
3.5
great


Comments:Add a Comment 
SatelliteYears
August 22nd 2011


199 Comments


Such a weird album from them, but I love half the songs on here. Great review, POSed. :D

WatchItExplode
August 22nd 2011


10516 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

likini's juice is the shit

YoYoMancuso
Staff Reviewer
June 28th 2012


19316 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

this is a good album and good review, pos

mattjames2010
August 16th 2012


7 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

This album will always have to live in the shadow of "Throwing Copper". I connect with this one much more though.

CosmicPie
November 1st 2013


2901 Comments


I have always dug Live from a distance. Should grab a few of their albums.

Egarran
April 3rd 2014


35443 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

Quick, get to chorus! is what this record says.





Dylan620
April 15th 2014


5909 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

LET ME RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE

cold
January 18th 2018


6735 Comments


21 years later, and the riff and tone to "Lakini's Juice" is still just a SUPER SOLID banger. I don't think this band ever got enough love.

veninblazer
January 16th 2019


16921 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

The vocals on the hook of "Ghost" are too fucking good.

BigHans
March 23rd 2020


30959 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Dusting this off for the first time in 20 years probably. Lakini's Juice is still a major jam.



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