I can't claim to be an expert on this band… I only have two of their albums, and I guess I qualify as a casual fan. That's probably for the benefit of anyone depending on me to see how good this album is, since, well, my opinions on Michelle Branch, the Black Crowes and the Rolling Stones aren't nearly as unbiased. There. I admitted it.

So what's up with the "Lightning Crashes" and "I Alone" guys? Well, this one, V, their cleverly titled fifth album, is more heavily produced than Throwing Copper. Everything sounds louder, and studio effects are in full… effect, for lack of a better term. And, despite for most of their careers sounding heavily U2-influenced, they experiment a bit with rap-rock on the first two songs, "Simple Creed" and "Deep Enough." "Simple Creed" is OK-ish, and "Deep Enough" is cute, but not much else.

"Like a Soldier" is more rock-ish with a rap bridge, and "People Like You" is the first One-hundred-percent rock track here. Like your standard Nirvana track, it alternates between a soft verse and heavy chorus. OK.

Frankly, I can't go on with a song-by-song review. Every song has its own flavor, and Live is very good at switching things up. However, the album has no real standout tracks. Nothing is particularly great, but "Hero of Love" sticks out for having some decent lyrics.

Live simply is not at its best on this album. It's missing anything that could be considered a "classic," but it's still recommendable to people who want to check out something new. Who knows? Maybe the album just needs to grow on me.