Vertical Horizon Tops My Personal Countdown For the First Time with The Lucky One

The concerts of Vertical Horizon and Live's Ed Kowalczyk last week cause another barrage of new songs into my personal weekly Top 10.  Here are my favorite songs for the week ending May 4, 2012 -

#1 Vertical Horizon - The Lucky One (NEW)

      Vertical Horizon gets their first #1 song in my personal weekly Top 10.  This song comes from the latest album, Burning the Days.  They also played this in their concert here in Manila.

#2 Madonna - I'm A Sinner (3)

      The only song from MDNA that was able to survive the onslaught of Vertical Horizon and Live's hits.  It is poised to top the list next week.

#3 Vertical Horizon - All Is Said and Done (NEW)
      Another new song from the band, also from their new album.  They also performed it here!

#4 Gloria Estefan - Wepa (1)
     Last week's #1 song still holds strong as I still enjoy dancing it in Body Jam.

#5  Live - Lightning Crashes (RE)
     A former #1 song, Lightning Crashes reenters at #5, propelled by Ed Kowalczyk's concert here last week.

#6 Vertical Horizon - I'm Still Here (NEW)
     An old classic from the band that enters my personal list for the first time.

#7  Vertical Horizon - Everything You Want (RE)
     A former top 10 song in my personal list reenters this week at #7.

#8 Live - Selling the Drama (RE)
     A Live classic reenters the Top 10 this week at #8.

#9 Live - White, Discussion (NEW)
     I discovered this Live classic while listening to Ed's concert setlist.  This is Live's fourth Top 10 hit in my personal Top 10.  Ed also performed this in the show!

#10  Live - I Alone (RE)
     Another Live classic which entered the Top 10 before, reenters at #10.

Concert Review: Lightning Crashes with Ed Kowalczyk

1994 and 1995 where the last two years of my college life and probably the most fun I've had too since during this point of my life, I met some of the happiest party people I've ever met in Manila!  I'm saying this because this group of friends from IS Manila also introduced me to the music of Live - the band, whose lead singer, Ed Kowalczyk, had a show here last night at the Araneta Coliseum.  Funny thing is, we didn't even realize that Ed's music had that deep Christian bent and it really took us by surprise that Ed's latest album, Alive, is already a full blown Christian rock album!  I may have had an idea then that Lighting Crashes had some holy freakin' message but realized only now that Ed was really bent on making music praising God.

Would you believe that after the set of Vertical Horizon, Ed started his set with an Ave Maria song!!!??? And ended it with the classic 'Hallelujah'!!??  Who knew and to think my IS friends did a lot of unholy things to their music (sshhhhh......)

Anyway, his new music sounds close enough to how Live sounded but after listening to it for a week, I couldn't find any standout single.  So it was still the Live classics that moved the audience that night - from All Over You, to Dolphin's Song to Heaven to White, Discussion - and of course, the classics - I Alone, Selling the Drama and Lightning Crashes. 

I admit I only warmed up when he played the Live songs.  I do listen to Christian rock (Jars of Clay) and I watch their concerts (Switchfoot - twice already!!) but I think Ed tries to hard to 'preach' here.  Sometimes, being too preachy can turn off people.  Oh well, just my opinion.

I do hope he still releases new music.  I am still interested in the direction he is going.  I just hope he digs deeper emotionally since his songs from his Live days had that mysterious pull which made their band interesting in the first place.  Right now, he just sounds like a preacher who tries too hard.

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The Most Likely Concert Setlist of Ed Kowalczyk in his Manila Concert

Ed Kowalczyk, former lead singer of Live, will have a concert here this Saturday, April 28, with the band, Vertical Horizon.  This will, most likely be his concert setlist since this was what he played in his last gig - give or take a few songs.  I suggest you listen to the songs already so that you'd have a great time in the show.  I know I will!

• 1. The Distance
     (Live song)
  2. All Over You
     (Live song)
  3. The Great Beyond
  4. Selling the Drama
     (Live song)
  5. Drink
  6. The Beauty Of Grey
     (Live song)
  7. Zion
  8. The Dolphin's Cry
     (Live song)
  9. Stand
  10. Heaven
      (Live song)
  11. White.Discussion
      (Live song)
  12. I Alone
      (Live song)
  13. Encore:
  13. Overcome
      (Live song)
  14. Grace
  15. Lightning Crashes
      (Live song)