Live Life Living

Last updated

Setlist [10]

Critical reception

Live Life Living
Example Live Life Living 1.jpg
Studio album by
Released7 July 2014 (2014-07-07)
Recorded2013–2014
Studio
  • Sensible Studios
  • Britannia Row Studios
  • MyAudiotonic Studios
  • Metrophonic Studios
Genre
Length47:08
Label Epic
Producer
Example chronology
#Hits
(2013)
Live Life Living
(2014)
Bangers & Ballads
(2018)
Deluxe edition cover
Example Live Life Living 2.jpg
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
theMusic.com.auStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
NME 5/10 [14]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]

Upon release, the album has received mixed reviews from critics.

Praises went to the variety in style and experimentation between each track. Ben Cardew from NME stated: "This fifth album, his first for a major-label, marks another change – whereas before he'd sing and rap over EDM-tinged tracks, here he decides to largely can the rapping that made his name, spitting barely a handful of verses, and delivers a record of relentless club bangers featuring choice '90s dance influences ... This willingness to experiment should be applauded, and it's fun (at first) to play spot the influences." [14]

In terms of criticisms, Cardew stated: "But while the style may vary, the tone rarely does. Bar a moody-ish late-album spell, everything is designed for maximum rave uplift, displaying not so much light and dark, as light, more light and Day-Glo. The lyrics, too, tend towards the ear-rinsingly bland (as showcased on the single 'One More Day (Stay With Me)' "another lesson learned, another page is turned" etc.) as if Example wants to hide behind disco platitudes. And on the few occasions here he does resort to rap, there is a palpable feel of grudging 'will-this-do'? ... there’s a sense that Example's fifth album could have been something quite unique. Instead, 'Live Life Living' is as hard to stomach as its tongue twister title is to pronounce." [14] Killian Fox from The Observer stated: "This album, the London rapper-turned-singer's fifth, has moments of self-effacement ("I'm so, so far from perfect, will you take me as I am?"), but in general it lacks conviction or a driving force. The cliches in the lyrics ("Like a rabbit in the headlights") extend to the formulaic production, which pays homage to 90s dance culture without bringing anything very interesting to the party." [15]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Next Year"5:06
2."Kids Again"3:12
3."One More Day (Stay with Me)"
  • Gleave
  • Alex Smith
  • Sam Preston
  • Example
  • Alex Smith
  • Critikal [b]
3:27
4."10 Million People"
  • Gleave
  • F Smith
  • Alf Bamford
  • Example
  • Fraser T Smith
  • Critikal
4:22
5."Only Human"
  • Gleave
  • Andy Sheldrake
  • Sheldrake
  • Critikal [b]
3:42
6."Seen You"
  • Gleave
  • F Smith
  • Bamford
  • Example
  • Sheldrake
  • Fraser T Smith
  • Critikal
3:45
7."Can't Face the World Alone"
  • Gleave
  • F Smith
  • Example
  • Fraser T Smith
  • Critikal [b]
3:44
8."Live Life Living"
  • Gleave
  • Bamford
  • Example
  • Critikal
3:13
9."All the Wrong Places"
  • Gleave
  • Bamford
  • Steve Hill
  • Example
  • Critikal
  • Steve Hill [a]
3:27
10."Take Me as I Am"
  • Gleave
  • Bamford
  • Example
  • Critikal
3:12
11."At Night"
  • Gleave
  • Price
Stuart Price5:13
12."Longest Goodbye"
  • Gleave
  • Price
Stuart Price4:46
Total length:47:08
Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."New Friends"
  • Gleave
  • Sheldrake
  • Sheldrake
  • Critikal [b]
3:28
14."Full Eclipse"
  • Gleave
  • Bamford
Critikal3:55
15."One Last Breath"
  • Gleave
  • Jakob Liedholm
  • Jakob Liedholm
  • Critikal [b]
3:14
16."Innocent Minds"
  • Example
  • Critikal
  • Sheldrake
3:43
Total length:60:28
Deluxe edition bonus disc [16]
No.TitleLength
1."All the Wrong Places" (Quintino Remix)5:25
2."All the Wrong Places" (Calyx & TeeBee Remix)4:58
3."All the Wrong Places" (Jack Beats Remix)5:33
4."All the Wrong Places" (Starkillers Remix)5:11
5."Kids Again" (MOTi Remix)4:37
6."Kids Again" (Dimension Remix)4:09
7."Kids Again" (Zed Bias Remix)4:46
8."Kids Again" (Critikal 'Miami Sunrise' Remix)5:12
Total length:60:41
iTunes deluxe edition bonus videos [17]
No.TitleDirector(s)Length
25."All the Wrong Places"Emil Nava3:27
26."All the Wrong Places" (Quintino Remix) 5:25
27."Kids Again"Jon Jon Augustavo3:13
28."Kids Again" (MOTi Remix) 4:37
Total length:77:23

Notes

Charts

Chart (2014)Peak
position
Irish Albums (IRMA) [18] 28
Scottish Albums (OCC) [19] 11
UK Albums (OCC) [20] 8
UK Dance Albums (OCC) [21] 1

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabel
United Kingdom [22] 7 July 2014CD, digital download Epic/Sony
Canada8 July 2014
Australia [22] 11 July 2014
New Zealand [23]
United States12 August 2014 Sony/Ultra Records

References

  1. "Example signs new record deal". Contactmusic.com. 16 July 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  2. "Example live in studio with Fletch & Vaughan – Video Display – Video". The Edge. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  3. "Example debuts new single 'All The Wrong Places'". Digital Spy. 16 July 2013.
  4. "Example – All the Wrong Places (Radio Edit + Jack Beats Remix)". Dancing Astronaut. 19 July 2013.
  5. "Example: Fed Up With Rapping – YouTube". YouTube. 12 June 2013.
  6. "Example: New album will be "tough and twisted!"". UKF Music. 27 February 2014.
  7. "Example – 10 Million People (Kove Remix)". UKF Drum & Bass on YouTube. 16 August 2014.
  8. Gleave, Elliot (26 March 2014). "My new album #LiveLifeLiving is up for pre-order on iTunes. Order now and get the track 'Only Human' today". Twitter.
  9. "Example Streams New Song 'Seen You' EXCLUSIVELY on Capital Before His Album Drops". Capital. 3 July 2014.
  10. "Example Setlist at O2 Academy, Sheffield on November 8, 2014". setlist.fm.
  11. Jeffries, David. "Live Life Living". Rovi Corporation.
  12. Caroline Sullivan (3 July 2014). "Example: Live Life Living review – big choruses but a troubled heart". The Guardian .
  13. Dylan Stewart (12 July 2014). "Example Live Life Living Dylan Stewart".
  14. 1 2 3 "NME Album Reviews - Example – 'Live Life Living' - NME.com". Nme.Com. 9 July 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  15. 1 2 Killian Fox (6 July 2014). "Live Life Living review – Example's fifth album fails to ignite". The Observer .
  16. "Example's new album 'Live Life Living' will be out in June". Popjustice. 4 March 2014.
  17. "Live Life Living (Deluxe Version) by Example". iTunes . 4 July 2014.
  18. "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 28, 2014". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  19. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  20. "Example | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
  21. "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  22. 1 2 "Live Life Living by Example". iTunes Store . Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  23. "Live Life Living by Example". iTunes Store New Zealand. Apple. Archived from the original on 11 January 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2014.