Live, a new band that has recently surfaced on the music scene has released its first album, "Mental Jewelry." They comment on war, peace, pollution and a mutual love throughout humankind. Live is not just another band with too much bass or lyrics that makes no sense. They combine a beat that feels good to listen to with lyrics that comment on the current problems of today, but also the universal problems of mankind.

Live's style closely compares with R.E.M. but without the absurdity of some of R.E.M.'s work like "Stand" and "Shiny Happy People." Live has great talent for producing great songs. They write all their songs, rare in today's music world. Live shows their instrumental talent also in some of their solos.

The first song, "Pain Lies on the Riverside," begins with a percussion solo. The message is that if you are on the riverside, you are merely a spectator of life waiting for something to happen to you. But if you are in the river, you are making things happen and are in the mainstream.

Another song, "Operation Spirit," questions Christianity. It asks, "Does Jesus, a man who lived two thousand years ago, mean anything to us today?" What role (besides someone to pray to) does Jesus take in our everyday lives? None is their conclusion.

The song with the most important message is "Take My Anthem." It states that all people here and everywhere are the same in heart and soul and there are no differences between them except the differences they create between themselves. So we all should love one another as if we were brothers.

I feel this album is a must buy. It not only contains provocative lyrics but has music between the heavy and the light. Its universal ideas of brotherhood between all men has been forgotten today and our differences separate us rather than our similarities bringing us together. This is why Live is the band for the Nineties. n