Live On

In his 22-year career as a singer-songwriter, Dan Israel has seen the music industry evolve; he's become a husband and a father, and he's seen his fair share of ups and downs. Live On -the 12th in his extensive catalog-packs a lot of meaning into the two simple words. The songs on Live On are about me not making the grade as a person a lot of the time. They cover the gamut of trying to be a good husband and a good dad and a good person, but not always making it, admits Israel. It's about falling back on crutches and bad habits, but coming out of it all better for having tried to deal with it through these songs. Live On is an album that finds Israel coming full circle from his debut record, Before We Met, recorded 17 years ago with Rich Mattson. Live On was recorded at Mattson's secluded Sparta Sound studio in northern Minnesota, and was a return to Israel's roots, who traces his family history back to the towns on the Iron Range. I felt that this is where I needed to be right now, and it was liberating, says Israel of recording the album. Israel holds nothing back when it comes to the music on Live On, an 11-track compilation that mixes bigger rock numbers with what he calls bummer tunes. Live On has cover art by Leah Rule and Mile After Mile was written for Slim Dunlap as he recovers from his stroke, but the greatest message on Live On is the power of human resilience. Tunes like Falling Short and Heart Of Me listen easily, with a gentle folk-rock amble to them, but the lyrics are like lifelines. On Ain't Gonna Let The World, Israel challenges himself to see past the sorrow, while the rollicking Lost Somehow focuses on making a return to the light. I'm not saying 'Woe is me,' insists Israel, But that's what I write about-trying to transcend the things that weigh me down. I'm saying, 'I ain't gonna let the world get me down,' and I'm saying that to myself. Live On takes the listener on a rambling walk through the life of an everyday guy with a heart of gold, bruised as it is. There's a universal narrative there-at some point, we've all been where Israel has been. It's good to have him here, by our side, reassuring us that we, too, can face whatever comes next.