Lived to Tell

Produced by Paul McKenna, the album was recorded in Cub Run, Kentucky, in a studio that had been built in an old barn.[5][6] All four band members contributed to the songwriting.[7]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[8]
Austin American-Statesman	[5]
Calgary Herald	B+[9]
Robert Christgau	A−[10]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[6]
Entertainment Weekly	B[11]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide	[12]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[13]

Entertainment Weekly wrote that the band "sport a wild instrumental attack, oblique lyrics, and a sturdy, unflinching belief in the healing effects of a silky, soaring guitar."[11] Robert Christgau thought that "a notable guitar sound evolves into an undeniable band sound, roots/trad sonics (steel and slide under lead) and rhythms (buried hints of r&b strut and shuffle) just barely keeping their balance."[10] Trouser Press opined that some songs "waver instead of stampede; for the first time, the band seems to know where they’re going, and that takes some joy out of the ride."[1]

The New York Times wrote: "When the tempos are fast and the guitarists strum at top speed, the songs emerge in a passionate rush. But when songs grow more leisurely, collegiate pretensions emerge; songs called 'Daedalus' and 'It's All a Game' are just the clichés their titles promise."[14] The Chicago Tribune deemed Lived to Tell "an album that ranks as one of the best ever made by a Chicago band."[15]

AllMusic wrote that "[Rick] Rizzo and Beveridge Bean make a fantastic pair of front singers, strong without being overbearing, on joint harmonies hitting something not far off from the brilliant combination of X's John Doe and Exene Cervenka."[8]

• Janet Beveridge Bean - drums, vocals
• Baird Figi - guitar
• Douglas McCombs - bass
• Rick Rizzo - guitar, vocals