[2] Ed Kowalczyk's lyrics on this album return to the spiritual territory of The Distance to Here.

Guitarist Chad Taylor explained that the tensions between Kowalczyk and the other three members that eventually caused the band to split from him surfaced in 1999, and had grown worse during the album's recording sessions.

"[3] Birds of Pray debuted at number 28 on the Billboard 200, selling over 37,000 copies in its first week of release.

[4] AllMusic disliked Kowalczyk's lyrics, claiming they were "Either too literal or bewilderingly obtuse" and said that the album was, "Still recognizably Live...big, big guitars, sweeping anthemic choruses, earnest ballads, mildly histrionic vocals...but it's a little more subdued and a little more serious and quite streamlined...The biggest problem with the record is that the eye is on the big picture...to the extent that the individual moments aren't all that memorable, clearly lacking singles as forceful as those that fueled Throwing Copper."

AllMusic concluded by claiming that, "Live is growing up and settling down, turning into a solid thirty-something rock band.