I don't understand why people listen to live versions of songs...

[DesiPower]

I saw the live concert video of Limp Bizkit - Ugly Like Me, after that I always liked the live version of that song way better,

 

[bignateyk]

He's not talking about listening to a live version in concert. He's talking about listening to a live version in his home that has been recorded, and I have to agree, usually they sound worse in terms of overall sound quality.

 

[DesiPower]

He's not talking about listening to a live version in concert. He's talking about listening to a live version in his home that has been recorded, and I have to agree, usually they sound worse in terms of overall sound quality.

Aaahhhhh... My bad, another read fail...

 

[shadow9d9]

Album better than live? You've obviously never heard Phish or Pink Floyd.

 

[shadow9d9]

this

Umm, worse sound quality even if they are soundboard recordings? How so? Phish has 100s of shows online with perfect quality... What about all the live album releases?

 

[SlickSnake]

Exactly. I've always been a fan of Metallica. I've got all the albums except the S&M with the San Francisco Orchestra. Then I went ahead and bought it. I pressed "PLAY" and I just couldn't listen to it. I got to the third song and that's it. Now, Metallica are incredibly good in concert, but a live album is not something I want to listen to outside a crowded stadium.

The only good live albums are the "unplugged" ones. For example, Nirvana's Unplugged is a masterpiece. The songs are meant to sound different. And they do.

I find it truly amazing you could be so incredibly naive about live recordings and actually used S&M as an example of what not to like.

Let me ask you this, why in the hell did you buy it on CD and not on DVD? Looks like most people on Amazon certainly don't agree with you who bought the 5.1 DD mix. And I certainly don't agree either.

http://www.amazon.com/Metallica-Fran...7556776&sr=1-1

If I want to hear a concert LIVE I buy a DVD or Blu-ray, if available. Otherwise, I only waste money buying a live version on CD of a band I really like, because some bands, not all mind you, like to experiment with the concert versions extensively. Artists like Skinny Puppy or Primus (Les Claypool especially so) or even RUSH or old DEVO concerts are all killer on concert videos.

Some bands to me positively suck on studio recordings, and Grateful Dead comes to mind, but then they absolutely come alive on live recordings (see what I did there?) like Infared Roses. Or even Peter Frampton, Frampton Comes Alive, one of the top grossing live recordings of all time, but I couldn't stand any of his studio stuff. Some artists take the energy from the crowd like magic and literally transform it into their music while they play.

Few bands really have the power to do this, and those that do, simply can't convey that energy on a studio release. Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Tool, NIN, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Jeff Beck, Al Dimiola and even Ministry (shudder) all seem to be some of those gifted performers that can transform audience energy magically into part of the music. The studio version is only the launching pad for the greater music to happen live.

And obviously the video along with the 5.1 (or 7.1) mixes make it a complete concert experience. And you simply can't get that same experience on a 2 channel live CD that's been mixed down for a CD release that's mostly done as an after thought now.

Which brings us back to S&M. It was INTENDED for a 5.1 DD VIDEO release. And being as though it was an orchestra involved, it was OBVIOUSLY setup sound wise to record it like that. You really think they put as much time and effort into the down mixed CD copy where they took a perfectly good 5.1 DD mix and turned it into a 2 channel? I can pretty much guarantee you they didn't, and your reaction to it tells me as much. But to try and use that recording as an example for your rant against live recordings is a pretty thin stretch there, considering you haven't heard it on a HT in 5.1 DD and WATCHED it at the same time. I was positively blown away by it the first time I watched and listened to it, and it's unfortunate you felt so adverse to it on CD.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Phish
/thread

Every show is different.

That's why i listen to live music. See my sig. ALot of hte music I listen to is live (and free). It is good because it is often dynamic in its outcome.

Now, I can not understand peopel that go see bands like Metallica. You might as well just listen to the studio recording. That's all you really get with them at a live show.

Jsut listened to some Buddy Guy. Now listening to Buckethead.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

SlickSnake,

Don't forget to remind people that some of the top grossing bands of all time have been bands known for live performances like The Greatful Dead and Phish.

Phish has gone as far as to say that they only release live recording to keep their name out there and they absolutley do not do them to make money.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Live versions are only better IF YOU'RE THERE SEEING IT LIVE. Otherwise it's just the song with worse sound quality.

Nothing like making comments without knowing a nything about live recordings and "tapers" in general.

It depends on sound quality, but a good live recording can be much much better than in studio. As for live, not many bands are truely good live and deserve to be a studio band.

 

[Ns1]

Nothing like making comments without knowing a nything about live recordings and "tapers" in general.

It depends on sound quality, but a good live recording can be much much better than in studio. As for live, not many bands are truely good live and deserve to be a studio band.

Let's not forget glorious, glorious soundboard rips.

 

[40sTheme]

If you listen to shit bands, what Arcadio said is true.
Listen to Umphrey's McGee in the studio, and then live (through THEIR SOUNDBOARD RECORDINGS) and tell me which is better.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Some performances gain a lot from a live crowd:
Pennywise-Bro Hymm:
Live
Studio
...ignoring the sound quality differences, the crowd getting into it just made the song so much better.

 

[EGGO]

After you've heard the live version of Hotel California, you will be mad that they didn't record it that way in the studio. Trust me, studio versions aren't always the best.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

its coming to my attention that you dont understand many things

 

[zCypher]

It depends on how the live recording was recorded. If it was recorded by some guy on his phone or cheap video camera, then yes it will sound like shit - obviously!

I just saw Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck play live, and I have to say they were both exceptional. Both exceeded my expectations by far. It was far more enjoyable to me than listening to their albums; but I was seeing them live.

What's better live: you hear the real talent. Great musicians will be a great pleasure to listen to live and will surpass your preconception of them if you've only heard their studio releases.

Having said that, there are certain times when I prefer not to listen to live recordings, for the reasons already stated in this thread. Background/crowd noise, etc.

Many times I thought a band might be decent, then I see a live recording of them and can hardly stand to listen to that out of tune garbage.

Clapton and Beck were perfectly tuned and everything fit together wonderfully - I can't say the same about so many newer bands I've heard. They just don't have the same level of talent or mastery of their equipment.

That's not to say there aren't any great musicians today, cause there are.

I don't think it's difficult to understand "why people listen to live versions of songs" though. Pretty easy to figure out.

 

[Nik]

when they could listen to the album version....

Live versions are meant to be experienced "Live" in concert.

The album version is always better than the live version, except when the live version is meant to be different on purpose (i.e. unplugged).

Often times, artists will get a bit more creative in the live versions. There are several songs that I like that sound boring in the studio version but kick absolute ass in the live version because there's so much impromptu (or rehearsed, at times) instrumentals that I could listen to forever.

 

[Oil]

I've been listening to Queens of the Stone Age bootlegs and live recordings almost exclusively for a couple months now. Why? You don't get the improv and solos in the album version.

Yes, IMO live QOTSA is much better than studio.

A few examples:

The Bronze
The Bronze (live)

Go with the Flow
Go with the Flow (live)
Slower version of the same song

You Can't Quit me Baby
You Can't Quit me Baby (live)
Great jam

Regular John
Regular John (live)


I could go on forever

 

[meltdown75]

i quite enjoy the Zeppelin BBC Sessions as well.

 

[clamum]

I think both studio and live have their pros/cons, but the things I like about the live version is that they are usually more raw, faster, less polished, and just kinda more natural. I like probably 90% of the songs that are on Nirvana's "Muddy Banks" live album better live than their studio versions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH2FTzjddLI Original is good but this is better. In this case I like the fast, fuck it, sloppy, playing cause it for the most part it suits the music well.

 

[BeauJangles]

Something else Arcadio doesn't understand. No surprises here.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

the only thing better about live recordings is the improv the band has the freedom to do and more often than not it makes for a new and likely better experience

otherwise you're not going to get the quality of recording you'd get in an actual recording studio

Daft Punk's Alive 2007 is a perfect example of an album that kicks this shit out of their other albums in terms of kick ass content, but I can't help but wish they actually had a studio recording of all their mixed/remixed/hybridized songs they did for Alive 2007...

 

[Ns1]

NIN - Closer

I absolutely DESPISE the album version of this song, but the live version fucking rocks. New riff, bridge, and sick sick guitar work by mistare Finck

Sin (from PHM) is boring as shit on CD, but live (from ...And All That Could Have Been) fucking pwns

 

[scott916]

probably because DJ's are spinning studio pressings of songs?

Underworld Live > Underworld Albums
Crystal Method Live > Crystal Method Albums

"Everything, Everything" By Underworld is one of my favorite electronic albums. Top 5 probably.

Agreed. Saw Crystal Method live one time in a SMALL venue ( I could have reached over and unplugged their keyboards) and they were fuckin awesome. Never really got into their studio stuff.

 

[meltdown75]

ttt

the live version of AFI's Miss Murder is awesome. i don't even like the studio / radio version at all.

 

[alevasseur14]

I'm going to resurrect this thread to show OP exactly why live recordings are awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfy-ulQiYAQ

This is the Queens of the Stone Age doing "Regular John" in Amsterdam. Skip to about 3:45. The band starts the songs breakdown and then break into a jam session for the next 5 minutes before finishing up the last of the song. You get to see how good basically every person in the band is at their instruments. It's really, really good!