Live Versions of songs which are superior to their studio versions.

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"Papa Won't Leave You Henry" off Live Sees by Nick Cave & the Bad Sees is light years better than the studio version on Henry's Dream

"What We All Want" performed live on Another Day, Another Dollar is a towering behemoth of flaming, wobbly guitar mayhem, rendering the studio version on Sold Gold rather muted.

The live version of "Do It Clean" by Echon & the Bunnymen recorded at the Royal Albert Hall (and available originally on the eponymous e.p. with the blue cover) is a thousand times more feral than the comparitively tame studio version.

Others?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 4 June 2004 04:09 (twenty years ago) link

er....Live SeeDs. Sorry.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 4 June 2004 04:10 (twenty years ago) link

I am just Johnny Typo tonight.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 4 June 2004 04:14 (twenty years ago) link

A helluva lot of Neil Young's stuff.

(Or, in the spirit of Alex in NYC, Niel Younge's stuff, haha.)

― David A. (Davant), Friday, 4 June 2004 04:16 (twenty years ago) link

I also failed to mention that my second exampl, "What We All Want" is by Gang of Four. Apologies.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 4 June 2004 04:17 (twenty years ago) link

"Vicar in a Tutu" off of Rank. When I think of this song, I always hear this version in my head.

― kickitcricket (kickitcricket), Friday, 4 June 2004 04:21 (twenty years ago) link

Oh and from Morrissey's solo work...."Jack the Ripper".

― kickitcricket (kickitcricket), Friday, 4 June 2004 04:22 (twenty years ago) link

...off of Beethoven Was Deaf

― kickitcricket (kickitcricket), Friday, 4 June 2004 04:23 (twenty years ago) link

i like the stop making sense version of "this must be the place" better than the studio version

― jake in portland (cerybut), Friday, 4 June 2004 04:26 (twenty years ago) link

Santana, "Soul Sacrifice"
Soft Boys, "Wading Through A Ventilator"
Big Brother And The Holding Company, "Down On Me"
Charlie Mingus, "Meditations On A Pair Of Wire Cutters"
Deep Purple, "Space Truckin'"

Hardly anyone agrees with me, but my favourite Aerosmith LP (and favourite live non-jazz LP, in fact) is Live Bootleg. Many of the songs ("Sweet Emotion", "Train Kept A-Rollin", "Toys In The Attic") are definitive!

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 4 June 2004 05:46 (twenty years ago) link

GbV "i am a scientist" (i.e. the version on the single)

― the surface noise for the sake of noise (electricsound), Friday, 4 June 2004 05:49 (twenty years ago) link

Rolling Stones - "Midnight Rambler"

― Gear! (Gear!), Friday, 4 June 2004 06:03 (twenty years ago) link

i saw this and thought "what we all want"

― g--ff (gcannon), Friday, 4 June 2004 06:10 (twenty years ago) link

U2 - "Bad"

― Gear! (Gear!), Friday, 4 June 2004 06:11 (twenty years ago) link

"too much too young"

― zappi (joni), Friday, 4 June 2004 06:27 (twenty years ago) link

"Hardly Getting Over It" by Husker Du. Kinda tame on Candy Apple Grey, incredible on The Living End- there's a part where Bob just stops singing and lets his guitar do the talking...

― officer pupp, Friday, 4 June 2004 07:44 (twenty years ago) link

Pretty much anything from Primal Scream's Evil Heat is superior on the Live In Japan album.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Friday, 4 June 2004 07:55 (twenty years ago) link

velvet u - new age

― mullygrubber (gaz), Friday, 4 June 2004 08:12 (twenty years ago) link

wire - underwater experiences from "document and eyewitness" (electric ballroom recording) is positively coruscating versus the version on "behind the curtain".

orb - plateau from "live 93" beatz the shit out of the "orbvs terrarum" release.

― Dr. Annabel Lies (Michael Kelly), Friday, 4 June 2004 08:14 (twenty years ago) link

The version of "The Ghetto" on Donny Hathaway Live smokes the studio version easily.

― M Specktor, Friday, 4 June 2004 11:50 (twenty years ago) link

Bob Marley "No Woman No Cry"

― Not That Chuck, Friday, 4 June 2004 12:41 (twenty years ago) link

Gang of Four - Call Me Up, also - from Live at the Palace E.P.
The Who - Sparks from Live at Leeds (& elsewhere)
Talking Heads - Air (NoTBiTH)

Hell, Alex nailed it on the first post though .. Nick Cave & Gang of Four - always way better live than studio...

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 4 June 2004 12:48 (twenty years ago) link

Joy Division-the BBC Sessions' version of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is much better than the studio version.
Ministry's In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up has much better versions of Thieves, So What, and Stigmatta.
(Both of these point to the fact that I seem to like hearing real sounding drums over programmed-sounding beats, I guess).

― mclaugh (mclaugh), Friday, 4 June 2004 13:01 (twenty years ago) link

Ted Nugent, "Great White Buffalo." Much better on Double Live Gonzo than on the studio album.

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Friday, 4 June 2004 13:03 (twenty years ago) link

The Talking Heads "Speaking in Tongues" songs are better on "Stop Making Sense"

― Not That Chuck, Friday, 4 June 2004 13:17 (twenty years ago) link

Kiss - "Rock and Roll All Night"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 4 June 2004 14:07 (twenty years ago) link

U2's "Bad" seconded ... I can barely listen to the studio version, it's so inferior.
Orbital -- Satan, and everything on Speedy J -- Live just kills the studio versions.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Friday, 4 June 2004 14:10 (twenty years ago) link

i want YOU to want ME

― peter smith (plsmith), Friday, 4 June 2004 14:13 (twenty years ago) link

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf400/f468/f46881cuku1.jpg

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 4 June 2004 14:19 (twenty years ago) link

all southern rock to thread
a lot of blues to thread

and "bad" thirded

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Friday, 4 June 2004 14:50 (twenty years ago) link

Talking Head OTM
also:
Black Flag "Bastard in Love" and most other songs off "Loose Nut" much better on "Who's Got the 10 1/2?"

― sexyDancer, Friday, 4 June 2004 14:58 (twenty years ago) link

Pretty much everything on the Swans live album Feel Good Now is better than the original version.

― dlp9001, Friday, 4 June 2004 14:59 (twenty years ago) link

I prefer the live version of "Mommy Can I go out and Kill Tonight" by the Misfits to the studio version.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 4 June 2004 15:04 (twenty years ago) link

AC/DC's Whole Lotta Rosie owns this thread.

― Palomino (Palomino), Friday, 4 June 2004 15:08 (twenty years ago) link

"What Goes On" by the Velvets, especially the version off 1969 Live.

― Hayden Nicholls (Pop the Weasel), Friday, 4 June 2004 15:08 (twenty years ago) link

"What Goes On" by the Velvets, especially the version off 1969 Live.

Absolutely. And practically every live version of "Sweet Jane" is better than the one on Loaded (but none of them are quite good enough). It sucks that there is no "definitive" version of my favorite song.

― Salmon Pink (Salmon Pink), Friday, 4 June 2004 15:20 (twenty years ago) link

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf200/f235/f23594jsz2c.jpg

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 4 June 2004 15:24 (twenty years ago) link

Prince, "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man"

― Joseph McCombs, Friday, 4 June 2004 15:28 (twenty years ago) link

Major Stars - Elephant (from the split with Comets on Fire. If I repeat this enough someone will actually listen to it and agree.)

I third "Bad" and "What Goes On".

― frankE (frankE), Friday, 4 June 2004 15:37 (twenty years ago) link

AC/DC's Whole Lotta Rosie owns this thread.

HELL YEAH! That version is the reason I fell in love with AC/DC.

I would also say cheap trick owns this thread. i find theri stusio albums almost unlistenable they are so poppy and slick, but their live albums are ferocious.

― cw28 (cw28), Friday, 4 June 2004 15:38 (twenty years ago) link

also from the book of moz: sister im a poet. the song so great they put it on every single moz singles/bsides comp there is. which totals approx 2000 records.

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Friday, 4 June 2004 15:54 (twenty years ago) link

The Who's "A Quick One" From Live at Leeds
DANG DANG DANG DANG

Bauhaus' "Bela" (live)

Most stuff of VU 1969

― Arch Stanton, Sunday, 6 June 2004 01:55 (twenty years ago) link

Another vote for VU, with "Lisa Says" from Live 1969 over either the unreleased VU version or the Lou Reed version from his first album.

― Charlie Rose (Charlie Rose), Sunday, 6 June 2004 02:27 (twenty years ago) link

charlie, i think i love you.
but, what am i so afraid of?

i Nth the live VU catalog, if only for "What Goes On" and "Sweet Sister Ray".
but, they couldn't miss if they tried...

― eedd, Sunday, 6 June 2004 13:22 (twenty years ago) link

Ditto on "What Goes On."

Also,
Roxy Music: "If There Is Something" (Viva)
Beatles: "Twist and Shout" (Hamburg)
Bob Dylan: "One Too Many Mornings" (or anything else on Live 1966)

― Burr (Burr), Sunday, 6 June 2004 16:27 (twenty years ago) link

Audience memeber: "The Knife"

PG: "The Knife"

― Smart He-Man Goblin, Sunday, 6 June 2004 16:35 (twenty years ago) link

Echo and the Bunnymen were almost completely better live than on record.

The Beta Band have always been completely different live; in fact, quite like Talking Heads live and it's always been a disappointment that this doesn't quite happen on record.

Still, I don't like bands live much anyway.

― Keith Watson (kmw), Sunday, 6 June 2004 17:49 (twenty years ago) link

Underworld - Cups

― Siegbran (eofor), Sunday, 6 June 2004 19:27 (twenty years ago) link

Spacemen 3's 'Suicide' is better live that studio, but luckily you can get them on the same release.

― Sasha (sgh), Monday, 7 June 2004 02:46 (twenty years ago) link

"St Stephen" by the uh Grateful Dead.

― lovebug starski, Monday, 7 June 2004 09:55 (twenty years ago) link

all of james brown live at the apollo 62. the studio versions are no where even close.

― tom cleveland (tom cleveland), Monday, 7 June 2004 09:57 (twenty years ago) link

Everything on Dr. Feelgood "Stupidity".

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Monday, 7 June 2004 15:15 (twenty years ago) link

"Orbital -- Satan, and everything on Speedy J -- Live just kills the studio versions. "

is pannik on it?
a version of that surpassing the studio version would be amazing,although i'd have to hear it before i believed it

and speaking of orbital,the live halcyon with bon jovi is excellent,even after all these years...

― robin (robin), Monday, 7 June 2004 17:18 (twenty years ago) link

Now that the Bjork live box set cds have been issued individually, how are they? I'm especially interested in the Vespertine and Homogenic sets. Anybody got any opinions on these versions?

Many thanks!

― paul c (paul c), Monday, 7 June 2004 19:49 (twenty years ago) link

six years pass...

I've been playing a lot of Kinks for my son lately, and am kind of struck by how much better the live version (One For The Road) of Celluloid Heroes is than the original. You'd think a cheesy synth intro etc. would be a bad idea, but you'd be wrong.

― dlp9001, Friday, 27 May 2011 18:39 (thirteen years ago) link

Ted Nugent, "Great White Buffalo." Much better on Double Live Gonzo than on the studio album.
― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Friday, June 4, 2004 9:03 AM (6 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

This is dead on.

― Thraft of Cleveland (Bill Magill), Friday, 27 May 2011 19:40 (thirteen years ago) link

I love youtube for finding live versions of just about any song - I find I usually like the live version of all songs

― Latham Green, Friday, 27 May 2011 19:42 (thirteen years ago) link

xxp FWIW, the synth on that version of "Celluloid Heroes" was overdubbed. But yeah, a lot of late-70s Kinks smokes their studio stuff.

― shake it, shake it, sugary pee (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Friday, 27 May 2011 20:23 (thirteen years ago) link

The Who's "Bargain," the live version originally released on Who's Missing. I mean, holy shit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzeq-tEmQmQ&playnext=1&list=PL90111021B5937D23

― shake it, shake it, sugary pee (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Friday, 27 May 2011 20:26 (thirteen years ago) link

The Who are pretty much the epitome of this thread.

― Thraft of Cleveland (Bill Magill), Friday, 27 May 2011 21:09 (thirteen years ago) link

A lot of 60's soul is like this - Sam Cooke etc - the studio versions are just too damn polite

― B-Boy Bualadh Bos (ecuador_with_a_c), Friday, 27 May 2011 22:45 (thirteen years ago) link

Mclusky "Friends Stoning Friends"

shit album version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8uqWYsHIRQ

awes live version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heillh4OhoQ

― nuclear power, jet propulsion, radar, laser beams, cordless phone (abanana), Friday, 27 May 2011 23:46 (thirteen years ago) link

A good part of the Stereolab discography could fit here.

― Stockhausen's Ekranoplan Quartet (Elvis Telecom), Saturday, 28 May 2011 00:30 (thirteen years ago) link

Blue Oyster Cult-Then Came the Last Days of May off of On Your Feet or On Your Knees

― Thraft of Cleveland (Bill Magill), Saturday, 28 May 2011 01:43 (thirteen years ago) link

Moose, "This River Never Will Run Dry" live bonus track off ..XYZ. More full bodied, gorgeous lead guitar.

― blank, Saturday, 28 May 2011 01:59 (thirteen years ago) link

I read "McClusky" as "McCarthy" and was like WHOA this live version is crazy

― KRSTRMFT (Ówen P.), Saturday, 28 May 2011 02:49 (thirteen years ago) link

six years pass...

bump

― rip van wanko, Friday, 28 July 2017 09:45 (seven years ago) link

pretty much every jazz song ever

― Mr. Snrub, Friday, 28 July 2017 13:03 (seven years ago) link

https://youtu.be/o2In5a9LDNg

― Mr. Snrub, Friday, 28 July 2017 13:11 (seven years ago) link

the live version of crazy horse's 'come on baby let's go downtown' on neil's tonight's the night is way more ragged and raucous and exciting than crazy horse's own studio version

― the shape of a hot willie lumpkin (bizarro gazzara), Friday, 28 July 2017 13:12 (seven years ago) link

Sidenote: Joe Morello is a GOD.

― Mr. Snrub, Friday, 28 July 2017 13:14 (seven years ago) link

Lots of Tori Amos, ie. Precious Things

― Week of Wonders (Ross), Friday, 28 July 2017 18:39 (seven years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snyeX0sO1nU

― everything, Friday, 28 July 2017 18:44 (seven years ago) link

The Who are pretty much the epitome of this thread.
― Thraft of Cleveland (Bill Magill), Friday, May 27, 2011 9:09 PM (six years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

^^^

― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Friday, 28 July 2017 18:47 (seven years ago) link

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