Great live bands w/ not great studio albums

To answer specifically, I would say Trail of Dead and ATDI are recent examples. And, even though I dislike the genre, most jam bands, obviously.

I could nominate a lot of Shrimper records/San Gabriel Valley related bands here: Refrigerator, Nothing Painted Blue, Mountain Goats, Diskothi-Q, Big Breakfast, Wckr Spgt/Furniture Huschle, Shoeface, et al

And this isn't to say any of these acts' studio efforts were crap. But I always got knocked away by their live shows in comparison.

And yes, Mercury Rev are terrific live, but you don't like the records?

And how can you not like Madonna? thats a great freggin album. Its so gritty and deshoveled. I think its a treat.

You pays oyur money yadda yadda

GBV was my rebirth on the gig front. Over two hours and not a filler song or song over 4 mins. True rock'n'roll

Phish: well, that depends on which albums you're referring to as "dull and unadventurous". If their first album, Junta, is included in that assessment, then you're probably not going to enjoy their live shows, either. However, if you think, as I do, that Junta is a fantastic album -- it's one of my top 10 or 20 of all time -- then yes, last I checked you'll find a decent amount of that spirit in their live shows, even the ones they've put on since they started releasing the deadly-dull material that's pretty much been their studio work since about 1993. I can't say what they've been doing in the last few years, though -- I haven't gotten any recent tapes -- and of course, they're on hiatus now.

REM: can't say, I'm not a fan.

A variant on this is bands whose studio work went off the boil years ago, yet they manage to still be relevant as a live band - not just retreading former glories but still genuinely exciting.

My suggestion: Hawkwind.

The Walkmen is way much better live

Bikini Kill

I saw Loop about a dozen times in the late 80s, before they'd recorded much. I have a hard time making it through their albums. But I can still remember the live sound. It's probably one of those volume things, mentioned upthread about Branca.

Also, there was a band called Jack Black that was based in NYC in the mid 90s, NC in the late 90s. Ultimate punkrock bar band. Long sets, sometimes all original, sometimes half-cover tunes. Rockabilly, Clash-like punk, Nugent thud-rock, jazzy surf instros, honky tonk, Poison Idea hardcore, it was very hard to tell what would come next. A lowbrow version of a Sadies, if you will. There's an early studio album that doesn't really capture what they could do by the end of their run. (decent takes of their various "Radar Love" boogie songs, that's about it). They recorded a followup, but I don't think it's ever seen the light of day.

Ramones? (*hides*)

TONS of bands/artists on the much-less-tuneful end of the spectrum. Haino Keiji is mesmerizing live, just kinda "interesting" to listen to at home. Pissed Jeans can be spectacular live, records are kinda grating. And a million points between.

Feelies (*hides, ducks, etc*)

A variant on this is bands whose studio work went off the boil years ago, yet they manage to still be relevant as a live band - not just retreading former glories but still genuinely exciting.

Smashing Pumpkins '07 tour was fantastic, the album Zeitgeist was shit though.

Anticipating the same thing with The Cure's new album/tour in 2008 - I'm *really* looking forward to the tour (as Cure shows are always incredible, really), but I have low expectations for the recorded material, unfortunately.

Dirty Projectors have consistently blown me away every time I've seen them live, but the records tend to not be as exciting as the arrangements they use when they perform live.

Nowadays The Cure has to be the definitive answer to this one, although live reports of the tour so far haven't been good either....

In these cases, what's a; the difference between live and recorded, and b; the problem with the recorded? Yancey calls out ATDI at the top of the thread, which I assume is At The Drive-In; In/Casino/Out and Vaya are SPECTACULARLY recorded, to my mind. I only saw them live once, mind.

I also think Mogwai's debut is a much better record than people think, in terms of it's status 'as a record' (if that makes sense) - with a fat amplifier and speakers it can do FRIGHTENING THINGS. I've never seen them live, though.

I'll go with The Upper Crust: joke band doing AC/DC riffage while dressed as French nobility. Hysterical and semi-asskicking live, essentially pointless on CD.

it pains me to agree with anything A.Nairn has ever said but Mogwai is the first one that came to mind. not that i don't like their albums ok, but they are definitely a band best experienced live.

reverb motherfuckers
nice strong arm
rhys chatham
the need

OTM re:
pissed jeans
southern culture on the skids

I saw Skunk Anansie live a couple of times when they were total unknowns and they were really good. Don't laugh.

mc5

john prine

actually, given their last album, Belle & Sebastian own this thread.

this is true for most brass bands. there are a lot of great records out there, but it's really hard to capture the sound of a street band accurately.

o_O at Prince being one of the first answers in this thread.

Les Savvy Fav put on one of the best shows I'd ever seen. I bought their latest album (Go Forth, I think) at the merch table and was infinitely disappointed. Every other show I've seen from them has been amazing, every other album I've heard from them is nowhere close.

Also, The Figgs are amazing live and kinda blow (repetitive, samey) on albums. Oh, and there's a fair amount of jazz, like Gerald Cleaver's Veil of Names, that's just flat-out mindblowing live and can't ever seem to connect on the records.

I'll also say, though, that this was one of the biggest problems I had when I was a rock columnist—almost every live band I saw was really fun, and yet the vast majority of their albums were bland and boring.

Other random bands that exemplify this (though at least some of them, for me, were more about the "After hearing them live, their albums just aren't as satisfying"):

SRC, Scott Morgan, Saturday Looks Good To Me, Outrageous Cherry, Troy Gregory, Red Krayola's recent stuff, Destroy All Monsters, Darker My Love, Orange Goblin, Dykehouse, Chapstik, Broken Social Scene…

Pretty much any of the great hardcore bands I saw in the early 80s.

the modey lemon!!!

also: satanicide

fishbone

yes

i mean, otm

kodo drummers

Richard Thompson

konono #1

wolf eyes

Pretty much any of the great hardcore bands I saw in the early 80s.

More or less OTM. My pick is Black Flag whose recorded work (Damaged notwithstanding) never quite lived up to just how nuts they were live, especially during the My War/Slip It In era.

Jawbreaker, Fugazi, William Parker (even more than other jazz/improv artists)

A lot of good answers on this thread, few I'd disagree with. Tempted to say any band or musician that's worth a damn is (at least on the good nights) 1000% better live than is even possible on record.

= rockist

About any veteran New Orleans band, maybe? They never seem to get spooled up until they've been playing for a couple of hours. Neville Brothers come to mind--there are some of their records I like but not like I enjoy them live. Love me some Meters albums and never saw them live back in the day but I'd imagine it could apply to them too. Radiators, Iguanas...

Bootsy, George, most any P-Funk stuff/offshoots after the late 70s.

One more vote for Fishbone.

William Parker (even more than other jazz/improv artists)

That's for fucking sure. I can't tell you how many times I was completely blown away by his concerts, and how many times I bought one of his records thinking, "Maybe THIS one is up to the level of his shows..."

LIFTER PULLER

Patricia Barber, whose records are fine but who is amazing amazing live.

Canyon were incredible live, while their studio albums were merely 'good'. They released a live album in 2003 (Live in NYC) that's worth tracking down.

The best example I can think of is Jonathan Richman. Not that his albums don't have worth, but it is literally impossible to 'get him', without seeing him live.

monotonix

It's cool to see all the Fishbone mentions upthread - first band to pop in my head.

Rwake is a metal band whom I actively disliked on record and was stunned by their live show.

Talking Heads? Never saw them live but their live album is far better than their studio albums

I would be inclined to agree but Remain In Light

talking heads strikes me as a strange choice since a couple of their studio albums are about as good as albums get.

yeah we should probably stay away from anyone with any widely regarded classics itt

i've seen a lot of obscure and/or local bands over the years that were AMAZING live but have not translated that to record by a long shot

the police

grand funk and MC5 never made a truly great record but they were awesome live bands

totally disagree on the police, all of their studio albums are great but they were kinda shit live (the early days were pretty fun though)

as mentioned Fishbone totally owns this thread

Grand Funk is a great call! I love their live stuff, but have never been too excited by the studio stuff.

King Crimson, definitely.

well, if you discard larks tongues in aspic, starless and red, then maybe

the police were terrific live, at least until the synchronicity tour debacle (that was a whole different band, completely driven by sting's ego). the awesomeness of copeland and the chemistry/friction between him and sting was always their driving force onstage. not so much on tape i guess

The Grateful Dead must have been far too obvious for anybody to mention.

Most every bluegrass band ever - and brass bands.

xp - I only have the Live! disc and their more recent tours as evidence. I'd love to hear/see some of the Zenyatta/Ghost era shows

oh yeah - Man Man are totally incredible live, like one of the coolest live bands you'll ever see, but their studio albums are boring as hell

grand funk and MC5 never made a truly great record but they were awesome live bands

I dunno, I thought High Time was truly great. And if we're including singles (and why not?), then the early single of "Looking At You" (not the one on Back In The USA) is as fearsome as any of their live stuff.

I would be inclined to agree but Remain In Light

― WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion), Wednesday, November 2, 2011 10:22 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

talking heads strikes me as a strange choice since a couple of their studio albums are about as good as albums get.

― charlie h, Wednesday, November 2, 2011 11:14 PM

I agree that Remain in Light is the exception to that rule...I just like how more loose and freewheeling and funky they are on that live album. Even before they brought in Bernie Worrell et al, I just prefer the live versions--maybe they were just cherry pickin' the best dates for the live record

Which live album are you talking about, anyway? There's The Name of This Band and the Stop Making Sense soundtrack.

80% of contemporary jazz, especially free jazz
Sic Alps

Disagree about The Dead, though (studio albums way underrated especially the three on their own Grateful Dead Records and Terrapin Station)

and brass bands.

sadly kinda true. even though i've spent hundreds of hours listening to brass band records, there are only a tiny handful that capture the feeling of listening to a new orleans brass band on the street, or even in a club.

Which live album are you talking about, anyway? There's The Name of This Band and the Stop Making Sense soundtrack.

― D. Boon Pickens (WmC), Thursday, November 3, 2011 10:07 AM (2 hours ago

Sorry, TNOTBITK! I love the film Stop Making Sense but can't stand the soundtrack on its own for some reason...

grand funk and MC5 never made a truly great record but they were awesome live bands

I dunno, I thought High Time was truly great. And if we're including singles (and why not?), then the early single of "Looking At You" (not the one on Back In The USA) is as fearsome as any of their live stuff
xxxposts
yeah, i beg to differ, too and think Back in the USA is even a little better than high time