name a demo/acoustic/live version that is superior to the studio version

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Too broad a topic and done to death etc., but I really love it when I find an alternate version that trumps the album versh, or find a live recording that illuminates a studio version I had never rated. So throw something out!

― Aaron A., Friday, 22 April 2005 19:05 (twenty years ago)

"Sweet Jane" owns this thread.

― Yngwie AlmsteenMay (sgertz), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:07 (twenty years ago)

Songs: Ohia's "Magnolia Electric Co" demos to thread.

― Daniel Cohen (dayan), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:11 (twenty years ago)

I love the demo of "Green Shirt," by Elvis Costello.

― Lyra Jane (Lyra Jane), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:11 (twenty years ago)

The Jam, "That's Entertainment"

― Curious George (1/6 Scale Model) (Rock Hardy), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:20 (twenty years ago)

― Aaron A., Friday, 22 April 2005 19:22 (twenty years ago)

The Easy Cure demo of "Meat Hook" is much better than the official version that ended on The Cure's "Three Imaginary Boys".

― Seb (Seb), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:24 (twenty years ago)

Dylan's "The Times They are a Changing" and "When the Ship Comes in" from the Bootleg Series. Much less stiff than the album versions.

― Not Thaat Chuck, Friday, 22 April 2005 19:26 (twenty years ago)

The entire first Throwing Muses cassette, now packaged with the first 4AD album as In A Doghouse.

― mike a, Friday, 22 April 2005 19:34 (twenty years ago)

demo of "She's Hearing Voices" EASILY wins over album version. (Bloc Party)

there are a few more i've heard lately. have to get back to you on this one.

― janni (janni), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:38 (twenty years ago)

i can't recall specifics...but pj's "8 track demos"

― b b, Friday, 22 April 2005 19:40 (twenty years ago)

"I Want You to Want Me," natch.

― Rick Massimo (Rick Massimo), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:42 (twenty years ago)

And "Free Bird."

― Rick Massimo (Rick Massimo), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:43 (twenty years ago)

I've been really digging on the live Roky Erickson & The Explosives take of "You're Gonna Miss Me." lately. Fucking awesome.

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:44 (twenty years ago)

The cassette demo of the Hated's "What Was Behind" was not mastered at the wrong fucking speed, unlike the official release on Vermin Scum that you can get for about 50 bucks on EBay.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:46 (twenty years ago)

Another classic: The longer version of "Tonight" by the MC5 from "Babes In Arms."

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:47 (twenty years ago)

Frankly, the entire "Babes in Arms" cassette.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:51 (twenty years ago)

i just heard some band named the chapin sisters cover 'toxic' in a folk fashion and it sucked.

― keith m (keithmcl), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:07 (twenty years ago)

the 4-track demo of Elastica's "Blue" buries the album version

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:08 (twenty years ago)

DCFC's Title and Registration

― Michael LeRay, Friday, 22 April 2005 21:13 (twenty years ago)

Just about every live version I've heard of Verve's "Gravity Grave" is miles better than the record.

― Yngwie AlmsteenMay (sgertz), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:16 (twenty years ago)

Every song on The Kinks Live at Kelvin Hall
Every song on Spiritualized's Fucked Up Inside (especially "Take Good Care of It")
The live "Just Like To Thumb's Blues" on Bob Dylan's Masterpieces
The demo of Blur's "Chemical World" blows the real one out of the water. Probably the best thing they've ever done.

― Mr. Snrub, Friday, 22 April 2005 21:18 (twenty years ago)

The Pixies' "There Goes My Gun"

― Michael LeRay, Friday, 22 April 2005 21:24 (twenty years ago)

"Every song on Spiritualized's Fucked Up Inside (especially "Take Good Care of It")" - OTM. FUI and the Royal Albert Hall set are easily the best Spiritualized records.

― Yngwie AlmsteenMay (sgertz), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:27 (twenty years ago)

Dylan's "The Times They are a Changing" and "When the Ship Comes in" from the Bootleg Series. Much less stiff than the album versions.

-- Not Thaat Chuck (noemaii...), April 22nd, 2005.

A lot of the bootleg series. I always thought the unfinished "Like a Rolling Stone" is eons better than the crap ass phoned-in studio version.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:29 (twenty years ago)

"across the universe" on the beatles anthology and i'm open to arguments for "helter skelter " and "strawberry fields" on that too

― dave k, Friday, 22 April 2005 21:48 (twenty years ago)

Strokes - Modern Age

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Friday, 22 April 2005 22:31 (twenty years ago)

I love the demo of "Green Shirt," by Elvis Costello.

That was gonna be my answer!

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Friday, 22 April 2005 22:33 (twenty years ago)

I've tended to use Lennon's demos for "Look At Me" and "Oh My Love" a lot more than the album versions, though they're not radically different.

― I.M. (I.M.), Friday, 22 April 2005 22:35 (twenty years ago)

Iron & Wine - Cinder and Smoke
Demo version is much more haunting, atmospheric, "earthier".

― sibsi (sibsi), Friday, 22 April 2005 23:02 (twenty years ago)

Live superior to studio:

Fleetwood Mac - "Silver Springs" (The Dance)
Springsteen - "Racing in the Street"/"Badlands"/"Tenth Avenue Freezeout" (Live 1975/85)

― PB, Friday, 22 April 2005 23:10 (twenty years ago)

"If There Is Something" from Viva! Roxy Music.
"Twist and Shout" from Beatles Live at the Star Club.
"Live Forever" (b-side of "Roll With It").
"One Too Many Mornings" (among others) from Live 1966.

― Burr (Burr), Friday, 22 April 2005 23:16 (twenty years ago)

one more from the beatles anthologies - 'good morning, good morning'

i heard the version on the anthology before i ever heard the finished studio version and i was pretty disappointed when i finally heard it -- felt like they ruined it w/ too many overdubs. i'm not even sure if that's just an early version or a totally different take that got shelved. regardless, i prefer the one on the anthology

― 6335, Friday, 22 April 2005 23:44 (twenty years ago)

The acoustic 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' is better as well.

― Fergal (Ferg), Saturday, 23 April 2005 00:30 (twenty years ago)

I presume it's a demo, but the version of "Wilde Eyed Boy from Freecloud" that appeared on Bowie's Sound + Vision box is wildly superior (ho ho) to the standard rendition on Space Oddity.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 23 April 2005 00:33 (twenty years ago)

Oh, and all the tracks from Henry's Dream by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds (notably "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry", "John Finn's Wife" and "Jack the Ripper") are VASTLY IMPROVED in their live renditions on Live Seeds.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 23 April 2005 00:35 (twenty years ago)

Come - "Hurricane II" (gorgeously bleak stripped down piano, violin and slide guitar version of the track on "Near Life Experience")

The Clash - "From Here To Eternity" To thread. Many of the tracks on this have a much fuller and more aggresive sound than the originals.

― Ben Dot (1977), Saturday, 23 April 2005 00:37 (twenty years ago)

Ramones: Bonzo Goes To Bitburg--There's a live version that is 1000 times better than the relatively limp studio version.

Oasis: Acquiesce--The live version from Saturday Night Live, 100000 times better than the studio version.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Saturday, 23 April 2005 01:11 (twenty years ago)

Pretty much every song on PJ's "4 Track Demos", that's also on "Rid Of Me".

― Jedmond (Jedmond), Saturday, 23 April 2005 02:34 (twenty years ago)

the acoustic demo of 'Yesterday'
the studio demos of 'Good Vibrations'

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Saturday, 23 April 2005 03:07 (twenty years ago)

I doubt I'll get much support here, but I often think that every track on Nirvana's Unplugged in New York is superior to its studio counterpart-- at least, when I'm listening to it.

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Saturday, 23 April 2005 06:11 (twenty years ago)

the live version of GbV's "I am a scientist" craps all over the "studio" version on Bee Thousand.

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Saturday, 23 April 2005 06:35 (twenty years ago)

re: Henry's Dream - I refuse to own that album and have never listened to Live Seeds, but I saw the Bad Seeds when they were touring HD in 1993 (in a Uni bar in front of ~150 people) and their performance exhibited none of the flaccidity of the record.

I don't know if this counts, but the rendition of Lady In Red I heard performed by a busker on the train yesterday revealed a very pretty song beneath De Burgh's schmaltz.

― mister anka (jcartledge), Saturday, 23 April 2005 07:37 (twenty years ago)

The, I guess it was a demo or something, version of "Alice's House" that was originally recorded before Mirror Moves is so much better. It sounds like they changed it to make it more 80s sounding or something for the album.

Also, the live version of "All of the Law" I have soundes a lot better than the album version. You can actually hear the guitar riff in the live version and they added sax to it live which also help it out a lot.

I like the demo version of "The Wait" more than the album version, probably because Jaz's voice isn't distorted and the bass is mixed higher.

― Aja (aja), Saturday, 23 April 2005 12:57 (twenty years ago)

arlo guthrie's live version of "the motorcycle song" is way better than the truncated studio version

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Saturday, 23 April 2005 13:11 (twenty years ago)

superchunk "throwing things"

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Saturday, 23 April 2005 13:15 (twenty years ago)

Springsteen--It's Hard To Be A Saint in the City

The version from the Tracks box set is far better than the original on "Greetings".

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Saturday, 23 April 2005 14:09 (twenty years ago)

Bowie- Quicksand

― not my real name, Saturday, 23 April 2005 15:25 (twenty years ago)

i'd like to second the "While my Guitar..." upthread. It still feels larger than life.

― dapes, Saturday, 23 April 2005 15:55 (twenty years ago)

The live versions of "What We All Want" and "Cheeseburger" on Gang of Four's Another Day/Another Dollar maul their counterparts on Solid Gold...and "What We All Want" is my favourite song from that album!

― Ian Riese-Moraine. To Hell with you and your gradual evolution! (Eastern Mantra), Saturday, 23 April 2005 17:43 (twenty years ago)

On The Wall by Jesus and Marychain. The 4track demo blows on Barbwire Kisses completely kills the album version from Darklands.

― Disco Nihilist (mjt), Saturday, 23 April 2005 22:38 (twenty years ago)

make that: the 4track demo blows away the album version.

― Disco Nihilist (mjt), Saturday, 23 April 2005 22:39 (twenty years ago)

oh my god the demo of HERE THERE AND EVERYWHERE (macca clearly having been hammering the fags the night before) just eats the 'proper' one fer breakfast.

― piscesboy, Saturday, 23 April 2005 22:53 (twenty years ago)

I second the gang of four mention up thread. Also, the live versions of "Everyday I Write the Book" and "The World and his Wife" included on the Rhino reissue of Punch the Clock.

― D. Bachyrycz, Sunday, 24 April 2005 00:26 (twenty years ago)

five years pass...

X--4th Of July demo

― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 16 September 2010 19:37 (fifteen years ago)

X--See How We Are on The Cutting Edge

― Excluding Skits and Such (Eazy), Thursday, 16 September 2010 19:42 (fifteen years ago)

kinda think everything on the only ones' bbc sessions disc improves on the official studio versions.

― tylerw, Thursday, 16 September 2010 19:59 (fifteen years ago)

Bowie's demo of "Lady Stardust" that is just double-tracked vocals and piano.

― Trip Maker, Thursday, 16 September 2010 20:01 (fifteen years ago)

"Love me til the sun shines" on the Kinks BBC sessions 2cd rocks quite a bit harder than the one on Something Else.

― Trip Maker, Thursday, 16 September 2010 20:02 (fifteen years ago)

This live version of Prove it all Night is leagues better than the album version IMO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWos8TS9yaE

― Captain Ahab, Thursday, 16 September 2010 20:10 (fifteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inbRWiWkGQY&p=B6707800722318EB&playnext=1&index=9

― Excluding Skits and Such (Eazy), Thursday, 16 September 2010 20:36 (fifteen years ago)

Most of the Talking Heads Speaking in Tongues songs are much better live in Stop Making Sense.

They Might Be Giants' original unrecorded accordion and voice arrangement of "Why Does the Sun Shine" was much better than the tinkling kiddie record arrangement they eventually released.

― Hideous Lump, Friday, 17 September 2010 01:17 (fifteen years ago)

The "Red Version" demo of Mushaboom by Feist.

― Underground - Parking (2010) (sic), Friday, 17 September 2010 04:48 (fifteen years ago)

every boot ever of 'what goes on' is better than the (pretty good) version on the third velvets record.

― sydney morning damn herald (haitch), Friday, 17 September 2010 04:51 (fifteen years ago)

fourteen years pass...

Don't know if it's better than the one on Love and Theft, but Version of 2 Bob Dylan's Mississippi from the Tell Tale Signs Bootleg series is pretty damn good.

― kornrulez6969, Sunday, 22 December 2024 03:43 (one year ago)

The album version of Kraftwerk's "Ruckzuck" is okay, but there's a live version that rocks much harder:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72SmgSC56ek

It has Klaus Dinger on drums and Michael Rother on guitar. And apparently no Ralf Hutter, so technically it's Neu! with Florian Schneider guesting on flute.

― Ashley Pomeroy, Sunday, 22 December 2024 19:33 (one year ago)

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

― LightUserSyndrome, Monday, 30 December 2024 01:26 (one year ago)

With Delgados's Emma Pollock

― LightUserSyndrome, Monday, 30 December 2024 01:27 (one year ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upyHkkSdv2M

― sleeve, Monday, 30 December 2024 01:29 (one year ago)

Roxy’s Music’s “In Every Dream Home…” off of VIVA

― beamish13, Monday, 30 December 2024 01:37 (one year ago)

xp iirc that has little in common with the album track?

― visiting, Monday, 30 December 2024 01:38 (one year ago)

The live version of the song "Motorhead" from No Sleep 'til Hammersmith is the version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp3sQN3ZCXA

The studio version, for comparison:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83s8UYNfKl8

― Instead of create and send out, it pull back and consume (unperson), Monday, 30 December 2024 01:43 (one year ago)

The live version "Transmission" on Joy Division's Still has always worked better for me than the studio version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D42X7ra2CaA

― bratwurst autumn (Eazy), Monday, 30 December 2024 01:46 (one year ago)

one of my fav instances of this is Mick Ralphs's demo for "Can't Get Enough of Your Love" -- power pop perfection imo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zto_iABiJD0

― budo jeru, Monday, 30 December 2024 01:52 (one year ago)

Xxp I was always partial to the “Motörhead” that was a bonus track on Warrior on the edge of Time

― The Whimsical Muse (Boring, Maryland), Monday, 30 December 2024 03:39 (one year ago)

This is way better than the version that came out several years later, as that album's title track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3lOrj3ODPY

― henry s, Monday, 30 December 2024 03:52 (one year ago)

Agree with "Fire of Unknown Origin".

The (professionally recorded) demos for "Dismantled King Is Off The Throne" and "Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow" on Felt's Gold Mine Trash are better than the versions that appeared on their regular albums. If you listen on streaming, though, they've replaced those demos with the regular LP versions.

The earlier outtake version of "Nothing is the Same" in the bonus track of Grand Funk Railroad's red album is better than the one they released on Closer to Home.

"I Found a Reason" demo on Loaded: Fully Loaded Edition, Velvet Underground.

― Halfway there but for you, Monday, 30 December 2024 03:58 (one year ago)

I like this version of John Cales You Know More than I Know a lot more than the album version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kyoQ0b6qDU

― bbq, Monday, 30 December 2024 04:28 (one year ago)

This live version of Wonderin by Neil Young
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvzoCwGfKJ0

Is better than this album version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0PlwVPbM5k

But I do like the video

― bbq, Monday, 30 December 2024 04:44 (one year ago)

one of my fav instances of this is Mick Ralphs's demo for "Can't Get Enough of Your Love" -- power pop perfection imo

oh wow, who knew

― Deflatormouse, Tuesday, 31 December 2024 03:05 (one year ago)

I like take 5 of “Got To Get You Into My Life” from Anthology 2 way way more than the album version, it’s like Brian Wilson séance pop

― brimstead, Tuesday, 31 December 2024 03:29 (one year ago)

Bobbie Gentry’s “Courtyard” demo is simpler and suits the song better. The box set of hers that came out a few years ago is a thing of beauty.

― Cow_Art, Tuesday, 31 December 2024 03:56 (one year ago)

Love these KEXP versions more than the album ones:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD87vLBHGWA

― djh, Tuesday, 31 December 2024 14:02 (one year ago)

The live version of “This River Never Will Run Dry” that ends the CD version of Moose’s …XYZ album is vastly superior to the original studio EP/single version. Way more atmosphere and vibes.

― brimstead, Tuesday, 31 December 2024 17:06 (one year ago)

I second the "Greenshirt" nomination from 20 years ago.

― JoeStork, Tuesday, 31 December 2024 17:20 (one year ago)

the demo version of blue cheer's "doctor please" kinda kills the "vincebus eruptum" version

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

oh, and of course hendrix's "angel" demo, deffo one of those situations where the demo is the definitive version

i'm gonna pass on live tracks, there are sooooo many live versions of songs i prefer to the studio versions

― Kate (rushomancy), Tuesday, 31 December 2024 18:03 (one year ago)

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