Songs where live version > studio version

[chrisbDTM]

rock and roll all nite - kiss alive

[KevShmev]

I'm really surprised Dave Matthews Band hasn't been mentioned. Basically every single one of their songs are better live, especially Don't Drink The Water.

I don't think there are a lot of DMB fans here, which is probably why they haven't been mentioned much (or at all prior to your post) in this thread.  

And I wouldn't say all of their songs are better live, but some of them are.  On the flip side, I know many salivate over the many extended live versions of "Two Step," but the studio version has that awesome intro, and for that alone, I will always prefer it.

[jingle.boy]

The one that comes to mind immediately is:

"Eyes of a Stranger" - Queensryche

The album version is awesome, but live, the band tags a reprise of "Anarchy-X" onto the outro of the song, which really rocks and closes the song and story out much better than the studio version.

God I miss the original band.

Had to know you'd pull out the QR reference!  Also, Revolution Calling.  When the band goes silent, and you hear 10,000 people scream 'REVOLUTION CALLING!'  Man, chills every time I hear it.

[Marvellous G]

Oh good lord I forgot

Outlaw Torn (S&M Version) - Metallica. Actually my favourite Metallica performance/song.

[masterthes]

As far as Pink Floyd goes "Money" and "Comfortably Numb" are far superior on Pulse. And I enjoy the "Run Like Hell" version from Is There Anybody Out There with Roger's intro.

DT: Definitely echo "Hollow Years" and "Octavarium", but of course got to give props to the Live Scenes From New York. I can't stand to listen to the studio version of Scenes From A Memory anymore 

[Fluffy Lothario]

Shine On You Crazy Diamond's another good one. I heard the Pulse version first, and when I finally got around to WYWH, I found the studio version unlistenable in comparison. And considering how much of the album it takes up, the album became an instant dud for me.

I'm really surprised Dave Matthews Band hasn't been mentioned. Basically every single one of their songs are better live, especially Don't Drink The Water.

Yeah, that song's awesome live, although sometimes, it bothers me that the live versions tend to lack the subtlety of the studio version. The Live in Chicago version is a nice balance.

And I wouldn't say every song is better live, but most of them are. Although I tend to prefer the studio versions of quite a few tracks on BTCS.

[King Postwhore]

I just love seeing DMB playing Trippin Billies live.  I made my wife wait to go to the bathroom.(She has a tendency to go when my favorite song from a band starts)!

[TL]

Pretty much any of Bowie's live versions of 'The Man Who Sold the World'. It's a great song live, but for some reason, I really don't like the studio version.

[KevShmev]

I'm really surprised Dave Matthews Band hasn't been mentioned. Basically every single one of their songs are better live, especially Don't Drink The Water.

Yeah, that song's awesome live, although sometimes, it bothers me that the live versions tend to lack the subtlety of the studio version. The Live in Chicago version is a nice balance.

And I wouldn't say every song is better live, but most of them are. Although I tend to prefer the studio versions of quite a few tracks on BTCS.

BTCS is a masterpiece in every way possible, and I think that is one album were just about every song is better in the studio than live.  Most of their other albums have tons of songs that almost have a live feel to them anyway, but not BTCS.

[Fluffy Lothario]

Yeah, the only songs where the live versions really match up to the studio ones are Rapunzel, Pig and DDTW, I'd say. And I don't think I'd call the live version better in any of those cases.

I think the biggest problem they have with recreating the sound of that album live is the prominence of the violin. That's one of the things that makes that album so great. A lot of the songs also have a very unique intimate sound to them that is really hard for them to accurately capture live (like the whole The Stone-Crush-Dreaming Tree run, for example).

[MirzekDT]

I already loved Sleep Together from PT but the performance on new DVD is absolutely stunning and it's even better than the studio version especially the chorus, it's just so powerful and atmospherical...

[KevShmev]

Yeah, the only songs where the live versions really match up to the studio ones are Rapunzel, Pig and DDTW, I'd say. And I don't think I'd call the live version better in any of those cases.

I think the biggest problem they have with recreating the sound of that album live is the prominence of the violin. That's one of the things that makes that album so great. A lot of the songs also have a very unique intimate sound to them that is really hard for them to accurately capture live (like the whole The Stone-Crush-Dreaming Tree run, for example).

I wholeheartedly agree with all of this.

[El Barto]

Too many things to mention that I agree with. 

Disagree completely with the Pink Floyd mentions (even though Nick is right about Gilmour's Echoes).

First things that came to mind with me were the entire Jethro Tull and Porcupine Tree catalogs.  All of their songs are better live than recorded. 

[Cool Chris]

Disagree completely with the Pink Floyd mentions (even though Nick is right about Gilmour's Echoes). 

He was quoting me, so technically it was I who was right

Could you articulate why you don't agree with the other Floyd mentions though? I am just curious.

[KevShmev]

The one Floyd live song that absolutely obliterates the studio original is "Sorrow."  The original version on AMLOR is almost forgettable, but the live versions are stellar, the one from Delicate Sound of Thunder being the one I prefer.   

[El Barto]

Disagree completely with the Pink Floyd mentions (even though Nick is right about Gilmour's Echoes).  

He was quoting me, so technically it was I who was right

Could you articulate why you don't agree with the other Floyd mentions though? I am just curious.

And to be fair, I was referring to the Remember That Night version.  

When it comes to the classic 70s era Pink Floyd, you're getting real close to perfection, both from the standpoint of production and musicianship.  As much as I love all four guys, I don't think any of them were really good enough at what they did to pull off their material at it's best every night.  I'd give anything to be able to go back and see them just jam for 3 hours in the early 70s, but I'd never expect it to have the impact of the studio recordings.  

Once they expanded, both as a whole and as PF and RW, it became a different phenomenon.  It certainly sounded bigger, which in some cases is better.  But at the same time, seeing a 15 man all-star band pull out a nice rendition of Dogs can't compare with hearing what just those 4 guys mustered up in a studio.  Plus, it never really turned out the same.  I've seen both Gilmour's Pink Floyd and Roger Water's band (x2) play DSotM, and I didn't think either of them pulled off what they had recorded 20-30 years earlier (although the PF presentation was certainly spectacular).  Honestly, I think DT did it better than either of them.  

I will say that I was probably wrong in my original statement.  I hadn't considered the Learning to Fly material.  Yeah, probably all of that was better live.  At least it would have been watchable if not listenable.    

[Quadrochosis]

El Barto makes a lot of good points in that post. I agree with most of it, something about the PF Studio albums is just magical and there are just no ways to reproduce that magic.

[lateralus88]

All of Iced Earth's live DVD Alive in Athens is better than all of their studio versions.

[Marvellous G]

El Barto makes a lot of good points in that post. I agree with most of it, something about the PF Studio albums is just magical and there are just no ways to reproduce that magic.

I'm apparently in the minority as I still find this is the case with Octavarium off of Score. It loses something for me personally live.

[AwakeFromOctavarium]

Pain of Salvation - Ending Themes - ! (Foreword)
Pain of Salvation - Ending Themes - Ashes

I love PoS live.

[Mladen]

Fear of the Dark - Iron Maiden

Yep.

Also, Panic attack by Dream Theater. The version on Chaos in motion is so amazing, I just can't listen to the studio version anymore. 

[Fluffy Lothario]

lol wrong thread

[glaurung]

All of Iced Earth's live DVD Alive in Athens is better than all of their studio versions.

It's about the same for me. It's great for it's epic set list but I wouldn't say the songs are really that different.

[petrucci07]

Hmm.
I think I may prefer the live version (Either AS or Ilosaarirock) of PT's Trains to the studio version.
Maybe Cheating the Polygraph aswell? not sure.

But definitely Master of Puppets from S&M. Hetfield was ON IT that night.

[lateralus88]

All of Iced Earth's live DVD Alive in Athens is better than all of their studio versions.

It's about the same for me. It's great for it's epic set list but I wouldn't say the songs are really that different.

The strength in Matt Barlow's voice is more or less the deciding factor for me. He absolutely SLAYS on Alive in Athens. That's not to say he is bad in the studio, but it just sounds so much more powerful.

[El Barto]

I guess I'm backtracking on Floyd again.  I've never cared for Comfortably Numb at all.  That shit comes on the radio and I change the channel.  I've never seen a live version of it that didn't completely knock my on my ass.  Whether it's David Gilmour being Gilmour at his very best, or it's Waters's stunt guitarists harmonizing a strat and Snowy's Les Paul beautifully.  Always wonderful. 

[TAC]

All of Iced Earth's live DVD Alive in Athens is better than all of their studio versions.

No question. It's the heavy metal version of Frampton Comes Alive..

[Marvellous G]

But definitely Master of Puppets from S&M. Hetfield was ON IT that night.

To be honest every single S&M performance was superb in terms of the actual band members' performances, some were just marred slightly by odd orchestral arrangements. But I say again, Outlaw Torn from that DVD is GOD.

[Kotowboy]

But definitely Master of Puppets from S&M. Hetfield was ON IT that night.

To be honest every single S&M performance was superb in terms of the actual band members' performances, some were just marred slightly by odd orchestral arrangements. But I say again, Outlaw Torn from that DVD is GOD.

Maybe because that album was severely " touched up" after the fact. A lot more than the band will tell you..

[Marvellous G]

But definitely Master of Puppets from S&M. Hetfield was ON IT that night.

To be honest every single S&M performance was superb in terms of the actual band members' performances, some were just marred slightly by odd orchestral arrangements. But I say again, Outlaw Torn from that DVD is GOD.

Maybe because that album was severely " touched up" after the fact. A lot more than the band will tell you..

Yeah that's definitely true, but I don't mind too much if the touching up resulted in recordings significantly better than the studio ones anyway.

[mizzl]

Definitely Hatesong and Trains by PT

[ReaperKK]

As I'm listening to more and more PT live I agree with the statement that there live material sounds better. Gavin always adds a nice touch to his live performances that really make the shows pop.

The live version of Pushit by Tool is great

PF's Learning To Fly from PULSE is stellar and Gilmour's version on Fat Old Sun on "Remember That Night" is amazing.

[ClairvoyantCat]

The Dear Hunter's Red Hands is the perfect example.  I actually never cared for the studio version the first time I heard it.  But live....it's just magic.  The way the audience responds to it, the way Casey sings it, it's just fantastic! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LvnxCe5GjI

[ZKX-2099]

Listening to The Root Of All Evil from Score. Very good live version. I also should add Eternal Rest by Avenged Sevenfold. The Lotus Eater by Opeth was awesome to see performed live. I never thought humming would make a crowd so loud.

[Sigz]

Everything This Will Destroy You has ever done.