Live vs Studio versions.

[WilliamMunny]

Iced Earth - Alive in Athens.  You could make a case for most songs on the entire thing being better than the studio versions.

Came in the say this exact thing.

Me three!

Another one I'll add is the 5 Years in a Livetime version of 'To Live Forever'

From the way James' voice breaks apart in the middle to the outro jam that leads into the intro of Lines in the Sand, it's probably my favorite live DT performance of any single song.

Also, the version of 'Nightmare to Remember' from the most recent release was a standout for me and will probably be my goto version from here on out.

[Dedalus]

Fear of the Dark.

[TAC]

Fear of the Dark.

Do you have a particular favorite live version? Mine is the Death On The Road version.

[Architeuthis]

I think Hollow Years is one of the three best songs on FII.  While that's not saying much given my generally negative view of FII, I really like the song.  I just listened to the Budokan version for the first time in probably 15 years.  It's fine until it gets to the completely out-of-place shredfest.  In other words, I'm with HOF.

There is another live song by Rush that I haven't mentioned yet that absolutely slays the studio version. 

Closer to the Heart?  The ESL video version kicks the studio version's butt.

La Villa from ESL?  The studio version is gold, but I always felt Alex's extra shred in the solo took this live version up a notch..

You guys are both very close! 

[Dedalus]

Fear of the Dark.

Do you have a particular favorite live version? Mine is the Death On The Road version.

Yes, the dates I was in the audience. 

Well, but considering the live records, I get the Rock in Rio version

[TAC]

Fear of the Dark.

Do you have a particular favorite live version? Mine is the Death On The Road version.

Yes, the dates I was in the audience. 

Well, but considering the live records, I get the Rock in Rio version

I would say the Somewhere Back In Time tour in 2008 was probably the best in person rendition. The crowd was into it big time.

[jammindude]

Beyond This Life studio version is an all time top 5 DT song.

That being said, the live version from Budakon is my #1 all time favorite “DT moment” of their entire catalog. 

[TAC]

Beyond This Life studio version is an all time top 5 DT song.

That being said, the live version from Budakon is my #1 all time favorite “DT moment” of their entire catalog. 

That's funny. I feel the complete opposite. It is a chore to get through that "improv" part.

[jammindude]

And…of course…side 3 of Exit Stage Left by Rush. Probably THE moment that turned me from Rush “fan” to Rush “freak”

[jammindude]

Beyond This Life studio version is an all time top 5 DT song.

That being said, the live version from Budakon is my #1 all time favorite “DT moment” of their entire catalog. 

That's funny. I feel the complete opposite. It is a chore to get through that "improv" part.

1) How long has this Stadler West thing been going on? I’m feeling more and more that I need to visit the east coast to break break with my “twin” 

2) That “improv” is gold to me. Pure eargasm

[TAC]

Beyond This Life studio version is an all time top 5 DT song.

That being said, the live version from Budakon is my #1 all time favorite “DT moment” of their entire catalog. 

That's funny. I feel the complete opposite. It is a chore to get through that "improv" part.

1) How long has this Stadler West thing been going on? I’m feeling more and more that I need to visit the east coast yo break break with my “twin” 

From now on, he will be known as J-DudeEast!

[wolfking]

Gary Moore - Empty Rooms live in Stockholm 87.

[TAC]

Gary Moore - Empty Rooms live in Stockholm 87.

Oh hell yes!!

To me, one of Gary's best live moments is Parsienne Walkways from the One Night In Dublin DVD.
It was Phil Lynott's birthday, so that explains the little Happy Birthday bit at the end of the solo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyoLPZ0lfcA

[wolfking]

Gary Moore - Empty Rooms live in Stockholm 87.

Oh hell yes!!

To me, one of Gary's best live moments is Parsienne Walkways from the One Night In Dublin DVD.
It was Phil Lynott's birthday, so that explains the little Happy Birthday bit at the end of the solo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyoLPZ0lfcA

That Dublin DVD is great.  I haven't watched that in a while though.

To me, that Empty Rooms outro solo, could be the best solo of all time IMO.  It's up there.

[TAC]

Gary Moore - Empty Rooms live in Stockholm 87.

Oh hell yes!!

To me, one of Gary's best live moments is Parsienne Walkways from the One Night In Dublin DVD.
It was Phil Lynott's birthday, so that explains the little Happy Birthday bit at the end of the solo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyoLPZ0lfcA

That Dublin DVD is great.  I haven't watched that in a while though.

To me, that Empty Rooms outro solo, could be the best solo of all time IMO.  It's up there.

I'm watching it now. Phenomenal. This is a great show. I've fucking spent a year's worth of nights going down Gary Moore rabbit holes on Youtube. I saw him in 1987.

[twosuitsluke]

I'll add the Tokyo Warhearts version of Lake Bodom, by Children of Bodom. They upped the tempo on the live version and it fucking destroys the studio version. There may be other songs on that album that are better than the originals, but Lake Bodom is the best of the bunch.

No one's mentioned Metallica S&M yet?

But it has an orchestra on it. I find that album unlistenable.

Oh I see, you're not a fan of things becoming more awesome. An awesome hater, or a jackass...if you will 

[TAC]

Oh, I am definitely a jackass!

[King Postwhore]

Oh, I am definitely a jackass!

Sig'd. Lol

[wolfking]

Gary Moore - Empty Rooms live in Stockholm 87.

Oh hell yes!!

To me, one of Gary's best live moments is Parsienne Walkways from the One Night In Dublin DVD.
It was Phil Lynott's birthday, so that explains the little Happy Birthday bit at the end of the solo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyoLPZ0lfcA

That Dublin DVD is great.  I haven't watched that in a while though.

To me, that Empty Rooms outro solo, could be the best solo of all time IMO.  It's up there.

I'm watching it now. Phenomenal. This is a great show. I've fucking spent a year's worth of nights going down Gary Moore rabbit holes on Youtube. I saw him in 1987.

Jesus! 

[ozzy554]

Kiss - I was made for Lovin' You (with Eric Carr) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLdKDHn88Zg

I just love the energy in this version. I know people criticize them for cranking up the tempo during this time but this song is an improvement.

[TAC]

Gary Moore - Empty Rooms live in Stockholm 87.

Oh hell yes!!

To me, one of Gary's best live moments is Parsienne Walkways from the One Night In Dublin DVD.
It was Phil Lynott's birthday, so that explains the little Happy Birthday bit at the end of the solo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyoLPZ0lfcA

That Dublin DVD is great.  I haven't watched that in a while though.

To me, that Empty Rooms outro solo, could be the best solo of all time IMO.  It's up there.

I'm watching it now. Phenomenal. This is a great show. I've fucking spent a year's worth of nights going down Gary Moore rabbit holes on Youtube. I saw him in 1987.

Jesus! 

I was literally at the stage. I fucked up big time because for some reason, my aim was off. I cut the heads off of almost every picture.

I did manage one good one though!

[TAC]

Oh, I am definitely a jackass!

Sig'd. Lol

 

[Dedalus]

Fear of the Dark.

Do you have a particular favorite live version? Mine is the Death On The Road version.

Yes, the dates I was in the audience. 

Well, but considering the live records, I get the Rock in Rio version

I would say the Somewhere Back In Time tour in 2008 was probably the best in person rendition. The crowd was into it big time.

Somewhere Back in Time tour for me too! 

[ProfessorPeart]

Comfortably Numb from Gilmour's Live In Gdansk show. The solo is beyond epic.

[Cool Chris]

For me, it takes a bottom 10 DT song [Hollow Years Budokan] and turns it into a bottom 11 DT song. 

 

I love that version, though I think the extended intro brings it down a bit.

A couple people have mentioned Comfortably Numb. I thought it might be too hot of a take, but what Floyd/Gilmour did with it 1988-onward was magical. And it isn't just the solo. I love how David made the verses more... foreboding(?). The DSoT version is my #1 all time favorite song.

And on that note, that album elevates the Momentary Lapse of Reason songs to stratospheric heights.

[Architeuthis]

And…of course…side 3 of Exit Stage Left by Rush. Probably THE moment that turned me from Rush “fan” to Rush “freak”

This!   

Btw, That version of Passage to Bankok destroys the studio recording from 2112.   

[darkshade]

If you listen to Phish or Grateful Dead, you already know live is the best.

I like live prog, but 9 times out of 10 I'm listening to the studio versions, because the nature of the music is the dynamics, and the studio offers the best environment. Same with metal, I want to hear those riffs double tracked, panned, and in superior quality.

Jazz is great both live and in studio, but in the live setting, solos can sometimes go on for a bit too long, or be excessive in technical proficiency but not have more feel, or the band meanders. Despite that, the best jazz is often live.

[KevShmev]

It is rare for me to love a live version so much that it becomes my go-to version of the song, but there are a bunch over the years:

Rush - Red Sector A (from A Show of Hands)
U2 - The Electric Co. (from Under a Blood Red Sky)
U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday (from Under a Blood Red Sky)
U2 - Bad (from the Rattle and Hum film)
Devin Townsend - Little Pig (from The Retinal Circus)
Judas Priest - Victim of Changes (from Unleashed in the East)
Blue Oyster Cult - Then Came the Last Days of May (from On Your Feet Or On Your Knees)
Muse - Feeling Good (from Live At Rome Olympic Stadium)
Muse - Guiding Light (from Live At Rome Olympic Stadium)
Peter Gabriel - Come Talk to Me (from Secret World Live)
Peter Gabriel - Washing of the Water (from Secret World Live)
Peter Gabriel - Secret World (from Secret World Live)
Peter Gabriel - Don't Give Up (from Secret World Live)
Dave Matthews Band - So Much to Say/Anyone at the Bridge?/Too Much (from The Central Park Concert)

[Adami]

Live Metallica through the mid/late 90s was usually better than the studio. With exceptions.

Ayreon’s Theater Equation is better than the studio version. With the exception being the lack of Devin.

[Ben_Jamin]

Live Metallica through the mid/late 90s was usually better than the studio. With exceptions.

Ayreon’s Theater Equation is better than the studio version. With the exception being the lack of Devin.

Arjen had to get a choir just so they can do all his layers from his vocal contributions 


I will also add to my list...

Pink Floyd - High Hopes (Pulse)

It was on the Echoes:Best of Pink Floyd compilation album I bought at Hastings one time. What made me fall in love with the song was this version on Pulse. I had spent many days downloading a live video of it from Limewire and fell in love with that outro and them using an actual bell live.

[HOF]

Peter Gabriel - Come Talk to Me (from Secret World Live)
Peter Gabriel - Washing of the Water (from Secret World Live)
Peter Gabriel - Secret World (from Secret World Live)
Peter Gabriel - Don't Give Up (from Secret World Live)

Good call on the Secret World Live versions. They're fantastic and at least the tracks from Us had more life than the album versions, though they aren't exactly "live" either from what I understand either.

[Cool Chris]

Pink Floyd - High Hopes (Pulse)

It was on the Echoes:Best of Pink Floyd compilation album I bought at Hastings one time. What made me fall in love with the song was this version on Pulse. I had spent many days downloading a live video of it from Limewire and fell in love with that outro and them using an actual bell live.

I never listen to High Hopes on TDB, I never listen to TDB at all for that matter. If I need a High Hopes hit, which is often, I go to later versions when David added the short acoustic ending.

[Ben_Jamin]

Pink Floyd - High Hopes (Pulse)

It was on the Echoes:Best of Pink Floyd compilation album I bought at Hastings one time. What made me fall in love with the song was this version on Pulse. I had spent many days downloading a live video of it from Limewire and fell in love with that outro and them using an actual bell live.

I never listen to High Hopes on TDB, I never listen to TDB at all for that matter. If I need a High Hopes hit, which is often, I go to later versions when David added the short acoustic ending.

I love those endings too, and actually do prefer those ones. The Pulse version just ranks higher due to it being an integral point of my musical endeavors.

[Cool Chris]

Pink Floyd - High Hopes (Pulse)

It was on the Echoes:Best of Pink Floyd compilation album I bought at Hastings one time. What made me fall in love with the song was this version on Pulse. I had spent many days downloading a live video of it from Limewire and fell in love with that outro and them using an actual bell live.

I never listen to High Hopes on TDB, I never listen to TDB at all for that matter. If I need a High Hopes hit, which is often, I go to later versions when David added the short acoustic ending.

I love those endings too, and actually do prefer those ones. The Pulse version just ranks higher due to it being an integral point of my musical endeavors.

  That is exactly how I feel about Delicate Sound of Thunder.

Thinking about a couple more....

Duran Duran - Arena. Maybe my most listened to cassette. Nostalgia playing a role here, I do not know if they are better than the album versions. I enjoy both fairly equally.

The Who - Live at Leeds elevates a few songs, specifically I Can't Explain, Happy Jack and I'm a Boy.

[Zantera]

Phish - pretty much everything