# Songs that are better "live" than in the studio. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 9, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850 "2005-09-09T17:26:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/1 "2005-09-09T17:26:19Z")
Inspired by [this thread,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=334015) I ask the opposite: What songs are better live than their studio recordings? For me it is an endless list, but some of the standouts are \*Burning Down the House \* - **Talking Heads** Even without the after-concert “seasoning,” the live version blows the studio take away. _Prove It All Night_ - **Bruce Springsteen** For that matter, most of Bruce’s live show. This is the best of what is what makes live music better - extended jams showcasing each guitarist, etc. \*One Particular Harbor \* - **Jimmy Buffett** See above. Extended chorus in Polynesian, and an excuse to rock out with a fanatic audience. Always a crowd-pleaser. So what songs do you remember better live? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/2 "2005-09-09T17:31:40Z")
Pretty much anything the Talking Heads did live was better than the studio version. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/3 "2005-09-09T17:54:54Z")
Anything by **KISS** or **Gwar**. Not taht I consider anything by **GWAR** good in the first place, but it it more tolerable live, because it’s more like a freaky show than a concert. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/4 "2005-09-09T18:09:44Z")
Stevie Ray Vaughn’s live recordings blow away the studio versions. SRV’s studio stuff has all of the emotion and rawness engineered and processed out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/5 "2005-09-09T18:27:07Z")
I think most of **Aerosmith** ’s stuff is better live. Especially the anemic orginal studio version of _Dream On_. Try to get a hol dof the 1991 Michael Kamen-conducted _Dream On_, on the _Last action Hero_ soundtrack. Or the eight-minute _Sweet Emotion_ with Jimmy Page. Amazing stuff. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/6 "2005-09-09T18:28:50Z")
Just about any song by Pearl Jam, with **W.M.A.** being the only example I can think of right now. My favorites live include: **Porch Release The Long Road Present Tense** ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/7 "2005-09-09T18:31:07Z")
> [@unwashed brain](#): > > example :smack: I meant to type the word ‘exception,’ not ‘example.’ ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/8 "2005-09-09T21:39:28Z")
I haven’t seen it live, but I love the live version of Tom Petty’s Breakdown. I’m a sucker for great crowd participation songs anyway, and they really did a great job in that song. The exended version is the best - where he basically rants in breakdown fashion against whoever it is that supposedly broke his heart. Also, one of the best videos I’ve ever seen was for Rush’s YYZ. I think it was a concert in Russia (or someplace thereabouts) and the entire crowd was… singing. Hard to explain how one sings YYZ but, they did it perfectly, and it is amazing to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/9 "2005-09-09T22:03:26Z")
Not songs, but I’ll give you a couple of artists: **Bob Marley** and **Little Feat**. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/10 "2005-09-09T22:33:31Z")
The J. Geils Band. Their live album **Full House** is the best example of their early work – every song there is better than the studio versions. Later, the band was able to make good studio songs, but their early albums never came close to catching them live. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/11 "2005-09-09T23:30:25Z")
I’ll second the Talking Heads. After seeing _Stop Making Sense_, I thought for the longest time that I was a Talking Heads fan, even though album after album proved me wrong. I eventually realized that I’m just a fan of _Stop Making Sense_. And to add another: I’ve never actually seen **Allison Krauss and Union Station** live, but I got their Live album and every single song they do there is better than the studio version. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/12 "2005-09-09T23:44:51Z")
John Cage’s “Silent Symphony” (aka 4’33"). The live version captures nuances that the recordings couln’t even begin to reproduce. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/13 "2005-09-09T23:46:57Z")
> [@SolGrundy](#): > > And to add another: I’ve never actually seen **Allison Krauss and Union Station** live, but I got their Live album and every single song they do there is better than the studio version. I’ve seen them twice (once in 2001 & 2005) and they are fantastic. You’d be hard pressed to find a better group of musicians. ---
**Author:** ![Borborygmi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/borborygmi/32/217_2.png) [@Borborygmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borborygmi)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/14 "2005-09-09T23:53:09Z")
I’ll add to the chorus of _Stop Making Sense_ enthusiasts. My main motivation for popping open this thread in the first place was to make sure it was mentioned early… every song on it smokes the studio version. In other news, there are a few live versions of “Tea in the Sahara” out there… the best is from Sting’s _Bring on the Night_, a strong live double-album from shortly after the Police break-up. “Tea…” is pretty ignorable on _Synchronicity_ but shines on the live set. ---
**Author:** ![Berserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Berserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berserker)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/15 "2005-09-10T00:01:43Z")
Every song Phish did live was far superior to the album versions. Also usually _far_ longer. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/16 "2005-09-10T00:12:03Z")
Virtually anything by **Great Big Sea**. They are so much more fun live than on CD. They’re fun on CD, too, but once you’ve seen then, it’s just not the same. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/17 "2005-09-10T00:27:12Z")
SoundGarden, Gun and Jesus Christ Pose, 2 of the greatest mosh tunes ever, studio versions just dont hold a candle to being there live. early Aerosmith was fantastic live, havent seen them in over 20 years since every album post 80 blew chunks. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/18 "2005-09-10T02:57:43Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The J. Geils Band. Their live album **Full House** is the best example of their early work – every song there is better than the studio versions. > > Later, the band was able to make good studio songs, but their early albums never came close to catching them live. Ooohh. **Full House**. A **monster** album. ---
**Author:** ![Swede\_Hollow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Swede\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swede_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/19 "2005-09-10T03:28:14Z")
**Fleetwood Mac** ’s **Big Love** from _The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac_ was great live. He’s really wailing on that guitar. The studio version is only OK. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2005, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850/20 "2005-09-10T04:57:36Z")
The Who’s _Baba O’Riley_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-better-live-than-in-the-studio/320850.md?page=2)