# Songs where the live version is sooo much better than the studio version **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 15, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434 "2013-02-15T20:54:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/41 "2013-02-16T06:17:30Z")
Drive-By Truckers-“18 Wheels of Love” ---
**Author:** ![wedgehed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@wedgehed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wedgehed)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/42 "2013-02-16T06:25:17Z")
Carlos Santana’s _Europa_. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/43 "2013-02-16T06:54:01Z")
I was listening to The Who’s BBC Sessions recently and all of the songs, without exception, are head and shoulders above the album tracks. I love the album version of “A Quick One” but it pales in comparison to the live performance on the _Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus_. Pete’s guitar and Keith’s drums have this controlled chaos that doesn’t always come through on studio tracks. There are also some really nice vocal quirks (mostly Pete’s) that are missing from the album versions. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/44 "2013-02-16T07:01:56Z")
Any Billy Joel song from _Songs in the Attic_. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/45 "2013-02-16T07:16:31Z")
Anything by the Grateful Dead. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/46 "2013-02-16T08:37:26Z")
One example is “I’m So Afraid” by Fleetwood Mac–a nice song that transforms into a simmering, surging epic on stage. It’s Buckingham’s moment to shine. I held off on buying the live recording of Pink Floyd’s _The Wall_ (_Is There Anybody Out There?_) because a live recreation of an already flawless album (production-wise) didn’t interest me. And besides, the live show was largely visual anyway. I was totally wrong. The live recording is now my preferred version. With the exception of maybe “Comfortably Numb”, every song comes off sounding more vital and less sterile than the studio cut. ---
**Author:** ![James\_Otto\_Sweet\_Heart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac8455/32.png) [@James\_Otto\_Sweet\_Heart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/James_Otto_Sweet_Heart)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/47 "2013-02-16T08:54:54Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I never like \*Hotel California \*until I heard the live version on _Hell Freezes Over_. I can’t believe that I forgot about this song! To me, both copies are awesome, but the live copy is definitely the stand out. 🙂 🙂 🙂 God bless you and the Eagles always!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 Holly ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/48 "2013-02-16T12:24:50Z")
Speaking of Peter Frampton… Humble Pie _Rockin The Fillmore_ is one of the very best hard rock live sets from the early 1970s. ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/49 "2013-02-16T12:44:08Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Just about everything Genesis has done was better live, but _Carpet Crawlers_ and _Cinema Show_ off the **Seconds Out** album make the studio versions disappointing. Ewww… certainly not. Better live than studio: Peter Gabriel in several songs on PG Plays Live, most notably San Jacinto. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/50 "2013-02-16T21:24:48Z")
> [@Rain\_Soaked](#): > > Dire Straits “Telegraph Road” live version is much better than the studio album. Knopfler agrees. Actually, pretty much every song on the live album is better than the studio version. ---
**Author:** ![sir\_viks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@sir\_viks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sir_viks)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/51 "2013-02-17T00:34:46Z")
> [@Art\_Rock](#): > > Ewww… certainly not. > > Better live than studio: Peter Gabriel in several songs on PG Plays Live, most notably San Jacinto. I cannot agree more. Even on “Seconds Out”, you could start to see how Collins would take Genesis in a more pop, less-artistic direction. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/52 "2013-02-17T01:00:38Z")
> [@SykoSkotty](#): > > This - along with every track from the KISS Alive! record - all the songs sound better live than the studio cuts. Firehouse, Strutter, Black Diamond, She, Parasite, Deuce…on and on and on. Definitely. As a 14 year old I played this album to death and loved all three chords of it! Still do actually. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/53 "2013-02-17T01:25:54Z")
Joe Satriani’s\* Dreaming #11 EP\* (three live tracks on the A-side, _Ice Nine, Memories_ and _Hordes Of Locusts_) is a stunningly awesome departure from the studio versions, especially the latter two songs which were recorded on the album before _Surfing With The Alien_, which was pretty reserved in terms of guitar histrionics. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JyG_Et1yoxo/hqdefault.jpg "Joe Satriani - Dreaming #11 - Hordes Of Locusts") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyG_Et1yoxo) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wUGMDrK8eS4/hqdefault.jpg "Joe Satriani - Dreaming #11 - Memories") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUGMDrK8eS4) ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2013, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/54 "2013-02-18T08:01:59Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > New Year’s Day - U2 > …at the least the version on Under a Blood Red Sky. I came in to say “Electric Co” from the Red Rocks album/video. I’m assuming Red Rocks was an enclosed arena until this version blew the roof off it. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/c5Y4JFwj7IE/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-AoACoAKKAgwIABABGGUgVChKMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDkHFpI17zrrCHuQ8qfUCnFjQjBOw "U2 - Electric Co (Live @ Red Rocks)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5Y4JFwj7IE) ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2013, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/55 "2013-02-18T09:13:23Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > No mention of Joy Division? I typically am not a fan of live recordings. I _love_ seeing the shows, but the live recordings leave me wanting something. That said, almost anything I’ve heard by Joy Division has sounded so much more impressive to me in the live version. [Transmission](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6ZwMs2fLoVE) is a perfect example. This is obviously just a subjective view, but IMHO the studio recorded ‘Transmission’ came closer to capturing the intensity of Joy Division than any other non-live track. ‘New Dawn Fades’ from the ‘Still’ album is, for me, their best live recorded track. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2013, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/56 "2013-02-18T14:08:44Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > “Surrender” and “I Want You to Want Me,” by Cheap Trick Exactly what I was thinking. ---
**Author:** ![binkman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@binkman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/binkman)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2013, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/57 "2013-02-22T00:00:05Z")
“I’m So Afraid” - Fleetwood Mac, L. Buckingham guitar ---
**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:** [February 22, 2013, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/58 "2013-02-22T00:14:52Z")
> [@binkman](#): > > “I’m So Afraid” - Fleetwood Mac, L. Buckingham guitar QFT. This is still a staple of their live show and always riveting. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2013, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/59 "2013-02-22T00:26:45Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > QFT. This is still a staple of their live show and always riveting. 100% agreed. (I mentioned it upthread.) I invited my brother along to the last FM show I attended in 2009. I was again floored by “I’m So Afraid”. My brother’s reaction? “It was a good show except for when Buckingham played that 10 minute guitar solo.” WTF??? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434/60 "2013-02-22T00:31:19Z")
> [@mascaroni](#): > > This is obviously just a subjective view, but IMHO the studio recorded ‘Transmission’ came closer to capturing the intensity of Joy Division than any other non-live track. > ‘New Dawn Fades’ from the ‘Still’ album is, for me, their best live recorded track. Yeah, maybe “Transmission” wasn’t the best example, but it still works for me. Joy Division almost sounds like a different band live vs. studio. I prefer the studio tracks for listening (due to recording quality, and I like the moodiness of the studio tracks), but I would have loved to have been around to see them perform. The first time I heard a Joy Division live recording I couldn’t believe it was the same band. The live stuff is just so much more _immediate_, for lack of better word. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-live-version-is-sooo-much-better-than-the-studio-version/650434.md?page=4)