Top 10s

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Tom8

Original Poster:

4,376 posts

169 months

Monday 15th May 2023
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Without getting into who thinks X or Y are rubbish, in your top ten bands in your head, do you divide them into best live and best studio top 10s?

For me my list is quite different between the two. As an example, I would probably put Led Zep into my top 10 in the studio but they probably wouldn't make my top 50 for live as I always felt they were disappointingly poor live.

Is there a band that is as good live as they are in the studio?

Antony Moxey

9,758 posts

234 months

Monday 15th May 2023
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Stiff Little Fingers. Saw them in the early 80s, saw them a year or two ago. The year or two ago one was at a festival and they were easily the most competent band by a mile, plus still sounded as good as their albums do/did.

ciege

424 posts

114 months

Monday 15th May 2023
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I think Pink Floyd (early days) are much better live than studio.

The 14 minute Fat Old Sun for example is significantly better than the sanitised studio version.

Same goes for most versions of Echoes, I think are better live.

Overall (and especially once Roger gets all self important) I think the Floyd were better live.

Probably same goes for The Who in raw rock form, again A Quick One on Rock and Roll circus trumps in every way the studio version.

And I agree with live zep, total ste!

Tom8

Original Poster:

4,376 posts

169 months

Monday 15th May 2023
quotequote all
Antony Moxey said:
Stiff Little Fingers. Saw them in the early 80s, saw them a year or two ago. The year or two ago one was at a festival and they were easily the most competent band by a mile, plus still sounded as good as their albums do/did.
Interesting. Is that key sounding the same as studio output on the stage or embellishing live versions?

Antony Moxey

9,758 posts

234 months

Monday 15th May 2023
quotequote all
Tom8 said:
Antony Moxey said:
Stiff Little Fingers. Saw them in the early 80s, saw them a year or two ago. The year or two ago one was at a festival and they were easily the most competent band by a mile, plus still sounded as good as their albums do/did.
Interesting. Is that key sounding the same as studio output on the stage or embellishing live versions?
I think most bands' stuff I've heard recorded before live, so with SLF although not the same, you weren't there thinking they didn't sound as good as they did in the studio. Sacrilege I know, but as a huge fan of The Clash I always preferred their studio work to their live stuff, mainly I think because Strummer would so often ad lib lyrics and make them up as he went along.

Tom8

Original Poster:

4,376 posts

169 months

Monday 15th May 2023
quotequote all
Antony Moxey said:
Tom8 said:
Antony Moxey said:
Stiff Little Fingers. Saw them in the early 80s, saw them a year or two ago. The year or two ago one was at a festival and they were easily the most competent band by a mile, plus still sounded as good as their albums do/did.
Interesting. Is that key sounding the same as studio output on the stage or embellishing live versions?
I think most bands' stuff I've heard recorded before live, so with SLF although not the same, you weren't there thinking they didn't sound as good as they did in the studio. Sacrilege I know, but as a huge fan of The Clash I always preferred their studio work to their live stuff, mainly I think because Strummer would so often ad lib lyrics and make them up as he went along.
Funny isn't it, I agree entirely on the clash. I suppose it boils down to performers vs material vs musical skill. If you can do all three equally well all of the time you've nailed it. Then ego can either enhance or ruin the live version.

S100HP

13,332 posts

182 months

Tuesday 16th May 2023
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Tom8

Original Poster:

4,376 posts

169 months

Tuesday 16th May 2023
quotequote all
S100HP said:
Not really, very different question.

paulmakin

713 posts

156 months

Tuesday 16th May 2023
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in my own head "David Live" carries better renditions of most of the "Aladdin Sane" and "Diamond Dogs" studio albums. Most others seem to regard it as a pretty poor album though.

conversely, I consider Roxy Music to be a better studio band than a live act.

S100HP

13,332 posts

182 months

Tuesday 16th May 2023
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Tom8 said:
S100HP said:
Not really, very different question.
Yeah that's fair. Read it this morning after a Nightshift. Apols.

cherryowen

12,168 posts

219 months

Tuesday 16th May 2023
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Tom8 said:
For me my list is quite different between the two.
May I ask you expand on this? What are your top ten bands, and - of those - which performances, either live or studio, you prefer?



Kinky

39,877 posts

284 months

Tuesday 16th May 2023
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Are you thinking of a 'Studio' and seperate 'live' top 10?

For me, I mainly go and see the bands live that I like from their studio stuff. Only exception being a band called Airforce who were supporting British Lion (with Steve Harris). And to be honest, I thought they truly blew them off the stage ..... and then some!

Roofless Toothless

6,602 posts

147 months

Wednesday 17th May 2023
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I saw JoeCocker and the Greaseband perform With A Little Help From My Friends on stage the week it hit number one in the charts. It was phenomenal. I’ll never forget it.

As for being able to achieve live what most groups would dearly love to do even in the studio, I don’t think this has ever been surpassed.



Tom8

Original Poster:

4,376 posts

169 months

Wednesday 17th May 2023
quotequote all
cherryowen said:
Tom8 said:
For me my list is quite different between the two.
May I ask you expand on this? What are your top ten bands, and - of those - which performances, either live or studio, you prefer?
I am quite stereo typed in what I like, so bands like the Who, Pink Floyd Led Zep, AC/DC, Queen and Led Zep
Of these I would not put Led Zep in my top 10 live bands but in top 10 studio.
Queen and AC/DC would be in both top 10s but would be higher up the table for live than studio.
Now you ask it is interesting might actually write out a list and figure it out!

cherryowen

12,168 posts

219 months

Wednesday 17th May 2023
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Tom8 said:
cherryowen said:
Tom8 said:
For me my list is quite different between the two.
May I ask you expand on this? What are your top ten bands, and - of those - which performances, either live or studio, you prefer?
I am quite stereo typed in what I like, so bands like the Who, Pink Floyd Led Zep, AC/DC, Queen and Led Zep
Of these I would not put Led Zep in my top 10 live bands but in top 10 studio.
Queen and AC/DC would be in both top 10s but would be higher up the table for live than studio.
Now you ask it is interesting might actually write out a list and figure it out!
Fair play thumbup

Thinking about this.........

I love Led Zep (it was after listening to Led Zep I when I was 18 - over 30 years ago - that I decided to learn to play electric guitar). For me, their live stuff, especially on The Song Remains The Same film, is much better, much richer than the studio versions. I'd single out "No Quarter" / "Since I've Been Loving You" / "Dazed and Confused" as all being much more detailed and musical.

Pink Floyd, again, I love their music (Richard Wright's opening chords on "the Great Gig......" are just masterful starting on B minor and resolving to B flat major). But, as opposed to LZ, I think their live performances were over indulgent, meaning that their studio versions were already pretty much perfect.



Lost Soul

40,517 posts

202 months

Thursday 18th May 2023
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Yeah similar to above, my studio top ten doesn't bear too much resemblance to my live top ten