Studio v Live MK songs

[superval99]

I was just thinking of how many songs I no longer listen to from a studio album, after having heard them played "live", eg  HFB, TR, WAM, WII, STP, Piper, Border Reiver, Speedway and the amazing Coyote - the list goes on.   They are all so much more powerful and more extended on the live recordings than the studio versions. 

I would also have said Marbletown, but I love the solo, acoustic version just as much as the wonderful live version.

The exception is CMG, which I feel didn't transfer well to being played live, although I really enjoyed it in Dublin and would dearly love to hear the recording of that concert.  

[herlock]

Hum, I guess it is a matter of taste... since we don't share exactly the same

I feel that some songs could never be as good live than on the album. Examples: MFN (although Montserrat version with Eric Clapton is quite nice, but any attempt at the intro live was close to a disaster - the worse being Sting's horrible voice in Live Aid), YLT (the intro was never rendered properly live), LOG (the 1983 version skips the intro and is just disappointing), WII (never had the same level of energy live), STP (James Taloy's voice on the album cannot be matched by MK doing both characters).

Some songs, however, have been transfigured by the live experience. Most notably: SOS of course, OUATITW, TOL, R&J, SR, MTS (Wembley'85 is so powerful), RATR (same comment), SAN of course (I have troubles to listen to the studio version now...), Marbletown, HFB, WAM (2002 live is awsome with sax), BLT

For some songs, I just can't decide. BIA for instance, the studio version is so sweet, despite what Mark says, it is not always better live. But the powerful rock Wembley 85 or Mandela versions are wonderful too; TR, we got some awsome live versions ('83, '96, '05), but the studio version is a masterpiece. Rudiger, good studio and live versions. Going Home, same...

 

[superval99]

Herlock,   I agree with you about MFN, the album version is the best, but I also really enjoy the Wembley '85 version and also Montserrat.

I also think the album version of BIA is beautiful, but there are some very fine live versions too.  Toronto 2001 is one of my favourites and RAH, 23d May, 1996 and Montserrat and Mandela, of course.

I hardly ever listen to the album version of TR - there are just too many amazing live versions to mention, which literally give me shivers!  

Regarding STP, even though Mark does both voices live, with the exception of Tim O'Brien, I am really enjoying the beautiful interaction between MK's guitar and Matt and Mike on the versions from GL tour - it is like a conversation.


Sorry, I'm not too good with some initials - SR, MTS, RATR?    

Really, though, I was comparing the songs we heard from the GL tour, and which we are now fortunate to hear on the Simfy recordings, to the album versions.   Sorry, I didn't make myself more clear!   



  

[Dutchessy]

Herlock,   I agree with you about MFN, the album version is the best, but I also really enjoy the Wembley '85 version and also Montserrat.

I also think the album version of BIA is beautiful, but there are some very fine live versions too.  Toronto 2001 is one of my favourites and RAH, 23d May, 1996 and Montserrat and Mandela, of course.

I hardly ever listen to the album version of TR - there are just too many amazing live versions to mention, which literally give me shivers!  

Regarding STP, even though Mark does both voices live, with the exception of Tim O'Brien, I am really enjoying the beautiful interaction between MK's guitar and Matt and Mike on the versions from GL tour - it is like a conversation.

Shangri-la, mans too strong and ride across the river...

I guess

Sorry, I'm not too good with some initials - SR, MTS, RATR?    

Really, though, I was comparing the songs we heard from the GL tour, and which we are now fortunate to hear on the Simfy recordings, to the album versions.   Sorry, I didn't make myself more clear!   



  

[herlock]

SR actually stands for solid rock )

Anyway, all of this is really a matter of taste. Some people enjoy the extended live versions of SOS, some hate them and argue that Mark cannot play it live ! I don't think there was ever a bad version of a song, anyway. Except, maybe, in 91/92, where many classic songs were spoiled by the abuse of Paul Franklin's steel guitar: TR and BIA especially, don't know what Mark was thinking - make sure that PF does not get bored by letting him playing on every song ??

[Pottel]

for me the classic example is Solid Rock, that song has never been better live then the way it was put on record, imho..

[herlock]

Well, i actually like the on the night version of SR...energetic, and the band seem to hav

[sweetsurrender]

I actually think almost if not all Mark's songs are brilliant LIVE !  The experience of being there and hear the entire band complement each other is just unreal.  There is no agruing that HFB is simply surreal compares to the studio version.  Speedway is plainly amazing.

I love particularly the live version of SOS in the Golden Live bootleg.  The best I've heard.  On the par with Alchemy.

Recently, I watched STP tour Madrid Special edition July 2, 2001.  I was totally mesmerized by the song Baloney Again.  The intro of the guitar was incredibly beautiful.

I guess I LOVE them all !!!!

[Love Expresso]

Well, I must admit that I prefer "Get Lucky", the song itself, from the album. I think Mark's voice couldn't nail it live. It was somewhat terrible to listen to, the first lines are more moaning and gasping. Furthermore I would have loved to have John McCusker doing the flute solo. But it was nice to have a set list variation and being able to listen to that song live.

"Cleaning My Gun" gives away to much live. There were some possibilities for some cool drum breaks, little solo here and there... It is one to one the album track, with again not too good singing from what I heard. The song itself is great, so I prefer listening to this one from the album, too.

"Border Reiver" is great live, no question. It got better and better during the tour, the first US versions I listened to gave me a little dissapointment, but later on the tour I was blown away...

And "Piper To The End" is soo much better live. The last part, where you can literally HEAR MARK waving to the audience, and the music says, it's over, great!

LE

[Rollergirl]

I was just thinking of how many songs I no longer listen to from a studio album, after having heard them played "live",

Funny, for me it's the other way round, I have rediscoverd out the studio versions of songs, after hearing them live: Coyote, Cannibals, Hills Farmer's blue, etc.

[Tally]

From Get Lucky, I think that Border Reiver gained the most from the live treatment. The main reason is that Mark plays more guitar, including some rhytmic stuff that really ups the energy. He plays too little rhytm guitar these days.

I still think it's funny that people suddenly like Coyote, since the arrangement was not very far from the album version. The RPD version is one of my favourite jam tracks. Me and my Strat fleeing from Coyote 

[superval99]

I loved Border Reiver live, but I thought Coyote was fantastic and far better than the album version, which I do still listen to, however, because RPD is my favourite solo MK album.   There are certain parts of the live version which had phrases that took my breath away - one of them was a kind of train wreck, which is on some of the recordings - Frankfurt being one of them.  It may have begun as a mistake, but MK included it in several other concerts too.  He always says that some of the best things come out of mistakes!   

[dustyvalentino]

Album version of Coyote is ruined by Guy's fake trumpet sound, yes I know it's there on the live version too but it's not as prominent.

[Tally]

Album version of Coyote is ruined by Guy's fake trumpet sound, yes I know it's there on the live version too but it's not as prominent.

Funny you should say that. The album horns always sounded just fine to me, whereas Guy uses a different (more trebly and annoying) sample live, and some vibrato on top of that. It gets distracting.

[Love Expresso]

I loved Border Reiver live, but I thought Coyote was fantastic and far better than the album version, which I do still listen to, however, because RPD is my favourite solo MK album.   There are certain parts of the live version which had phrases that took my breath away - one of them was a kind of train wreck, which is on some of the recordings - Frankfurt being one of them.  It may have begun as a mistake, but MK included it in several other concerts too.  He always says that some of the best things come out of mistakes!   

Great post for me, because I can exactly agree to every single word of it! Funny! 

LE