Live Versions of Songs That Kill the Album Versions

I was never a fan of THE MEMORY REMAINS by Metallica, but this version from S and M is one of my favourite things that they've ever done. It just perfectly sounds the really pompous sound they were going for with S and M and it's one of the few songs which feels complimented rather than overwhelmed by Kamen's orchestra.

Two obvious ones:
'I Wanna Rock N Roll All Night (and Party Every Day)' by KISS.
'I Want You to Want Me' by Cheap Trick.

The live versions are the only versions to listen to.

As well as the only versions that ever seem to get played on the radio.

I hear the studio versions occasionally. They sound quaint.

also: Peter Frampton. I heard he studio versions a few of his OVERPLAYED TO THE EXTREME live classics, and they're definitely inferior to the live versions.

The live record Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Hammersmith Odeon, London '75, in which Born To Run is performed in it's entirety, is so glorious it makes the classic album nigh-unlistenable.

Stop Making sense again. 'Burning down the house.'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5VRhmgUNtM

Eats the studio version whole.

"Who Shot ya" - Biggie Smalls

yellow ledbetter by pearl jam

We are the Champions - Queen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdCrZfTkG1c

Let's make this quick'n'easy: Stop Making Sense, the whole goddamn movie. Every single version in there is better than the corresponding track on the album.

I used to have a recording of a DOORS concert that had a 27 minute version of LIGHT MY FIRE

It was great!

This is an easy one, and a total cheat, but everything on "How the West Was Won" by Led Zeppelin takes each of the songs present on that album to a new level. Same with the live at the BBC double disc. Some bands, even great bands, are transcendent live, and that holds true particularly for all the bands that defined 60s and 70s rock.

I'd also venture the live version of "Strange Kind of Woman" on the "Made in Japan" disc by Deep Purple destroys the album version.

The deluxe "Live at Leeds" has the Who playing all of "Tommy" in a row and it's pretty damn excellent, but I think the Magic Bus track at the end demolishes the album version in so many ways. The whole album is bloody magnificent.

Great thread. Literally every song on Oasis MTV Unplugged is better than the recording, especially Cast No Shadow.

Ooh, ooh, ooh - same for Nirvana Unplugged in New York. I loved the messiness of the amped up albums, but find them strangely difficult to appreciate if I have the choice of listening to Cobain's last hurrah.

I personally prefer the version of "Heaven Beside You" on the Unplugged album over the one on the self-titled Alice in Chains album.

Also, I know the band isn't in vogue anymore, but I still listen to Blind by Korn and this version easily eclipses the album version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWUjLRZAaC4

Of course just about any metal song is helped by Joey Jordison drumming.

EDIT: Agreed with Spike on The Memory Remains.

For what it's worth I much prefer Eric Clapton's unplugged version of Layla to the original. I love the blues-ier, more soulful performance. And the original version is now so completely owned by Scorsese that it's nice to listen to the song without the piano bridge.

Pink Floyd's albums in the early seventies are hit and miss their live shows are absolutely legendary, they transformed dull songs like Fat Old Sun into fantastic jams, Careful with that Axe Eugene and Echoes into eerie sonic explorations.

I consider the version of Echoes on Live in Pompeii to be the definitive version of the song, it's just astounding.

More in tune with Patrick's intention with the thread is my experience of hearing Robert Plant live on the Might Rearranger tour. He did a cover of his own 29 Palms, which is still a perfectly good AOR song from Fate of Nations. However, the stripped down, blues/Arabic version he did has left me unable to listen to the album version since all the way through without wishing I could just stop it and listen to the live cover.

I can't honestly say there's a live version that ruins an album version for me. There are some I like a lot -- the "Run Like Hell" on Delicate Sound of Thunder, Dominic Miller's awesome guitar solo on the live "King of Pain" on the Demolition Man EP, Springsteen and Sting's duet on "The River" from the Conspiracy of Hope tour -- but nothing that's eclipsed the original in my mind.

Every single track on Roxy Music's Viva! Every single one.

Out of the Blue, If there is something & In Every Dream Home a Heartache especially.
Listen to the rich LP with full surround sound. Incredible.

More recently, The National's live version of the song 'Terrible Love' is so much better than the album's version that it makes me feel funny. I think the album is a true classic, and the song is great, but I hear how much better it can be and I just wish the live version was the one on the album.

Album version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqHdi_94SR4

Live version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efg1h0EzLeE

AC/DC: Jailbreak (ACDC LIVE)

Nirvana: Polly (Unplugged)

Metallica: For Whom the Bell tolls (Woodstock 94)

Black Sabbath: Snowblind (Sabbath Reunion)

Led Zeppelin: Gallows Pole (No Quarter) (not to say the concert was great especially minus two of the members but this song was great)

Pearl Jam's rendition of Crazy Mary on the Victoria William's benefit album is buried by their live version. Any of them.

George Thorogood live is so much better than the studio albums it's not even funny. Not just Bad to the Bone: his music is made to be listened to live.

Regarding Springsteen, it's really not until The River that the studio sound begins to approach what the band can do onstage.

IMHO, the song of his whose studio original is completely overshadowed by the live version is "Prove It All Night," when compared to any of the versions from the '78 tour (not the Live NYC album). I'm sure it'll be on the DVD's in the new The Promise set, but I've got it on several boots: the song begins with Bruce on guitar, the band then joining in, which builds in intensity for a good 3-4 minutes, working up to an ear-shattering climax as they slam into the opening chord of the song proper, followed by an almost frighteningly savage version of the song itself. Nearly as good is "Because The Night" from the same tour, with an exquisite, chiming extended guitar intro.

Another one is the combination of "Youngstown" and "Murder Incorporated" on the Live NYC album. Not only do both completely outstrip the originals, but the segue between the two is amazing: "Youngstown" ends with a rare guitar showdown between Bruce and Nils, which ends in screaming, sweaty feedback, and just as you think it's got to be time for a rest, Max slams down the intro to "Murder Incorporated," and it's like they found a sixth or seventh gear.

The Band's Rock of Ages is the only place I can listen to a lot of their back catalog: the live versions are so much looser and the sound is so much fuller, and the horns are a nice touch.

The version of Musta Got Lost by J. Geils Band on Blow Your Face out. The intro is hilarious and then they kick into such a bad ass live cut of the song it's just perfect.

On The Clash From Here to Eternity the version of Straight To Hell.

Edited to put proper links in since I originally posted this from my I-Pad.

Truth.

I prefer this. Turns an overlong, meandering wank into something genuinely epic as hell.

I also nominate this. I dont know what bug everyone has up their ass about APC's cover, but I can't imagine a fan of either band not being happy with this.

Just as long as you know you're in a pretty tiny minority when it comes to your feelings on that song. I've never heard anyone say anything negative about it before. Perfect finale to a near perfect album.

Iron & Wine - Jezebel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkZVABsxlxw

I need to see this dude live.

Even the demo version that was released a few years back is superior to the final album version. It's just one of those instances where the power of the song is really in the simplicity and raw energy of the (either live or very first recorded) performance.

Wilco, Kamera live owns the album version, at least it did back when YHF came out. IIRC recent live performances have dropped the tempo back down closer to the album track.

After seeing them live last night I don't think I've ever going to be able to listen to the album version of Slow Show by The National. Every song by the National is naturally enhanced live, but the version of Slow Show they're touring with now is just gorgeous.

The version of "Moron Brothers" on NOFX's "Ribbed" album is kinda boring, but the version on "I Heard They Suck Live!!" is just magical. I especially dig the little improv at the end "They'll go down on your sister...and your mama...AND YOUR FATHER! I'M ON A HIGHWAY TO HELL!".

This version of "Back for Good" kills and buries the album version hands down. Technically not a cover but a live version of the artist's own song.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNBEiyGwGRc

To which I would add in spades the Tom Petty version with Prince as special guest almighty soloist...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLmZKsWRL9E

Uhhh.... no.

I was recently rewatching my Muse HAARP dvd and it really just shows how much better the songs are live as opposed to the albums. You can just feel the energy coming off their performance, this version of Knights of Cydonia in particular, is a personal favourate of mine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8WP7aOD_9Q

"Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor" from Eels Electro-Shock Blues.

The original on ESB is beautiful, but it seems more thoughtful and soft than the live version from the Bus Driving, Band Rocking tour- it's about E's sisters' suicide, and unlike the cleaner guitar sound on the album, the guitar makes for a more angry and grief-stricken song.

Also, I just love Eels anyway- the cover of "Get Ur Freak On " sounds all awesome and stalkery with the keyboard on the hook.

This.

Also, I would like to add that anything Dave Matthews live is far superior to the album version.

And for me, Comfortably Numb on Pulse invalidates the exist of the album version.

Explain why not? I mean you still have three of the five original preformers on the song playing it again with the son of the guy who wrote it. It's just McCartney and Clapton are doing the vocals insted of Harrison.

I saw the thread title and was going to post this exact thing.

Truth. Also "Jesus Etc", and I love the album version.

Also anything James Brown.

The versions of Counting Crows' "Round Here" found on Across a Wire (the VH1 Storytellers version and MTV 10 Spot version) are great. Actually, pretty much all live versions of "Round Here" are better than the album version, and pretty much everything on Across a Wire is better than its album counterpart.

Staying with Springsteen... live versions of "Rosalita" are phenomenally better then the album version. Hell, almost any song he does live is better then the album versions. It's almost like a different song altogether.

The WMGGW that Prince plays on (Rock Hall Ceremony?) blows that out of the water, 2 Beatles or not.

The live Kinks cuts on their Come Dancing with the Kinks best-of album ("Lola," "Celluloid Heroes," "You Really Got Me") strike me as definitive.

Also, Captain Obvious says anything off Johnny Cash's At San Quentin crushes the originals.

Going afield somewhat to comedy, I've always preferred Monty Python sketches live (Hollywood Bowl, etc.) to their Flying Circus counterparts. The same principle sort of holds: the Flying Circus audience laughs, but the response by definition isn't as enthusiastic or as electrifying as a concert audience full of fans responding to old favorites. Try watching "Nudge Nudge Wink Wink" on Hollywood Bowl, then watching it on Flying Circus. It's not just the audience, the timing is so much better in the concert version.