I ask, Live or Studio?

[Tarvark]

Do you listen to live recordings or studio albums more?

Is there one song/album that has to be listened to by live shows or one that only works with that studio take?

Do albums improve with more playing time?

 

[JMScoopy]

1. about 50/50
2.
3. yes

 

[miss becky]

Studio albums.

Live only - 11 O'Clock Tick Tock
Studio only - A Sort of Homecoming

Yes. I usually have an immediate reaction to a song, but some of them are growers, and take time to like.

 

[Tarvark]

I cant really stand to listen to HTDAAB unless its comming off a live record.

I think anything from the Rattle and Humm era just jumps off the disc with a nive live set.

Too many sublties and intricaties for me to enjoy many Unforgetable Fire songs away from their natural habbitat (except for bad and homecomming).

 

[namkcuR]

1.Studio.
2.As much as I love Pop, I listen to live performances of those songs more often than the studio recordings, except for IGWSHA and DYFL.
3.Depends on the album.

 

[Azor]

I listen to studio a lot more.

The way I could appreciate The unforgettable fire (album), was listening to it again and again, that's how the concept of an album works.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Live more than studio.

The Bomb songs are, without a doubt, better live. But that is not to suggest that the album is poor. Only Miracle Drug seems like it was better in the studio.

Bad live is the heart of U2. Any version of it.

The UF (album) ages quite nice. It really does. And no question, the Joshua Tree does as well... if you own a copy of the gold disc.

 

[fly so high!]

1. I listen to more studio produced songs.

2. Live- Where the streets have no name! (that was a hard decision!)

3. I never get tired of listening to albums,especially pre 1987

 

[Meghan]

1. I listen to more live songs, but that's only because I have a larger collection of live songs, and (following the laws of probability as they do), they come up more often on a random setting.

2. Can hardly stand studio Until The End Of The World.
U2 playing God Part II live makes me a sad panda.

3. Absolutely. I think, for just about every album (except for maybe, October, Zooropa, JT, and Boy) I didn't really liked them at all on first listen.

 

[ElectricalVoice]

Often studio, and often b-sides and "rare" tracks. Mostly HTDAAB. But I also listen to live shows. I put on a video or a DVD, turn off the TV and just listens to the show (while working or something).

 

[Nisse]

a) about the same
b) well yes. Achtung Baby & Zooropa sounds so much better live. Streets, The Fly, A Sort Of Homecoming, Bad, 11 O'Clock are way better live, while Pride and NYD have a tendency to be worse live.
c) well some get better others get worse in comparison.

 

[RademR]

a) depends on the songs, but I'd say 65-70% of the time i listen to bootlegs.

b) sunday bloody sunday, i pretty much don't like the album version. The live versions kill it, except for on this tour of course.

there are many examples. "sweetest thing" comes to mind, great on record but never sounded good live to me.

c.) yes

 

[SiW87]

1. Both but studio versions more, but I listen to Bad and Where the Streets Have No Name live more.

2. Miracle Drug. Atrocious live, great studio.

3. Yes

 

[RademR]

yup, Miracle Drug and ABOY are not nearly as good live.

Vertigo, COBL, and Love and Peace are better live.

 

[Ifeelnumb84]

Studio only - A Sort of Homecoming

Sorry, but I feel the exact opposite about this one. The live version on Wide Awake is much better as well as other versions.
The intro is much better, for one thing

 

[RademR]

yup theres always exceptions like this.

I love the studio version of WOWY, incredible....better than 95% of the live versions for me, but then you got the RATTLE AND HUM version. that's untouchable.

 

[the rockin edge]

1. probably live a little more, pretty close though

2. most from rattle and hum is much better live

3. depends on the album, UF & Pop certainly did the bomb was the opposite

 

[u2fly1]

1. 95 % live for me, because it's there is more emotion in the live songs. The solos are better; there is higher energy, the atmosphere of a crowd cheering at the end of a song being heard. The other 5% is stuff you can't hear live Lady w/ Spiining head other B-sides

2. UTEOFW, M.W., One, Streets all live

3. Depends on the mood.

 

[onebloodonelife]

1. Live without a doubt, more emotion and feeling in the songs.

2. I think that Bullet the Blue Sky has to be live only. The studio version is good, but most live versions, especially Zoo TV era can't be beat.

3. All of the albums have grown on me, for a couple, like October and UF, they had to be given some time, but I still love them all.

 

[Snowlock]

Live Only: Elevation, Vertigo, New York, Bad, Pride, One, Until The End Of The World, The Fly

Album Only: Red Hill Mining Town, So Cruel, Acrobat, One Step Closer, A Man & A Woman, Electrical Storm, Heartland,

 

[cjboog]

I listen to studio tracks about 30/1 over live tracks, they are just more reliable and sound better in general. BUT, some songs sound great live like COBL, Streets, and Elevation.

 

[MrBrau1]

Live is wonderfull, but the real art is in the studio recordings.

 

[chocky]

Live far superior: Exit, Until the End of the World, Streets, 11 O'Clock Tick Tick, Please

Album far superior: Gone, Babyface, A Sort of Homecoming, Rejoice, Pride, Staring at the Sun, Ultra Violet, Spanish Eyes, Wire

I love the Live version AND Album version for different reasons: One, Bullet the Blue Sky, Surrender

The main reason I listen to studio stuff more than live albums: Acrobat, Promenade, Elvis Presley & America, So Cruel, Red Hill Mining Town, Walk to the Water, Luminous Times, Drowning Man

 

[Irishteen]

I listen to studio songs more but there are some songs I prefer live

like Silver and Gold

 

[#1bonofan]

I listen to both pretty equally. I love them live, to me if you like the artists live stuff as much, if not even more, than the studio, that's what defines a true phenominal act. So many people suck live, it's a disgrace to music.

 

[angelordevil]

It varies for me…but mostly studio. I also love listening to remixes, because you get a sense of how the song was constructed. It’s amazing when your favourite part of the official release is extended, or bettered, like Bono’s vocal in Native Son--which I prefer over Vertigo.

In terms of live stuff, I really enjoy Zoo-era and Popmart shows. The transitions between songs are incredible.

 

[Sting]

1. Studio, as I don't have much live songs as MP3's right now! I would probably listen to more live stuff though!

2. I think Bullet the Blue Sky loses intensity in the area of Bono's vocals... I fookin' LOVED how he growled on the CD version... I remember listening to that and was like "holy crap!". It just kicked my ass. Whole song. The poem is so haunting... But they still do it amazing live... I guess thats my only beef is he doesnt do it as aggresive... but that would probably fook up his voice.

3. Yes! Always takes me a few listens... except with WAr... that CD instantly took control of me. But it isn't my favourite U2 CD... but still... kicks fookin ass!

 

[babyman]

Do you listen to live recordings or studio albums more?

Is there one song/album that has to be listened to by live shows or one that only works with that studio take?

Do albums improve with more playing time?

Both, but I rather prefer live stuff usually


Dream Theater's Metropolis is surely one of the best records I've heard played live


It depends everytime how a band can perform live, sometimes albums get improved, other times completely destroyed

 

[gareth brown]

i listen to both the same, i think...though nearly every live performance of a 'Pop' track outshines the original by a bloody MILE.