Studio or Live

[McStrum]

Just wondering what everyones opinion was on listening to studio recordings versus live recordings?

I would rather have live recordings myself, not sure if that is because I like to really here a bands sound as if they were in a club down the street. A studio recording can sometimes be to perfect in my opinion.

Especially with a Progressive Rock group, hearing a live piece means you get the emotion and everything from having to pull it off on the first take. I was taught in the philosophy, "If you can't get it on the first take, don't bother".

In no way am I saying that its bad to have multiple takes, just that the raw emotion from having to get it right the first time usually brings out the best. There is a Clapton concert with Phil Collins and Nathan East where Clapton makes a little flub on Sunshine of Your Love and smiles and laughs. Later he stated he left it in the video because it shows no one is perfect and even big players like him make them, mistakes that is.

Curious what everyone else thinks?
McStrum

 

[Art Rock]

Funny: personally I almost always prefer the perfectionism of a studio recording. The only exception to the rule is Peter Gabriel's marvellous 1983 "Plays live" album, where most tracks outshine their studio versions.

 

[Andrew Roussak]

I would say I am more inclined to listen to the studio recordings too - concerning art-rock. In such improvisational genres like jazz or blues, live recordings can be unbeatable. It is not necessary the case by the prog bands ( even by the greatest of them ), where the sound and the studio effects are much more important, and the structures are rather complex. I had an awkward feeling , for example, to hear it how Freddie Mercury could not meet a proper tone singing, or how Jon Anderson was playing tambourine out of timing ( both on the earlier recordings ). The sound can be sometimes killing too ( the earlier video takes of Deep Purple ).
For sure there are great live videos and albums - some of FOCUS, GENTLE GIANT, JETHRO TULL, many of YES, ELP, Dream Theather.

Greetings
Andrew

 

[Nigua]

Studio or Live?
Hmmm.
Normally I prefer studio albums because they sound better, some live albums do sound ok, but to capture the live feelings of the musicians I prefer being in a live concert. I believe they're very different things, like films and theater, each has a different magic.

 

[doctortornface]

Studio recordings and live gigs...not fond of live recordings,some decent ones. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band's Zalvation, with the first real vocalist since alex died, Max Maxwell is brilliant on this brilliant album.