Top 5 live versions that surpass the studio original

Electric Co - U2 live under a blood red sky

Slow Ride - Foghat

Baba O'Riley - From the Album "The concert for the People of Kampuchea" (also there are 3 live Pretenders songs on that album that are great)

Tear it Up - The Cramps , From the album "Urgh - A Music War"

 

Highlands - Bob Dylan, The audience is almost as hot as Bob on this recording.

Richard.

 

everything on "frampton comes alive"

 

Rush: 2112 on All The World's A Stage. Unbeatable IMHO.

 

Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix (Hendrix In The West)
Midnight Rambler - Rolling Stones (Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out)
My Favorite Things - John Coltrane (Newport '63)
Like A Hurricane - Neil Young (Live Rust)
One More Saturday Night - Grateful Dead (Europe '72)

 

Deep Purple:Smoke on the water (made in japan), Thin Lizzy: Emerald (Live and dangourous), Any Kiss (nothing in particular), A.B.B.: Whippin' post (Filmore east), The 'OO: Heaven and hell, Water (Tanglewood music shed 1970), Any song's from Foghat live. My 2cents Todd.

 

Rock Show....Wings. The studio version is so wimpy

Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape...Be Bop Deluxe....a lesson in lead guitar playing!

Zomby Woof.....Zappa, Cheap Thrills......incredible.

Fire....Jimi at Woodstock....there's a part during the lead where it modulates up.....rather than staying in the same key like the studio version....kills me all the time!

 

"Free Bird"--Lynyrd Skynyrd (One More From the Road)

 

Richard, what recording is this?

 

Oh man! When Lux has the microphone held in his mouth (okay, this is the movie, not the soundtrack) and is grunting and the camera cuts to Poison Ivy chewing gum and shooting this venomous look at him - SO FINE!!! I (attempt to) give annoying people at work the same look ...

 

Won't Get Fooled-Kids Are Alright
Sympathy-Love You Live
Voodoo Chile-Stages: Atlanta 1970
Samba Pa Ti-Lotus
And speaking of URGH!: Oingo Boingo-Ain't This The Life

"Live music is better, bumper stickers should be issued."

 

Van Halen - There's Only One Way to Rock - From the Live Without a Net video. I know Sammy did the original, but on the live Van Hagar version, Eddie SMOKES on guitar!

 

"Sister Disco" from the same album also beats the Who Are You studio version by a mile. One of Kenney Jones' best performances with The Who.

Completely forgot about that album, haven't had or heard it in years. I guess I should track one down one of these days.

 

Elton John-everything on 11/17/70 smokes!(Even better when you hear the untouched tape of the broadcast)
Billy Joel-Songs In The Attic
Sly & The Family Stone-medley from Woodstock

 

Dylan -- Isis (Biograph version)
King Crimson -- Exiles (USA)
John Prine (with Bonnie Raitt) -- Angel From Montgomery (Tribute to Steve Goodman)

 

While we're mentioning Kampuchea..... Wings- Everynight. I prefer it to the studio cut.
Also U2 11 O''Clock Tick Talk from Under a Blood Red Sky.

 

"Coming Up" - Paul McCatney & Wings
"Midnight Rambler" - Stones
"Little Wing" - Jimi Hendrix
"Handbags And Gladrags" - Rod Stewart
"Message Of Love" - Band Of Gypsys

 

"Are You Going with Me" Pat Metheny Group
The live version on Travels smokes the classic already fabulous version of the song on Offramp.Metheny's solo at the end is totally on point!

 

No, it's not! The studio version is better for the following reasons:

1) McCartney's voice is much more powerful (no contest)
2) His drumming and fills are better than Joe English's
3) That great organ is missing on the live version
4) The arpeggio guitar work is missing from the live version
5) That hokey piano ending on the live version just irks me

There..I said it!

 

Racing in the Street -- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (as many times as I've heard it, I keep wishing/hoping/praying that Roy and Max will keep that coda rolling a little longer)

Muhammad's Radio -- Warren Zevon (as great a songwriter as he was, this cut off Stand in the Fire showcases how well he could truly sing)

Country Pie -- Bob Dylan (off various ... cough ... field recordings circa 1999-2002. what a great jam band he had in Charlie Sexton, Larry Campbell and company)

Capital Radio -- The Clash -- From Here to Eternity (captures all of the urgency of an incredible band in their prime)

Celluloid Heroes -- The Kinks -- from One for the Road (blistering guitar solo and a vocal that captures every bit of the pain)

 

Visions of Johanna - Dylan
Stepping Out - Joe Jackson
Heaven - Talking Heads

-BZync