Do you prefer live music or studio recorded albums?

[jackprw1]

So do you like live music or studio recorded music from your favorite bands? Or how about live sessions recorded in a studio without an audience?

I like both. However I think first loves for songs would be studio tracks as that is the "first" version you're likely to hear. Then live tracks would depend on recording quality and how well the overall concert went (whether or not they were on top of their game).

Or if its a local band do you have to have live since they don't have enough to put together a studio album?

[nemesiswontdie]

Depends on who the artist is. Some artist can sound just like they do in the studio. Some are completely different which can be a good thing AND a bad thing.

[Ray]

Yeah, it really depends on who the artist is.

Since I listen to Imogen Heap the most, it'd be hard to say: Many of her songs are different than the studio versions (which is common among many other artists/bands). So, in my opinion, I'm kind of torn between both, as I love seeing the differences between the studio versions and the live versions, never just each one.

[Dan Corson]

Both are equally essential to me.

[JcFFx]

Some artists just use a lot of sound editing in their song so they sound terrible live.

Only example I can think of right now is this one Korean song I listen to... >_>

[Rose312]

I'm in a pretty popular local band. A lot of our shit sounds better on recordings then it does live. It depends on the band honestly. I'm used to listening to live music, so I'd rather see a band live then sit home listening to them all day. And you can't mosh to the album...it looks silly.

[Stu]

Depends on so many things...but 99 times out of 100 i'd go with the studio recordings.

The artist needs to be decent live first. Some of the world's biggest bands sound incredible in the studio but they just can't produce it live. Works both ways, i've seen enough bands with terrible studio albums that just kill it live. I've got some live recordings from some of my favourite bands and they throw in little tweaks (different arrangements, new lyrics etc) which sound really great live).

The crowd needs to be into the performance if it's a live recording. Live albums with little crowd interaction sound so bad, like a band performing in a cave, Blink 182's live album with it's crowd of screaming mice is an example of a poor effort.

The production of the recording too. To catch it properly you'd need as many feeds recording as possible to be able to pick and choose the right sources, not just a couple here and there and hope for the best.

[Borman]

I prefer a "Clean" live, too many people overdub and modify the live CD too much (or some play with too much pre-recorded stuff). All depends on the artist

[riderkid]

i prefer recorded, mostly due to me listening mostly to J pop and J rock

[Guest]

Studio recorded, NO DOUPT about that.
Though I like concerts as a fun factor, but the music will always be much better studio recorded, that's the way the artist whant there music to be

[BadWolfX]

Live music is fine when you're actually there. Listening to it recorded on an album....no thank you.

[nemesiswontdie]

Live music is fine when you're actually there. Listening to it recorded on an album....no thank you.

I can agree with this to an extent. Yeah its better when you're there but if it comes down to a live recording. I dont want it to be on just a audio CD I'd rather watch it live on a DVD instead of just listening to it. I mean for example NIN's And All That Could Have Been live DVD is fucking EPIC. But the standard audio CD for some reason I dont really care for (minus Sin, The Great Below and The Day The World Went Away).

[Karui]

I hate live. I just like listening to the band....not the screams of fans...

[YamiYumes]

I hate live. I just like listening to the band....not the screams of fans...

You don't really go to a live show to hear the music, in my experience. More often than not, the quality of the music is much lower live than it is on the studio album. The reason people go to live shows is the overall atmosphere and being able to see the artist perform what they strive so hard to create.

While it's not as...'perfected' as the studio version, you get to witness the artist creating the song you grew to love. That and being around a bunch of people who like the same kind of music as yourself is a pretty awesome experience as well.

[nemesiswontdie]

I hate live. I just like listening to the band....not the screams of fans...

So if your favorite band comes to town you're just like "fuck it I'll stay home and listen to the album instead"? Thats ridiculous.


I have to agree with Yami on a few parts. Most of the time the quality of the songs live are alot better because they have more energy behind the song than the album does. Plus some bands extend the song.

Spoiler:

show spoiler

album version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Byoaa1xcCU

Spoiler:

show spoiler

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

Yeah I'll pick the live version over the album version any day.