[NoirVisage]

What song have you heard performed so well live, that the original version was rendered obsolete to you?

my picks..

Little Dragon & PS22 Chorus "Twice"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyKBEbt06UQ
this was my first exposure to the group, got a chance to get the single as an mp3, it just isn't touching this, the kids choir makes it, their director does good works.

Bjork - Unison ( Loft Rehearsal )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHgsTsEm5qE
loved this song, this was originally on Launch.com, i like the rawness of it, even without the eskimo choir she owns this performance.

Radiohead - Like Spinning Plates (Live) I Might Be Wrong EP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfFtIcQlpQk
Youtube quote:
The piano man, the fucking piano
SuperSilkyJohnson

Sade - By Your Side (C. Rock 2000)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIoKndN05xc
bias, i just love watching sade with as few cuts as possible.

[Xeke]

[Jack Scofield]

Alice in Chain's Unplugged version of Over Now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXcdam4HMY0

Still like the studio version, but goddamn this version is so much better.

[GrizzNKev]

[Sentry]

Adele. Some of her live stuff is so good I don't even bother listening to the studio versions anymore.

Also, Miike Snow - Sylvia.

[NoirVisage]

Man. first reply. All apologies was my fave live.

[Master Thespian]

Most of The Roots catalog. Every original song from Jay-Z Unplugged.

[speedpop]

A lot of Led Zeppelin stuff. Elton John's solo piano gig in Edinburgh '76 supersedes a lot of the original tracks (especially Someone Saved My Life Tonight, and Daniel).


And while I enjoy The Cinematic Orchestra's entire catalogue, their live albums are where it's all at.

[nskinnear]

Radiohead - Fog
I can't say this ruined the recorded version since the recorded version was no good to begin with, but it's really the only version that needs to be listened to. Contender for top-tier Radiohead song.

[negreenfield]

Almost anything by SRV, although I can't say any of it ruined the studio recordings, I just greatly prefer all the live versions.

Bob Marley live is similar.

[NoirVisage]

Radiohead - Fog I can't say this ruined the recorded version since the recorded version was no good to begin with, but it's really the only version that needs to be listened to. Contender for top-tier Radiohead song.

The original is one of my favorite radiohead songs, the piano version doesn't sound like its in a fog :(

[speedpop]

The original is one of my favorite radiohead songs, the piano version doesn't sound like its in a fog :(

I'm one of those crazy fools who likes both versions.

[NoirVisage]

I'm one of those crazy fools who likes both versions.

I'm crazy too, guess i'm hurt that Thom hates his baby -__-

[wenis]

every track on here trumps a studio cut. Especially the energy in Life During Wartime.

[jon bones]

experiencing the arcade fire's wake up at coachella 2011 was life afirming.

forget a studio version, that performance nearly ruined music for me.

my god...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGKL4...e_gdata_player

[Maddog]

every track on here trumps a studio cut. Especially the energy in Life During Wartime.

This. This. This. Absolutely unreal.

[macuser1of5]

Lana Del Ray, Video Games



srs answer: Bjork, Cocoon. It sounds nice, but watching drew and daniel (aka matmos) using each other's bodies to generate sound adds an incredible emotion and intimacy to the performance.

[AMUSIX]

There is one, absolute, definitive example of this:

Cheap Trick - I Want You to Want Me (Live at Budokan)


Cheap Trick - I Want You to Want Me (Studio)


Honestly, listen to one, then the other, and be stunned that not only is this the same song, but the same band.

[jett]

Dream Theater - Hollow Years(Live at Budokan)

Never cared for the original, the live version made it one of my favorite DT tracks, certainly contains my favorite Petrucci solo ever.

[ThanksVision]

Live at the Harlem Square Club.

[brianjones]

every track on here trumps a studio cut. Especially the energy in Life During Wartime.

name of this band is better imo

[DeadFalling]

[shadyspace]

Prince doing Purple Rain at the Superbowl. Perfection.

[Tenacious-V]

John Butler - Ocean

It's amazing normally, but his live one is inspirational.

[Magnus]

Nightwish; the live, sped-up versions of Dead Boy's Poem and Walking in the Air (in their final thirds each) are just awesome and riveting in a way the originals aren't. Love it.

[blame space]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-3VguMmZm8 hey mama

[shadyspace]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-3VguMmZm8 hey mama

That entire set was fucking amazing.

[blame space]

Prince doing Purple Rain at the Superbowl. Perfection.

this was the best thing

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v389304XGY...mance+-+Prince

edit oh good i found the whole thing http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x14...ualmatter_news

[WrenAndroid]

Thom Yorke - Cymbal Rush(live at Fuji Festival with Flea on bass)

[Qasiel]

Dream Theater - Hollow Years(Live at Budokan) Never cared for the original, the live version made it one of my favorite DT tracks, certainly contains my favorite Petrucci solo ever.

Excellent choice!

[jon bones]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-3VguMmZm8 hey mama

another coachella 2011 post - a testament to how amazing that year was.

the crowd was near tears at the end of this one... only encore he played, as a coachella send off.

[ntropy]

Nirvana Polly on muddy banks of the wishkah. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91-GWqSDtJ4

[Cisce]

A Million Light Years Away - Stratovarius (Live in Sofia)

Pheonix - Stratovarius (Live in Sofia)



Other than Pheonix and A Million Light Years away the rest of the live album is amazing: not specifically for the song themselves but Timo Kotipelto's interaction with the crowd, he's amazing hilarious too when he vocalizes the solos. An amazing purchase when you realize that Polaris Live was also bundled with the Polaris album.

Unisonic - I Want Out (Live in Japan)

Michael Kiske delivers a vocal performance in this song that is even better than the original version that he sung 24 years ago.

[blame space]

i don't even really like this song but i watch this video at least once a month

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFI9o1Cdu4c (misery business)

[Escape Goat]

OAR's live version of "Hey Girl" is infinitely better than the studio version. got dam.

[iclash]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Cxsgn2UzQ0

Mick Jones and the Rolling Stones in their prime "Honky Tonk Women" , I believe this is also on get your ya yas out

Also: Same Everyday by the Slackers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e36D29--UmM part of the problem was I heard the live version before the studio, and it just doesn't have the same energy as the live performance

[Pkm]

Tool

"Push It: Live" on the Saliva album
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgDwkSlCwHw

So good, makes one of the best Tools songs even better, fucking tugs at your emotions..
Maybe the best maynards voice has ever sounded on a record?


Even if you dont like Tool, give this song a chance.

[.GqueB.]

Avenged Sevenfold live ruined a lot of their recorded music for me. Especially Bat Country. It's not even close.

Avenged Sevenfold live in the LBC

Wake up live as well. It sounds more or less the same but the energy in this performance always gets me.

Wake up

[blame space]

i think about a minute into this video tom and mark hit the only perfect harmony they've ever done live. that and tom's horrible guitar playing somehow make this a better track than it is on dude ranch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuHmsfFh0wo

this version of fake plastic trees kills me every time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GH2uXeI_t0

[Lonestar]

Radiohead's The National Anthem, not only at a show I've gone to, but other live recordings. They vary up the samples they use, and seems like the song goes on longer.

[Tashi]

Ummm maybe U2's Love is Blindness from Sydney. Dat fuckin guitar solo by Edge melts my heart. That is greatness.

[Musha_Soturi]

A lot of great bands mentioned here so far.

Alice in Chain's Unplugged version of Over Now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXcdam4HMY0 Still like the studio version, but goddamn this version is so much better.

Down in a hole for me. Cannot listen to the original version anymore after hearing a copy of a live version.

every track on here trumps a studio cut. Especially the energy in Life During Wartime.

That is because Talking Heads are freakin' fantastic, and David Byrne is a legend.

Tool "Push It: Live" on the Saliva album http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgDwkSlCwHw So good, makes one of the best Tools songs even better, fucking tugs at your emotions.. Maybe the best maynards voice has ever sounded on a record? Even if you dont like Tool, give this song a chance.

Tool are another fantastic band, unfortunately I've not had the opportunity to see them live yet, but one day, one day.....

Avenged Sevenfold live ruined a lot of their recorded music for me. Especially Bat Country. It's not even close. Avenged Sevenfold live in the LBC Wake up live as well. It sounds more or less the same but the energy in this performance always gets me. Wake up

Agreed, Avenged Sevenfold are absolutely fantastic live, seen them a couple of times and they never disappoint.



For me, I was really surprised by Limp Bizkit live, I honestly thought they were going to suck, but they blew me away. Same with SOAD, I'd heard terrible things from people who'd seen them before me so was really worried it would be awful, but they were better than amazing.

[megashock5]

There is one, absolute, definitive example of this: Cheap Trick - I Want You to Want Me (Live at Budokan) Cheap Trick - I Want You to Want Me (Studio) Honestly, listen to one, then the other, and be stunned that not only is this the same song, but the same band.

Came in to post this. The original is rendered unlistenable by the definitive live version.

[AAequal]

Psycho Killer. Whole show is awesome but Psycho Killer always stands out for me.

But you have to watch the whole thing so you can enjoy Byrne's sweet moves.

[Solstice]

Every song on this live performance beats the hell out of the studio version. They just feel like they have so much more emotion in their live songs. Plus hearing Tony Banks on keyboards live is to die for.

Here's a link to the entire concert if you have a couple of hours to spare:

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

Definitely listen to Land of Confusion, Invisible Touch, and Mama.

[Mulligan]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0mu1wNOObY muse- cave.

especailly 3.16 onwards. love the emotion in the chorus and dat amazing outro

[lunarworks]

Not that it ruins the studio recordings for me, but every times I've seen Metric live they've completely put those recordings to shame. 100x more energy.


Then there's the opposite. When I saw Rush during the big SARS concert, they may as well have just put their CD in the sound system and pushed play. There was no difference at all. It was a bit of a let-down.

[Mikasangelos]

THIS

[Mumei]

I might be being a bit generous about ruining my ability to enjoy the studio version, but in all cases I do think that they are superior to the original (even if the original was sung by someone else!):

Tim Buckley - Song To the Siren
Mariah Carey - If It's Over (1992 Grammy Awards)
Mariah Carey - Joy To The World (St. John The Divine)
Mariah Carey - I'll Be There (Unplugged 1992)
Mariah Carey - Don't Play That Song For Me (Tattoo Club)
Mariah Carey - Vanishing (Saturday Night Live Rehearsal)
Mariah Carey - Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Mariah Carey - Petals (San Jose Rainbow Tour)
Mariah Carey - Hero (Rotterdam & Tokyo Daydream Tour / Madison Square Garden)
Tracy Chapman - Talkin' 'Bout A Revolution
Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
Aretha Franklin - Baby I Need You
Bobby Hatfield - Unchained Melody
Whitney Houston - I Am Changing (San Jose 1986)
Whitney Houston - In Return
Whitney Houston - Love Will Save The Day (1986 Special Olympics)
Whitney Houston - All The Man That I Need (Arsenio Hall)
Whitney Houston - You Give Good Love (London 1986)
Whitney Houston - Didn't We Almost Have It All (New York 1986)
Whitney Houston - One Moment In Time (1988 Grammy Awards)
Dusty Springfield - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
Dusty Springfield - If You Go Away
Dusty Springfield - I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself
Barbra Streisand - Evergreen (One Voice 1986)
Barbra Streisand - Don't Rain On My Parade (Funny Girl to Funny Lady 1975)
Luther Vandross, ft. Mariah Carey - Endless Love
Luther Vandross - A House Is Not A Home
Jackie Wilson - Lonely Teardrops
Jackie Wilson - Danny Boy
Jackie Wilson - To Be Loved

... And now it's too long so I'll just stop here.

[neorej]

Nine Inch Nails - And All That Could Have Been

Every single track is injected with so much emotion, be it anger, despair, love or whatever, that blows the studio-versions out of the water.

Good second :

Nirvana Unplugged in New York, feels like the true Nirvana comes out in this performance.

Third;
Everything Tool has done, their live-performances literally ruined their studio-work for me.

The reverse is also true, by the way, Queens of the Stone Age; I can only listen to their studio-work for so long before the live-performances I witnessed come to surface and haunt my ears once more.