Okay, I've tried to like it but "Signs" just bores me outside of 'Shame' and 'They Don't Shine'. Then I bring up a YouTube live playlist and the band blows me away. I can't think of another band so on and off for me. TTB is awesome live even if you don't know the songs they are playing.
ABB were great on studio albums and live and I think the GD had some killer studio material, although most prefer the live stuff which I think can get too noodely. Who else knocks you out live but puts out meh albums?
[Edited on 5/18/2019 by Buckeye]
On the other side of the coin, Keb' Mo does great stuff in the studio, but puts me to sleep "live".
Los Lonely Boys are better live. I do like their albums, but live is where they really shine!! So much more guitar playing!!
I gave Signs away to Goodwill,
but love TTB live.
Going way back in time, Ten Years After was famous for this. Their performance of I'm Going Home in the Woodstock film is legendary. But their records were pretty average. Alvin Lee even said once in some liner notes, "The hardest part of being Ten Years After has been to make a record." They did have a really nice hit though with "I'd Love To Change The World."
I agree TTB hasn't been able to capture their mojo in the studio for some reason. I'm not sure if it's because they don't road test their material. With the exception of Let Me Get By, their studio albums sound like demos compared to their live material. Definitely rare for a band to be better on stage than from the luxury of a controlled studio, especially a band as big as TTB.
Conversely, I always preferred the Dead's studio material to their live material.
[Edited on 5/18/2019 by porkchopbob]
Cool topic - too many to list, I just flat out prefer live music to studio.
all following great live:
Allman Brothers post 1975, studio bleah
Dead post 1977 chuck all studio in the dumpster
Who post 1978 studio barf
Stones post 1978 studio joke
Cool topic - too many to list, I just flat out prefer live music to studio.
all following great live:
Allman Brothers post 1975, studio bleah
Dead post 1977 chuck all studio in the dumpster
Who post 1978 studio barf
Stones post 1978 studio joke
You're listing bands that were past their prime. I think Buckeye is talking about bands that were always better on stage than in the studio.
Thin Lizzy for sure
You're listing bands that were past their prime. I think Buckeye is talking about bands that were always better on stage than in the studio.
I guess I was being subjective there for sure. Personal taste aside: The Dead flat out always were stronger live than in studio, anyone in that group would say so. Lesh once referred to their studio records as "ads".
Allman Brothers, same deal.
I agree TTB hasn't been able to capture their mojo in the studio for some reason. I'm not sure if it's because they don't road test their material. With the exception of Let Me Get By, their studio albums sound like demos compared to their live material. Definitely rare for a band to be better on stage than from the luxury of a controlled studio, especially a band as big as TTB.
Conversely, I always preferred the Dead's studio material to their live material.
[Edited on 5/18/2019 by porkchopbob]
I wonder if TTB albums would have more fire if they recorded a live studio album much like the Black Crowes did for 'Before the Frost...until the Freeze.' Probably my second favorite Crowes album to "Southern Harmony..."
I'm a weirdo too often preferring Dead studio stuff to live recording, especially "Workingman's Dead/ American Beauty".
You're listing bands that were past their prime. I think Buckeye is talking about bands that were always better on stage than in the studio.
I guess I was being subjective there for sure. Personal taste aside: The Dead flat out always were stronger live than in studio, anyone in that group would say so. Lesh once referred to their studio records as "ads".
Allman Brothers, same deal.
Yes, I was primarily speaking of the sum total of a bands studio output vs their live performances. To be 'on the other side of the coin" as BIGV said, I love studio Zepplin but find their live performances pretty, well......bad
[Edited on 5/18/2019 by Buckeye]
Workingmans Dead/American Beauty are two of the best studio albums ever made, whether or not you like them just ask Warner Brothers. They are still selling those.
I remember Little Feat Waiting For Columbus pretty much taking over, making me forget to spin the studio recordd. After seeing Feat in 76 at Winterland, their studio stuff seemed lifeless.
I can't even listen to Liz Reed on Idlewild South - sounds like elevator cha cha muzak compared to the live versions.
[Edited on 5/18/2019 by BrerRabbit]
I wouldn't say J.Geils Band studio albums were average but they were amazing live!
The only time I got to see them was during the Centerfold/ Freeze Frame era.... I didn't love their last albums but the show was great, the whole arena crowd stood the whole show!
J Geils "Full House" live is an amazing album. They really captured it. It's one of my favorite live albums.
Whammer Jammer into Hard Driving Man are awesome.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
I wouldn't say J.Geils Band studio albums were average but they were amazing live!
The only time I got to see them was during the Centerfold/ Freeze Frame era.... I didn't love their last albums but the show was great, the whole arena crowd stood the whole show!
I saw them in Alumni Gym at the University of Tennessee that tour. One of my all-time favorite shows, hands down. A mostly unknown band on their first US tour opened. The J. Geils roadies didn't appreciate Bono climbing on the rigging...
Essentially true for me of every band I really love. I would never put on a studio album by the Allman Brothers, Gov’t Mule, Derek Trucks Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Black Crowes, Widespread Panic, Grateful Dead, Phil Lesh, Umphrey’s McGee, Steve Kimock etc etc for basically any reason. Might give a new album one or two listens when it first comes out to see if any songs immediately grab me, then go find live versions of those songs, but then I’d never put those studio albums on again. Live albums and live shows all the way, always for me.
Essentially true for me of every band I really love. I would never put on a studio album by the Allman Brothers, Gov’t Mule, Derek Trucks Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Black Crowes, Widespread Panic, Grateful Dead, Phil Lesh, Umphrey’s McGee, Steve Kimock etc etc for basically any reason. Might give a new album one or two listens when it first comes out to see if any songs immediately grab me, then go find live versions of those songs, but then I’d never put those studio albums on again. Live albums and live shows all the way, always for me.
I'd say you're missing out on some great music then. ABB's Eat A Peach is half studio and some of the very best studio work they ever did.............chock full of classics. How about The Derek Trucks Band's Soul Serenade? Mind-blowing jazz record. Or DTB's Already Free, another tremendous studio record. Black Crowes' Southern Harmony and Musical Companion..........to me the best thing they ever did............what a record!
Gov't Mule stands out more than any other band regarding this subject. They are my favorite live band in the world now that ABB is defunct. I've seem them at least a dozen times (lost track) and they ALWAYS bring it!! When it comes to their studio records............I don't have a lot of them but let's just say I rarely put them in the stereo. Dose of course is a real good studio record, Allen Woody era. And I love Shout but it took a bunch of guest vocalists on disc two to get it there. So what, it works! But in general their studio work doesn't move me much. LIVE? I'd go see them ANYTIME! Want to hear a GREAT Mule show? Go to mule.net and download Mountain Jam 6-7-14. Oh My God!!
Definitely agree on Tedeschi Trucks. Typically only a couple of above average songs on their studio albums but live they can stretch out and really unleash the band's power plus of course they are great at doing classic covers and some additional things from Derek's catalogue.
Phish....
Coincidentally, 30 years ago today, I saw my first Phish show when they played at the school I was attending in MA. 
I remember Little Feat Waiting For Columbus pretty much taking over, making me forget to spin the studio recordd. After seeing Feat in 76 at Winterland, their studio stuff seemed lifeless.
Never saw the Feat w/Lowell but have quite a few Live performances from that era and agreed their studio work/releases do seem flat contrasted with their concert recordings. The same can be said for the period when Craig Fuller was out front....
Here's a band where it made no difference, "Live" or studio, the Eagles played everything note for note.
We need a companion thread of studio cuts that should never be played Live. Here are 3 I'd offer:
Blue Sky
Layla
Stairway To Heaven
I don't care for any Live version of these songs. The studio cuts are PERFECTION and that can't be improved on.
I feel the same way about Nobody Knows
on the original topic, if one just had Live Dates by Wishbone Ash, also Raunch & Roll Live by Black Oak Arkansas, you'd be good -- although I do like WAsh's 1st 2 studio ones, but Live Dates is great
It's not true with EVERY song, but a lot of Deep Purple songs are way better live.
However, the studio version of "Lazy" is their best version of it, imho.
That is strange, I was thinking of Deep Purple, but didnt mention as I hit on the paradox that they were both better live than studio and better studio than live. Which is just . . . weird.
a hard topic imo. for instance I don't think the grateful dead ever did a live performance of the workingmans dead/American beauty material that overall was better than the studio performances but there are some great versions of those tunes while I will say most of the studio material outside of those 2 albums was much better live every time it was performed
Essentially true for me of every band I really love. I would never put on a studio album by the Allman Brothers, Gov’t Mule, Derek Trucks Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Black Crowes, Widespread Panic, Grateful Dead, Phil Lesh, Umphrey’s McGee, Steve Kimock etc etc for basically any reason. Might give a new album one or two listens when it first comes out to see if any songs immediately grab me, then go find live versions of those songs, but then I’d never put those studio albums on again. Live albums and live shows all the way, always for me.
Wonderful thread, even though we ain't what we once was around here, still just SO many knowledgeable and insightful musical thoughts and opinions here, still the only website other than boblinks that I visit. Thanks to ever single body who shares here!!! I kinda share the opinion above, I do listen fairly often to studio stuff, but I am far more interested what an artist does on stage than what kind of studio mastery they have.......?..........Peace.........joe
I am an extreme simpleton, I try to wear it proudly, sh!the as far as effects go, I got excited back in '80 or '81 when Iron Maiden had the cop siren on their song Sanctuary...
[Edited on 5/21/2019 by crazyjoe]
The Hourglass.
