Unless you have the misfortune of seeing an artist lip-synch along to a backing track, the live version of a song is always going to sound at least a little bit different from the version you're used to hearing. While most artists try their best to recreate the studio version, others view live performance as an opportunity to reimagine (or to correct) the song's studio version. Here are seven songs that sound very different when performed in concert.
1. Bruce Springsteen - "Atlantic City" (1982)
As I've written about before, the songs on Springsteen's 1982 album Nebraska were meant to be expanded upon with the E Street Band, but were ultimately released in their lo-fi acoustic forms. Though full band versions of the songs have never been recorded, some are performed live, such as the classic "Atlantic City". In its live rendition, the song becomes an arena-sized anthem akin to the songs from Born in the USA.
2. Belle & Sebastian - "Piazza, New York Catcher" (2003)
This is another example of a song that was originally recorded solo but then expanded in its live incarnation. The studio version of "Piazza, New York Catcher" is a simple acoustic folk song, but in concert it becomes a bouncy yet still restrained country ballad.
3. Can - "Spoon" (1972)
Krautrock pioneers Can made albums by improvising for hours in the studio and then cutting down their recordings in post-production, resulting in songs that were structured completely differently from their live versions. The most extreme example of this is "Spoon", which is a three-minute song on record, but could go on for as long as thirty minutes in concert.
4. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - "A Minor Place" (1999)
The opening track on Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's classic 1999 LP I See A Darkness is a plaintive and somber piece of music, but is written with a strangely optimistic melody. The sweetness of the melody takes over the song when performed live, injecting it with upbeat energy and inspiring a more robust vocal performance from Will Oldham.
5. Joy Division - "She's Lost Control" (1979)
Joy Division famously detested the production on their debut album Unknown Pleasures, which they felt failed to capture their raw punk energy. This becomes apparent when comparing the studio and live versions of "She's Lost Control." The recorded version is robotic and distant, while their live performance of the song is incredibly forceful and immediate.
6. Lou Reed - "I'm Waiting for the Man" (1967)
After leaving the Velvet Underground, Lou Reed would perform his old band's garage rock classic "I'm Waiting for the Man" a couple of different ways. When performed with ex-bandmate John Cale, the song became a spare acoustic number. During his solo glam rock days, however, Reed would perform the song in a slower, more blues-inflected style.
7. Radiohead - "Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box" (2001)
As the opening track to their 2001 LP Amnesiac, "Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box" was recorded in the same experimental electronic style that Radiohead was exploring at the time. Instead of taking up the difficult task of replicating the song's bizarre production live, Radiohead simply performed it in a more organic, psychedelic style, complete with electric guitars, live drums, and fuzz bass.
© 2024 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
