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TyronneThe Studio recording versus Live?
October 16th 2007 00:00
The Studio Recording versus the Live?
Nine Inch nails Burn it up Live
When a band or performer has released their quota of studio manufactured smash hits an inevitable tour will generally garner enough material to compile an album of live recordings. The questions is which is better?
The crisp clear production values and multiple takes, cut and paste editing of the studio can often enhance and morph the audio to substitute talent. There is a plethora of ways to distort a voice or smooth the rough edges, make the outfit tighter and more precise.
I’m playing my hand here by stating a preference; personally I prefer the live performance. Sure there are ways to engineer audio in a concert forum but the energy and atmosphere can not be faked.
The Who
Bands like Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd and The Who broke technological ground with their experimentation into quadraphonic sound for albums like Dark Side of the Moon and Quadrephinia.
The legend of Jim and Jim
Impressive maybe but then 10 minute solos and awesome stage production values left me comfortably numb for Floyd’s Delicate Sounds of Thunder, arguably the greatest capturing of concert magic ever.
Listening to the old Verve session jazz recording or the Blue Note period still have an essence that can never be duplicated in a controlled environment.
Charlie Parker and that venue
The Doors live in San Francisco, The Stones in the park, Woodstock, Queen at Wembley, The Isle of White and U2’s Rattle and Hum all buzz with electricity as massive amplifiers and daunting audience numbers become as integral as drums, guitar or lead singer.
Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, Beastie Boys, Prodigy and Portishead, the list goes on and on for bands I prefer in the flesh to in the speaker wire.
Beastie Boys 2 turntables and a microphone
The musical experience can be so enhanced that there are singers I have never enjoyed until I heard them live. Annie Lennox manages to rework the entire essence of certain Eurythmics tunes and Cindi Lauper’s jazz sessions surprise with control of her unique voice. Often improvising on a hit eternally fighting staleness, imagine if Mick and Keith didn’t mix it up, when they do “Satisfaction, a gun to their heads would be inevitable.
Wether the venue is a gigantic arena or a more intimate club gig sitting in the audience, attending an event naturally exceeds any amount of sitting in a darkened room with 1000 dollar headphones jacked through the roof.
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