Songs you like better live

[Optimal Saint]

Are there any songs that you were ‘meh’ on the studio version but loved when you heard it performed live?

Ideally by the same artist but not necessary

I saw Earth Wind & Fire years ago and they performed a song of theirs that I’m not a huge fan of but that version was incredible

For the life of me I can’t think of what it was now

[lockhartgary]

Since you mentioned EW&F, their live version of "Reasons" from the Gratitude album is one of my picks.

[motony]

"Oh Baby Don't You Weep" by James Brown is better on the 1964 LIVE album. "I Want A Love I Can See" I like better on the Motortown Revue II LP.

[thatanyway]

Tweaking the question slightly I like all songs better live. Live is what counts to me, and nothing on can tops the experience of what happens now, in the moment - although the now is tweaked quite a bit live too these days. I rather have the little mishaps too, so long as the sound quality is good - and that's frequently the problem, as music is played in places that weren't built for live music.
I quote Sir Miles in that live is what counts and also with ''the album is the menu and the show is the meal - and you're not supposed to eat the menu''
I don't have anything much to report on your exact question - I think that for me it's been more frequent that something sounded great on record but when I heard it live it wasn't as good as I had hoped... And I STILL prefer the live experience as such.

[jboy88]

I remember falling in love with this song after seeing this performance. Only to be completely underwhelmed by the studio version released three years prior. I wish they would have redone it in this style. Better yet, I wish they’d released a live album.

[lockhartgary]

"Oh Baby Don't You Weep" by James Brown is better on the 1964 LIVE album. "I Want A Love I Can See" I like better on the Motortown Revue II LP.

The James Brown song that appeared on the Live 1964 album had the audience noise dubbed in. The rest of the album was genuinely live.

[marv2]

"Reasons" by EWF

[midnightman]

[marv2]

"Tonight is the Night" by Betty Wright

[jboy88]

"Tonight is the Night" by Betty Wright

Totally agree with that one. Like with “You Don’t Have To Be Alone”, the studio version was at best, okay. The live version is much superior.

[Guy]

Another Whitney...

I found the studio version of "Why Does It Hurt So Bad" unlistenable. Then she was on MTV emoting, swooping and sweating, and completely transformed this into a gospelized, dramatic lament. It takes REAL talent to do this:

[marv2]

I have always thought that this was a great live performance by Whitney:

[Guy]

Yeah, Whitney has more than a few. She was an extraordinary talent but truthfully there was only room to improve many of her treacly studio recordings.