Onlymac

I prefer studio versions as that is the most I listen to.

Very few live performances outdo the studio versions as with Lynyrd Skynyrd's Freebird.

Inna Selez

Same here, cuz live performances usually from big concerts have bad record quality.

Chula Vista

With some bands they're equally as good.

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and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.”

Zhanteimi

By and large, studio versions are going to sound better simply due to the recording equipment and the control the producers have.

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Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic

grindy

Depends on the genre, although I have a preference towards live albums, because they can be more energetic and raw in a good way, because I like a lot of improvised or semi-improvised music which usually benefits from a live setting and because live albums are often basically best of albums, but without the choppiness those often have.

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Ol’ Qwerty Bastard

I never listen to live albums. Sometimes after a concert I'll go on YouTube and look for clips of the show, and it never ends up sounding good. Live albums can be alright, but I would rather hear the polished up studio version.

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Blank.

I think it depends on the band. Some bands need those hours of editing to sound good, some have so much energy and power live that they sound better, and some are pretty even.

Chula Vista

Boy are you missing out. Gotta love the raw power of **** like this.

__________________

“The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well,
on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away
and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.”

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard

Meh, if I want to listen to the Stones or Deep Purple I'll just listen a few of my favourites by them. Those performances weren't enough to convert me I guess.

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Psy-Fi

I dig your avatar. I've been considering using that picture for an avatar change for some time. Guess I'll take it off my list

If we're talking about professionally recorded live vs. studio music. It generally depends on the band for me. Some groups (The Beatles, for example) I usually prefer studio to live. Other groups (The Allman Brothers Band, for example) I usually prefer live to studio. And some (The Rolling Stones, for example) I'm about 50/50 on studio and live. The lineup of a band and the particular performance also factor into it for me.

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She's a Brick House