In this article we're going to indulge in a debate on concert performances versus studio recordings.
It should be pointed out that there are no personal views in this article. The following is a composition of arguments made by critics and fans of music since the early days of both live and studio recordings.
Let's first cut to the question we ultimately want to get answered in this article. Which is better, seeing a group live or listening to one of their studio albums?
Well, to answer that it first needs to be pointed out that the question of better in itself may not even be the definitive answer. A live performance may be better than a studio album, worse than one or simply a different experience depending on what you are trying to get out of it.
If you're a purest who wants to hear your favorite group's songs done exactly as they were done on record then more likely than not you will probably be disappointed. Why? Well, there are several things that factor into that equation.
For starters, a studio recording is done in an environment that is totally different from a concert hall. The acoustics are manufactured as opposed to natural. Also, in a studio, you have millions of dollars in equipment that you just can't lug to a live performance, no matter how hard you try.
Then there is the recording process itself. Anyone who thinks that a group records each song they do in one take has an unrealistic view of studio recordings. Songs take multiple takes. Also, many parts are overdubbed and even triple dubbed. In a live performance there is no dubbing. Everything is done there on the spot. No chance to take back a wrong note. If the lead singer has a sore throat you can't skip over his parts and do them another day, as can be done in a studio. It is do or die at a live performance. Therefore, a live performance is going to be different from a studio recording.
Naturally, if you are going to see somebody who just plays guitar in the studio and is going to be playing that same guitar live, there is a better chance that what you will hear will more closely resemble what you'll hear on record. But with a big ensemble rock group that uses twenty keyboards in the studio, the chances become quite slim.
However, if you are someone who is going to a concert to hear and see the energy that a group puts into something live, or even hope to hear something a little different from what you get on record, then most likely you live for live performances. Recordings to you are simply a matter of getting some idea of how good that group will sound at a live venue.
But disappointments happen. Many critics claimed how a band by the name of "Boston" from back in the late 70s sounded absolutely terrible in concert because the lead singer could not hit the same high notes that he hit in the studio and it was obvious that the musicianship was just not there. This is a group that most likely needed the studio to sound as good as they did.
And then there is the concert enthusiast who isn't so much looking to hear the record duplicated or to hear energy or something different. They're just going to the concert to hear a band they just happen to like. Their experience at the concert will most likely be a simple matter of "did it sound good"? Since sounding good is a relative term, we won't try to answer how to qualify what "good" is. That is an individual's taste. In most cases however, just to generalize, if the concert sound is of "professional" quality and the songs are recognizable as the "hits" from the record then most people will walk away from the experience saying that it was a "good" one. But again, that depends on what you're hoping to get out of the experience itself.
Hopefully though, the above will serve as a guide of what to look for based on what type of person you are and what you are personally expecting. That way you can get a decent idea of what a concert experience will be like for you. If you need your music note for note to the record then most likely you will be disappointed by most concerts.
Notice we didn't actually answer our question of which is better. As was stated, concerts may simply be different.
Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Guitars
