Live performance or studio recording?
 

If you're going to listen to a band or artist, would you:

Prefer to listen to a live recording of them at a gig? (let's say the recording is good quality though)

OR

prefer to listen to their studio recordings?

I'm curious, because I seem to take the opposite view to most others I've asked. 9/10 times I'd much rather listen to a studio recording than a live gig recording. I've always presumed this was the way most people thought but it's becoming increasingly apparent that it's not!

Totally depends who it is. With jazz, for example, I tend to prefer live recordings, but with metal I definitely prefer studio.

I think I'd have to go with studio recordings. I'm in love with the recording studio. Live stuff has its merits but I rarely get too excited over them.

I agree with what Janszoon, though. I'd find stuff like jazz done live much more appealing than, say, most rock artists. Maybe to the point where I'd treat the two equally.

Well, besides the jazz, I prefer the blues live performances than the studio recordings. But, anyway, when I'm interested in an artist and I don't know his songs I go for the studio stuff to see what it's about. And if I know some of the songs and I'm starting to like the artist I'm more interested in his live shows, because it's very important to see if this artist is a good showman or just a music-man

I once went to a Kaizers Orchestra concert, it was craaazy. But with records, I prefer studio. You can go back and fix stuff in a studio.

A mix of both

I would say studio recording because they are placed in an environment that controls the sound and makes it sound the best. In some cases I would rather go to a show just because it's more wild and the sound is heavy .!

As others have said, it really depends on the kind of music.

You definitely want to hear primarily acoustic music live, but a recording of that live performance also has a bit of that sound that tends to get lost in studio recordings. Most types of primarily electronic music is excellent live as well, but horribly represented in a live recording. In general, anything with heavily distorted guitars is usually more coherent in a studio recording. I also prefer more production-specific and nuanced music in a studio recording.

Yea.. It definitely has a lot to do with the type of music.

Depends on the genre

I dont feel it matters the genre, a mix of both is what should be good sounding, in that even if you are in a studio, you want it to sound live

it is kind of like the pre mix of a song where it sounds dry and flat and then you add the color

I'm on the same page, I link live acoustic and studio recording for electronica.

As others have mentioned, it depends on on the genre. A lot of live versions of some songs aren't presented too differently than the studio version (i.e. Cheap Trick, Rush), whereas a group like Led Zeppelin might play the songs in a completely different manner.

Something like the live version of "Dazed And Confused" from TSRTS soundtrack is a great example, they really took it to a different place compared to the studio version: different segue sections and solos, etc.

I can think of almost no cases where I prefer a live version of a song to the recorded version. For what it's worth, I generally don't like jazz and acoustic and don't particularly like attending concerts.

I can dig both, but they both have there place, being in a band myself, sometimes i sacrifice playing during the live show for the sake of the "show" i feel the need to give people a good show seeing as they paid to come see me! but Thrice, just released a new completely live recording of they're farewell tour, and its legit

I have to say both....I love to listen to the studio version first.....then I want to see how the song has " evolved " and how they play it " today" , live....
Counting Crows come to mind....live versions always seem to have something a little different. In a nice way....lol.

maybe both? but voice recording is much better for me because the voice is good, there's a plan, coach and etc.