Songs That Artists Could Not Pull Off Well Live

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My fav Ozzy studio track "Over The Mountain" sounded like a car wreck on stage.

― ZionTrain (ZionTrain), Monday, 16 May 2005 15:22 (twenty-one years ago)

"Bohemian Rhapsody", obviously (they used to leave the stage and let a tape handle the operatic portion).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 16 May 2005 15:24 (twenty-one years ago)

.. which is odd cause I saw a few bands at various Pontins' camps do passable versions of it.

Anyhow, I don't think Badly Drawn Boy has ever played "It came from the ground" live.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 16 May 2005 15:26 (twenty-one years ago)

From the recordings I've heard "The Prophet's Song" could fit this thread.

― ZionTrain (ZionTrain), Monday, 16 May 2005 15:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Oooh,......I'd love to hear a live version of "The Prophet's Song," but I could so totally hear it not working.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 16 May 2005 15:28 (twenty-one years ago)

"Prole Art Threat" sometimes worked great ("In a Hole") and sometimes just collapsed ("The Legendary Chaos Tape"/Live at Acklam Hall).

― Douglas (Douglas), Monday, 16 May 2005 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I was really bummed the way most of U2's "Zooropa" tracks sounded live. Title track in particular.

― ZionTrain (ZionTrain), Monday, 16 May 2005 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Someone once said that Guns 'N Roses couldn't pull off any of their songs live.

― ZionTrain (ZionTrain), Monday, 16 May 2005 15:36 (twenty-one years ago)

biter sweet symphony.

harder than you'd think. by the sound of it.

― piscesboy, Monday, 16 May 2005 15:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, the Bohemian Rhapsody was poorly performed live, but just think of how many (Town)-Day lip sink contests were dominated by theatrical renditions of the tune! This widespread lip sinking surely makes up for the poor BR performances by the creators of.

― ève, Monday, 16 May 2005 15:53 (twenty-one years ago)

I had to leave a CIbo Matto show because those girls can't harmonize at all, and they were ruining some of my favorite songs.

xxpost: Guns n Roses pulled it off when I saw them in 88, but on their "return" spot on MTV, Axil could barely make it though a few bars.

― Bobby Peru (Bobby Peru), Monday, 16 May 2005 16:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Paintwork.

― Ian John50n (orion), Monday, 16 May 2005 16:35 (twenty-one years ago)

i love cibo matto and now am so glad i passed on chances to see them live

― ZionTrain (ZionTrain), Monday, 16 May 2005 16:43 (twenty-one years ago)

anyone remember the led zep reunion at atlantic records' 40th anniversary where they butchered "kashmir"

― ZionTrain (ZionTrain), Monday, 16 May 2005 16:45 (twenty-one years ago)

"I'm Not In Love," 10CC

― Michael J McGonigal (mike mcgonigal), Monday, 16 May 2005 16:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Metallica couldn't do "To Live is To Die" live... apparently it was a trainwreck the one time they did it.

Early on, Oasis almost never hit Wonderwall live to the effect it had on the album. They constantly complained that it either was too fast, too slow, or too boring sounding, says the band in their first big bio Getting High

― Bryan Moore (Bryan Moore), Monday, 16 May 2005 20:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I still think "Kiss" is Prince's weakest moment in all his live sets post-'86. He's spot on vocally usually but the full band arrangements have always sounded wrong. Also, the reverb in a big stadium or hall just defeats the purpose of that song's right-up-in-your-ear sonics.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 03:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Blink-182 do not perform "I Miss You" in concert.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 03:57 (twenty-one years ago)

"Tumbling Dice"

― Burr (Burr), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 05:05 (twenty-one years ago)

anything by milli vanilli or betty boo

― mimer, Tuesday, 17 May 2005 06:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Pains me to say so, but nearly all of the songs on MX-80 Sound's "Live At The Library" are notably inferior to the original versions on their Hard Attack LP, from which was taken all but one song. (Of course, that's my alltime favourite album, as I've tiresomely claimed many times in the past.) And the primary culprit is utility man Rich Stim. Stim was an invaluable front man, responsible for vocals, lyrics, rhythm guitar, alto sax, and keyboards. But he seemed largely unable to sing while playing guitar simultaneous, and so omits many lyrics, ultimately doing both his singing AND his lyrics a disservice. (Plus he even sounded stoned! - maybe he took something to combat possible nerves, nerves attributable to the knowledge that the concert was being simulcast on local public-access TV! 'ludes, maybe? Dunno, that was way before my time.)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 07:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Paintwork.
-- Ian John50n (dr.carl.saga...) (webmail), May 16th, 2005 5:35 PM. (link)

No, I saw them do this live, and it was great.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 07:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Blink-182 do not perform "I Miss You" in concert.

Clearly a blessing.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 11:33 (twenty-one years ago)

if only they could extend such charity to the rest of their catalogue!

― latebloomer: B Minus Time Traveler (latebloomer), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 11:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Newcastle Riverside, 1993 or 1994 (?). Tindersticks are on great form, as per usual, until they start to play the recently released 'Kathleen'. It stars off great, but then the whole band breaks down after the intro. Second attempt - same thing. Valiantly they try a third time, but realise that they're beaten and move on to the next song. It's a Townes Van Zandt number, of course, so maybe that was their excuse. But I've never seen this happen to any other band, and yet somehow they managed to make it seem quite endearing. Shambolic charm and all of that.

(It wasn't endearing when I saw them play some kind of aircraft hangar in France a few years later and most of the band seemed so fucked up that they could barely play any of their songs right... How times change.)

― myopic_void (myopic_void), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 13:44 (twenty-one years ago)

The Three O'Clock, "Jet Fighter." One of my favorite Paisley Underground-era songs, but plodding and horribly out of tune live.

― mike a, Tuesday, 17 May 2005 15:23 (twenty-one years ago)

The Cure "Charlotte Sometimes"

― Baaderonixx (it must be a camel) (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 15:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Metallica couldn't do "To Live is To Die" live...

How is this a harder song to play than, say, "Orion"? Did James try to sing Cliff's lyrics and get choked up?

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 15:32 (twenty-one years ago)

I can only assume The Who never could pull off "I Can See for Miles" live. I've never heard a live verson of this one and I have always found it a bit odd, considering it was one of their biggest hits in the late 60s.

On a similar note, I have never heard a live version of "When the Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin. Why they didn't play this one, I have no idea. It is tuned down a step and has harmonica, maybe that is why they didn't play this one.

― earlnash, Tuesday, 17 May 2005 15:36 (twenty-one years ago)

When rock bands who typically rely on "traditional" instruments attempt to play songs live over backing tracks, so as to recreate the album production, the result is generally blah.

So "Bittersweet Symphony" OTM. Same goes for "Let it Flow" by Spiritualized.

One blinding exception (though I'm sure there are many) = "Duress" by Swervedriver

― Steve Gertz (sgertz), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 17:13 (twenty-one years ago)

The Cure "Charlotte Sometimes"

Wha? You're insane. I think the live version on Concert shits all over the original studio recording.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 17:14 (twenty-one years ago)

King Crimson tried to do Neurotica and Thela Hun Ginjeet, with a tape recording of the vocals. Pretty hurtin'.

― diedre mousedropping and a quarter (Dave225), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 17:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Generally anything that features a lot of multi tracked vocal harmonies as an important part of the track.

Because of this, 10cc were generally rubbish live.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 17:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Oooh,......I'd love to hear a live version of "The Prophet's Song," but I could so totally hear it not working.

In addition to that one and "Bohemian Rhapsody", few tracks from "Queen 2" would work out live either.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 17:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Barney has always had trouble live with the guitar on New Order's "Temptation".

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 17:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Jane's Addiction never got Been Caught Stealin' right, it's was always far too fast.

― mzui (mzui), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 17:26 (twenty-one years ago)

King Crimson tried to do Neurotica and Thela Hun Ginjeet, with a tape recording of the vocals. Pretty hurtin'.

I don't know if there are taped backing vocals, but the live version of Thela Hun Ginjeet on Absent Lovers is fantastic! Better than the studio version.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 17:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Roxy Music did tour after the "Avalon" album, but apparently never performed "More Than This" despite it being the biggest hit from that recent album. The reason was that it went a big higher than Bryan Ferry would usually feel comfortable with.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 17:30 (twenty-one years ago)

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