Songs that are horrible live
 

What songs, to you, are horrible when played live, or don`t hold up to the studio version?

Say Goodbye.

studio version is far from great but live you can really hear how just dreadful this song really is (other than beautiful guitar parts, but they cannot save it unlike Time Precious Time). :distress:

The one thing I really miss about FM's live shows from 1975-1982 is how they were brave enough to make their songs sound a little bit different every night of the tour. I say they but I really mean Stevie. Beginning in 1987 they have tried too hard to make most of the songs sound like the records. I like all their live songs except Not That Funny and only because the jam session was tediously long.

I really don't like Second Hand News live - I love the studio version, but live I feel as if it's slower (may very well be the case). Also, the repetition of the bow bow bit just...no, it makes me cringe for some reason (only live of course).


On the other hand, I love Say Goodbye recorded version AND live. :) Had to say that since I keep seeing it brought up in various threads. I love the guitar parts, I love the harmonies, I love the lyrics :nod:

I've never thought SHN worked quite as well live. I love the studio version but the live version (with the possible exception of the Rumours tour) feel sluggish and "heavy". The new versions since 2003 suffer from this especially. I think it's because of Lindsey playing the Turner instead of the light acoustic guitars and timbres of the studio version.

LOVE Say Goodbye. Everything that was great about B/N shines in this song. Plus, I'm a mushball. I admit it.

I don't know. In general, I'd say I like almost everything better live than recorded. So, I'd almost have to answer the question in reverse (and, the answer would be "everything!").

OK-I hate Not That Funny. Live is even more aggravating than recorded. I dislike Say You Will live. I really, really am tired of Don't Stop both live and recorded. So Afraid--I do like better than the recorded version, I groan when I hear the opening strains, but--at the end, I'm into it just like (almost) everyone else.

I would have to say that Dreams doesn't work well live, it loses its intimacy and with Stevie unable or unwilling to reach those high notes, the song loses much of its power. The real problem with the song live is that it always, always sounds rushed, like lets just get through Dreams and move on. This classic deserves better and if she won't sing it properly, shelve it. :sorry:

I don't know if I would call it horrible, but "Gypsy" has never translated well to a live setting. The song is such a layered and intricate creation in its studio version that would be impractical to recreate onstage. Also, onstage Lindsey tends to sing his parts at the end much too forcefully, which doesn't work for the delicate nature of the song. Oddly, the one live version of "Gypsy" that I do love is the acoustic performance by just Stevie and Lindsey at one of those Heart Institute benefits in the early 2000s...for some reason, stripping the song down to its acoustic minimum actually works as a lovely alternative to the complex studio version.

I agree that "Dreams" hasn't worked too well onstage for the past couple of decades. However, judging from the performance on FM Live and clips from the late 70s, Stevie was capable of delivering a lead vocal that came close to the studio version. Unfortunately, they blew it on the chorus by having Stevie take the high harmony part rather than the lead.

WTH were they thinking with "Everywhere" on the TITN tour (with Stevie squealing "I wanna BEEEE with you")?! Fortunately,by the time of The Dance they refined the live arrangement into something much more palatable.

I forgot to mention Big Love. The first time Lindsey played it solo it was great and exciting but since then he has shoved that version down our throats. Every fan that comments on this song has said they wish he'd perform a full band version of it but noooooooooo. That's the biggest fault of Fleetwood Mac members. They get a good audience response on something and they'll never change the arrangement again.
I agree also with the other poster who said Dreams live is boring. It is but if it was placed later in the set it could feel more revived. I don't like the fact that we can pretty much predict the setlist. It never changes all that much. I wish just once they could really surprise us all and do something different.

Landslide....for the 10th million time:angel:

Only because it's been played to death but in the live setting there is nothing to compare to that sound when the song ends of 10,000 people stomping their feet on the floor in approval and practically feeling the building shake.That sensation makes those 3 minutes worth it for me.

I respectfully agree and disagree with Viv. I also like most of the songs they perform live (even NTF, b/c we don't hear it often).

The 87/88 tour saw different arrangements of TITN songs such as Everywhere and 7W. Of course, I am biased b/c I love the TITN dvd. I agree LL and IIM sound alot like the album version. But IIM rocked! However, after 10+ years it was nice to hear them dust off these tunes (Everywhere) and SYLM and give them a fresher, modern day appeal.

WRONG!

Big Love acoustic is a masterpiece and a showpiece for LB. maybe "fans" don't like it, but everybody from the street and causal listeners who hear it are blown away by it every time.

it would be a huge mistake to drop it or change it, although if he did i trust LB that he would do an extraordinary job and make something different from a studio version. i've seen him change enough songs around into something different and unexpected. but there's no need to do that with acoustic BL considering it's perfect as is.

full studio version is just an ordinary dated song.

looking forward to experience that for the first time.

I don`t like the early live version of I`m So Afraid. Dreams, the Rumours era versions are good.To me, Tusk live isn`t that good.

Of course there are some songs form the 80's (Hold Me, Gypsy-on Mirage tour) that tanked. Gypsy was resurrected and finally found a good translation into the set in 97. Hold Me can do the same, today :D

There isn't many "live" tunes I despise (perhaps, that is too strong a word). But SS has lost it's luster since 97, but then again that could be just the delivery from Nicks whom was not all present at the last Mac show I saw in 09.

yeah i get that feeling with a good number of songs - Dreams, Sara, even GDW (although i love that song), Rhiannon, regular version Gypsy - all these songs these days seem to be performed monotonally, rushed, just because they were big hits and they "have" to be done.

i also agree that Second Hand News was never as good live as it was on Rumours, although faster versions like the Rumours tour one and especially SYW one (which sounded almost like a march) were much better. only during SWS tour did Lindsey and the guys finally do justice to SHN - same with Tusk. both finally sounded good and really rocking during SWS tour so i hope he keeps those versions.

I would be A-ok with LB keeping BL the way it is...ahem as long as we can finally hear the masterpiece TITN! (even the ordinary studio version would do the trick) :]

You know, I've been listening to IYD lately, trying to decide whether she can hit these notes that no longer exist in live performances - it made me think, wasn't there a bit in the IYD documentary where she sang Rhiannon or Dreams with the high notes? I haven't seen it yet, but I remember someone saying something to that effect... Is she just trying to save her voice? If she can hit those high notes I'd love to hear them...especially for Dreams and Rhiannon. Those two songs are in desperate need of some new life.

Not sure about the notes but I agree that these songs need new life...especially Rhiannon. They've been doing the same arrangement of this song on stage forever. I know Rhiannon will never be what it once was on stage; however, if they did stretched out the middle instrumental part like they used to, and give Stevie a chance to do some full on chiffon waving drama, it would really revitalize the song.

As far as on stage clunkers, Gypsy is the first song that comes to mind. It never sounds as good as the recorded version...not even close.

Come on, Say Goodbye is amazing live!!!!!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Songs that sound horrible live for me:

- Second Hand News (too fast)
- World Turning (too long!!!!)
- Big Love and Go Insane (only becuse I want to hear something new)
- I'm So Afraid and Rhiannon before 1979.
- Sisters of the Moon (I love this song, but I can't feel the power of the studio version)
- the last Gypsies (empty versions. The Dance version is beautiful, but then...)
- And all the Mirage songs that were performed at least once live.

Regards!

I'm not a fan of how LB has been doing "Never Going Back Again" over the past decade. The studio version is poppy and upbeat, but the live versions of late have been slowed down considerably, quite a bit "darker," and, while he puts a great deal of emotion into the lyrics, I think this takes away from the fun of the studio version.

Just my opinion though, as I'm sure others love the newer take.

aww, how can you not like bam bam bam - that part i think it's good even in the worst live SHN versions (and i agree with you there are a number of those). but look here:

agree with you. he sped it up a little on OMS tour compared to the SWS tour when it was just dreadfully slow, but it needs to be sped up more, at least to the Soundstage version.

i know everybody thinks that but may opinion of SG live is somewhere en par with what i wrote in SN forum about Italian Summer. can't stand either song.

imo, one can love SG live only if at least one of the following is true:

• you have shipper inclinations and that overrides other considerations when listening to the song for you; or
• you love the music of Sinatra, Aznavour, or Julio Iglesias.

neither applies to me so i have to repeat that i think that song is just dreadful and even amazing guitar parts cannot save it. but tastes are different of course.

ha, someone else just commented that it's too slow live. i don't mind the too fast versions, but i agree there are many bad live versions of SHN, interspersed with some great ones.

I actually enjoyed Dreams at the Stevie solo shows I went to. I really think she's just way subdued and seems bored at FM shows. But her 'wildness' - for lack of a better word - really make her solo shows awesome. The tambourine crashing and twirling and silly rambling and funny little Stevie-dancing are what make the show amazing. I think she should put the passion she puts in her solo shows into FM shows. Lindsey certainly does. All these songs that everybody finds boring in FM shows would be way better if Stevie had a quarter of the passion and fun in it that she does when she's on her own. Just my opinion :shrug:

I have this same thought...it's a huge WOW moment for the non-fanatics when they see him do Big Love the way he has done it since '92. The fanatics in a lot of cases are now sick of it because he's been doing it this way for 20 years (15 since it really became huge with The Dance). But when I think more about it, is it the actual song Big Love that causes people to love it, or is it the fact that one man, a guitar, and a microphone on stage are capable of doing what Lindsey does with Big Love? I mean, Big Love was a hit, but it's not THAT huge of a hit...what if Lindsey plucked another song out of obscurity and rearranged it so that it was a one voice/one guitar masterpiece, would it have the same impact? I don't have the answer but I've definitely thought about this before.

Well I kinda thought in 2003-04 they went back to more of a poppy upbeat NGBA. It seemed in 2009 Lindsey went back to how he performed it back in the Rumours/Tusk/Mirage Tour days...slow, darker, etc.

I agree, I'm not sure what is it? I think LB has the same passion and energy in both his solo and FM concerts - Even if she isn't having a great time, fake it.

I know, but that's exactly what I mean lol - it's that performance I always think of and it drives me nuts :sorry: Especially with Stevie's adorable hand motions, I feel as if I've walked into some children's song, if that makes sense lol - I think it's the repetition of the bams or bows what have you :lol:

I admit shipper inclinations, but only in that I appreciate their ever evolving relationship. I find it fascinating and romantic. However, with all that aside, when I first heard this song I wasn't aware of all that baggage and I still thought it was beautiful. I don't think it's reminiscent of Sinatra, but I do love him (I don't know any songs by the other two, only know Julio's son, and Say Goodbye is definitely not as saccharine as Hero...).

I know Stevie has referred to Soldier's Angel as a BN-esque song lately, but honestly I feel like Say Goodbye sounds more like BN than SA. The harmonies are beautiful, and I love how the tempo changes; it gives the song such lift and emotion - for me it isn't schmaltzy at all. It's still so fascinating to me how FM fans can have such different tastes! :lol: But I think it's great, must be one of the reasons why they've been so successful all these years :)

Rhiannon's current arrangement has been played to death and needs something refreshed. Stevie's never going to be wailing like it's 1976 again, but I agree, a longer instrumental part with a solo from Lindsey would do wonders for the song.

Gypsy is such a clunker on stage, that's always what I think when I hear it! Save for the acoustic version in 2000, ever since '82 it's fell flat live. The Dance DVD is a nice version, but the Dance Tour versions are clunkers like always.

World Turning, Not That Funny, and Don't Stop also are on the top of my live stinkers list.

Personally, I like the lyrics of Say Goodbye, the melody, and the instrumentation. Unfortunately, the studio version is entirely too fast and poorly produced to the point that it sounds robotic. The slower tempo when it's played live gives time to actually hear what he's saying and enjoy the song. If Lindsey were to play it at solo shows with Brett or Neale on harmony I would love it live just as much.

I don't know how that has anything to do with Frank Sinatra. :laugh:

But I appreciate the fact that you find the song dreadful. The great thing about this board is the sharing of opinions - even if those opinions are different. Especially then.

I agree with the "Gypsy" sentiment. The studio version is just perfection, and so hard to recreate. I didn't like "Peacekeeper" during the SYW tour. It just lacked energy and brought the set to a crashing halt. And although I adore the song, I don't like "Oh Daddy" live, either.

Little Lies -- way worse live :distress:

Stand Back is grotesque live.

I didn't like Oh Daddy on the album and I disliked it in concert. I can't say it translated poorly to the stage. I just wasn't going to like it anyway and I don't think it should be in the setlist with Songbird. I type them together and you should just do one (preferably Songbird) or the other, not both.

Michele

I agree with the reasons regarding Gypsy. It's such a studio masterpiece that's hard to translate to the stage. It's my favorite FM song, so it's kinda hard to say I don't like it live.

Little Lies and Seven Wonders didn't go well live, but Isn't It Midnight did!

World Turning is just too long live with Mick's solo and stuff.

Dreams for whatever reason is better with Stevie solo than with FM. :cool:

:laugh::laugh::laugh: you're back with the Julio Iglesias thing, i absolutely don't hear it, you have to explain it to me Elle!
I'm a shipper and i like Aznavour sometimes, but i don't think those are the reasons why i like the song.
But i remember listening to the live version and my mom was in the room, and she asked if it was Fleetwood Mac and i said yes. And then she told me something like "this song doesn't sound like rock n' roll or folk, or anything. It is really bizarre.", so i guess there is a particular sound to this song that i'm not aware of because i'm so used to it. Maybe it really is Julio-ish :laugh:

It's "funny" you say that. When I bought the FM live cassettes in 1980, I put the cassette in my car player, and for some reason, that was the first song that played. I thought I bought the wrong cassettes. Like it was from another band. I re-wound or fast-forwarded and realized what it was. Never listened to the live version again. :distress:

I totally agree. The live version is slow but you must listen and feel lyrics and music better.

Hehehe, I respect Sinatra, and my father likes Julio Iglesias! But I don't think they're related with my opinion! :D
And I agree with all the opinions about the live Gypsy.
Regards!

If NTF was the first song that played on your cassette, that meant you bought a used cassette.