Don't get me wrong, I think SOTM is fine and everything, but I can't help but feel that people are sentimental about it only because of the fiery live performance in the Mirage live video. But at the end of the day, the live version and the studio version are virtually two entirely different songs; the studio version comes nowhere close to the live version's intensity and passion. It's not her greatest song musically or lyrically and for me it seems to be nothing more than a really cool way to end Side 2. It would definitely be regarded as one of Stevie's lesser tracks if there wasn't that incendiary live version to think about.
The opposite is true of "Sara," which I don't think really ever translated well to the stage. The live versions have sounded a bit flat and dull, where it becomes painfully obvious that it is basically a repetitive two-chord song. By contrast, the studio version is a miracle of sonic splendor- full of lush, ethereal layers of sound and haunting vocal effects; it is truly a studio masterpiece. So if we were truly evaluating Stevie's Tusk tracks for what they are (and not how they are played live), there is no question that "Sara" should be the hands-down winner in this round.
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