Best official live album?

[seekerj]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

Which is probably why I prefer the 1980 album. I don't want to hear a rock band sound "elegant", I want to hear them sound dirty, raw and real. The Dance has too much polish for it to sound like a real live experience, but there's plenty of real moments on the Live album that makes it feel like you are in the venue and hearing the songs, mistakes and all, in that moment. The inclusion of the string breaking at the end of Don't Stop, for instance, is just fantastic. I'll listen to the album versions if I want perfection.

Exactly!

I was sooo severely disappointed when I heard The Dance cd for the first time. I was so looking forward to it, and it just let me down, it was so over-produced and all the music sounded watered-down. These things bummed me out:

1. The Chain lost the continued guitar solo after the tag "chain.... keep us together"; Lindsey used to keep the solo going long after that.
2. Rhiannon was completely castrated.
3. Lanslide lost the "well I hope you make it" lyric-change.
4. You Make Loving Fun lost the "edgey" guitar and sounded like Lindsey was playing under water.
5. Don't Stop... with horns... um, I don't think so.

So I voted for Live 1980.

About the only thing I liked about it was was the rebirth of Silver Springs, but it was just too tame; now I prefer the version that is on the Superstar Concert Series show from that tour.

[belladonnadream]

Live 1980...Love the Tusk sound. That album brings back memories

[strandinthewind]

If the 1980 album had been from one concert (which it was not) and filmed in HDish (imagine it on Blue Ray!!!!) - many people would be picking that one. The visual of The Dance is just too compelling, esp. Silver Springs.

[PenguinHead]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

If the 1980 album had been from one concert (which it was not) and filmed in HDish (imagine it on Blue Ray!!!!) - many people would be picking that one. The visual of The Dance is just too compelling, esp. Silver Springs.

Well, there is certainly a lack of concert videos from Fleetwood Mac. But remember...there was no such thing as high def in 1980!!! The Live album is great because of the diversity of songs and the shows they came from. It would have been nice for them, at the time, to release a full concert on video.
But again, at that time, that was not the norm. You can't compare what could have been done then with what exists (media, technology etc...) today.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

Well, there is certainly a lack of concert videos from Fleetwood Mac. But remember...there was no such thing as high def in 1980!!! The Live album is great because of the diversity of songs and the shows they came from. It would have been nice for them, at the time, to release a full concert on video.
But again, at that time, that was not the norm. You can't compare what could have been done then with what exists (media, technology etc...) today.

Well true - ya got me there.

I was trying to point out that the older concert footage from the 70's and early 80's (in whatever format and of whatever quality) seems to be venerated as the superlative era by many if not most. And, if there was a clean copy of one concert of the quality on the actual record, for most, it likely would shine brighter than The Dance. But, you are correct, the comparison is only in the abstract.

[trackaghost]

I bet the band has loads of Tusk live footage wasting away in a basement somewhere. It makes me too sad to think about it.

[fleetwoodguy79]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

If the 1980 album had been from one concert (which it was not) and filmed in HDish (imagine it on Blue Ray!!!!) - many people would be picking that one. The visual of The Dance is just too compelling, esp. Silver Springs.

I want to add some clarify here and give us all some HOPE!

While it's true that HD video did not exist back then, this concert (St Louis 1979) was filmed on 35mm film and not videotape. 35mm film is actually considered "high definition" and is of a higher resolution than current HD video technology (1080p). Notice how the older movies from the 1970's and 1980's have been remastered and brought to Blu-Ray in stunning HD clarity/clarity? We can get the same treatment for the 1979 St Louis show! There are obviously also professional multi-track audio recordings of this show as well, since many of the songs were mastered onto the 1980 live album.

I also voted for '80 Live. That album was fantastic, even if it was chopped up and lacked continuity. Lindsey's guitar playing on that album was the best he's ever played on electric - and he's never played like that since. I'm not sure if it was the drugs, the demonic makeup/suit combination, the want/need to outdo Stevie, but his playing is outstanding and is right up there with the best from the 1970's. I'm So Afraid, from the Live album is the BEST version they have ever done. Lindsey's guitar sounds EVIL!

The rest of the band sounded raw and energized during that entire album, a time that will unfortunately never come again... but... WHY can't someone go back and remaster those old videos, and bring them to Blu-Ray!? Dammit WB, TAKE MY MONEY!

[mylittledemon]

Originally Posted by fleetwoodguy79

WHY can't someone go back and remaster those old videos, and bring them to Blu-Ray!? Dammit WB, TAKE MY MONEY!

I know! AND... The Dance needs to be re-released in a widescreen/blu-ray format as well.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by mylittledemon

I know! AND... The Dance needs to be re-released in a widescreen/blu-ray format as well.

Wouldn't that be nice? There are some places in the Dance DVD where the audio and video don't sync up. Perhaps it's my equip tho.

[Richard B]

Originally Posted by mylittledemon

I know! AND... The Dance needs to be re-released in a widescreen/blu-ray format as well.

How I'd love this, but doubt it will ever happen. The Dance was filmed full screen and if it did find its way to BD, it will have black bars.

[MacFan92]

I gotta go with The Dance. Mostly because I prefer an entire live show, as opposed to the selected tracks featured on the 1980 Live album. Live In Boston is too short for me, and more importantly, it lacks Christine McVie.

[WildHearted]

I love The Dance, but I went with Live. It's got two of my favorite versions of Landslide and Rhiannon on it, and also, Fireflies and Sara...

[Conga]

Still The Dance. In fact it was the first Mac release I had ever heard so I remember hearing some of the original songs and thinking they sounded "weird". I was a kid, mmkay? Anyway it's weird that I started with The Dance and then went to Kirwan and Welch eras and then to Tusk and became ensconced in the Rumours-Era. Couldn't be a more roundabout way, but there it is.

I only have the 1980 Live one on vinyl, but I appreciate it. It's a lost relic from my favourite album era, but the rehearsal tracks are kind of limp to me. But I like the rawness; same could be said for Live in Boston.

[wheart]

Although I love some of the performances from the 1980 release (namely Rhiannon) I gotta go with The Dance. Apparently I'm not alone!