Rapid Fire: Tenacious D

Just managed to get in at the last minute, once again!
For this week's Rapid Fire post, I'm once again choosing three albums by the same band and yes, it's a Hard Rock band again. However, since tomorrow is April Fool's Day, this band also qualifies as Mock Rock. There aren't a huge number of albums by great Mock Rock bands to choose from but since my favourite Mock Rock outfit happens to only have three albums in their back catalogue (at the time of writing this), the choice was obvious.
I used to think this band were kind of tacky but after watching the film and listening to their music, I grew to love them. Now, Tenacious D are one of my favourite bands and I've seen them three times so far, so let's take a look at their three albums starting with their 2001 self-titled debut.


1. Tenacious D - Tenacious D

Tenacious D (album) may look pretty sinister but it's all part of the gag. Their music isn't heavy, devil worshipping music from Hell but sometimes the duo of Jables (Jack Black) and Kage (Kyle Gass) like to stray into those territories with the help of their backing band. Album opener "Kielbasa" is built around an acoustic melody and amusing lyrics that I shouldn't need to analyse for you to get. It soon becomes heavier but it's a strong representation for the rest of the album, as I once claimed in a blog post on great album openers.
Most songs are built around an acoustic melody and lyrics about sex, food or random concepts ranging from friendship ("Friendship") to karate ("Karate") although some start off heavy and stay that way ("The Road", "Rock Your Socks"). However, the biggest amount of variety on the album comes from the blending of comedic skits with Hard Rock tracks. It might make the album a bit hard to listen to in one sitting (unless you like brief amusing interludes between your tunes) but they're still pretty funny.
I recommend listening to this album all the way through at least once but after that, you're probably better off just picking tracks you like to enjoy now and then. Fortunately, there are plenty of these songs to choose from as Tenacious D have a habit of writing quality tunes in short bursts that tend to stray from the traditional Rock song formula.

1. Kielbasa

2. One Note Song

3. Tribute

4. Wonderboy

5. Hard Fucking

6. Fuck Her Gently

7. Explosivo

8. Dio

9. Inward Singing

10. Kyle Quit The Band

11. The Road

12. Cock Pushups

13. Lee

14. Friendship Test

15. Friendship

16. Karate Schnitzel

17. Karate

18. Rock Your Socks

19. Drive-Thru

20. Double Team

21. City Hall/I Believe/Malibu Nights

ALBUM RATING - 7/10

2. The Pick Of Destiny - Tenacious D

Critics panned this album for being a disappointing follow-up to the debut, along with needing knowledge of the film to appreciate completely. However, if you want an album that's entirely music without any of the skits, The Pick Of Destiny is great. Album opener "Kickapoo" spins an entertaining yarn of young JB's oppressive family and his journey to the city of fallen angels where the ocean meets the sand. It sounds like the opening song from an R-rated Rock opera and sets the tone for the rest of the album well.

Unlike their debut, the backing band have more of a presence on these songs with fewer tracks built around acoustic riffs, even though a few crop up here and there ("Classico", "History") and plenty ramping up the heavy material to the awesome degree ("Master Exploder", "Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown)"). Whilst I can understand the complete lack of skits on the album (there's a film and it's funnier than the entire first album!), I can also understand how it's quite difficult to enjoy The Pick Of Destiny unless you've seen the film.

The songs on this album don't carry enough of the film's narrative to make it a standalone success so if anything, it's more of a soundtrack than a brand new studio album. However, if bands like Queen can include a soundtrack in their discography then so can Tenacious D, especially when it's as good as this one. I recommend watching the film before listening to this album but if you do want to listen to any songs as a taster first, I recommend tracks one, five, seven and fifteen.

1. Kickapoo

2. Classico

3. Baby

4. Destiny

5. History

6. The Government Totally Sucks

7. Master Exploder

8. The Divide

9. Papagenu (He's My Sassafrass)

10. Dude (I Totally Miss You)

11. Break-In City (Storm The Gate!)

12. Car Chase City

13. Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown)

14. POD

15. The Metal

ALBUM RATING - 7/10

3. Rize Of The Fenix - Tenacious D

The band's third/currently latest album may have somewhat of an...irregular album cover but the material on the record is a perfect blend of the first two albums. Coming off a tour that ended up losing money and all the aforementioned negative press, the dynamic duo needed some time to climb back to the top. Six years, to be exact (so still less than Metallica needed). Album opener "Rize Of The Fenix" explains this story with heavy riffs, several acts and the best explosion sound effect I've ever heard. To quote the chorus, the fuckin' D is back!

It's fair to say that the strongest material comes in the first half of the album with classic D material ("Roadie"), Hard Hard Rock ("Deth Starr") and an amusing skit ("Classical Teacher"). Once the album gets about 2/3 of the way through, things start to take a downward spiral with less energetic music and less inspired lyrics ("39", "Rock Is Dead"). There are some exceptions but even those could've been better; "To Be The Best" needed another verse (and the band have added that extra verse in certain live gigs) but it's still good.

I don't think anybody's saying this is the band's best album but it's certainly one of the better albums. It rides the line and pleases fans of Tenacious D and The Pick Of Destiny but most importantly, it doesn't spell the end for the band. The creative well isn't dry and, if the gigs I've been to are any indication, Jables and Kage still enjoy rocking out. Rize Of The Fenix is a solid entry to get the band back on track and a fourth album should try to capture the same magic as the first. More skits, more songs about sex, more actual songs that could be heard on the radio instead of just two-minute snippets that couldn't be fleshed out. Hopefully we'll get another album from the boys soon, as it's been five years since this came out.

1. Rize Of The Fenix

2. Low Hangin' Fruit

3. Classical Teacher

4. Senorita

5.Deth Starr

6. Roadie

7. Flutes & Trombones

8. The Ballad Of Hollywood Jack And The Rage Kage

9. Throw Down

10. Rock Is Dead

11. They Fucked Our Asses

12. To Be The Best

13. 39

ALBUM RATING - 7/10

Triple 7s, whadda ya know? I definitely didn't phone this one in!

I'm currently dealing with technical issues regarding my laptop and the Internet so blog posts may go on hold for a while. I'll still aim for an average of one a week but if I can't meet that, there's always my Twitter account.

Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild - Manaka Kataoka & Yasuaki Iwata

Yes, I'm reviewing a game's soundtrack. This is happening.

NOTE: Whilst I'm using the Sound Selection cover, I'll be talking about more pieces of music than the ones included on the CD. This is mostly because after 30+ years making games, Nintendo still don't know how to release a good soundtrack CD.
Also, whilst I'll be sharing my opinions on this game throughout the review, this isn't a review of the game itself. If you want to know whether I liked the game, I did; a lot. It's great and you should buy it if you're a fan of RPGs, Zelda, open world exploration and well crafted puzzle solving and combat gameplay.


So it's finally here, the new console Zelda game! I remember writing about listening to the trailer music and feeling incredibly hyped for not just the game itself but the soundtrack too. The trailer boasted an epic score combining classic motifs with exciting new melodies on a grand orchestral scale and I for one was looking forward to hearing a Zelda soundtrack with more fantasy elements that you might expect from a game like Skyrim. In the end, we basically got half of that; a mix of old and new but sounding more like an expansion to the Skyward Sword soundtrack. Sure, that soundtrack was cute but certainly not what was advertised in the trailer.
I'm not going to sit here like some hack writer hastily shitting out a blog post about how majestic and beautiful the entire soundtrack is because truth be told, it's my second least favourite of all the console Zelda games. I didn't hate it but I was very disappointed for a variety of reasons. For starters, the main theme isn't great. It's the first piece of music you hear when you leave the Shrine Of Restoration, ready to explore the ravaged but still gorgeous land of Hyrule, and it's just In The Bleak Midwinter. Better parts of the main theme are used throughout the game for when you activate towers and such but it doesn't stand out as a memorable piece of music in the same way that, say, the Wind Waker theme does (and this is coming from someone who places the WW soundtrack as his least favourite).
Secondly, one of the big observations, the silence. When you're out and about in the wild, there is no music apart from a few notes here and there (that play Zelda's Lullaby when you speed them up). I get it, the soundtrack is meant to be the land around you; the crickets, the wind, the wild itself. It's a neat idea but having watched gameplay footage of someone exploring to silence and someone exploring to the Hyrule Field theme from Ocarina Of Time, I feel I would honestly prefer music in place. However, that's only when you're exploring the wild on foot. There's music everywhere else.

You get tame galloping music when riding a horse, mediocre battle music when encountering an enemy and various familiar themes when entering a town or settlement. Whilst opinions will differ on which of these tunes work and which don't, most fans will probably agree that the music in different territories is one of the game's highlights, particularly for fans of Ocarina Of Time (clearly a big inspiration for the game). The game succeeds in blending classic with contemporary but unfortunately, with a series as rich as The Legend Of Zelda, the new music will always be overshadowed by the old.
Take the stables; now and then, you'll encounter a friendly hostel with a remixed theme of Epona's Song and occasionally, you'll find an anthropomorphic parrot playing that exact tune on the accordion. Whilst the stable music is nice, my ear is always drawn to the tune on the accordion when Kass is playing it. You could argue that it's due to the nature of the instrument but it doesn't even sound that overpowering when you listen to it; in fact, the new music always starts first when you approach the stable and yet it's Epona's Song I want to listen to. Other examples include Zora's Domain (containing echoes of the same theme from Ocarina Of Time) and Rito Village, the latter containing my favourite new piece of music but also borrowing the melody from Dragon Roost Island on mandolin.
This is fine if you just want to please fans with nostalgia but not if you plan on creating fresh memorable music, as this game seriously lacks that in the same way newer titles such as Skyward Sword have the Skyloft theme and Ballad Of The Goddess or risk taking games that break the standard Zelda formula like Majora's Mask has Clock Town and the Song Of Healing. Maybe time will prove me wrong here but to me, the most iconic piece of music from Breath Of The Wild (the trailer music) isn't even featured in the final game.

However, despite not containing standout pieces of music, this game does contain some great tracks. Korok Forest is delightfully whimsical and perfectly matched to the environment (if you can excuse the frequent drop in frames) and the aforementioned Rito Village is a fine example of how to properly mix your score, combining string and woodwind without fault. Plus, the game doesn't just excel at peaceful music. Some of the music that plays when you attack Divine Beasts (Vah Ruta and Vah Naboris in particular) is perfect boss battle music. It's just a shame it doesn't last longer, unless you suck at the game.
Another neat feature, which is pretty much a staple of Nintendo games, is a soundtrack that changes based on your progression through the game. A town's theme will add layers containing different instruments depending on what's happening, what time it is and what you've accomplished which, more often than not, improves the original music. The best example of this is in an optional sidequest where you build a town/cult on top of a giant rock; when you recruit a new villager from one of the four main races in this game, music based around that race will be added to the town. It works as a great audio-metaphor and listening experience.
Then there are the little musical cues that pop up now and then when you cook a new dish or get a heart container. As before, some are obvious references to Zelda games (the music playing when the Sheikah Slate downloads new parts of the map being the classic treasure chest theme) and some are new (a musical sting involving a boxing bell when you clear out a nest of Bokoblins). Not much to comment on here other than some work a lot better than others, although luckily the ones that work tend to show up more so that's good.

Overall, Breath Of The Wild's soundtrack is decent. Ignoring technical limitations of the time, I'd say other Zelda soundtracks were better but this is still a fine soundtrack. Much like a tightrope walker, it treads the line between taking risks on the left and playing it safe on the right, momentarily swaying a bit too far to one of the two sides but still making it across to the other side without plummeting towards catastrophic failure at the bottom. Despite my complaints at the start of this post, I give it a 7/10. Remember, we're talking about Zelda soundtracks here and to me, a bad Zelda soundtrack can still reach 5 or 6 out of 10. Compared to other game soundtracks, this one's bloody good so a 7/10 seems fair on the universal scale.
It could've reached an 8 or 9 if the main theme was more original, the trailer music was used in the game and the horse riding/exploration music had a bit more of an adventurous feel to it, but I'll concede that last point is down to personal taste. If you liked my review of video game music, let me know in the comments/via Twitter as Yooka Laylee's coming out soon and I. am. fucking. hyped.
I. am. also. incapable. of. learning. my. lesson. about. not. getting. too. excited. about. video. game. music.

Rapid Fire: Thin Lizzy, U2, Black Star Riders

Happy belated St. Patrick's Day!
To celebrate, I decided to hastily type up a Rapid Fire post celebrating some great Irish bands across the decades. Yes, they may be obvious choices but a popular band wouldn't be where it is today without some kind of reason so let's take a look at three different albums already!

1. Jailbreak - Thin Lizzy

Possibly the most well known (if not one of the most) albums by Thin Lizzy containing two of their biggest hits; "The Boys Are Back In Town" and "Jailbreak", the latter also being the album opener. I may have given this song shit for containing a dumb opening lyric but as far as Classic Rock songs with a bit of a Hard Rock edge go, it's pretty good. In fact, the whole album is full of "pretty good" songs apart from "The Boys Are Back In Town", which is an absolute belter.
Jailbreak is serviceable but the most incredible thing about this or indeed any Thin Lizzy album is Phil Lynott's work as vocalist and bassist. It's quite possibly the defining trait of the band's entire career. His voice isn't just unique but it fits in perfectly with the band's sound regardless of whatever they ended up producing, as proven by the band's foray into Metal territories. But we're not talking about Thunder & Lightning, we're talking about Jailbreak.
Most people credit Gary Moore as being the best guitarist Thin Lizzy ever had but the twin harmonies of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson deserve some credit too. Tracks like "Angel From The Coast", "Cowboy Song" and "Emerald" showed that they knew how to rock out with a variety of soft and heavy riffs, not to mention catchy solos too. I'd recommend Jailbreak to anyone who likes pure Classic Rock without the red, white and blue stains of America on it.

1. Jailbreak

2. Angel From The Coast

3. Running Back

4. Romeo And The Lonely Girl

5. Warriors

6. The Boys Are Back In Town

7. Fight Or Fall

8. Cowboy Song

9. Emerald

ALBUM RATING - 7/10

2. The Joshua Tree - U2

When people quote U2 albums, it's either this or Achtung Baby so when decided which album to listen to for this post, it had to be this one. Straight off the bat, we get three of the band's most famous songs in succession; "Where The Streets Have No Name", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "With Or Without You". These are also the three weakest tracks on the album if you want Rock music as opposed to Wood. It's only when the album gets to "Bullet The Blue Sky" that the band clearly remembered you can make Alternative Rock with some fucking balls. Heavy bass, eerie guitar, drums that would've been better if Larry Mullen wasn't shit and Bono NOT whining.

Before you think of me as some fucking idiot who just wants AC/DC with every album he listens to, I was aware of the story behind this album. Dead friend + soul searching trip across America = The Joshua Tree. However, there are similar sounding tracks on the album that sound like they were written to be listened to and enjoyed ("In God's Country") and tracks that sound like the band trying to show everyone how fucking deep they were, basically the musical equivalent of a carefully posed Instagram pic of the band flexing in front of a mirror at a gym ("Where The Streets Have No Name").

Despite dedicating some time to rocking a little bit in the middle, the band return to slower, more sombre music in the last third of the album. Whilst I may not like the songs, the musical flow of the tracklist works and makes for a better listening experience...provided you can listen to the last songs without your mind drifting onto thoughts of how much happier you'd be listening to something else like a kitten trying to wake up its dead mother. It's lyrically well written and musically well performed (apart from Larry Mullen's parts, he just does what he can) but not an album I'd personally recommend unless you're on some kind of pilgrimage to seek out and listen to all the records you'd find in those pretentious "One Million Albums To Hear Before You Die" lists.

1. Where The Streets Have No Name

2. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

3. With Or Without You

4. Bullet The Blue Sky

5. Running To Stand Still

6. Red Hill Mining Town

7. In God's Country

8. Trip Through Your Wires

9. One Tree Hill

10. Exit

11. Mothers Of The Disappeared

ALBUM RATING - 5/10

3. All Hell Breaks Loose - Black Star Riders

I said that I'd have to listen to more albums by this band in my Heavy Fire review so here I am, talking about their debut in a post on Irish Rock bands when I've already looked at a Thin Lizzy record. It was either these guys or the Cranberries and fuck. that. Anyway, to refresh your memory, Black Star Riders is basically Thin Lizzy 2.0 founded by Scott Gorham with a vocalist who sounds as close as they could get to Thin Lizzy without pissing on his memory. They also made their music heavier so, in theory, it should balance out to make a partway decent Rock band...and it does! As far as debuts go, this is alright.

Sadly, album opener and title track "All Hell Breaks Loose" is piss weak but thankfully the rest of the album makes up for it. I'm assuming they didn't want to name their album "Bound For Glory" after the song due to the connotations of arrogance on the band's part (even if it would've been a greater album opener with a much better name for the album) but if you're after Irish Hard Rock, this album delivers. The main downside to this is that it's a bit tame, even with heavier guitars, but debut albums are allowed to play it safe.

The tracks that do have a bit of an edge to them are usually the better songs to listen to ("Valley Of The Stones", "Bloodshot") but the whole album is enjoyable if not a little generic ("Hey Judas", "Someday Salvation"). I'd recommend All Hell Breaks Loose to anyone who likes Thin Lizzy and Hard Rock, pretty much my views towards Heavy Fire and likely The Killer Instinct, even though I haven't listened to it. The catchy guitar riffs are still there from the days when Lynott fronted the band and whilst it will never be as great as the days of Thin Lizzy at their peak, at least we've got something good.

1. All Hell Breaks Loose

2. Bound For Glory

3. Kingdom Of The Lost

4. Bloodshot

5. Kissin' The Ground

6. Hey Judas

7. Hoodoo Voodoo

8. Valley Of The Stones

9. Someday Salvation

10. Before The War

11. Blues Ain't So Bad

ALBUM RATING - 7/10

I'm aware I still have a blog post for March to catch up on but I've been quite preoccupied with playing Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild. Don't worry though, I'll make sure to post an extra one before April comes around.

Showdown: Live Versions

Time for another Showdown and this time, it's not video game related!
Last time I did a Showdown post, I covered songs that had been rerecorded by the same artist and, if you hadn't guessed by the title already, this time I'm looking at live versions of songs compared to the studio original.
It's fairly common knowledge that studio versions tend to be better than live versions when you're listening to the songs casually. However, even though most live versions are only awesome when you're there at the gig witnessing the band truly bringing the thunder to their well loved material, some are so incredible that they actually surpass the quality of the studio versions and become known as the greater track overall. I'll be discussing the studio and live versions of some of those songs along with a few I've thrown in that aren't as well known.
Whilst some live performances from random gigs throughout history may have been out of this world and easily trounce the originals, I'll only be counting songs from live albums that have been officially released to make it easier for you to find should you wish to listen along as you read. For the first time in a Showdown post, I've included a Spotify playlist link at the bottom of this post to make it easier for you to enjoy the music. As for the format of this post, it'll stay the same but I'll make a note of the albums (studio and live) I'm writing about in each round.
Right, let's get started!

ROUND ONE: "I Want You To Want Me" - Cheap Trick
Original (In Color) - Arguably the band's signature song and a fine piece of Bubblegum Pop Rock. It showcases the band's ability to take influence from The Beatles and still sound like their own entity but if we're being honest, it's a bit wet. It might have a catchy rhythm and all but fuck me, that guitar solo is just pathetic, isn't it? Fortunately the rest of the album has enough belters to make up for this one but how well did this song translate into a live Rock show?
Live Version (At Budokan) - Now THIS is what the song should've been. Chugging guitar throughout, a faster tempo, prominent bass and a proper set of guitar solos. The differences are small but the transformation is hugely effective, making this a perfect example of how to go off book with your live performance and make the song better instead of pissing off all the fans who just wanted to hear you play your best tracks without getting cute.
VERDICT - It has to be the Live Version, doesn't it? I mean, there's no way you can listen to the original and call it the superior version after hearing the band absolutely crush it at Budokan...ohhhh, that's where the name of the live album comes from!

ROUND TWO: "Old Man" - Neil Young
Original (Harvest) - I wouldn't call myself a fan of Neil Young by any stretch but damn, I love this song. Definitely one of Neil Young's strongest tracks and it deserves to be more well known than pretty much every other song of his you hear on the radio. The only part of the song I would consider weak would be the backing vocalists, as they're unnecessary in this recording. Everything else has a purpose and adds to the song in some way but the backing vocals arguably ruin what would've been an otherwise perfect mix.
Live Version (Live At Massey Hall 1971) - Fun fact, this live version actually came out before the studio version so I guess this is technically the original, huh...or rather the live at the BBC version is. Anyway, I chose this track to compare because I'd heard this is an excellent performance (even if it does start with Neil moaning at someone). I'm inclined to halfway agree with that sentiment, as Neil's playing is spot on and his vocals are far more passionate than they come across in the studio version. However, because it's part of an acoustic set, it's missing the crucial ingredient that the other instruments would've provided.
VERDICT - It's a tough call but ultimately, I'm going to give it to the Original. Vocally, the live version is superior but musically (where it counts, in my opinion), it comes as close as it can but doesn't reach the mark. If I could splice this version with one that has piano, bass and drums, I think I'd have the perfect "Old Man", as the casting agent said to the director.

ROUND THREE: "Lazy" - Deep Purple
Original (Machine Head) - A fan favourite and a great example of how fucking amazing Jon Lord & Richie Blackmore were. Deep Purple are mostly known for Hard Rock or a bit of Prog but this Bluesy number off one of their biggest albums shows each member of the Mk II band at their peak...well, except Ian Gillan. Presumably he was out having a crafty fag for the first half of this track but everyone else brings it. This song's definitely grown on me over time and whilst it's still not one of my favourite Deep Purple tracks, it's easily one of their strongest.
Live Version (Made In Japan) - Another popular live album from Asia that stands toe to toe with the band's studio material. The track length may exceed ten minutes and the first minute of that is what I assume to be the band trying to connect to dial-up Internet using a buggered fax machine and an amp BUT once the band stop tossing about and start to play the song, it becomes something special. With beefed up performances from each band member, this version is often considered the superior of the two, even if they do get bored towards the end and piss about for a bit.
VERDICT - I'm going against popular opinion here and siding with the Original. Whilst the live version has some excellent performances, I can't be doing with what's basically the band jerking off when there's a perfectly suitable and catchy studio version available. However, I can imagine the Made In Japan performance was fucking incredible to watch live.

ROUND FOUR: "Folsom Prison Blues" - Johnny Cash
Original (With His Hot And Blue Guitar) - Carrying on the Blues theme with this short number from Johnny Cash, many people will know this song due to the line about the man in Reno. They might also confuse it for "I Walk The Line" as they both have a similar guitar melody. Personally, I prefer this track's music and lyrics but it's a little too slow and basic for me to truly enjoy. Still, compared to other examples of Blues from the decade, this is a great song.
Live Version (At Folsom Prison) - I think the overall performance at the prison is more notable than this actual recording but as far as live versions go, this is pretty decent. Again, the tempo is sped up and musically the solos are a bit more energetic but otherwise, it's practically just the same as the studio version. Oh, and you know how the prisoners all cheer during the Reno bit? Yeah, that didn't happen. It was added afterwards. Still, makes for a good moment in the song.
VERDICT - If you couldn't tell, I'm not really gushing over either of them but it's a clear win for the Live Version here. I decide the victor mostly based on which version I'd rather listen to and if I could only choose one for the rest of my life, I think I'd get the most out of the one recorded at Folsom Prison...oohhhhhh, I just got the name for this album as well!

ROUND FIVE: "Rock And Roll All Nite" - KISS
Original (Dressed To Kill) - Considering this song was released in the mid-70s, can we really call this a Hard Rock track? It sounds more like Classic Rock to me, especially when compared to songs like "Hotter Than Hell" and "Detroit Rock City". Anyway, it's the band's signature song and it's dumb, in a word. It has a great guitar riff but it's built around the same sentiment that the Beastie Boys made fun of in "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)". When the fucking Beastie Boys are giving you shit, you know you need to rethink things.
Live Version (Alive!) - As far as live versions go, this is damn near identical to the studio version except for one key difference; an added guitar solo. Once you listen to this version, you won't be able to enjoy the original again without feeling like it's missing something. It just fits in so perfectly and gives the song that much needed kick. In fact, it's what the WaveGroup Sound based their cover on for Guitar Hero 3: Legends Of Rock (discussed in this blog post).
VERDICT - Obviously the Live Version. If you could edit out the sound of the audience (the single biggest problem with live recordings), you'd have a pretty damn good Hard Rock song right there. With the sound of cheering still in, it's just good.

ROUND SIX: "Young Man Blues" - The Who
Original (The House That Track Built) - This is the second song on this list where the studio "original" isn't actually the original version of this song. It was included on a compilation album about four years after the live album this came from was released and since then has been featured on a Tommy deluxe reissue and on Odds And Sods as a shitty alternative recording. Most people probably don't even know that the studio version exists but I reckon everyone who's heard it knows that it's a bit fucking weak.
Live Version (Live At Leeds) - Possibly the best example of an awesome recording aided by Keith Moon going apeshit on drums and definitely the superior version of the song. Added guitar solos, a tempo that suits the rhythm, more passion in the vocals and some fine bass playing from John Entwistle too. If not the greatest live recording in this list then definitely top three. Shame I've yet to hear another live version of a song by The Who that didn't make me want to self harm.
VERDICT - Weren't you reading? Live Version takes the win. The only positive thing I'll say about the studio version is that there's some guitar playing during the vocals that sounds alright but other than that, it's live all the way!

ROUND SEVEN: "Sunday Bloody Sunday" - U2
Original (War) - I like U2 on occasion but sadly, this song doesn't make my cut. There's something about The Edge's guitar playing that annoys me and Bono's whining voice doesn't help and since this song is largely just the same guitar and bass riffs on a cycle, it doesn't do much to please me. However, for fans of U2, it's probably their most U2ish song and a good example of the band's songwriting capabilities; they weren't about flashy solos or power, they just wanted to make what they considered good music.
Live Version (Under A Blood Red Sky) - This recording is regarded as one of the best live versions of a song and what I want to know is what the fuck was everyone else listening to? It's all over the fucking place! Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton sound completely out of sync on drums and bass and they come across like a high school band that didn't practise enough before their big show. If I liked the song, I might have a better reception of this track but as it stands, this sounds like absolute tosh to me. At least Bono still sounds like Bono, although it's debatable whether or not that's something that should be praised.
VERDICT - I don't like either track but it's definitely going to the Original here. An absolute mess of a recording with inconsistent drums that may or may not change tempo throughout. In order to know for certain, I'd have to listen to the live recording again and I need some fucking time after hearing it once.

ROUND EIGHT: "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Original ((Pronounced 'Leh-'Nerd 'Skin-'Nerd)) - I don't really need to say anything about this, do I? We all know the song, we all know that the solo is amazing and every time I mention it on this blog, I have to say the same things about the song over and over again. It's an awesome song, even if the slower first half does get a bit dull when you've heard all the other Southern Rock epics out there.
Live Version (One More From The Road) - I've discussed this entire live album before and still think it's one of the best collections of music out there for anyone who likes Skynyrd's music. Every song on it's great to listen to but the track everyone agrees stands out is their 13-minute rendition of "Free Bird". Apparently, this what stoked the flames for the trope of everyone shouting "FREE BIRD!" at live shows, since Ronnie Van Zant asks the crowd what song they'd like to hear before they break into it. It's a fucking fantastic performance too with possibly the greatest big rock ending to any song ever recorded.
VERDICT - Jesus, this is tricky. The original is like stonehenge; it's an artifact that will stand the test of time and probably still be around longer than anything released today. However, that live version is spectacular and I still get chills when I listen to their big finale. I'd like to give the win to both on this one occasion but if I have to pick a winner, I'm going with the Original. The lead into the main riff during the solo is brilliant and whilst the outro on the live version may be superior, the lengthy ballad section at the start goes on just a bit too long for me (cut to about 6:27 for the good bit).

ROUND NINE: "Whipping Post" - The Allman Brothers Band
Original (The Allman Brothers Band) - Southern Rock followed by more Southern Rock, that's just how I roll. It's hardly the most famous Allman Brothers Band track but it was one of their first big songs. It starts off with an ominous bass riff before introducing a Wild West guitar riff that still remains one of their best contributions to music alongside "Jessica" and the solo in "Blue Sky". It's a Bluesy Southern Rock number but it's still pretty damn good.
Live Version (At Filmore East) - Buckle up, boys. If you thought the last live version was long, you ain't heard nothing yet! This rendition of "Whipping Post", despite having a faster tempo, clocks in at over 23 minutes long. Whilst this is an impressive feat for any live band, the tragic fallacy is that people assume this is an incredible live version of a song when really it's a pretty poor version compared to the original. Sure, the first half or so is great but then the band run out of steam and start jerking each other off for a while without knowing when to bloody end. This is one of those few times where faster tempos can make a song worse (see also "Hocus Pocus" - Focus).
VERDICT - An easier decision this time; Original takes the win again. Granted the solos in the live version are something every Rock fan needs to toughen up and listen to all the way through at least once (even if they can probably stop around the ten minute mark), I know which track I'd rather listen to again. It's a shame The Allman Brothers Band couldn't bring this fretting fury to the studio but at least they managed to capture their raw talent at Filmore East.

ROUND TEN: "Do You Feel Like We Do" - Peter Frampton
Original (Frampton's Camel) - Did you know a studio version of this song existed? You'd think it was another "Young Man Blues" what with all the hype around the live version but we'll get onto that in a bit. The studio original is noticeably slower and obviously lacks the middle talkbox section, instead introducing the outro solo a lot earlier. It's actually quite a decent tune and I'd recommend checking it out if you've only heard the live version.
Live Version (Frampton Comes Alive) - Another looooong live song but luckily, this is just 13 minutes as well. Regarded as possibly the most famous live recording on this list, a large portion of this song is dedicated to the credits jam between Frampton and "Buck-Man" on the keyboards before they eventually break into the glorious outro solo. Some people consider "Show Me The Way" to be the better live recording off the album but there's always something to be said for the last song on a band's live album. They've fed off the crowd's energy and now they're ready to release it one last time, hence "Do You Feel Like We Do".
VERDICT - I feel like both deserve some recognition here too but the win's going to the Live Version for taking the material provided in the song and using it more effectively than the studio original. If I could speed up the original just a little bit, I'd probably prefer that version but goddamn, Frampton needed to come alive in the studio that fateful day...OOOHHHHHH, now I get the album name, it's because the Allman Brothers recorded At Filmore East! Fuck, that one took a while to sink in.


Well it's been an educational blog post for some but was there anything I missed? Did I fail to include an even greater example of where the live recording was greater than the studio version or have I absolutely fucking nailed it, once again? Let me know in the comments or via Twitter.

As promised, here's the Spotify playlist for this post and I apologise if any of the verdicts were spoiled for you in scrolling down to the bottom of this post.