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Post by Michal on Jun 24, 2017 17:15:36 GMT
The ABBA Megarate made me start this thread (although I'm not sure it belongs to this section). Alexbury hasn't included live versions (with a few exceptions) in the Megarate for obvious reasons. However, it made me think if there were actually any live versions that could be rated higher than their studio counterparts? Personally I would give live versions of He Is Your Brother (1977) and Summer Night City (1979) more points than the original studio recordings. What do you think? Any more suggestions?
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Post by Liebezeit on Jun 24, 2017 18:26:34 GMT
The ABBA Megarate made me start this thread (although I'm not sure it belongs to this section). Alexbury hasn't included live versions (with a few exceptions) in the Megarate for obvious reasons. However, it made me think if there were actually any live versions that could be rated higher than their studio counterparts? Personally I would give live versions of He Is Your Brother (1977) and Summer Night City (1979) more points than the original studio recordings. What do you think? Any more suggestions? As Good as New (1979 Wembley), Gonna Sing You My Lovesong (1975 Eskilstuna) would rank a few more points higher than the studio version for me since it feels more spontaneous and Frida isn't drowned by the other vocals by the time she gets to the chorus, respectively. But not all live versions are necessarily superior to studio recordings. I find the Australian live version of "I'm A Marionette" to be too kitsch and novelty-ish, as I prefer a sinister, dark, and evil music production touch (dark pop. If ABBA emphasized more on something dark and evil, in the later years, instead of synthpop, I think it could fare more success.) in the studio recording, correlating to the lyrics.  |
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Post by shoshin on Jun 24, 2017 19:36:02 GMT
..any live versions that could be rated higher than their studio counterparts?.. I would choose Hole In Your Soul at Wembley (In Concert DVD). Probably Chiquitita too, although it is a shortened rendition. Also I've Been Waiting For You in The Movie, if it had been the full song (it will be in the archives somewhere, dammit  ). |
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Post by gary on Jun 24, 2017 21:41:33 GMT
ABBA or not, I always prefer studio versions.
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Post by Michal on Jun 25, 2017 8:17:38 GMT
Liebezeit, Actually I think that MOST of live versions are not superior. However, there are many that are equally good. Funny that you mention I'm A Marionette as I was on the verge of including it in my list of "better-live-than-studio" Finally I decided they are so different it's impossible to compare them and I like them both very much. As for As Good As New, the live version is interesting but I always thought that Agnetha sounds a bit strained and out of breath, especially on the Wembley recording. She sang it better in Milwaukee IMO, nevertheless I consider the studio version superior to any of the live ones. shoshin, Yes, I've Been Waiting For You is a hot contender and it deserves to be released in its entirety. Also Agnetha's vocals on the Sydney version of SOS (as heard in ABBA The Movie) sound remarkably great.
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Post by The Rubber Ball Man on Jun 25, 2017 9:34:43 GMT
I prefer the live version of Rock N Roll Band with Frida's vocals than the studio version. I also prefer the live version of Ring Ring from the Tommy Cooper Show if that counts.
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Post by Liebezeit on Jun 25, 2017 14:04:23 GMT
I prefer the live version of Rock N Roll Band with Frida's vocals than the studio version. I also prefer the live version of Ring Ring from the Tommy Cooper Show if that counts. Now that I heard the live version of Rock 'N' Roll Band with Frida, I love it, too!  Tight like a jazz-rock ensemble. Though, the studio version of "Rock 'N' Roll Band" is by far heavier and rather dreamier; much like "the Merry Go Round meeting rock and roll" had if the live tapes of ABBA's early tours been circulated in better quality, not deteriorated for over 40 years with such inferior medium (cassettes), I hope somebody could do a bit of remixing where Frida overpowers Janne Schaffer's guitar, and that'd be wonderful. |
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Post by Michal on Jun 26, 2017 18:24:10 GMT
Frida's vocals on Rock 'N' Roll Band are amazing but the sound quality of the 1975 fan-made recordings is terrible and I guess it's the problem of the source material in the first place rather than being 40 years old. I hardly ever listen to these concerts and it's a great pity no official recording exists.
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Post by Zeebee on Jun 26, 2017 21:07:12 GMT
I wonder why they never recorded a studio version of The Way Old Friends Do. Normally, I much prefer studio versions to live versions, but I prefer the live Wembley version of TWOFD to the version on the Super Trouper album.
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Post by abbafan456 on Jun 26, 2017 22:22:01 GMT
For some reason I tend to like live versions of songs a bit more than studio recordings (not saying the live versions are better than the studio recordings, there's just this raw sound to live recordings that I really enjoy.) I prefer the Summer Night City from the Live at Wembley album to the studio recording, and also Hole in Your Soul (from the DVD) and He Is Your Brother from the Movie. |
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Post by Zeebee on Jun 29, 2017 20:45:51 GMT
I prefer the Summer Night City from the Live at Wembley album to the studio recording I prefer the Wembley live versions of Summer Night City and Gimme, Gimme, Gimme to the studio recordings, but that is probably because those are the first versions of those songs that I heard and became familiar with. |
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Post by Michal on Jun 30, 2017 19:06:52 GMT
Summer Night City as performed at Wembley has more energy that the studio recording and it's visually very attractive too - I love the way Agnetha and Frida change their places at microphones. And that dramatic intro.. ooh - can't compare to the full-length studio version either in my opinion.
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Post by Michal on Jun 30, 2017 19:10:44 GMT
I wonder why they never recorded a studio version of The Way Old Friends Do. Normally, I much prefer studio versions to live versions, but I prefer the live Wembley version of TWOFD to the version on the Super Trouper album. Björn said that they felt something would be missing if they recorded it in the studio. I don't understand why they polished it so much later though... it's only a half-live recording. However, I like both versions. |
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Post by angela on Jul 12, 2017 11:26:45 GMT
the way they did "Hole in your soul" live was very good and "I've been waiting for you" even though they only showed a little bit in "ABBA The movie"
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Post by josef on Jul 13, 2017 15:34:13 GMT
I like Why Did It Have To Be but that might be because we can see Frida cavorting 'round the stage to it in the ABBA-The Movie.
I wish there was a better quality recording of Rock N Roll Band. I do like Frida taking the lead.
Everyone seems to agree that Summer Night City and Hole In Your Soul have a certain je ne sais quoi that's missing from the studio versions.
On the whole, I do prefer the studio versions although Dancing Queen sung live does give me goosebumps and a certain wistfulness.
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Post by Zeebee on Jul 13, 2017 20:33:44 GMT
I wish there was a better quality recording of Rock N Roll Band. I do like Frida taking the lead. Everyone seems to agree that Summer Night City and Hole In Your Soul have a certain je ne sais quoi that's missing from the studio versions. I really like the intro in the Wembley live version of Summer Night City. I just found the live version of Rock N Roll Band, with Frida singing lead, on YouTube. I had never heard it before. For anyone who hasn't heard it, here it is. |
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Post by Zeebee on Jul 15, 2017 19:37:43 GMT
^^ I noticed that they changed the line "No use being broken-hearted" to "I can see you're broken-hearted". I wonder why they changed that line. It wasn't necessary.
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Post by Michal on Jul 26, 2017 7:09:43 GMT
Maybe Frida forgot the right lyrics?
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Post by abbafan456 on Feb 11, 2018 0:21:11 GMT
I had made this compilation video comparing the live performances to the studio recordings and uploaded it to YouTube about a week ago. Besides the fact that the audios keep on getting out of sync due to the tempos being different, I think this video compares the different versions pretty well.
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Post by madonnabba on Mar 13, 2018 0:32:18 GMT
‘ I wonder’ live is so much better than the studio. Like the narrative leading into to the song. Gives drama to the song.
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). 
Tight like a jazz-rock ensemble. Though, the studio version of "Rock 'N' Roll Band" is by far heavier and rather dreamier; much like "the Merry Go Round meeting rock and roll" had if the live tapes of ABBA's early tours been circulated in better quality, not deteriorated for over 40 years with such inferior medium (cassettes), I hope somebody could do a bit of remixing where Frida overpowers Janne Schaffer's guitar, and that'd be wonderful.
