theologians Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 Guitman At first I thought your critique was quite ridiculous and was something that i truly disagree with--you go to a rock show to see something new. If this includes speeding up the songs a bit then thats fine with me. However, after listening to Kicking Teleision earlier today your comments came to me and I realized that they are definately playing things a bit fast. When I did focus on the tempo I became slightly annoyed. So I can see this annoys people, but for me I could easily ignore it and just focus on some other aspect. This is maybe in a weird sense the "price" u pay to see live music, especially since its hard to find a band that doesnt speed things up. For me, its worth the trade off. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cash Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Airline to Heaven anyone? I think thats a bit to fast, disappointing compared to a version i have of Jeff solo at the vic sometime long ago. I'm the man that loves you does sound better slow, too... jittery for me on the KTV version. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mountain bed Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 My original point was that I can't stand songs that are always sped up. I love variation -- different instruments, arrangements, etc. Just the tempo... Rarely are songs played too slow. It's usually the other way around.Of course it depends on the song ( and the artist ),but quite often by slowing the tempo of a song down a taste and allowing some space between the notes a song becomes much more powerful & gripping imo. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mastershake Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 i never noticed they were playing it fast until i read this thread. now that seems really annoying Quote Link to post Share on other sites
guitman Posted January 15, 2007 Author Share Posted January 15, 2007 i never noticed they were playing it fast until i read this thread. now that seems really annoying Is it annoying that it's sped up, or is it annoying that I pointed it out? Hope I didn't ruin any of these versions for anyone. I've read a few people say they hadn't noticed it until this thread. I agree with the person who wrote, "my favorite thing about Wilco is when I see them live." That's a good sentiment. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mastershake Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Is it annoying that it's sped up, or is it annoying that I pointed it out? Hope I didn't ruin any of these versions for anyone. I've read a few people say they hadn't noticed it until this thread. I agree with the person who wrote, "my favorite thing about Wilco is when I see them live." That's a good sentiment.it's annoying they speed it up so much Quote Link to post Share on other sites
napoleon Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 i think maybe its sped up unintentionally because the vibe of the show makes you feel more like rocking out and you unintentionally start playing faster. if that makes any sense whatsoever. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
iak Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 The song i see that problem the most in is Poor Places. Not only do they play it a hell of a lot faster on KTV, they also speed up throughout the song, and jeff is practically out of breath when he sings 'someone ties a bow.." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
quarter23cd Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 When I hear live music in a crowded setting, my hardwired primary instinct is to want to move, dance, headbang, twirl, mosh, skank , or just nod-semi-approvingly in a detached hipsterish fashion. The outlet for this energy may change with my musical tastes, but what stays the same is that the first thing I look for in live music is that kind of kinetic energy that makes you want to move...so I like the faster tempos. If pensive reflection is on the menu, then you either need to establish that from the start (a la a quiet solo/acoustic show) or else, to me, there is nothing better than when a band comes out firing and builds up to a crescheno and then delivers a slow number with lots of "space" for the music to breathe. Tempo and flow are obviously very important to the live music experience. More often than not, the sped-up tempos help the flow of a rock show and creates a beautiful contrast for the slower numbers. But what do I know, anymore I only get to like 1 concert a year if I'm lucky... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ludwig Von Drake Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 My personal beef is that when a band completely changes a song when I've been looking forward to experiencing the original version of the tune live. Experiencing anything that means a lot to you, in this case music, is totally different than listening to a CD of said music. Live, a song isn't limited by the stereo system of crappy home digital systems. Can you imagine feeling the low-end of that droning cello at the end of IATTBYH go through your body? It'd be fucking amazing I'm sure. I know that if I was a little more naive, I'd be expecting to feel it. However, I know a little bit more than most about live sound and how a band sets up to perform live. It'd be next-to-impossible to have Wilco play YHF songs as they are on the album, unless they had laptops instead of instruments. I remember seeing Radiohead in 2004, and Jonny Greenwood went digital... it was pretty dull to see him standing there clicking on tracks on a lap top instead of rocking it out and almost shocking himself on with analog electronics like in 2001 for the Amnesiac tour. So, I wasn't totally shocked to hear versions with different arrangements on Kicking TV. Now whether or not I like those arrangements is another matter.... It's been awhile since I listened to Kicking TV, though. I'll be back with my judgements soon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
froggie Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 My personal beef is that when a band completely changes a song when I've been looking forward to experiencing the original version of the tune live. It'd be next-to-impossible to have Wilco play YHF songs as they are on the album, unless they had laptops laptops are very possible, but steer clear of bob dylan concerts these days! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
guitman Posted January 16, 2007 Author Share Posted January 16, 2007 I'm kinda proud that I've started a discussion that's lasted two pages. I've been a lurker on a couple of boards (sports, music, etc., including this one) for a couple of years, but this is the first time that I've sprouted such a fruitful post. God bless the innurnets!!! (Oh, and please slow down the music. I can't drive 55!) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cash Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 laptops are very possible, but steer clear of bob dylan concerts these days!what's wrong with bob these days, i haven't got modern times yet so im a little out of the mix... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
froggie Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 what's wrong with bob these days, i haven't got modern times yet so im a little out of the mix... i was referring to the way his tunes are way different to thei album versions when he plays them live. his voice got a bit better last year though Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fritz Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 A couple of things: * I think sped up versions of songs may sometimes be a result of the adrenalin that comes from playing live. * Variations on songs would have to result from bands not wanting to get bored with their own material. Playing on the road for months at a time you're gonna want to mix it up a little. As a fan, I have to say that nothing excites me more to watch any band who see thier songs as constant works in progress and who think along the lines of 'what can we do with this song this time?' Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 Oftentimes, when I hear a live version that is faster, it sounds rushed to me. I also prefer that things be kept close to their original tempos. If you're going to change something, rework the arrangement somehow, don't just speed everything up.That being said, I've never noticed Wilco being an offender with this issue. I've heard much worse. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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