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A Ghost Is Born Tracks: Better in the Studio or Live?


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To continue after the YHF thread... what are your thoughts on AGIB as far as studio vs live.. I know many reviewers praised KT because the AGIB tracks sound better live, but I don't know if I agree. The mood and sound of the studio tracks is just so cool to me

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They're all better live, IMO. There are only a handful of Wilco tunes that I need the studio version of... Dash 7, Sunken Treasure, She's A Jar, and a few from YHF that are just nailed to perfection. I feel AGIB and SBS in particular really need the live treatment. That said, all their released studio stuff is well done and I could see how someone would feel that way about AGIB.

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ALTWYS: Both... I love the studio version because it is all Jeff playing some brilliant guitar, and I just think about how he composed that solo and this period of Jeff playing lead guitar and improving. However, it is AWESOME live just because of how epic it is...

 

Hell Is Chrome: Studio

 

Spiders: Live, hands down

 

Muzzle Of Bees: Studio, just because I feel that the intro is much prettier on the studio album. It seems meant for the studio.

 

Hummingbird: Studio, because of the violins. Also, I love Jeff's stage antics during this song, but the focus isn't completely on the song when it is played.

 

Handshake Drugs: Live, by a narrow margin.. it is just so revamped and beefed up by three guitars and awesome solos. However, the studio version of the song was one of my first Wilco songs, and I am still in love with it for that reason...nice memories

 

Wishful Thinking: Studio (my favorite Wilco song of all time)

 

Company In My Back: Both... great song no matter what

 

I'm A Wheel: Both... pretty frickin awesome as an encore closer though

 

Theologians: Can't decide here...love the screaming vocals live, but the studio is excellent as well

 

Less Than You Think: uh......studio?

 

Late Greats: Live..not to say that the studio isn't great... again, one of my first Wilco songs

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Ghost is the best Wilco album and the songs are amazing live. First album w/ current lineup of band which plays their songs live basically the same way they were recorded. However, I believe the songs were made to be played live. I didn't get At Least That's What You Said the first 30 times I listened to Ghost. It was my least favorite song on the album. When I saw it live I woke up. Hell Is Chrome, same thing. Of the Wilco shows I've been to, Handshake Drugs gets the crowd going as much as any Wilco song. Theologians, Late Greats, Hummingbird, so many songs that give you goosebumps at a show. Best Wilco album, best live material.

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Ghost is the best Wilco album and the songs are amazing live. First album w/ current lineup of band which plays their songs live basically the same way they were recorded. However, I believe the songs were made to be played live. I didn't get At Least That's What You Said the first 30 times I listened to Ghost. It was my least favorite song on the album. When I saw it live I woke up. Hell Is Chrome, same thing. Of the Wilco shows I've been to, Handshake Drugs gets the crowd going as much as any Wilco song. Theologians, Late Greats, Hummingbird, so many songs that give you goosebumps at a show. Best Wilco album, best live material.

 

Interesting. I agree here... Great songs put on an album, with the potential laid out to reach their full awesomeness live

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Ghost is the best Wilco album and the songs are amazing live. First album w/ current lineup of band which plays their songs live basically the same way they were recorded. However, I believe the songs were made to be played live. I didn't get At Least That's What You Said the first 30 times I listened to Ghost. It was my least favorite song on the album. When I saw it live I woke up. Hell Is Chrome, same thing. Of the Wilco shows I've been to, Handshake Drugs gets the crowd going as much as any Wilco song. Theologians, Late Greats, Hummingbird, so many songs that give you goosebumps at a show. Best Wilco album, best live material.

Not to nit-pick, but do you mean Ghost was the first album the current lineup toured to support, or do you mean it was the first album the current lineup recorded. Because if you meant the latter, you got your facts wrong.

 

As for the original question, I think most of Wilco's songs are better live, especially with the current line up. The one exception is Handshake Drugs. The studio version on Ghost is nearly perfect. The bass line, the noise breakdown, and then the intro into Wishful Thinking are what make that track an all-time classic that I never get tired of.

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I'll take em live, studio, with a soup, or with a salad. A Ghost Is Born is (probably) my favorite Wilco album.

 

I put in Kicking Television today, after a long time of listening to various taped shows, the DVD tracks, and that 9:30 Club show that the band gave out, and I realized how great the renditions of the Ghost songs were on KT.... I mean... wow

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This is something I think about often when listening to AGIB. My first experiences with Wilco when I was seriously getting into them (there was a period before then when I had just a handful of their songs downloaded) was with Kicking Television. So because of that, I already had an "ear" I guess you can say for the songs in a live form, especially Hell is Chrome and Company in My Back. When I heard AGIB for the first to be honest I was kind of disappointed with the sound of the songs compared to the live versions from KT. But as I listened to them more and began to grow onto AGIB I'm now one who believes both versions are incredible in their own right. AGIB, though, is my favorite Wilco album. :)

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  • 1 month later...

At Least That's What You Said- Studio, I love the solo EXACTLY as composed on the album. The live version for some reason doesn't resonate with me as much...but golly do I still love it.

Hell Is Chrome- Live. Jeff just nails the emotion, and the keyboardists are on fire with minimalism.

Spiders (Kidsmoke)- Live, noooo question.

Muzzle of Bees- Studio. So beautiful

Hummingbird- Live- it has such a peppiness! Jeff's obviously in such an ethereal place with this one...dancing or no.

Handshake Drugs- Live, specifically the Ashes audio. Nels Cline nails this with precisely the kind of playing that makes him so great.

Wishful Thinking- Live, again, the Ashes version. Best soundcheck ever? I think so.

Company in my Back- Studio, the intro is just perfect. I can't imagine Company any other way than the studio track.

I'm A Wheel- Studio, for the production.

Theologians- My favorite Wilco song, and I prefer it live...such a beautiful energy and passion, and Nels once again rips.

Less Than You Think- Haha, Studio

The Late Greats- STUDIO. I disagree with the general verdict here. I think the studio version really brings this chord progression alive, thanks in large part, I think, to Mr. O'Rourke.

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While I love hearing AGIB tracks live, they never quite live up to the studio versions for me. I think this is partly due to how great O'Rourke's production on this record was, and also the fact that he was essentially the fifth member of the band during these sessions, sitting in on pretty much every track. O'Rourke is a genius, and without his participation I don't think any of the AGIB songs are quite the same.

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I could take most of these songs either way, but am I the only one who loves the live versions of "Less Than You Think"?

 

The arrangement they did in 2003 (i.e. before recording the album version with the drone) is just breathtaking. The matrix recording of this song from Oregon 2003 is one of my favorite Wilco tracks of all time.

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