Dear Live Recordings,
I was once so naive to think you were pointless. I was once so naive that I wildly overlooked your genius. Thankfully, I have matured since and with that maturity have begun to realise your brilliance. How stupid must I have been? For the reason I remain so in love with music is live performances themselves. Particularly those performances where a band makes oh so slight changes to the songs I've spent months on end listening to. We spend so much time listening to songs we are convinced are 'perfect', when in fact it is those imperfections in a live performances that makes a gig so special, so memorable. I remain in love with music because of live music, because of the feeling that invades my body when I hear live music, yet I overlooked the power of recorded live music for so long.
The extra layer of guitar or trumpet. The use of a different pedal. The extra backing vocals. The slight changes or extensions to the intro or outro. A live performance brings the art that we previously believed to be a fixed, finished thing to life and allows it to evolve, develop and become a different beast.
The National's recently released live album, Boxer Live in Brussels, demonstrates all of this. Adding in extra splashes of brass and guitar, extra outros, different sounds, pedals, extra percussion, alternate lyrics. Despite the album being rather solemn, the energy shines through. The euphoria is ramped up, the goosebumps invade your skin, the hairs on your neck offer a standing ovation. 'Start A War', a slow acoustic number, for some just a filler track, is transformed into a rollercoaster, offering a buoyant instrumental at the midpoint.
The Killer's Live From The Royal Albert Hall manages to elevate already certified indie anthems to new heights. The famous riffs that get stuck in our heads are more profound and Flowers' showmanship shines through as he encourages the crowd to singalong. Without the magic of a live record, I'd have to wait months, years to witness the feeling of a crowd singing, a capella, 'I've got soul but I'm not a soldier'.
Live recordings, what a beautiful thing you are. You make the impossible possible. Literally. I mean, how else would the millenial generation get to witness David Bowie perform his hits live whilst walking to work? Bowie's live recordings on Ziggy Stardust...The Motion Picture Soundtrack bring him back to life, they create vivid imagery in our minds as we listen, allowing us to recreate our own images of what a Bowie concert may have been like. It's the live version of 'Moonage Daydream' that's the most special however. The arrogance, confidence and power seeps through. It stinks of stardust. It's quite frankly frightening. 'Moonage Daydream', the original recording, is my favourite David Bowie song, and I didn't think anything could propel it to new heights, yet then I discovered the live recording and it fills me with disbelief at how good it is.
You're a beautiful thing, Live Recordings, and I'm sorry I neglected you for so long. Please forgive me.
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