Five Songs I Love That Didn't Make the Transfer from Studio to Live

Have you ever loved a song so much that you were so damn excited when the band/musician came to town, you were intrigued and almost too giddy to hear what it sounded like live? Yeah, I know that feeling. Thank God a few songs I love did make the leap from studio creation to fantastic live performance. Unfortunately  not all of them did. And boy did it hurt. You wanted to shield your ears from the sacrilege and run to the nearest bathroom to cry. Here are five songs that made me want to do just that.

(I only could think of five songs, though I'm sure I can think of more over time.)

5. "Me and Sarah Jane" by Genesis
For some reason, the live performance lacks a certain fullness that the studio version had. It doesn't seem as melancholic yet bouncy. The live version makes it sound like a half-assed love song.

4. "Go Insane" by Lindsey Buckingham
Mr. Buckingham, I have only one request for you. No, I won't ask you to play "Soul Drifter", that ain't ever gonna happen. Instead, I beg you, play this song not as some wimpy acoustic solo thingy, the song is angry and loud. Make its legacy be that, not some toned-down goofiness.

3. "Is it Any Wonder?" by Keane
Oh man, when I saw this earlier this year, when it came time for this song, it hurt so much to hear the keyboard effects just tumble all over the place. After that, it wasn't as bad. But still, man, sometimes this is why I hate it when musicians use fancy effects on the studio recordings 'cause the live version ain't ever gonna be like the original.

2. "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)" by Talking Heads
Damn, did this one suffer a nasty journey to the stage. It lacks the whomp of the studio performance. It's seems almost, in a strange way, too muted and mellow. This song is not f***ing mellow. It's the bust-down-your-door intro to its native album!

1. "Little Lies" by Fleetwood Mac
Yep, my all-time favorite song did not make the leap from studio to stage without suffering big time. The performance is so anemic that it makes me want to send it a local blood bank. And who's the joker thinking he could sing Lindsey Buckingham's part? And my God, whose genius idea was to have them damn backup singers? 'Bout ruined it just by themselves.

~

What songs broke your heart when you heard 'em live? Post it below and we'll have a cry!