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I guess we all agree that Motorpsycho is a live band and that many of their songs only unfold their complete beauty in a live setting. I wonder, though, if there are any songs that you prefer on record. I'm not talking about a particular live show, where the sound was bad or the jamming in a given song was relatively uninspired, but want to hear from songs that in all the different versions that have been played over the years, just never reached the grandness of the studio version. Are there any songs like this? (I actually do have one particular song in mind, but I want to hear your opinions first.)
Gullible's Travails never quite hit the spot live if you ask me. Lack of instrumentation is probably why.
The Wheel, although I love it every time they play it. And The Golden Core. Have they ever nailed the vocals live?
For me, that must be Manmower. It was the very first impression I ever got way back on late night MTV, with that strange animation videoclip, and I was mesmerized and immediately moved by the emotional musical content of it. That melody on the mellotron!..what is this band, how come I did not notice until then…next day, to the record store, bought Timothy's Monster, and there started my journey through MPworld! The studio version has kept for me that strange melancholic intimacy, and still after all these years the mellotron at the end can bring tears to my eyes. It will forever stay impossibly beautiful, play this at my funeral, etc. Live renditions though, to me just bring it down to "another song", with sometimes a jam expansion that ruins it's compactness, it's like this little pearl of a world of it's own becomes something ordinary, even if ordinary at a MPgig is still great. Same with the other Holy song in my MPbook: Sungravy. Don't know if it even has been performed live ever? Guys covering it on the net…just don't do it, don't touch it! These two recordings are so perfect, nothing can improve on them. :MPD:
Bartok, something always feels kind of odd during the verses. It doesn't thrive as much as on record. I think it's because of the tempo and the half-time groove. It feels like the handbrake is stuck.
Manmower and AIL, there I prefer the unextended album versions. The whimsicalness of the first and the atmosphere of the latter work better on the album for me.
If I remember correctly, Sungravy was played in Fribourg in the year… 2009, maybe? It was a completely different version, though, and it took me almost the whole song to figure out what song that actually is. I remember, back then when I heard that song, I immediately knew that they are still the best live band on this earth. After years of doubt, where I tried convincing myself that Motorpsycho without Geb is just not Motorpsycho anymore.
I agree on Golden Core, not exactly a live masterpiece.
I'd dare to say UN CHIEN D'ESPACE, but everybody would insult me! The live K9 suite is great, but my love for the band was born when I first noticed the instrumental part from the AADAP album, those suspended drums, that saw-synth, that crescendo… so I love it enough to surclass the monstrouns live version!
The whole Death Defying Unicorn… I find it very confused in the live versions, ANY live verson… but maybe I only listened to bad versions!
Woah… It goes to show how different we perceive things. I think The Golden Core and Un Chien are both total bliss live. And the Øya-Wheel (2010 – not the horrible 2006) ate the album version for breakfast imho. And how about those long, beautiful '95-versions? Or the Super/Wheels of 98/99?
Gullible's Travails, on the other hand, came to mind for me too as not translating too well in concert. Of the more "songy"-tracks, Little Ricky Massenburg was maybe not a great song to begin with, but it was even worse live, as was When You're Dead. I'm not a fan of that era in general, but I'd be interested to hear from fans of LTEC/Phanerothyme/IALC how you felt those tracks worked live in comparison to the studio versions, because of the stricter arrangements. They stretched out on tracks such as Go To Cal and Whip That Ghost, but maybe some of you prefer that strictness, whereas I just felt that the whole MP-machinery was held/forced back.
7th Dream is a masterpiece on the "Manmower" EP but the only live version which was recorded (Bergen September 1994) led to nowhere. Nothing of the mood of the studio version was captured live.
I think Little Ricky Massenburg is a masterpiece, both live and on record. As far as I remember they didn't differ that much, or did they? What if? on the other hand… never understood why this one made the cut for the record.
Masterpiece? Well, there you go. It's amazing how this band manages to tie in all sorts of preferences. It reminds me of an interview I read with Daniel Miller of Mute Records, where he said something along the lines of "I'm probably the only person in the world who likes every single record on the label."
Whenever I badmouth the 2000-2002 era I'm quick to add that I have a lot of respect for what they did, which was being progressive, challenging themselves, and pushing themselves to the very limits of their capabilities as players, arrangers and singers – without the net of fuzz and feedback. It was a brave move.
"What If…" wasn't played a lot, iirc. But the studio version shouldn't be too hard to top.
i definitely would say Sungravy, Manmower and maybe Fools Gold. these songs are pure gold and they and their mood can´t be reproduced on stage.
@Juergen: Then you should check out the live version of 7th Dream from Krach am Bach 2013.
Because that version is beautiful, IMO.
Bartok and Ocean In Her Eye comes to mind for me. I love both on their respective records, but I feel they've never been able to make satisfactory live-arrangements and do anything exciting with 'em live.
And also What if… and Mirror & The Lie. Both were superboring on IALC, and they managed to be equally boring live (even though What if… was drastically re-arranged). Thank god these have been skipped since the autumn 2002 tour.
And I must respectfully disagree on any negative opinions regarding Chien, Manmower, The Wheel and TGC :lol:
I find The Cuckoo to be really off when played live, simply because Bent is singing on the record, but Snah is singing live. The three past times Ive seen them in concert they have played that song, and Snahs singing is just not good enough for this song, I think. Especially in that crazy middle part I cant help but laugh a bit, haha. Reference (1:38:10): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa9wf9TFgn8&t=5895s
Anyone agree?
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