Best and worst LIVE song from each album?
Posted: Mon July 17, 2017 5:07 pm
Now the criteria here is what you choose to make it. For example, a song they play all the time and you don't think they play well you might well pick for worst, even if there's another one they barely play that is actually worse. Because if they play one song all the time that you hate it might well be a detriment to their live shows (I'll get to that)
You can name more than one if like me you can't help but do so.
These songs are ALL SUCH STAPLES and they are ALL LIVE HIGHLIGHTS! I literally don't know what to choose because there's SO MANY
Best: Release
Not sure there's anything that better sets the tone of the show than Release. Its wonderful, and Eddie's soaring vocals and the crowd singalong is just so good.
Honorable Mentions: Jeremy (great singalong), Why Go (tons of energy), Black (one of the best ever, but weakened nowadays by Eddie's vocals, though heightened again by McCready), Alive (their anthem song), Porch (A great set closer)
Worst: Oceans.
It's a great song, but EDDIE. CANNOT. SING. IT. Honestly this song sounded rough sometimes even when Eddie COULD sing, and now its practically intolerable. I actually cringe sometimes when I hear him attempt to do this song.
Honorable Mentions: Even Flow (one of their best songs, stripped of everything that makes it good. Honestly its still pretty good live and gets a good reaction of course, so it might not belong here but its just that it could be so much better), Garden (I like the song sort of but to me it stops the momentum of a show and its one of my least favorites on Ten), Once (I think they take it too slow and it drags and feels like Im trudging through mud, which is weird because usually they do the opposite. Eddie also sounds bad on it nowadays.)
I will always love this song, I don't care. Its overplayed because its wonderful. I do think sometimes it drags and seems plodding, especially when its played early in a show. Ive heard some late set ones from like 2006 that were great. An amazing singalong.
Honorable Mentions: Daughter (amazing live, I almost put this as my choice, its the clear second for me. I love the tags but wish they were more creative with them and didnt just do the same ones. I loved when Eddie did Let it Go in Italy. More of that please it was fun.), Animal (Always a highlight especially in earlier years)
Worst: None
Honestly I couldn't do it. Every song on this album is great live. They never play WMA. I know they did when they played the whole album but I havent listened enough to judge it. Maybe that's the answer. I also don't like RVM at all and Eddie changing the melody makes me like it less, but the extended breakdown/instrumentals elevates it from the album version enough that I can't put it here. If I like it better live than on the CD I just can't list it.
Best: Better Man
Wow. This song is SO GOOD LIVE. The extensions to the end of the song work so perfectly, its maybe their best live song PERIOD. Bonus is Eddie still sounds pretty good on it and Matt Cameron actually does very wonderfully on this one. When I think of the fill before "SHE LOVED HIM" its Matt's I think of. Save it For Later tag is fun especially when he sings the whole song which he did at MSG this year.
Honorable Mentions: Corduroy. (Great song for crowd singalong and that bridge is great, Eddie's weakening vocals too hurt it)
Worst: Last Exit
I never felt like this song worked live nearly as much as it does on the album. Its a great album starter to set the tone, but its a weird song to throw in the middle of your show for me. I just can't listen to it as a standalone song and a lot of what it makes it set the tone so well for Vitalogy just doesn't come across that well live anyways.
Honorable Mentions: Immortality (Matt Cameron on this song really ruins a lot of it, and the solos on the album are so good that sometimes changing them takes away a lot. Ive listened to this live waiting to be blown away like on the album and then ended up going back to the album version instead afterwards. I didn't list it as my answer because there are some good versions too).
You can name more than one if like me you can't help but do so.
TEN:
This is such a hard one to do. Oh god. SO MANY Good songs. These songs are ALL SUCH STAPLES and they are ALL LIVE HIGHLIGHTS! I literally don't know what to choose because there's SO MANY
Best: Release
Not sure there's anything that better sets the tone of the show than Release. Its wonderful, and Eddie's soaring vocals and the crowd singalong is just so good.
Honorable Mentions: Jeremy (great singalong), Why Go (tons of energy), Black (one of the best ever, but weakened nowadays by Eddie's vocals, though heightened again by McCready), Alive (their anthem song), Porch (A great set closer)
Worst: Oceans.
It's a great song, but EDDIE. CANNOT. SING. IT. Honestly this song sounded rough sometimes even when Eddie COULD sing, and now its practically intolerable. I actually cringe sometimes when I hear him attempt to do this song.
Honorable Mentions: Even Flow (one of their best songs, stripped of everything that makes it good. Honestly its still pretty good live and gets a good reaction of course, so it might not belong here but its just that it could be so much better), Garden (I like the song sort of but to me it stops the momentum of a show and its one of my least favorites on Ten), Once (I think they take it too slow and it drags and feels like Im trudging through mud, which is weird because usually they do the opposite. Eddie also sounds bad on it nowadays.)
VS:
Best: Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small TownI will always love this song, I don't care. Its overplayed because its wonderful. I do think sometimes it drags and seems plodding, especially when its played early in a show. Ive heard some late set ones from like 2006 that were great. An amazing singalong.
Honorable Mentions: Daughter (amazing live, I almost put this as my choice, its the clear second for me. I love the tags but wish they were more creative with them and didnt just do the same ones. I loved when Eddie did Let it Go in Italy. More of that please it was fun.), Animal (Always a highlight especially in earlier years)
Worst: None
Honestly I couldn't do it. Every song on this album is great live. They never play WMA. I know they did when they played the whole album but I havent listened enough to judge it. Maybe that's the answer. I also don't like RVM at all and Eddie changing the melody makes me like it less, but the extended breakdown/instrumentals elevates it from the album version enough that I can't put it here. If I like it better live than on the CD I just can't list it.
Vitalogy:
Best: Better Man
Wow. This song is SO GOOD LIVE. The extensions to the end of the song work so perfectly, its maybe their best live song PERIOD. Bonus is Eddie still sounds pretty good on it and Matt Cameron actually does very wonderfully on this one. When I think of the fill before "SHE LOVED HIM" its Matt's I think of. Save it For Later tag is fun especially when he sings the whole song which he did at MSG this year.
Honorable Mentions: Corduroy. (Great song for crowd singalong and that bridge is great, Eddie's weakening vocals too hurt it)
Worst: Last Exit
I never felt like this song worked live nearly as much as it does on the album. Its a great album starter to set the tone, but its a weird song to throw in the middle of your show for me. I just can't listen to it as a standalone song and a lot of what it makes it set the tone so well for Vitalogy just doesn't come across that well live anyways.
Honorable Mentions: Immortality (Matt Cameron on this song really ruins a lot of it, and the solos on the album are so good that sometimes changing them takes away a lot. Ive listened to this live waiting to be blown away like on the album and then ended up going back to the album version instead afterwards. I didn't list it as my answer because there are some good versions too).
