Metal Show Overdubs

What do you think about a band overdubbing their live releases?

The Kiss Alive albums are rumored to be overdubbed, Slayer's Live Undead was recorded in a studio, JP's Unleashed... album had vocal overdubs, etc.

I guess what made me think of this was I was watching the excellent Rage DVD, From The Cradle To The Stage the other night and Peavy's vocals are obvious overdubs. They are almost flawless and if you watch his mouth, they don't quite matchup. Also Grave Digger's "perfect sounding" 25 to Live album is suspicious as well if you have heard the terrible performance on the DVD included with the Yesterday EP.

Anyway, what do you think of this phenomenon?

I'd rather have the overdubs than have a crappy live album. Recon's Live At Cornerstone is a good example. I love this band, but this recording sucks. Vett's vocals are flat at times, he cracks a lot. It just doesn't sound good. Apparently the monitors they had on stage weren't working properly and Vett couldn't hear himself, which is vital when singing that high, falsetto style like he does. I wish they would have gone back and fixed the vocals. It still would have captured that live energy and would have sounded a whole lot better.

Sometimes "live and raw" is great. Sometimes too much overdubbing can ruin the overall energy and vibe of the recording. It's hard to find a balance I am sure.

I dont mind if it got overdubs. If i like it, i like it, with or without overdubs. It doesnt bother me.

This is why I really don't buy a lot of live albums. Either they sound "raw" (i.e. like crap), or they're so overdubbed that they sound like a studio album. If I want a studio album, I buy the studio album!

Know whut um sayin'?

Fat Freddy wrote:

Know whut um sayin'?

Tru dat, yo.

I guess it depends on the end result really. I'm not huge on live albums to begin with, but if the band sounds sloppy or the vocalist sounds terrible, it could ruin the recording or your overall opinion of the band. If the singer sounds that bad live, it could start you questioning how good he is in the studio and wondering if it's just clever knob twiddling.

On the other hand, if the band sounds over-polished and too good, is it worth buying a "live" album when the studio versions sound just as good? If you've actually seen a band live and they sound ok or bad, then you listen to a "live" recording and they're tighter than a virgin on promnight, you feel a little deceived, knowing that there are overdubs.

I dunno. Like I said, I guess it really depends on the end result and how much you like the band. I'm a huge Megadeth fan and have seen 'em live many times. I've heard how high-pitched and whiney Dave's voice can sound live, but it doesn't bother me. If I bought a live album and he didn't sound like that, I'd feel a little ripped off.

I'm also proud that I managed to slip the phrases "knob-twiddling" and "tighter than a virgin on promnight" into my response for no other reason than to entertain my juvenille mind. Look for the words "taint", "Lake Tittycaca" and "boob-tube" to be somehow worked into an upcoming post.

i dont mind really although sometimes it is very obvious

i don't like it when they drop studio songs into a "live setting". such as they did with tracks from Halfords Live album. other than that, a few tastefull overdubs are fine with me.

mc666 wrote:

i don't like it when they drop studio songs into a "live setting". such as they did with tracks from Halfords Live album. other than that, a few tastefull overdubs are fine with me.

how does the halford thing work

TheGooch wrote:

mc666 wrote:

i don't like it when they drop studio songs into a "live setting". such as they did with tracks from Halfords Live album. other than that, a few tastefull overdubs are fine with me.

how does the halford thing work

A couple of the songs on Halford's LIVE INSURRECTION weren't recorded "live" in front of an audience, but they were performed during sound checks. The crowd noise was then added in later with a bit of "studio magic" (as they call it in the CD booklet).
By the way, LIVE INSURRECTION is the rare live album that I really DO like ... a lot!

ah i see

Unless it's really obvious I don't have that much of a problem with it. Still, I prefer live-and-raw live albums, like Live! Bootleg, Band Of Gypsys, and Live At Leeds.

If it's just some minor doctoring and editing I don't care.

they dont get rarer than live at last by sabbath i will say that

TheGooch wrote:

mc666 wrote:

i don't like it when they drop studio songs into a "live setting". such as they did with tracks from Halfords Live album. other than that, a few tastefull overdubs are fine with me.

how does the halford thing work

If you read the liner notes of "Live Resurrection", they say that some of the songs were recorded during sound-checks or in-studio, then latter blended in with the real "live" songs with added crowdnoise and whatnot. It's kind of a gyp, but they sound pretty good. At least they were up-front about it in the liner notes and said it was studio trickery.

i wonder why they did it

Fat Freddy wrote:

TheGooch wrote:

mc666 wrote:

i don't like it when they drop studio songs into a "live setting". such as they did with tracks from Halfords Live album. other than that, a few tastefull overdubs are fine with me.

how does the halford thing work

A couple of the songs on Halford's LIVE INSURRECTION weren't recorded "live" in front of an audience, but they were performed during sound checks. The crowd noise was then added in later with a bit of "studio magic" (as they call it in the CD booklet).
By the way, LIVE INSURRECTION is the rare live album that I really DO like ... a lot!

Dang. Freddy beat me to the punch. D*mn these giant slow-typing, sausage-like fingers of mine!!

well actually about three people beat you too it

weird

spectrefate wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Dang. Freddy beat me to the punch. D*mn these giant slow-typing, sausage-like fingers of mine!!

My goodness! It's like you've installed a camera on my keyboard!

?

TheGooch wrote:

?

For you English blokes, my fingers resemble bangers, making it difficult to type with any speed or accuracy. From now on, I'll just mash my giant fist onto the keyboard.

r45gp
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do they really look like bangers though cos i am guessing the picture is photoshopped

Overexaggeration and sarcasm.

just looks gross