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Topic ClosedImprovisation
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Poll Question: Do you like to bands to improvise or reproduce the studio versions?
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5 [18.52%]
2 [7.41%]
20 [74.07%]
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Points: 19965 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Improvisation
    Posted: November 24 2005 at 14:39
Some bands tend to reproduce studio versions almost note for note live (e.g. Rush), some bands improvise a lot to the point of completely altering songs live (e.g. ELP & Aquatarkus), others occasionally change songs a bit.
Which do you prefer? - give examples where applicable.
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Points: 91 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 24 2005 at 14:56

I really admire bands who can play their songs live, exactly as they do it on studio, but I think improvisation gives a little more, because they play what they´re feeling at the moment.

The best example of this, in my opinion is Jimmy Page.

 
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Points: 518 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 24 2005 at 15:14
I like improvisation, but sometimes I feel it can linger too long without going anywhere, so I chose a bit of both.
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Points: 16449 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 24 2005 at 15:26
I went with a bit of both. Dream Theaters last live album Live At Budokan is (bizzarly) a perfect example how improv should and should not be done. They ruin Beyond This Life with 10 minutes of new stuff but the following track, Hollow Years, is transformed from a bland song to a masterpiece with 5+ minutes of improv. It all depends on the song and whats being done. 
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Points: 95 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 24 2005 at 15:32
A bit of both.
 I love improv but not everyone has mastered it...I could listen to old KC, or Jimi Hendrix improv all day but I can only listen to Yngwie for a couple minutes.
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Points: 16351 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 24 2005 at 16:09

Originally posted by sleeper sleeper wrote:

I went with a bit of both. Dream Theaters last live album Live At Budokan is (bizzarly) a perfect example how improv should and should not be done. They ruin Beyond This Life with 10 minutes of new stuff but the following track, Hollow Years, is transformed from a bland song to a masterpiece with 5+ minutes of improv. It all depends on the song and whats being done. 

I don't think that was improvised....  DT definitely planned that out carefully..

The Flower Kings are definitely masters of improvisation.
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Points: 16130 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 24 2005 at 16:20

A bit of both.

There is something to be said about faithful reproduction live. I think it's one of Rush's and Genesis's strong points.

I used to go and see It Bites live quite a lot and their precision and ability to reproduce the music was mindblowing.

Improvisation could add great excitement to some music. Zappa was a master at this.
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Points: 4318 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 24 2005 at 16:46
This is the oldest issue of them all...Improvisationi is good, but only when it s good. Many, many times, bands ruin their own material by adding some bad driven momentaneuos inspiration. Ad, off course, there are songs that has room for some jamming. It all depends on what kind of music. somehow, I don't see what kind of improvsation would come from The Residents, for example.
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Points: 264 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 24 2005 at 16:58

I like improvisation. I love rush but I would like to see them alter the songs a bit. I think improvising makes you a better musician and I think improvising it's much more fun for them so let those who can, "improvise".
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Points: 721 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 24 2005 at 17:07
Originally posted by sleeper sleeper wrote:

I went with a bit of both. Dream Theaters last live album Live At Budokan is (bizzarly) a perfect example how improv should and should not be done. They ruin Beyond This Life with 10 minutes of new stuff but the following track, Hollow Years, is transformed from a bland song to a masterpiece with 5+ minutes of improv. It all depends on the song and whats being done. 

I disagree about Beyond This Life... I love the improv stuff they did with it, particularly the keyboard/granite block duel between Rudess and Portnoy.
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Points: 1148 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 24 2005 at 17:17
Pink Floyd certainly does better live when they improvise their already fantastic studio songs, this was before Wish You Were Here, after that album they preety much play the songs note for note live.
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Points: 1043 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 24 2005 at 17:32
I like expanded versions of album work. For example Floyd's bootlegs. Some are sometimes 2 or 3 times longer than album versions.
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Points: 1881 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 24 2005 at 17:41

I pressed "Improvise" but I think I really meant to say "bit of both" !!

Its boring to go to a gig and merely watch faithful recreations of the studio track....but on the other hand you want to recognsie the songs you know and love the band for.

I've been listening to "The Great Deceiver" which is a King Crimson live box set from 73/74. they do some out and out improvisations, some of which work, some don't, in addition to recreations of their studio tracks with an extra something. It's a good balance.

The band I always wanted to see was the Mahavishnu Orchestra...now they could improvise....

 

 
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Points: 189 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 25 2005 at 08:39
I think a bit of both...anyway it depends on the song
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Points: 67382 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 25 2005 at 09:46
A bit of both. I like improvisation (especially King Crimson) as long as it sounds interesting and seems to be going somewhere.
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