Do you really want to hear this?
 

Let's say one of your all-time favorite pieces of music is being played. You'd want to go hear it, right?

What if you learn that it's being playing by people who, based on your own past experience and comments from others you know, are highly likely to butcher the music? Would you still want to hear it?

Yes. If for no other reason, I'd go so that I would know for myself that I could have done it better.

In truth, I've never performed where I didn't make a significant fuckup or five. Never. I'm just not that good. Therefore, I tend to be rather understanding of such things.

Is there really such a thing as a good performance of Firebird?

(just guessing)

But seriously ... I'd go just to know how much better than those assholes I could have done it.

Pay to listen to a bunch of hacks butcher good music they didn't even write?

I don't think so.

Well, wolf, I have one with Pierre Boulez that I think highly of!

Interesting point Beestie--paying. Assume for purposes of the argument that there is no charge for the performance.

Ugh no. I just heard a cover version of a classic black metal song. The guy who covered it butchered it beyond belief. I wanted to vomit in my mouth.

being the misanthrope that I am, I barely want to hear live music performed by musicians I love. (It's not phobia of the crowds, more of a simmering revulsion) ANyhow, that puts me out of the running, but I find shitty covers untenable. Good covers are also often better than the original. and sometimes my position shifts 180º.

I don't mean to fuck up your stats steve. BTW, I'm not sure if I told you, but I dug your cmep mix, and put a track up for you on my set.

In the past I would have said no, but not after a spate of tribute albums came out, where they have multiple people cover different songs of the tributee.
I've heard some amazing performances. Bon Jovi doing Elton John’s Levon, made me want to get in the shower so I could join in.
Yeah, Bon Jovi. :eek:

Oh, and Johnny Cash doing Nine Inch Nails.

Well ultimately I decided if I didn't listen to it I'd always wonder just exactly how bad it was.

in the shower with Bon Jovi? No thank you!!



I love live music and will generally like it whether it is good or not.

but I don't like hearing covers of music that I already love, even if it's by the same artist.


This is a conundrum.

So, how was it?

There's a considerable difference between "performance" of a particular piece and an "interpretation" of it. You can never be sure what you are going to get, so if the performer or group has a good reputation you ought to give him/her/them a chance. It might turn out to be a really interesting take on a work you are familiar with, even if not an exact duplicate. As an example I mention "Elenore Rigby" by Vanilla Fudge, which I actually liked BETTER than the original recorded by The Beatles. Besides, even the band/group who made a work famous gets tired of playing it several times every night and starts messing with it, improvising. After a few years, they positively hate the song. That is why I used to dread going to live concerts just to leave disappointed that my "favorite song" was played with irrelevant solos and in a different key and with half the group not even able to stand upright.

what if it really sucks and it gets stuck in your head their way?

could ruin the thing for you.

Silence would always be preferable to poorly played music of any genre.

I had originally told Mrs. Dallas I wasn't sure I wanted to go hear this music slaughtered.

So, I'm back from the concert and she asks me if they slaughtered it.

"No," I said. "They violated it and left its body by the side of the road."