Live Album (it's poll time!)

[angelsighs]

there's not enough polls on this board- they're fun!

so, there hasn't been an official live album since RAH. We have been well served with bootlegs recently, but I'm itching for a nice pristine live album myself (and of course a DVD would be nice too)

Spazed99 said that the Barbican ladies and gents shows were filmed and recorded, as were the Union Chapel acoustic shows (however nothing has surfaced as yet!). There must also be some great soundboard stuff from the A&E tour knocking about too (I think there was a boot from the Amazing Grace tour that Jason himself may have leaked)

It's unlikely that all of these will see the light of day, seeing how slowly things happen in Spz-land. So, in a nutshell if you had to pick one, which would you have?

[Shinesalight]

Fuck me.....this is tougher than I thought. I was always up for an Acoustic Mainlines/A & E era live shows double/triple/quadrouple album (delete where appopriate!) showing the band's prowess in both formats. But, seeing as that is not an option I think an official Acoustic Mainlines would be a nice memento of those great shows and bring back memories of my little road trip to Manchester and Edinburgh with the Jig and Veiko and meeting BZA and Orbital. The Edinburgh show is still one of my favourite live shows ever. Also saw the acoustic shows in Brighton and London....thats a lot of acoustic mainlining!

[natty]

Well.... I've got several "Acoustic Mainlines" bootlegs and saw the band more times than I can remember around the time of LAGWAFIS and have the RAH album and a ton of live stuff from that era. I missed the A&E tour, so "A&E" it is for me.

[marcvolta]

I would have to say A&E as well. My first SPZ show was the Apollo Theater Acoustic Mainlines show, but my first experience of being totally bathed in noise and light was the A&E tour, and i will never forget it. so an official document of that would be very nice.

although, i would take an official live album of anything really.........

[angelsighs]

My choice would be an A&E tour show too.. one of the later shows when they were really cooking with gas and the setlists were fantastic. I'm surprised, I thought that would be the least popular option. My decision is also coloured by the fact that I'm perfectly happy with the Union Chapel bootleg I have- it's nice and reverby, I reckon an official version might be a bit too dry (as evidenced by the version of True Love Will Find You.. on the B side of Soul On Fire)

I must say though I also like Ads' idea of some massive gatefold beast with an electric show and an acoustic show. J could really give it some lovely packaging, and it would be a kind of statement- "see, this band can do this, but also this"

natty- I meant a Ladies and Gents Don't Look Back show, as opposed to a show from that tour. Although I wouldn't mind that either. I would just love more official live stuff from the band really!

[bunnyben]

mianlines had a greater sound and longevity but for simply the 'i didn't think this could happen...oh it still won't happen...**** they're on stage now....we have lift off!!! ' ladies and gents is one of the greatest shows i've ever been to

[mh]

I plump for Acoustic Mainlines. No live LP could really capture the experience of the full-on electric Spiritualized assault, plus the AM stuff includes some nice reinterpretations of well known tracks as well as performances of tracks that are rarely played these days. In other words it seems to have a reason to exist outside of being just a souvenir.

[Shaun]

I plump for Acoustic Mainlines. No live LP could really capture the experience of the full-on electric Spiritualized assault, plus the AM stuff includes some nice reinterpretations of well known tracks as well as performances of tracks that are rarely played these days. In other words it seems to have a reason to exist outside of being just a souvenir.

Good point well made. I got slightly addicted to the AM shows and I'd love to see just one more but with Spread Your Wings somewhere on the setlist. I think it went like this...Nottingham > Manchester > Edinburgh > Glastonbury > New York > London > Birmingham (w/ Massive Attack.) So it started as AM finished off with MA. Doggen said of New York it was the highlight of his life and I believe the band were told that the performance was one of the best ever at the Apollo. So the AM shows would get my vote, but they'd all get my money.

EDIT: Perhaps Glastonbury was last, I'm really not certain.

[marcvolta]

they played AM gigs in Boston and Coachella too, and i think one in LA???

[jadams501]

Perhaps I'm in the minority on this one, but I think the bifurcation between Acoustic Mainlines and the more "rock" shows has not been good for the live Spiritualized experience.

I tend to prefer the softer dreamscapes element of Spz over the waves of atonal noise, but I think the contrast between the two gives their music a lot of its tension and drama. I felt that the Acoustic Mainlines shows turned out pretty well, but the rock shows I heard from the A&E tour seemed repetitive and one-note.

Which isn't to say that there weren't a lot of great moments, but there was too much screeching noise without softer moments to make either stand out. A lot of the more delicate moments, particular songs from the A&E album, really suffered in that format.

My first choice would be an expanded 2 or 3 disc version of Fucked Up Inside, as I still feel that was the best era for the band sonically. Second choice would be an Acoustic Mainlines release, though some of the boots are already of premium quality. Third choice would be from a set of new shows that combined the best of both types of shows J did on the A&E tour. I don't have much interest in a Ladies & Gents live album (I already have the Albert Hall show!) or the more rocking side of the A&E tour -- but if it was released, I'm sure I would get caught up in the excitement around these parts and buy it anyway.

[Zenchan]

I'd love a DVD of a mainlines show (wink).

[sunray]

but the rock shows I heard from the A&E tour seemed repetitive and one-note.

Oh how i wish that's how they had sounded to my ears.

Cd/DVD of the full Glasto 93 set with bonus discs of Glasto 92 and 94 would be my wish. I have no real preference for any of the above options but i'd buy any/all if released.

[niamhm]

Thats a hard choice coz personally I aint really crying out for an official release for any of them,

maybe I`m in a minority here but the AM shows never did much for me ,after a half dozen songs or so I found the set up/sound a touch 2 dimensional ,dare I say boring? if I had a cd of one of the shows honestly it would sit and gather dust,couldn`t see me playing it very much ,

an A&E show would be different ,some great performances but dare I say it the A&E tracks were the ones I enjoyed the least those nights ,its probably my least played Spiritualized album,but some older tracks were played that I would be happy to see released, Lay Back In The Sun and the version of Come Together/Take Me To The Other Side,

LAGWAFIS? on the right night with the right performances ,yeah that could be pretty good but I think I would always reach for the original.