If Music Could Talk

Anybody else prefer the live b-side version of X-Ray Style to the studio version?
Always felt more warmth in the live version and the way Joe hits that “...never had none!” line with so much emotion is amazing!

Can't say I agree. The studio version is one of my favorite songs ever, and to me the live versions can't match its atmosphere. My one nitpick would be that the studio version sounds like it was recorded to a click track.

But to each their own!

There's a really great live version (from 2000, I think) where it starts off low-key/quiet a la Rock Art, then the drums come in about halfway through with big snare wallops that make it sound immense. Anyone know the show?

There are definitely one or two excellent live versions though can’t quite place them off hand. Unusually for the meskies however, I think the backing track let it down on several occasions. Pablo’s percussion was very hit and miss, mostly miss from what I remember. Still a great song regardless, one of Joes greatest ever lyrics in my view.

It always struck me as Burning Lights Part 2 — similar vibe and lyrical theme.

I played this track a lot in those sad days after joes death. That great line “You think that God wouldn’t be so hard...” tore me up every time, still get emotional just thinking about it.

Inder wrote: ↑

26 Aug 2018, 1:59pm

There's a really great live version (from 2000, I think) where it starts off low-key/quiet a la Rock Art, then the drums come in about halfway through with big snare wallops that make it sound immense. Anyone know the show?

are you thinking of the 1999 performance from HBO's reverb?



i also think this is joe's finest song, and one of the greatest ever written. the lyrics are perfectly opaque and the feeling behind them is palpable. it still chokes me every time i listen to it, which is often.

I was at that Roseland show, what a great night! I prefer the 2nd lineup overall but Pablo’s percussion skills stood out