One of the many signs of a tried and true music fan is if they are in touch with the live recordings of their favorite artists. When it comes to groups such as Phish, The Grateful Dead, Billy Strings, and other jam band acts, it’s almost sacrilege to listen to the studio versions. While that is not the case for country music, there are a couple of songs out there that are far better live than they are in the confines of a studio. That being said, here are three country songs that sound better live than in the studio.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground” by Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson is by no means a one-trick pony, and if you’ve seen him live, you know he rarely plays his iconic studio songs in the same way. That goes for all of his songs, but today, the song and the specific concert we are mentioning is Willie Nelson’s rendition of “Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground” in Tokyo, Japan.
In 1984, Willie Nelson stopped in Tokyo, Japan, and performed a concert at Tokyo’s iconic martial arts hall, The Budokan. The highlight of the concert, and a highlight in Nelson’s live catalog, is “Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground”. While the bones of the song remain the same, he also infuses notes of jazz and other genres. Furthermore, he doesn’t confine himself to the studio solo we all know incredibly well.
“C—e Blues” by Johnny Cash
Alright, it’s probably no surprise that we pulled from one of the greatest live albums of all time. Though, could we call ourselves a music publication if we didn’t? Regardless, Johnny Cash‘s 1968 album, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, hosts 16 classics, and the one we want to remind you of is “C—e Blues”.
Originally released as a live song, Cash didn’t release a studio version of this song until 1979. Though that version doesn’t even come close to the original live version. The story, the backdrop, and the grit of the song make for a spellbinding three-minute listen. Frankly, this song couldn’t be recorded anywhere other than where it was.
“She Came And She Touched Me” by Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt was meant to be listened to in some arbitrary bar with minimal light and mediocre sound. Don’t get us wrong, his records are great, but to see him in his element would have been mesmerizing, to say the least. However, now, the closest thing we have is his live albums, including Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas, which he released in 1977.
In country music, it is certainly one of the greatest live albums, and the song that we believe makes it so is “She Came And She Touched Me”. Originally released on his 1969 album. Our Mother the Mountain, this rendition is stripped down and simplified. Consequently, all you’re left with is Townes and his words.
Photo by Darlene Pfister/Star Tribune via Getty Images
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