Music developed in performance

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   I seem to remember there was a time when bands developed musical ideas by playing them in concert, gauging audience reactions, honing and fine tuning, and only then going into the studio to record them. Dark Side of the Moon is an obvious example. 

Anyone have memories of being there while msuic was being conceived, created and tested in performance before it was recorded?

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Andrew A. Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Newbie Joined: May 13 2008 Status: Offline Points: 22	Topic: Music developed in performance Posted: May 15 2008 at 17:29
	I seem to remember there was a time when bands developed musical ideas by playing them in concert, gauging audience reactions, honing and fine tuning, and only then going into the studio to record them. Dark Side of the Moon is an obvious example. Anyone have memories of being there while msuic was being conceived, created and tested in performance before it was recorded?

Queen By-Tor Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 13 2006 Location: Xanadu Status: Offline Points: 16111	Posted: May 15 2008 at 17:36
	Apparently Beardfish's newest epic (the 35-minute "Sleeping In Traffic") was conceived and played live as early as 2002. It's good to know that some bands still work like that. However, I think for the most part that was a child of the 70s. Countless bands from then have been noted for doing just that. Wasn't Trespass tested like that when Genesis needed to follow up on their debut and wanted to change their sound?

rileydog22 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: August 24 2005 Location: New Jersey Status: Offline Points: 8844	Posted: May 15 2008 at 17:44
	Pink Floyd also tested out songs from Wish You Were Here and Animals on stage before finishing them, but that practice ceased for them when they realized that bootleggers were selling prototypical Pink Floyd albums before Floyd was even bringing them into the studio. King Crimson not only tested material on stage, they'd often write it there. Very much of their Wetton-era material grew out of improvisations on stage, as the musicians would remember particularly good parts of improvisations from nights past and work them into jams every night until a fairly finished product appeared.


Dr. Prog Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: April 29 2008 Status: Offline Points: 306	Posted: May 15 2008 at 17:49
	Porcupine Tree does some of this. I think Wilson did it a lot early in PT's career and lately I think he did quite a chunk of Fear of a Blank Planet material as well as songs that would later land on the EP Nil Recurring live before recording them. In fact, he may have done that whole last album live a few times before recording the songs for the album, or at least while still finishing the recording process.

BroSpence Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: March 05 2007 Status: Offline Points: 2614	Posted: May 15 2008 at 22:40
	Plenty of occasions like that still happen. For instance, Sigur Ros played Gong, Salka, and Milano years before they recorded Takk. Built to Spill has often played new songs live before recording them. Some still haven't been recorded. Radiohead played new songs at several live shows before In Rainbows conception. As did Wilco.