There is nothing quite like the experience of going to a live gig – the atmosphere, the crowds and the possibility that anything could happen. Listening to recorded music is an entirely different kettle of fish – it doesn’t require a crowd and is therefore much more personal. Both live music and recorded music have their own special appeal and there is more than enough room for both.
Most of us have a great deal of access to live music today. If you live in a big city you are lucky in that there are generally gigs of varying sizes, whether in a pub or a large stadium, going on pretty much every night. For example, there are so many live bands in London looking for gigs that it is more than likely you can go down to a pub near you and see some live music.
What many music lovers enjoy about live music is the sense of spontaneity it gives. Every time you go to see your favourite band perform it will be a little different. Many performers are notoriously unpredictable too and for a lot of their fans this just adds to the enjoyment of going to see them. Yes, you can buy recordings of live music or watch it on the TV but the experience of actually being there just can’t be replicated.
However, it should be remembered that not everyone lives near a city where bands frequently play, or has the ability to travel regularly to gigs. If you can’t go to see live bands in London, say, then having the music on your ipod or computer is the next best thing. Advances in sound quality mean that, although the acoustics will never be the same as at a live venue, listening to your favourite music wherever you are can at least by an enjoyable experience.
Indeed, accessibility is one of the ways in which recorded music has the edge on live gigs. With the wealth of technology available to us today it is possible to listen to almost any music you want, wherever you are. If you’re sitting on a train and you think of a song you would like to hear, you can simply download it. A live gig, by contrast, is a unique one-off event that only a relatively small number of people will experience.
Recorded music also differs from live music in that it often represents a recording artist’s completed vision, rather than a one-off interpretation of it. As such, it is more something for posterity than an evening’s entertainment. Albums like the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, to use a famous example, represent months in the studio to get just the right balance of sound. Without recording equipment it would not be possible to have these albums to listen to over and over again.
In essence, then, neither form of music is ‘better’ since they are very different ways to appreciate an artist’s work. The constant improvements in technology to make music available to fans throughout the world can only be a good thing, but still bands will continue to tour as this is the best way for them to connect with their fans on a more immediate and personal level.
Most of us have a great deal of access to live music today. If you live in a big city you are lucky in that there are generally gigs of varying sizes, whether in a pub or a large stadium, going on pretty much every night. For example, there are so many live bands in London looking for gigs that it is more than likely you can go down to a pub near you and see some live music.
What many music lovers enjoy about live music is the sense of spontaneity it gives. Every time you go to see your favourite band perform it will be a little different. Many performers are notoriously unpredictable too and for a lot of their fans this just adds to the enjoyment of going to see them. Yes, you can buy recordings of live music or watch it on the TV but the experience of actually being there just can’t be replicated.
However, it should be remembered that not everyone lives near a city where bands frequently play, or has the ability to travel regularly to gigs. If you can’t go to see live bands in London, say, then having the music on your ipod or computer is the next best thing. Advances in sound quality mean that, although the acoustics will never be the same as at a live venue, listening to your favourite music wherever you are can at least by an enjoyable experience.
Indeed, accessibility is one of the ways in which recorded music has the edge on live gigs. With the wealth of technology available to us today it is possible to listen to almost any music you want, wherever you are. If you’re sitting on a train and you think of a song you would like to hear, you can simply download it. A live gig, by contrast, is a unique one-off event that only a relatively small number of people will experience.
Recorded music also differs from live music in that it often represents a recording artist’s completed vision, rather than a one-off interpretation of it. As such, it is more something for posterity than an evening’s entertainment. Albums like the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, to use a famous example, represent months in the studio to get just the right balance of sound. Without recording equipment it would not be possible to have these albums to listen to over and over again.
In essence, then, neither form of music is ‘better’ since they are very different ways to appreciate an artist’s work. The constant improvements in technology to make music available to fans throughout the world can only be a good thing, but still bands will continue to tour as this is the best way for them to connect with their fans on a more immediate and personal level.
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