My point in a nutshell!

You definitely won’t be disappointed!

I agree...the artists you mentioned are all great live...but lots of others sadly are not.

@Marionville Oh I know. My favourite band currently is Godsmack and I love lead singer Sully Erna a lot. He’s got a great voice but just awful live with his band, I’m sorry to say. Still. I would go see Godsmack live just because.

Yes...that was from their official video of the concert available on DVD.

@Marionville To be this good takes control and proper bad setup. It is a complement to the band and lead singer.

@DenoPenno That was my point in posting this item. I think it’s a real shame that bands such as a-ha who are truly talented get so little attention from the mainstream media and music industry in the USA...and to a lesser degree, in the U.K. They are actually massive on a world scale, but because they wouldn’t allow themselves to be controlled by their Record Label, Warner who wanted them to continue turning out synth pop hits for teenagers, or move to America in the 1980s, they stopped promoting them in the USA. I feel sad for the American market being deprived of such a talented trio and hate to hear them described as one hit wonders when they now have record sales of over over 100 million, and that’s despite virtually no market in the USA. They write all their own music and vocalist Morten Harket has the best vocal range and ability of any lead singer in any band bar none. To say that they are talented is an understatement, I’ve been following bands since 1962 and a-ha and the Kinks are the two best bands I’ve ever heard live.

I was making a comparison between live and recorded music. Some artists sound wonderful on all the points you mention..on a recording, However, you pay money to see them live and they do not sound so good..that’s because it took a day’s work in a recording studio to perfect the recording you love so much. Other artists sound as good, if not better at a live concert than they do on a recording. That is what separates the good from the great artists. The really talented take inspiration from the live audience, they feed off each other, there is an energy that raises their performance above the flawless perfection of a recording into a living, breathing experience...not perfect in timbre or note, sometimes that can be off, but in quite a different quality that is a one-of rapport or pact between audience and artist.

@Marionville

Good point. That's why I love the great, late jazz singer Kenny Rankin's live album "Encore," the most. He sang with a few musicians before a small, live audience in a club. He had wonderful rapport with the audience.

My heart soars when he sings "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by George Harrison of the Beatles.

But Kenny Rankin's studio albums are overly produced with soaring violins, a brass section and a full orchestra. Not my cup of tea.

@LiterateHiker I will take a listen...he’s not an artist I’m particularly familiar with.

I think many feel cheated...not just if it’s lip-sync (I’d demand my money back for that), but for a performance that bore little similarity in sound to the artist’s recordings.

@Marionville People go see "singers" like Brittany Spears who only lip sincs (last I knew) and Madonna (who does a mix of actual singing and lip sincing) I wouldn't pay for that.

@Beowulfsfriend No...nor I .

No ..I haven’t seen that..must look for it. I wasn’t really talking about lyrics, although I agree they’re very important. I was really meaning the singer or band’s ability to perform to the same standard live as on their recordings.

Of course....we must try to get you to a live concert !

@Marionville Believe me Marje, that (going to a live concert to see a-ha) is in the back of my mind a lot! I have so much to look forward to with my move in November, and starting my new life! Once I get settled and figure out my money situation, I will be looking at going to see them somewhere when their touring starts back up. Hopefully us Americans won’t be banned from travel to other Countries for to much longer!

@Redheadedgammy Where have you decided to move to Rhonda? I don’t remember you saying!

@Marionville I will be moving to Northern California in November. I’ll stay at my sisters place until I can get a part time job to help my financial situation, then look for my own place. Time for a new beginning for me!

@Redheadedgammy Yes...sometimes we just have to bite the bullet and move on. The climate will be nice there.

@Marionville Most definitely much nicer climate! I so enjoyed my 10 days there in June while helping my sister with her health issues. Seems the little town of Ukiah is also much more liberal than where I live now, and I love that!

@Redheadedgammy I may just be tempted to come over to visit...once you’ve settled in properly. I have never been to California, but my best friend who sadly died a few years ago had a daughter in law who was from Sacramento. She lives over here now!

@Marionville You just let me know Marje and I will be glad to host you at my place! Northern California is such a pretty part of the state, the Redwood Forest is so beautiful and wonderful to explore, and of course there are lots of other great things to see and do!!

I understand that....I have not seen live the majority of artists I listen to either. The few real favourites I have...I do try to see live if I can, not easy...expensive, and can be a disappointment, hence the point of my post.

Oh for goodness sake....it’s not really disputed that they drew the biggest “paying” crowd at that concert...and another 100,000 outside trying to get in that had to be turned away! Why do people always want to try to suggest that they’re less than they are? It happened at the time when they got no publicity or credit for the fact that they achieved this..the journalists were told to ignore them, why? Because they were perceived to be less popular or notable than the bigger names who drew less interest in Rio. a-ha had toured South America twice before and had built a huge fan base there prior to 1991...a fan base that has endured to this day. I am a fan of other bands and artists too, have been listening to and following music trends all my life, and now at 75 I think I have a fairly comprehensive grasp of what is good and what is bad about the music industry. I know and can recognise the best...even ones that are not particularly to my taste, but the ones that last and keep their fans paying money and travelling the globe to see them live (not insubstantial sums these days) are not necessarily the ones who top the charts with hit records, but are the ones who wow live audiences because of their sheer talent.

@Marionville Darling... nobody is trying say they 'are less than they are'.... It's just an old record that has been broken ... several times now... Get over it... I love A-Ha... I have nothing against them.. But you seem to be in some mental state of admiration that refuses to admit they're not all that AND a bag of chips.. Sorry to burst your bubble, but yeah, that record HAS been broke... XOXO ❤

I’m so in thrall to these three guys...they are just so talented. Morten is always pitch perfect, sounding and looking like a dream...but the music and lyrics are written by Pal and they are just out of the ordinary. Mags on keyboards too..the best in the business! Norse gods indeed!! 🥰

I was not at any time referring to composers of music who do not themselves sing or record it...so that refutes your first point. The actor analogy I can’t quite follow, because I was only referring to artists who both make recordings and perform live. There are some very good artists who only make recordings and never perform live..and are very successful at it. I enjoy listening to many of them and have even bought copies of their recordings. What I was referring to was the disappointment many concertgoers experience when they pay a rather large amount of money to hear and see a favourite in concert and then find that they don’t live up to expectations live.

I think you have missed the point of what I mean completely. There are some very good artists who sound great on recordings but not so good live, and then there are other artists who sound great on recordings and AlSO great live. Talent is comparative...both good and great artists have talent, I at no time suggested lack of it, but the artist or singer who is more talented is the one who has the natural ability to sing on key and adapt to any accompaniment or indeed sing a Capella. That is what elevates the great from the merely good.

He is so on the mark about how fake and inauthentic modern country artists are as well as how their rube fans eat it up. He eloquently spells out all the standard cliches that make up the lyrics of country songs, which are so offensive and insulting to anyone with some intellect and education. He also nails the affected nasal, twangy singing style along with all the instrumental twang. It's music for rubes, hicks, and rednecks, of which I am proudly not a member of any of these groups. The only thing he left out was the common " Rah, Rah" patriotism that is such a staple of country songs. If country fans want to proudly proclaim that they are uneducated rednecks, fine, it's a free country. I just don't want to hear any of it or listen to it or be around them if it's at all avoidable. Separation and peaceful co-existence is what I seek..

It's also no coincidence that when I used to go sing karaoke at bars, most of the worst singers there would be the ones who sang only country songs, the reason being that country is the easiest genre to sing and doesn't take much singing talent to perform, so that's probably a large reason they stuck to that. Another reason I loathe country music.

What about instrumentals with no vocals???

Yes...I do that too and different songs and voices appeal to different people, I know we don’t all like the same thing and that’s natural. What I meant was that some singers are better on recordings and can’t really sing very well live. That’s fine if you only ever listen to recordings, but if you like live music and pay money to go to concerts you really want to hear the artists sounding, not exactly the same as on the records, but at least as good as.

@dermot235 , I love them too but it depends of the rhythms

Yes...that’s exactly what I meant. Some are good recording artists...but not necessarily good value as live acts, therefore not great artists.

I know our tastes in music vary, and what appeals to one person doesn’t to another, I wasn’t really referring to that. What I meant was that really talented artists ...whether they are to your taste or not, are the ones who don’t need Autocue or retakes to sound good live. The question of writing their own music is another matter entirely of course, and again that separates real musicians from mere performers. However, some of the biggest and most successful artists such as Elvis and Frank Sinatra never wrote any of their music, but they were undeniably giants, both as recording artists and live performers. Freddie Mercury was more than a mere performer or even a great artist ...he was an entertainer supremo! ....a Showman who could command and hold a live audience in his hand!

@Marionville, Prince has recorded all instruments in all his songs. Something very rare. Even if you don't like him, you have to tip your hat to him. This only an example. I could be here all day talking about artists who are great and unique. Different artists/bands give a different experience through their music. The fact that many are more popular doesn't mean there isn't brilliancy in lesser known artists. There's incredible talent around.

Music can be very subjective when it comes to what is good and not so good. But I do love to see a musician or singer that has amazing technical ability and that can also move an audience. I love a lot of musical genres. Rock, Jazz, Blues, Classical, Soul, Metal, fusion and more. But I just can't get my head around country Music. Country music drives me nuts. I've been called a musical snob for this.

@Paddypereira Prince was a very talented musician, producer, songwriter and singer. He was generous in sharing his talent with others too...I had nothing but admiration for him. Memorial Beach - a-ha’s fifth and best album was recorded at his Paisley Park studios. Real artists who innovative and write their own music are drawn to each other and can feed off each others’ creativity....there was real mutual admiration between Prince and the band, who also write all their own material...mostly Pal Waaktaar-Savoy, who I think is a genius at it.

@dermot235 I’m with you on everything you said,...I too like almost all genres of music. Country music though, especially the pseudo Irish version loved in Ireland, North and South, leaves me cold!

@Marionville I think the Brain has to deteriorate to a certain level for Country Music to sound OK. lol

@dermot235 I think my brain may already be on the decline...but there’s still a long way to go before I’d like country music....I hope!

@Marionville and @dermot235, even in country music there are great artists. I much rather country to techno... or Justin Bieber... or Kanye West... Lol!!!

@Paddypereira now ...we’re just grubbing around in the muck!

@Marionville Reading your posts I think you have a long long long long way to go before that happens

@dermot235 I sincerely hope you’re right!

@Marionville, you guys are a lot more exposed to country music than I do. It's natural I can appreciate it more, although it's not my first choice of music, as I already told. I wonder how on Earth talentless guys like Kanye West or Justin Bieber have such success... oh, well...

@Paddypereira Overexposure on the airwaves ! I have suspected for a long time that bungs to radio stations and agreements by the Music labels to promote certain artists for a “consideration “ has the biggest influence in what becomes chart successes. The same six or so songs get played repeatedly until they get into the psyche.

@Marionville, in my native Portugal, something like that happened as well. It shouldn't. Radio DJ's usually like to show new music to their audiences. A friend of mine who did radio shows suffered from that kind of pressure to put more music from certain artists. I remember the time of the independent radios having great shows and always bringing what's new. It makes more difference to a recent band/artist to have that airplay than to any of the big names. It's a shame that kind of attitude due to interests kills this spirit.

@dermot235 From having lived in Iowa my whole life and been assaulted by more country music than I care to remember around fans of it, I would venture to say that in many cases the fans of country music never had a great amount of brain in their heads to begin with, much less any great amount of deterioration...