Rate the 3 Smiths/Morrissey Live Albums

Albums to put in order from 1 to 3 are Rank, Beethoven Was Deaf and Live At Earls Court

Rank - (The best, due to the fact that he was still in league with Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce but badly recorded and mastered).
Live at Earls Court - Very well recorded but ultimately quite dull. His cardboard cut-out backing band sucking the spunk out of even the best songs in their canon..... and well, Redondo beach. Worst. Single. Ever.
Beethoven was deaf - Clever title, pointless album.
 
In my order of preference -

Beethoven Was Deaf - My favourite of the Moz live albums, some playful renditions of early tracks, loud and full of energy. Poorly underrated.

Rank - Great! and as far as I know, the only "official" documented live performance of Smiths material. Ropey recording though, but adds a bit of authenticity to the set

Live at Earl's Court - Good too, great live sampling of his more recent tracks with a few Smiths tracks thrown in. Good quality recording
 
I may be in the minority but I love Beethoven is Deaf, always have, especially 'The Loop' I loved the band when they were really rockabilly, I suppose when they were younger & more energetic.
Second, Rank. It's a good solid live album, I could live without it were it not for the two medleys & the Draize Train.
Live At Earls Court was ok but it seemed to have a really weird quality to it. Almost eerie in a way. I Know I Couldn't Last rules on there though. Much better than the studio version.

So, Beethoven, Rank, Earls Court.

It's a shame they never captured a live album from the Vauxhall/World Of period really.
 
Rank is definitely, definitely, my number one out of the three. It has so much energy and I Know Its Over is just wonderful...:tears:

The other two, I'm not sure which I prefer. Though, if pushed I'd say Earls Court in second place, Beethoven in third. Just purely because I listen to Earls Court more...though I LOVE Seasick on Beethoven, I must say. :)
 
I am definitely in the minority, but I really, really love Live at Earl's Court.

Some fantastic performances on there, and it captured a tour I absolutely loved. In addition, it has the best version of "How Soon is Now" (even, whisper it, surpassing the Smiths' studio original...)
 
There's something about the Earl's Court cd that I don't like. Morrissey's voice sounds different on it, maybe it's down to the producing as he sounds fine on the M in Manchester DVD which (I believe) is from the same year.

My order would be:
Beethoven, Rank, Court.
 
didn't care for earl's court at all, too much post production, sounded like a studio album with crowd noise added in.
 
Rank is patchy. I like some of the version better than the studio versions, specifically 'I Know It's Over' and 'Still Ill' where Moz gets a far higher degree of emotion into his vocal. Overall its a decent live album, what you'd expect really.

I actually really like 'Beethoven was Deaf'. It does what all great live albums should do and that is capture the excitement of the people at the concert. The set list is great, its hard to pick out one weak track and the band are on great form.

I've never heard Live at Earl's Court. No doubt I'll be clubbed to death by irrate disciples but I don't think Moz really cuts it live these days.
 
1 under the bradford skies
2 practising troublemaker
3 bennett and bent ( leeds 99)
 
1.introducing morrissey (i know its not an album but i perfer it over all the videos and live albums)
2.rank
3.beethoven was deaf
 
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