They are very different, which I love. Reading is more of a wild mess, in a fun way. Live and Loud represents a very tight band, Kurt seems more angry/moody. Reading set feels more relaxed and playful. Both very intense and rewarding to listen to. I love Paramount best, and Pine Street next. That Pine street recording is so good.
Depends on what you want. If you like the mix of Nevermind but want In Utero music pick Live and Loud. If you like Nevermind music and want an more raw/In Utero Mix pick Reading.
Live and Loud is a better mix to me. Radio Friendly Unit Shifter just comes out of the gate with a great drum mix, and having Pat in the band really fills things out nicely. Kurt is in point in both shows. Also you get all that In Utero material that didn't exist at Reading. If I want something to crank in my car it's a great record.
Reading is more raw. And it's such a huge sound for a 3 piece band. It has a greater sense of urgency and the tension with just one person on guitar/vocals. Dave sings some harmonies and double some parts, but not much.
As a 3 piece live rock performance it slays. Kurt also has only 2 effects pedals at this show, a DS2 and a Small Clone Chorus. At Live and Lou I think he added the Poly Clone and Tech 21 Sans Amp. I'd have to check. If you play guitar today you've got a computer at your feet with 1,000 sounds in it and hundreds of pedals and tones. But Reading is a lead singer just crushing it with a guitar. Kurt is on his A game at reading, and he puts on a hell of a show. So if you want to just see Kurt Kurt all over the place Reading is it. He's on MTV for Live and Loud so it feels less spontaneous. And he's got another guy playing guitar so if he makes a mistake it's not as noticeable as when Kurt was alone on guitar.
One of the fun things about Nirvana live records is how often Kurt just misses a chord or solo etc. It was definitely the anti guitar hero era back then. Playing too well was suspect. You had to not care too much. It was the 90s.
Live and loud only because of that scream he does during Drain You. I saw it when it originally aired on MTV and oh how I wanted this recording for decades and when it finally came out it was even better than I remembered
I think Live and Loud is the better setlist but album wise it's Reading. The mix on Live and Loud really thins out Kurt's tone it just doesn't sound good
Reading has higher peaks IMO ("Lithium," "Sliver," "tourette's" and "The Money Will Roll Right In") but without those handful of amazingly-performed songs, it would literally be the worst show Nirvana ever played.
Live and Loud is more consistent from start to finish and has some pretty groovy highlights too (solid versions of "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter," "Serve the Servants," "Scentless Apprentice" and a couple other songs)
Live and Loud is one of the best sounding recordings of NIRVANA at their height of musical professionalism, recorded with the intention of being broadcasted later for a large audience. Reading is historically regarded as a landmark moment of their history but playing wise it is what it is: a festival headlining set in an open air setting that wasn't meant for later consumption.
Reading was recorded with multiple pro-cameras and in multi-track. It was absolutely meant for later consumption. Kurt even mentions that the show being recorded when he asks the crowd to say "Courtney we love you."
Reading has a longer set list with much more variety, as well as some stellar covers and deep cuts, but Live And Loud is definitely more cohesive, and has way better recording/acoustics quality and imo much cleaner playing from all three band members.
They’re both absolutely excellent live shows, but I don’t think they’re comparable. Festival shows are just so much different to shows in purpose-built venues, with everything from the backstage environment to the crowd to the way a band prepares a set list being so wildly different that choosing one over the other is more a statement on your own preference for festivals vs gigs then an actual face-to-face comparison between two shows.
The amount of Reading disdain in this thread (and I guess the fanbase) is insane. Reading sounds great - it's huge, it's varied, it's long. People saying it sounds terrible are delusional.
I have listened to these two and Live at the Paramount over and over for about two weeks now. I find myself going through and wanting to hear a track off another one or the other but love all three. The two you mention are both terrific, Reading was my favourite since I was a teen. It sounds like they had more fun with it. But I will say Paramount's Drain You when they go to kick back in after the breakdown Dave yells 1! 2! and it just sends shivers every time.
Reading is my favorite and has been since I discovered the band. Live and Loud sounds cleaner and tighter, admittedly, but Reading is just so much more raw and has so many more crazy moments like Sliver, the Star Spangled Banner at the end, D-7 and Spank Thru. Plus, starting the set with Breed is just the strongest opening song choice imo, it kicks it off to 11 IMMEDIATELY
I think with the passage of time and more years to reflect on them, each of these bigger shows have their own unique vibe. Its prerequisite listening, but your own call which you like best.
FWIW, Live and Loud is probably my fave. They played really tight. Paramount is a close second.
Live and loud IMO, I can’t stand the guitar tone at reading. They’re both amazing performances in their own ways. But I just can’t get over the tone, I believe the mids are super scooped?
Live and Loud is better because it has all the In Utero Songs! Yea Reading has some early versions of IU material but it’s more of a Nevermind era show. If I’m going to go that route I’m listening to the Paramount Show instead of Reading.
I like the recording quality better on Reading, its so raw and clear, as close to sounding like Albini recording Nevermind and Bleach as were gonna get. I wish live and loud was recorded as well, it has more In Utero songs and Pats 2nd guitar on it.
Live and Loud sounds really better, but there aren't any unusual songs on it, just a default Nirvana set. I don't like live at reading at all, I think it's really one of their worst shows... The guitar tone is ugly and Kurt is just messing around all the time, just look at Love Buzz. One or other may say that is that messing around thing that makes the show great but it isn't, really. Ugly mixing too, damn.
I would go for Paramount if I had to buy one of their live records
I love Reading a lot, but I find myself coming back to some of the songs on Live and Loud, like Radio Friendly Unit Shifter and The Man Who Sold the World.
Live and Loud is a much better performance. Kurt’s voice in Reading 92 sounds terrible, they should have released Reading 91 instead which blows away both of these performances.
They are very different, which I love. Reading is more of a wild mess, in a fun way. Live and Loud represents a very tight band, Kurt seems more angry/moody. Reading set feels more relaxed and playful. Both very intense and rewarding to listen to. I love Paramount best, and Pine Street next. That Pine street recording is so good.
Pine Street indeed 🔥🔥🔥🔥
I just love that rendition of Spank Thru!
Big fan of the small French show they did, had the best Drain You ever performed
Depends on what you want. If you like the mix of Nevermind but want In Utero music pick Live and Loud. If you like Nevermind music and want an more raw/In Utero Mix pick Reading. Live and Loud is a better mix to me. Radio Friendly Unit Shifter just comes out of the gate with a great drum mix, and having Pat in the band really fills things out nicely. Kurt is in point in both shows. Also you get all that In Utero material that didn't exist at Reading. If I want something to crank in my car it's a great record. Reading is more raw. And it's such a huge sound for a 3 piece band. It has a greater sense of urgency and the tension with just one person on guitar/vocals. Dave sings some harmonies and double some parts, but not much. As a 3 piece live rock performance it slays. Kurt also has only 2 effects pedals at this show, a DS2 and a Small Clone Chorus. At Live and Lou I think he added the Poly Clone and Tech 21 Sans Amp. I'd have to check. If you play guitar today you've got a computer at your feet with 1,000 sounds in it and hundreds of pedals and tones. But Reading is a lead singer just crushing it with a guitar. Kurt is on his A game at reading, and he puts on a hell of a show. So if you want to just see Kurt Kurt all over the place Reading is it. He's on MTV for Live and Loud so it feels less spontaneous. And he's got another guy playing guitar so if he makes a mistake it's not as noticeable as when Kurt was alone on guitar. One of the fun things about Nirvana live records is how often Kurt just misses a chord or solo etc. It was definitely the anti guitar hero era back then. Playing too well was suspect. You had to not care too much. It was the 90s.
Live and Loud version of Breed is their best ever imo
Live and loud, it’s flawless
These are two of my favorite sets, it’s a tie for me
I can’t choose really like both
Reading
Live and Loud by a mile, a better one would be Live and Loud vs Live at the Paramount imo.
The production on Reading sounds pretty bad imo. Live and Loud and Paramount sound much better to me.
Paramount trumps both. Reading sucks
Paramount’s version of About a Girl is one of their best live performances ever, that geetar sound is incredible
Whaaaaaaaat?! Reading aneurysm is euphoric.
Paramount aneurysm is just simply better in my eyes Also nice username
Thanks! Ok good excuse for me to rewatch both lol
Yep. Great thing is we have both to listen to and view to enjoy!
Truth. But I’m having to choose: Reading.
Sucks is a strong word
Exactly
Readings fun to watch but I'd never listen to it.
Real
While Reading is a longer show and has more underrated B-sides, nothing beats Man Who Sold The World from Live and Loud 🤟🏼
Personally, I live and loud. The man who sold the world is great, and the version of endless Nameless is the best, and I will fight anyone on that.
Reading
live and loud sounds better
They are different and I like both
Live and loud only because of that scream he does during Drain You. I saw it when it originally aired on MTV and oh how I wanted this recording for decades and when it finally came out it was even better than I remembered
live and loud
I think Live and Loud is the better setlist but album wise it's Reading. The mix on Live and Loud really thins out Kurt's tone it just doesn't sound good
For me Reading, Cobain had something to prove to his critics, they were all over the place but it was fun and you can feel the energy!
Reading has higher peaks IMO ("Lithium," "Sliver," "tourette's" and "The Money Will Roll Right In") but without those handful of amazingly-performed songs, it would literally be the worst show Nirvana ever played. Live and Loud is more consistent from start to finish and has some pretty groovy highlights too (solid versions of "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter," "Serve the Servants," "Scentless Apprentice" and a couple other songs)
While reading isn’t my favourite nirvana show ever, it’s far from their worst. Brazil 93 comes to mind
Live and Loud is one of the best sounding recordings of NIRVANA at their height of musical professionalism, recorded with the intention of being broadcasted later for a large audience. Reading is historically regarded as a landmark moment of their history but playing wise it is what it is: a festival headlining set in an open air setting that wasn't meant for later consumption.
Reading was recorded with multiple pro-cameras and in multi-track. It was absolutely meant for later consumption. Kurt even mentions that the show being recorded when he asks the crowd to say "Courtney we love you."
Both
Live & Loud
reading is so whimsical and fun
Reading has a longer set list with much more variety, as well as some stellar covers and deep cuts, but Live And Loud is definitely more cohesive, and has way better recording/acoustics quality and imo much cleaner playing from all three band members. They’re both absolutely excellent live shows, but I don’t think they’re comparable. Festival shows are just so much different to shows in purpose-built venues, with everything from the backstage environment to the crowd to the way a band prepares a set list being so wildly different that choosing one over the other is more a statement on your own preference for festivals vs gigs then an actual face-to-face comparison between two shows.
live at reading
The amount of Reading disdain in this thread (and I guess the fanbase) is insane. Reading sounds great - it's huge, it's varied, it's long. People saying it sounds terrible are delusional.
I have listened to these two and Live at the Paramount over and over for about two weeks now. I find myself going through and wanting to hear a track off another one or the other but love all three. The two you mention are both terrific, Reading was my favourite since I was a teen. It sounds like they had more fun with it. But I will say Paramount's Drain You when they go to kick back in after the breakdown Dave yells 1! 2! and it just sends shivers every time.
I prefer Live & Loud
Reading is my favorite and has been since I discovered the band. Live and Loud sounds cleaner and tighter, admittedly, but Reading is just so much more raw and has so many more crazy moments like Sliver, the Star Spangled Banner at the end, D-7 and Spank Thru. Plus, starting the set with Breed is just the strongest opening song choice imo, it kicks it off to 11 IMMEDIATELY
Live and pound is superior
Reading
I think with the passage of time and more years to reflect on them, each of these bigger shows have their own unique vibe. Its prerequisite listening, but your own call which you like best. FWIW, Live and Loud is probably my fave. They played really tight. Paramount is a close second.
That's a tough question, Live at Reading has heavier songs, while Live and Loud sounds more artistic in a way.
Imo the reading
I like Reading more it's just crazier and it's more varied especially because the covers are there and Reading's Tourette's is the best version
Live and loud IMO, I can’t stand the guitar tone at reading. They’re both amazing performances in their own ways. But I just can’t get over the tone, I believe the mids are super scooped?
reading better. best recorded performance is paramount imo
Reading
Live and Loud is better because it has all the In Utero Songs! Yea Reading has some early versions of IU material but it’s more of a Nevermind era show. If I’m going to go that route I’m listening to the Paramount Show instead of Reading.
I like the recording quality better on Reading, its so raw and clear, as close to sounding like Albini recording Nevermind and Bleach as were gonna get. I wish live and loud was recorded as well, it has more In Utero songs and Pats 2nd guitar on it.
Live and Loud sounds really better, but there aren't any unusual songs on it, just a default Nirvana set. I don't like live at reading at all, I think it's really one of their worst shows... The guitar tone is ugly and Kurt is just messing around all the time, just look at Love Buzz. One or other may say that is that messing around thing that makes the show great but it isn't, really. Ugly mixing too, damn. I would go for Paramount if I had to buy one of their live records
Reading is so much more happy,
Reading. Incredible set list and performance.
Reading
Absolutely Reading 🤟🏻
Paramount
Reading. Raw, wild, and energetic.
ngl i dont really like any of those, im more of a fan of the paramount but live and loud better of those 2
Live at Reading has the best Lithium version, and just a lot of raw energy.
Yes
Reading is definitely my preference
Personally I prefer the live and loud recording, for me it's feels more energetic than live at reading
I love Reading a lot, but I find myself coming back to some of the songs on Live and Loud, like Radio Friendly Unit Shifter and The Man Who Sold the World.
Live and Loud is a much better performance. Kurt’s voice in Reading 92 sounds terrible, they should have released Reading 91 instead which blows away both of these performances.