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Playback or live - video comparison

Depends, for songs with heavy multi dancer complex choreograph? (Like Dangerous, Smooth Criminal etc) Playback

But for songs where MJ doesn't move as much? (Black or White, Heal the World) Live singing
 
I don't mind the playback nearly as much as others may, and for good reason.

I find myself watching his later performances (History) mainly because as another user mentioned, his style and aura as a performer was at it's pinnacle. He was slower but refined and truly perfected moves he had executed for over a decade now.

I do wish to have heard Stranger in Moscow or YANA in live voice, but I think I would have enjoyed both live or playback at a live MJ concert
 
chris123678 said:
I don't mind the playback nearly as much as others may, and for good reason.

I find myself watching his later performances (History) mainly because as another user mentioned, his style and aura as a performer was at it's pinnacle. He was slower but refined and truly perfected moves he had executed for over a decade now.

I do wish to have heard Stranger in Moscow or YANA in live voice, but I think I would have enjoyed both live or playback at a live MJ concert
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Your post inspired me.

I mean, tbh, it's really only Billie Jean and Beat It probably, that I favor. Any version of those songs are good, some being way better than others. Idk if many people are pulling up You Are Not Alone? I never have. Earth Song, I definitely do, no matter what. I know some people prefer the Brunei show cause of the ending but does that show truly excite like say, 95's Wetten Dass show?

It'd be interesting to just compare and contrast, to analyze and see what performances are most looked up, which songs, and which versions of the songs. That would really settle this whole debate in ways.
 
I'll go with a different approach. Given MJs overall condition at the time + years of touring, I really think HIStory should have never happened.
He was almost 40, the allegations had already taken a serious toll on him and his health and he was already really tired. The man was struggling.

With that being said, I believe there was a fine tune of playback/live vocals ratio and that was Bad. Also love the raw energy. But his peak of dancing is Dangerous, hands down. Best Billie Jean performances ever.
 
BuffaloBill87 said:
As much as Michael wanted the audience to hear what was on the record,...'
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I still have difficulties with him thinking anyone would want the live versions to sound like the recordings. I definitely wanted to be surprised with new versions, ad-libs, new musical parts, grit and to hear his voice live above everything else; even if it sounded raspy or whatever..

Where do you guys think his drive to make the live versions as identical as possible as the recording came from? Did he liked the recorded vocals so much as to keep it that way? Was it easier to remember/rehearse? Did it came from his love for musicals? (the entertainers he loved weren't that obssessed about sounding like their records if I'm not wrong) Even if the lip-syncing was necessary, with the difficult dance routines (Smooth Criminal e.a.), he also didn't record a different version for those to make em sound live
 
I think in his imagination people wanted to see him dance so he ditched most of the singing. Most of the praise these days is not about his voice but about his dancing, visuals and videoclips.
When I was a kid and young teenager it was all about the visuals and dancing so I suspect with most young fans it was and is the same, Michael had percentage wise probably more teenage fans than adult fans so I think the decision to mime should be looked to in this direction. The lack of protest to the miming pretty much confirms that most of his fans just didn't care, the only complaints I ever saw came from casual music fans.
Impersonators mostly also only have eyes for the dancing and visual aspect. So they also don't care about the voice.

As an adult and big music fan I see it now as a stain on his career in my honest view but you all know that by now :)
 
I do think you come away from a gig with more of a closeness to the performer, having heard them sing live. There's something special about sharing a night with someone that means so much to you and part of that is hearing them perform live, whether it's an off note or even a different phrasing ("you're just Another Part of...me" adlibs from Landover from 88 for instance)

Michael wasn't one for talking to the audience and it was all about the spectacle (blowing the audience away) and I respect that, but I do think sometimes it's the imperfections and oddities that make a performance memorable.
This is by no means a criticism at all
 
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