Well, I'm tempted to say "all" - simply because I usually prefer live versions to studio versions (in person, anyway).
I guess I should ask for clarity in what you meant in your original question. I'm assuming you mean recorded live versions vs. studio versions rather than in-person live versions vs. studio versions. The second option I would almost always prefer live; in the first, that is more variable.
For recorded (audio or audio/video) live versions preferred vs. studio versions: "The Knife", "The Fountain Of Salmacis", "Watcher Of The Skies", "Get 'Em Out By Friday", "Supper's Ready", "I Know What I Like", "The Cinema Show", "The Waiting Room", "In That Quiet Earth", "Afterglow", "Abacab", "Who Dunnit?" (yes, seriously 
), "Home By The Sea/Second Home By The Sea", "Domino", "Dreaming While You Sleep", and "Fading Lights".
Most songs I like both versions about equally.
As a bonus, I'll include the reverse, i.e., songs where the studio version is better than all live versions I've heard: "Follow You, Follow Me" (the essence of that song is Mike's guitar effect on the studio version - it never sounds right live), and "Firth Of Fifth" (I love the piano beginning and, in most live versions, it is either left off or (if you have access to boots) Tony very often finds some way to mess it up 
- no knock on Tony, but he did struggle with it live).
Good question. 
Thanks, good answer!
Yes, I did mean recorded live. I'm just curious for opinions on ones that people find have that "something" live that, although they may be great in the studio, have that bit of magic in some way. I'll throw in Los Endos too. In That Quiet Earth is a good call.
I was tempted to add in the reverse, but couldn't think of anything off the top of my head, but I have to say I tend to agree with your choices.
Afterglow - The live version especially on Three Sides Live has got a lot more power, than the original, the closing section is pure magic. I never liked Phil`s drumming on the studio version, too.
Abacab - Also a lot more power, than the studio version. On Three Sides Live the song is brought to a proper end (no fading out in the middle of the "jam"). The two drummers make the "jam"-section particularly enjoyable.
I Know What I Like - The extended version on Seconds Out is killer. I love the incorporation of the Trespass song particularly.
Dodo and Abacan on Three Sides Live are way better than the studio versions.
Great question.
Afterglow would always be top of my list because it has the double drums playing the lick from More Trouble Every Day. The version from Three Sides Live has some great bass lines from Mike so, yes, that would be my preferred version of that song.
The Lady Lies from the second Archive box set trumps the studio version. Not only does Phil have more fun with the lyrics but there's an extended jam at the end where the band simply play their socks off. A great showcase for Daryl's playing.
Eleventh Earl Of Mar from the And Then There Were Three tour has a beautiful coda at the end of the song played by Daryl and Tony. Chester also comes up with drum licks that aren't on the original that, in Tony's words, really make the song "swing".
It's Gonna Get Better from the second Archive box set not only features the extra verses but also Daryl plays a sublime guitar solo at the end while Phil improvises some vocals. Just beautiful.
Home By The Sea from the Invisible Series box set as recorded on the Invisible Touch tour. There's a brilliant bah-wump effect as the song kicks in and Mike's guitar solo during the instrumental section is so powerful, almost Gilmour-esque in parts.
Hold On My Heart from The Way We Walk. I love Phil's vocals during the extended play-out of this song, so soulful.
Land Of Confusion from The Way We Walk. I love the new vocal lines in this song.
Supper's Ready from Seconds Out. I've always preferred Phil's singing of this song but this has the added attraction of the double drums during the Apocalypse In 9/8 section. On the Nick Davis remix you can hear someone screaming with delight when Phil announces the song.
Firth Of Fifth from The Way We Walk. I'm a big fan of what Daryl does in Genesis and I think he totally transforms this solo into something new. I know this issue is divisive for a lot of fans but my first love is jazz fusion so Daryl's reinvention of this solo is right up my street.
Afterglow - The live version especially on Three Sides Live has got a lot more power, than the original, the closing section is pure magic. I never liked Phil`s drumming on the studio version, too.
Abacab - Also a lot more power, than the studio version. On Three Sides Live the song is brought to a proper end (no fading out in the middle of the "jam"). The two drummers make the "jam"-section particularly enjoyable.
I Know What I Like - The extended version on Seconds Out is killer. I love the incorporation of the Trespass song particularly.
That section from "Stagnation" (i.e., the song from Trespass you were referring to) pops up on many future tours too. It's funny - people would readily identify that section as being quintessentially "Genesis" but also may not be able to say where it is from in their catalogue!
The one that jumps out to me on first thought is In The Cage. It always blew me away how powerful it was when performed live. Even the 2007 version was great IMO.
That section from "Stagnation" (i.e., the song from Trespass you were referring to) pops up on many future tours too. It's funny - people would readily identify that section as being quintessentially "Genesis" but also may not be able to say where it is from in their catalogue!
There's a lovely moment on the When In Rome DVD where Phil turns the mike toward the crowd during that bit as they sing along. He gives an appreciative nod, acknowledging the long-standing love between Genesis and Italy.
Thanks, good answer!
Yes, I did mean recorded live. I'm just curious for opinions on ones that people find have that "something" live that, although they may be great in the studio, have that bit of magic in some way. I'll throw in Los Endos too. In That Quiet Earth is a good call.
I was tempted to add in the reverse, but couldn't think of anything off the top of my head, but I have to say I tend to agree with your choices.
The one that jumps out to me on first thought is In The Cage. It always blew me away how powerful it was when performed live. Even the 2007 version was great IMO.
My goodness - I can't believe I forgot to mention those two. Obviously, yes to both, Los Endos and In The Cage.
Abacab was always better live. The 3SL version is good, but the IT tour one was the best.
In general though, I'm so attached to the originals that I find it hard to pick out a live version that I 'prefer', good though they mostly are. Working from the live albums, I might go for In The Cage, One For The Vine, Dreaming While You Sleep, Home By The Sea.
Moving away from the actual live albums, I like some of the ones on the Archive sets. Moonlit Knight is superb and for a while that's the one I did prefer. IKWIL on that set is excellent too. Some of the Lamb ones have a much better feel than the studio versions. In a sense, The Waiting Room in all its different manifestations could be my ultimate live Genesis track in that they completely diverted away from their usual approach and went in a different direction each night. When you listen to a few of them, you can hear that some nights they were on fire and really tore it up. It's Gonna Get Better and Ripples are improvements on the originals.
For balance, one I thought sank like a stone on 3SL was M&SJ. A favourite of mine on the album, that live version was terrible, in my view.
I'm going to commit heresy and say that I've never been very keen on Seconds Out - too clinical-sounding in production.
In general I think the entire Gabriel era sounded better on stage than it did in the studio. There was a fairly high level of restraint in their playing in the studio albums (probably to make the recording process faster) and that suited some songs but was a bit of a let down on others.
I think every song on Genesis Live is better than its studio counterpart.
On Seconds Out Cinema Show and Supper's Ready are the clear standouts but I can't say that any of the others really bested the album versions.
Three Sides Live has a great vibe...By '81 they were really hitting their stride as musicians AND performers. Other than Follow You, Follow Me and Turn It On Again I think all of the performances there are fantastic...Duchess especially stands out for me.
The Way We Walk is a little more tricky to choose. Home By The Sea sounds so much more confident and complete but most of the songs don't quite capture the atmosphere or energy of the studio recordings. That said I really do enjoy how well put together and performed The Old Medley is.
^
I completely agree the general vibe of 3SL is very good. It's partly a punchier production than SO, but also you say reflects the way they had developed as performers.
The example of Duchess is an interesting one as it perfectly illustrates why I can rarely pick out a live version as "better". The live Duchess is very good, as good as they could make that song sound on stage, given the very striking sound the studio version has. So yes, a great rendition. But the really distinctive sound of the original, the depth and layering, create something unique and magical. There is no other Genesis track that sounds like that. It's why I always go back to the original.
On a side note to this, I'm reminded of how merciless they often were in discarding songs from their set. They said Duchess was one of their strongest songs, and it is. But even that couldn't rescue it from being dropped after just two tours!
It's a huge shame Duchess never came back after the Abacab tour. I had high hopes we would have heard it in 2007 but alas...
It's Chester's drumming that puts the 3SL Duchess over the top for me. He drives the song so hard the studio version feels tame to me.
Not many shouts for Whodunnit , on a serious note they made everything sound good , and When Phil sat back on his drum stool , the band went up half a dozen gears , surely were the best live band ever
I prefer live versions of most Genesis songs. The tend to gain in power, cohesiveness, and complexity of arrangements. It's actually easier to list the songs that I prefer the studio versions:
TLLDOB - there a crispness and energy to the studio version that trumps the live versions. I also prefer the acoustic piano on the intro and the long notes on "laaaamb" and "dowwwwwwn" better than the shortened live versions
Ripples - again for the acoustic piano and Phil's soaring (as opposed to rough and ready) vocals
TIOA - very tight and driving studio version; live versions sound plodding to me
Mama - Phil's vocals were never better than on the studio version
I Can't Dance - just a lot tighter and more intimate sounding rather than big and boomy.
After having seen Genesis Live 11 times, I have to say that LIVE is the best setting to listen to their timeless and sublime music. It is a shame there are many Genesis songs from their catalog that were never played live: The Brazilian, Wot Gorilla?, Inside Out (not the Hackett Revisited version that is pretty good but is not Genesis), Vancouver and some other lost gems.
It is a shame there are many Genesis songs from their catalog that were never played live: The Brazilian, Wot Gorilla?, Inside Out
There are live versions of all these tracks, you can find them on bootlegs. Wot Gorilla only as part of a medley though.
Reading through the latest comments, I found a bunch of songs I all prefer in live versions: The Musical Box, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (Seconds Out version!), Turn It On Again, and yes by any means Invisible Touch, that last one particularly in the 2007 version.
After having seen Genesis Live 11 times, I have to say that LIVE is the best setting to listen to their timeless and sublime music. It is a shame there are many Genesis songs from their catalog that were never played live: The Brazilian, Wot Gorilla?, Inside and Out (not the Hackett Revisited version that is pretty good but is not Genesis), Vancouver and some other lost gems.
There are live versions of all these tracks, you can find them on bootlegs. Wot Gorilla only as part of a medley though.
As Schottrocker said, all except "Vancouver" they did play live. "The Brazilian" was a regular part of the Invisible Touch tour setlist - it's on the official DVD of the show in Wembley (and was played at all three shows I saw on that tour). The other two were played - "Wot Gorilla" as part of a medley, as already said, and "Inside and Out" was regularly played on the W&W tour - I always thought it was a shame that it wasn't included on "Seconds Out" (and on W&W). I think the inclusion of the 1976 live version of "The Cinema Show" probably bumped it to the sideline, but perhaps they would have included "All In A Mouse's Night" instead. Hard to say...
After having seen Genesis Live 11 times, I have to say that LIVE is the best setting to listen to their timeless and sublime music. It is a shame there are many Genesis songs from their catalog that were never played live: The Brazilian, Wot Gorilla?, Inside Out (not the Hackett Revisited version that is pretty good but is not Genesis), Vancouver and some other lost gems.
11 times is impressive - I wonder if there should be another thread on how many times people have seen them live? Only two myself.
They did play The Brazilian live on the IT tour. Did they ever do Just a Job to Do live? Would have liked to have heard that.
