10 Songs That Sound Better Live Than On Record

3. Pixies - Wave Of Mutilation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4ZbZ6OdXN8 The version of Wave of Mutilation on Doolittle is possibly one of the best tracks of the 1980's, a brief and thrilling bucket of power chords, razor sharp drumming and Black Francis shouting about mermaids and crabs. The whole thing clocks in at just over two minutes, and all the fun in humanity is here. How on Earth could you improve on this on stage? Simple, drag it out. The 'UK Surf' version of the song is dearly loved by Pixies fans, and it's easy to see why. The initial riff makes you think of lying on a beach in the Cornish sun, waves lapping away at your toes and all worries evaporating in the surf. It shimmers along like a scarcely-remembered dream, Frank Black proving along the way that there's more to his vocal range than having the best scream in music. It's rare to see a crowd get more into a song the slower the performance is, but that's exactly what happens in the above clip. Watch, cherish and pray that Kim Deal resolves her differences with the band before next years UK festival season.