[mb-users] Does "earliest version" include live tracks?

[Matt Howe]

On Wednesday 04 October 2006 9:07 am, dj empirical wrote:
> On 10/3/06, Kerensky97 <kerensky97 at xterra101.com> wrote:
> > Personally I would link to the earliest studio release (usually a single
> > if the artist does singles).
>
> i would say that if an artist releases songs on an official live
> album, i don't see a reason for those versions to be anything *other*
> than the "earliest release".  for instance, "Suck on This", by Primus:
>
> http://musicbrainz.org/release/8fc943bf-5fd2-40ba-88d0-f3d0516208de.html
>
> This came out before any of their studio albums.
>
> Of course, bootleg live recordings would not be the "earliest release"
> in my estimation....

Remember that "earliest release" refers to tracks that are identical (same 
version of the song), I'm sure you meant "earliest version" though.

What really bothers me is calling a live track a different version. For 
example, as you mentioned, Primus' "John the Fisherman" was first released 
officially on a live recording. It was then recorded in the studio and 
released on "Frizzle Fry". My initial thought would be to create an AR 
calling the "Suck on This" version the "earliest version". If that is correct 
though, than it should also be correct to make that same link between all of 
the many live recordings of "John the Fisherman" afterall, they *are* all 
different versions.

Cheers,
mdhowe