Originally Posted by DarthPirate

I know you all are experts at deciphering stuff from boots, and I've only been to three shows so what do I know, but for the love of God please stop judging songs based on what you hear from a video clip. Take into consideration how many times that sound has been altered based on what it is to ears right there in the stadium. It goes through a tiny little speaker on a camera likely with shoddy sound as is, then is compressed into what horrors Youtube does to audio, and finally coming out through computer speakers, not to mention over an Internet connection that even at best has shakes. It's going to sound like 20% of what it did there.
Remember, an album track has probably been edited. I don't discredit Jon at all, but he had how many takes to sing I Am while recording? Not to mention the fact that it may or may not have been edited and cleaned up; what you get on an album is a "perfect" rendition, live you have cuts and bruises.

Yes, I Am was toned down live, but not that much. Look at the majority of 80s songs lately, or anything with high notes. I don't see complaints about "if you can't play Livin' On A Prayer exactly like it was in 1987 why play it at all?" as are coming out over I Am. Especially considering it came after a night of Jon wearing on his voice and at the end of a very long tour, it still sounded good, he held the notes out, and it was amazing just that the song was played at all.
I'm also starting to wonder if half of you complainers are just jealous you weren't there.