A recording can be a variety of things. It can be simply a record(no pun)of a particular performer, a reminder of what they do. It can, in the case of a live recording, be a record of a particular occasion, albeit a restricted one, even if it's a DVD, as nobody has yet found a way to record the atmosphere, and it will probably still be the subjective version of the producer. It can be an opportunity for a performer to do things they couldn't do live, such as multi-tracking, which can side-track you into the argument over whether people should record things they can't do live. It can be a way of hearing performers you otherwise couldn't, perhaps because they're dead, or of hearing them as they were, perhaps when in their prime, or certainly different. It can be a way of discovering new songs, or new performers. There is a lot of pleasure to be had from listening to recordings. It is not the same as hearing folk music live, in a club or concert, or making it yourself, but it is a valid alternative.