I have the exact same reaction and appreciation for this song. When I first heard it on “Live and Dangerous” what turned me on was Gorham amd Robertson trading off absolutely stellar guitar solos. Then the song struck me because of how desperate it sounds. A broken heart in agony.

I recently heard Sade do a version of “Still In Love With You” while it doesn’t hold up, I still thought it was interesting.

And to touch on the “live” vs “studio” recordings usually having a bit more bite to them, I think it had more to do with how albums were released in the 70's more than anything. For instance, KISS put out five studio albums and two live albums in 3 years (74–77). When a band went into the studio, they were writing songs basically on the spot in those days. So, there was really no time for musicians to become invested or even familliar with a song when it was being recorded. Then after a song had been played on tour is when it either matured or died.