Great live albums
Discussion
I love live music and listening to live recordings. I Love hearing the audience reaction and banter which adds so much to the performance. Once I get to know an album, or a period from an artist, I usually revert to playing the live version in preference to the studio versions. These are on my playlist at the moment. Nearly all of them are what were ‘bootlegs’, but can now be found on legal bit torrent based websites (such as dimeadozen or the traders den) if you look hard enough. Treasure troves of priceless live recordings. Here goes:
The Doors Absolutely Live. Enough said, 10/10
Blondie at the Old Waldorf 1977 09 21. Raw punk rock Blondie at the start of their career that led them towards pop superstar status. Debbie Harry is on fire throughout this performance and untouchable. Check out their awesome versions of Joan Jetts playing with fire and The Doors Moonlight drive. Crystal clear recording. 9/10
Matt Johnsons The The Brixton Academy 1993 06 05. A trip into insanity, back out again into reality, and feeling refreshed for it. Listening to some of the lyrics its almost as if Matt can predict the future. 10/10
PJ Harvey live at the Forum Kentish Town 1993 05 23. The sheer power and emotion in the voice that comes from this lady of such diminutive stature is truly incredible. 11/10.
Fleetwood Mac KBFH New Haven 1975 10 23. From the so called forgotten period between 1970 and 1974 when Bob Welsh was on board and Stevie Nicks had just joined. Highly emotional performance from all members. A tad down on the quality score, on the Radio broadcast version, unless you can find the stereo downmix version of 4 channel quad tape recording which is perfect. 9/10
Beck at the Lollipop festival Sweden 1996. Grunge at its finest. I don’t think anybody will ever be able to work out what he was singing about in some of his songs!
Iggy Pop at the Keystone Palo Alto California 1983. Even though performing as a solo artist rather than being a Stooge, a tree stump pulling, stage shakin’ raw power performance. 10/10
Talking Heads Berklee School of Music 1979 08 24. At their best with 4 in the line up, and their original new wave sound, before the release of the classic Remain in light album, as David Byrne morphed the band into a pop art act. As quickly as they expanded, sadly the bubble burst and the band split in 1983. This recording has awesome live version of Life during wartime, which I simply cannot resist dancing to in David Byrne fashion every time I play it. Also contains a cover of Al Greens Take Me To The River. They simply take this song from Al, and own it, full stop.
ACDC Jaap Edenhal Amsterdam 1979 11 12. Original ACDC line up with Bon Scott as the lead singer, God Bless. This FM broadcast capture is significantly better than the if you want blood release, as if that wasn’t good enough!
The Doors Absolutely Live. Enough said, 10/10
Blondie at the Old Waldorf 1977 09 21. Raw punk rock Blondie at the start of their career that led them towards pop superstar status. Debbie Harry is on fire throughout this performance and untouchable. Check out their awesome versions of Joan Jetts playing with fire and The Doors Moonlight drive. Crystal clear recording. 9/10
Matt Johnsons The The Brixton Academy 1993 06 05. A trip into insanity, back out again into reality, and feeling refreshed for it. Listening to some of the lyrics its almost as if Matt can predict the future. 10/10
PJ Harvey live at the Forum Kentish Town 1993 05 23. The sheer power and emotion in the voice that comes from this lady of such diminutive stature is truly incredible. 11/10.
Fleetwood Mac KBFH New Haven 1975 10 23. From the so called forgotten period between 1970 and 1974 when Bob Welsh was on board and Stevie Nicks had just joined. Highly emotional performance from all members. A tad down on the quality score, on the Radio broadcast version, unless you can find the stereo downmix version of 4 channel quad tape recording which is perfect. 9/10
Beck at the Lollipop festival Sweden 1996. Grunge at its finest. I don’t think anybody will ever be able to work out what he was singing about in some of his songs!
Iggy Pop at the Keystone Palo Alto California 1983. Even though performing as a solo artist rather than being a Stooge, a tree stump pulling, stage shakin’ raw power performance. 10/10
Talking Heads Berklee School of Music 1979 08 24. At their best with 4 in the line up, and their original new wave sound, before the release of the classic Remain in light album, as David Byrne morphed the band into a pop art act. As quickly as they expanded, sadly the bubble burst and the band split in 1983. This recording has awesome live version of Life during wartime, which I simply cannot resist dancing to in David Byrne fashion every time I play it. Also contains a cover of Al Greens Take Me To The River. They simply take this song from Al, and own it, full stop.
ACDC Jaap Edenhal Amsterdam 1979 11 12. Original ACDC line up with Bon Scott as the lead singer, God Bless. This FM broadcast capture is significantly better than the if you want blood release, as if that wasn’t good enough!
Edited by GSE on Friday 8th September 18:03
The Surveyor said:
daphantom said:
simple minds - live in the city of lights. Loved that in the 80s -might dig it out
I agree with this, it's a brilliant live album. The live version of 'Book of Brilliant Things' is absolutely epic 
I was at uni when it came out and it landed right on my OCD button marked "you can't REALLY call that a live album!"
And even the band admitted to adding overdubs.
In its place I will offer up 10CC "Live and let live" - not to everyone's taste but to me one of the best examples of a band that brought complicated studio sounds out live and somehow made them even better. Art For Arts Sake, Wall Street Shuffle and Feel The Benefit show that they were a band who could really cut it live. They even left in an inappropriate shout from the audience and a bit where Eric Stewart reprimands someone in the crowd.
Nowadays that would all be edited out and the sound managed a lot "better" through the modern tricks of post production.
s70rmp said:
Dave Matthews Band :
The Central Park Concert
Live at Piedmont Park
Weekend on the Rocks (6 cd version not the 2 cd version)
Just a great tight live band
Oh god, a million times, yes. The best band I have ever seen live by a million miles. I'll also add their Folsom Field performance although The Central Park Concert tops my list. Highlight tracks would be Ants Marching (obviously) and Stay.The Central Park Concert
Live at Piedmont Park
Weekend on the Rocks (6 cd version not the 2 cd version)
Just a great tight live band
Metallica - S&M has been mentioned a few times.
Dream Theater - Live at Budokan. Technically an awesome live performance but from a visual perspective it's not particularly exciting as they don't tend to move around too much. I miss Dream Theater from that era, their current sound is so far off the mark.
offspring86 said:
s70rmp said:
Dave Matthews Band :
The Central Park Concert
Live at Piedmont Park
Weekend on the Rocks (6 cd version not the 2 cd version)
Just a great tight live band
Oh god, a million times, yes. The best band I have ever seen live by a million miles. I'll also add their Folsom Field performance although The Central Park Concert tops my list. Highlight tracks would be Ants Marching (obviously) and Stay.The Central Park Concert
Live at Piedmont Park
Weekend on the Rocks (6 cd version not the 2 cd version)
Just a great tight live band
Metallica - S&M has been mentioned a few times.
Dream Theater - Live at Budokan. Technically an awesome live performance but from a visual perspective it's not particularly exciting as they don't tend to move around too much. I miss Dream Theater from that era, their current sound is so far off the mark.
On the subject of Great Live Albums I'm seeing UFO tonight. Last time they did every track on SITN.
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