View Full Version : Best Live Albums?
Not talking about the band Live here... what do you think are the best live albums released are? I'll start off with 3 classics,
Ramones - Its alive, 28 songs in 50 or so mins. the set goes by at a blistering pace, the longest song is short of 3 mins. classic stuff from one of the fathers of punk.
Johnny Cash - folsom prison - unlike most live albums its not a best of recorded live. lots of songs about escaping, being hung, etc. atmosphere is amazing.
Nirvana - Unplugged. compare this to bleach and the uninformed may think its a totally different band. all the covers are very well chosen and peformed.
I must admit I'm not keen on live albums, but two of the best I have heard are:
The Beach Boys In Concert - recorded winter 1972/summer 1973, this is during the period where the Beach Boys focussed on touring and live shows, the album is a mixture of their best known hits and material from their post-'Pet Sounds' albums. The two newest Beach Boys were featured, being Ricky Fataar (who later went on to star as Stig O'Hara in 'The Rutles') and Blondie Chaplin, who were both short-lived members of the band but added a great soulful sound. I have a friend in LA who claims this is a life-changing album, and he was actually on the tour so he MAY be a little biased. :p But it's a really good album.
Good Timin - Live At Knebworth 1980 (the Beach Boys) - I have two copies of this album, one is a bootleg that features the raw original sound, and the digitally remastered one to go with the DVD of the show (and let me say, the DVD is absolutely sensational) the only difference between the two is the official one has the crowd sing-alongs and stuff mixed down which is a shame but it's still a great concert, featuring all 6 original Beach Boys for the last ever time in England. During the 1980's, the band went through a phase of performing their songs at a slightly faster tempo which sounds awesome on tracks like 'Darlin', and another highlight is the inclusion of Dennis Wilson singing his trademark song 'You Are So Beautiful' for the audience (most of you would know Joe C.ocker's version - Dennis actually co-wrote the song).
BrisGirl
4 Jul 2003, 23:21
Get your Ya-Ya's out - Rolling Stones
Asprilla
5 Jul 2003, 00:14
Alice in Chains MTV Unplugged is one of my favourite albums. I really like Saturday Night 'round Ten by You Am I as well.
robbie67
5 Jul 2003, 01:03
Stop Making Sense - Talking Heads
Live at the Apollo - James Brown
Unplugged - Nirvana
Saturday Night 'Round 10 - You Am I
Live Seeds - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Live in NYC - Portishead
Btw CarterS, I would love to hear that Johnny Cash one.
Iron Maiden - Maiden England (IMHO better than the legendary Live After Death)
UFO - Strangers In the Night
Deep Purple - California Jam (IMHO better than Made In Japan)
Deep Purple - Concerto For Group And Orchestra
Ted Nugent - Double Live Gonzo
George Thorogood - Live
Rainbow - Live In Germany 1976
S.O.D. - Live At Budokan
Running Wild - Death or Glory Tour (bootleg)
AC/DC - If You Want Blood...
gPhonque
5 Jul 2003, 13:15
Miles Davis - Dark Magus (live at Carnegie Hall in 1974)
Very funky, always experimental. Huge band. Lots of percussion.
Plus that "cool" that only the 70s had.
Light up, sit back, relax.
Groove.
Originally posted by robbie67
Btw CarterS, I would love to hear that Johnny Cash one.
I only paid around $10 for it at JB a while ago. If you are into old music and know what you are looking for you can get some great deals there.
BTW has anyone heard KISS Unplugged?
Mr Eagle
5 Jul 2003, 13:53
Hunters and Collectors - Under One Roof
Nirvana - MTV Unplugged
Pearl Jam - Perth 2003 (cos I was there! ;))
Originally posted by CarterS
BTW has anyone heard KISS Unplugged?
Yeah I've got it, but am not overly impressed. Probably more to do with the song selections than anything else.
Questions: Do DVD's count?
and do Bootlegs count? (Another thread I imagine)
Anyway for Officially Released:
Oasis - Familiar to Millions.
Port1978
6 Jul 2003, 18:54
Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York
Wicked Lester
6 Jul 2003, 21:11
Kiss Alive
Kiss Alive II
Both great albums.
didn't really rate Kiss Unplugged though.
happy_in_hell
6 Jul 2003, 22:59
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals - Live from Mars
great silky, soulful sounds eminating from a man and his guitar (on certain songs)
- one of the best 'Sexual healing' covers i've heard.
Hunters & Collectors - under one roof - especially Holy Grail
Originally posted by happy_in_hell
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals - Live from Mars
Hunters & Collectors - under one roof
Have both. Wholeheartedly concur.
Fat Pizza
7 Jul 2003, 10:13
Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
U2 - Under A Blood Red Sky
Cheap Trick at Budokan
Dogwatcher
7 Jul 2003, 10:42
Underworld - Everything Everything
GOALden Hawk
7 Jul 2003, 10:50
Pennywise - Live @ the Key Club
No Use for a Name - Live in a Dive
Dance Hall Crashers - The live album
Nirvana - Unplugged in New York (Wishkah was a bit of a disapppointment, some very poor selections spoiled what should have been one of the best live albums ever)
Any ACDC live album.
Fansquad
7 Jul 2003, 14:57
Pearl Jam - Bootleg #72 Seattle Nov 2000 (awesome, just awesome)
27 songs in their home town in what seems to be their last concert, well thats how eddie talks in it anyway. all the classics.......Alive, Jeremy, RVM, Yellow Ledbetter, Even Flow, Daughter, Betterman, Nothingman, Cordouroy, Lukin, Not for You, Once, Release etc etc etc
Nirvana - MTV Unplugged
Alice in Chains - Live
TISM - Machines against the Rage
Underworld - Everything Everything
Rammstein - Live aus Berlin
Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous
Free - Free Live
Cheap Trick - At Budokan
hans moleman
7 Jul 2003, 21:43
The Roots - The Roots Come Alive
windyhill
7 Jul 2003, 22:03
Originally posted by Wicked Lester
Kiss Alive
Kiss Alive II
Both great albums.
I`m with you Wicked. They both go well.
Sepultura's "Under a Pale Grey Sky."
Recorded live at Brixton Academy in London in December of 1996, which was the last gig of the "Roots" Tour and also turned out to be Max's last ever show with Sepultura.
Double cd, great song selection and a typically brutal performance.
Originally posted by M29
Questions: Do DVD's count?
and do Bootlegs count? (Another thread I imagine)
Anyway for Officially Released:
Oasis - Familiar to Millions.
As far as DVD's go, the three oasis ones rate as my all time favs...
Bootlegs tho, i have one called... Diamonds in the sky (i think, i can't remember, it's not near by). It's all live accoustic and is brilliant, except for the last 3 songs which sound like they were recorded with a dictaphone from the back of the stadium. Still, worth the money i paid for it.
CowboyFromHell
9 Jul 2003, 01:02
Pantera - 101 Proof... nothing better than listening to Phil Anselmo's banter between songs! :D
Originally posted by Big Red
Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous
Can't believe I forgot to mention this one, absolute classic.
Milkman
10 Jul 2003, 00:58
Pink Floyd- Pulse
Van Halen- Right here right now
Nine Inch Nails- I forget what it's called
Frank Zappa- Make a jazz noise here
Frank Zappa- Best band you never heard
Winston Wolf
11 Jul 2003, 11:11
KISS ALIVE
the quintessential live album of its time .... it was solely reponsible for putting KISS on the map .... it sparked interest and regenerated mediocre sales of their 1st 3 studio releases .... and ... its phenomenal record sales made it a forerunner to everyone else churning out live albums
and apart from that ..... an absolute great listen & feel !!!
SydneyBomber
11 Jul 2003, 12:20
Iron Maiden - Live after Death - 'Scream for meee long beach!"
Machinehead - Hellalive
Ramones - It's Alive
Obituary - Dead
Morbid Angel - Entangled in Chaos
Misfits - Evilive
NIN - All that could have been
Deicide - When Satan Lives
:)
Asgardian
11 Jul 2003, 12:38
A few live albums I enjoy, not necessarily great recordings
Deep Purple - Made in Japan
The Doors - In Concert
Jimi Hendrix - Jimi Plays Monterey
Simon & Garfunkel - Concert in Central Park
Joe Coc ker - Mad Dogs & Englishmen
Alice Cooper - The live recording of Welcome to My Nightmare
Dire Straits - Alchemy Live
Arlo Guthrie - Alice's Restaurant
Jethro Tull - side 3 of Living in the Past
Led Zepplin - The Song Remains the Same
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Procol Harum - In Concert with Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
Rick Wakeman - Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells a Story
Neil Young / Crazy Horse - Live Rust
Sweet - Strung Up (1st album is live, 2nd is a studio recording)
Paul McCartney & Wings - Wings Over America
Damn, forgot to mention first time round -
Allman Brothers - Live at Filmore East
David Bowie - live Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From Mars
lioness
11 Jul 2003, 15:25
Brian Wilson Live At The Roxy Theatre - surprisingly good. :)
Made in Japan - Deep Purple
Flowers of Evil - Mountain
Woodstock - the first album
Rainbow Live - Rainbow
Wheels of Fire live at the Filmore - Cream
Band of Gypsies - Band of Gypsies
Mooster7
12 Jul 2003, 19:35
Jimi Hendrix - Live at Winterland definitely his best recorded performance, and perhaps his best performance ever. He played some terrible gigs in his time, but this was a masterpiece.
Ted Nugent - Double Live Gonzo Uncle Ted came to KC at the beginning of June, and believe it or nor, he's better than he ever was.
Deep Purple - Made in Japan the take of 'Lazy' on this record is why I started playing guitar.
Led Zeppelin - How the West was Won craps all over their Madison Square Garden show (other than 'The Rain Song') If you haven't bought these CD's yet, yer wrong.
Actually, most of the stuff I buy are live CD's. First, I don't care what a band is capable of in the studio, only what they can pull off at showtime. Second, the live shows are (with a few exceptions) a 'best of' compilation. Plenty of fave live records, but those I just listed have been in the CD player most often as of late.
Peace,