Share your favorite live records with us!
Here are some questions for discussion:
What performances really stand out for you? What is unique about the way the band performs live? What draws you to the live performance? Do you prefer a live version of a song over the recording? Why?
E&A by Eyedea & Abilities is phenomenal. Eyedea’s approach to lyrics pairs well with DJ Abilities unreal scratching and beats!
Lou Reed - Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal
Tom Waits - Glitter & Doom
James McMurtry & the Heartless Bastards - Live in Aught-Three
16 Horsepower - Hoarse
Pain of Salvation - Be (live)
I almost never prefer live albums, but these work for me. Some live albums are “you had to be there” things for me. And even some where I was there (Rush Snakes and Arrows Live), they don’t work for me. I can’t really articulate why.
Rush - Snakes and Arrows Live 2007. It was a perfect set list. Plus, the cinematography of the concert DVD was beautifully done.
Saw them at Sheffield on that tour. One of favourite gigs ever.
I clicked to come in here and post Throwing Copper but then I read the actual post!
Journey’s most recent one (Chicago) is great, even sans Perry.
I listen to Rush’s Time Machine frequently (even though I saw it live too!)
The live Blizzard of Oz is fantastic as well.
Hahaha I was waiting for someone to toss out Throwing Copper!
I need to check out Time Machine…I love Rush and am sad I missed seeing them live.
The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East
Do yourselves a favour and find a good copy, put on your headphones or whatever, and enjoy.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/At_Fillmore_East
Now I will go listen to my copy and smile.
Thanks for making me think of this album.
Back Sabbath - Live Evil Metallica - S&M
I’ve posted once but another favorite and something that everyone should experience at least once is Monsters of Rock 1991 in Moscow, Russia during the dissolution of the USSR.
I’m not sure if I’d call it a live album in the classic sense but it was a giant concert recorded live featuring Metallica, Pantera, AC/DC, E.S.T (A Russian heavy metal Band), and The Black Crowes performing at Tushino Airfield. Here’s a more in-depth article about the event.
It was documented into a film called For Those About to Rock: Monsters in Moscow, which is available on YouTube
S&M - Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony
One of my top albums of all-time. James Hetfield’s voice sounds better than on the studio albums. Plus an entire fucking orchestra.
Can’t believe it hasn’t been said, Pink Floyd’s P.U.L S.E.
Had this on laser disc as a youth. Absolutely amazing video and audio presentation. https://youtu.be/HriYRoxWo1I
… Fuck I’m old
I’ve been looking for an HR copy of this and your telling me it’s just been sitting on YouTube? I’ve been using my old DVD
LCD Soundsystem: The Long Goodbye
I mentioned this one as well! Legitimately incredible performances on this one, would recommend to anyone even a little into their music or their musical style
Tyler Childers Live on Red Barn Radio.
His music already has a lot of heart and emotion in the studio and it’s even better in these live recordings, also excellent set list.
Probably an odd one, but Yanni—Live at the Acropolis. It is damn near the perfect live recording if you can listen to it on an old school CD player or on a media player that supports gapless listening (no breaks / pauses between tracks). It’s a series of full orchestra arrangements and medleys of his solo piano work that really doesn’t have any flaws.
For probably 99% of the music I listen to, I vastly prefer live over recordings and live recording over studio. Big band jazz is my oldest love, trad (instrumental folk) my deepest, opera my newest. They’re all genres centred around live performance. It’s the way music has been for most of human history, people playing for themselves and other people. Studio effects can be interesting but they don’t have the same immediacy. While it may be a shared endeavour for the musicians and producers, we as an audience can only give them our money, not our energy.
Top is (Duke) Ellington at Newport, from the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival. Superbly talented geniuses who were on fire and we’re so lucky it was recorded. The gem amongst gems is the sequence of Diminuendo in Blue and Crescendo in Blue with an Interlude from Paul Gonsalves. Both group and solo work are excellent, everyone on top of their game. Starts out mellow, and then builds, and builds, and builds. Listen to the crowd loving it. They know they’re experiencing something truly special. https://piped.simpleprivacy.fr/watch?v=wIX7fnYANak
Lau Live Lau (word for a particular quality of light in Orkney) is a Scottish & English experimental trad band who are phenomenal live, especially in tunes like this where they build and build the energy. They crank the musical tension and when they let it go, it’s visceral. Being in the room and feeling the vibrations is the best, but this album (good headphones mandatory) will do. https://piped.simpleprivacy.fr/watch?v=hoEYutpgnuQ
That said, the last time I heard them play was a double bill with a young Danish trio called Dreamers’ Circus and they out-Lau’ed Lau.
Trad music is great like that.
More mainstream, I’m also very fond of The Allman Brothers Band at Filmore East.
Probably a three way tie among:
Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York
Portishead - Roseland NYC Live
Dave Matthews Band - The Central Park Concert
I also have a soft spot for The Complete Monterey Pop Festival
Nirvana’s Unplugged in New York album is, in my opinion, as close to perfect as it gets.
Kurt’s vocal on Where Did You Sleep Last Night is one of the most visceral things I’ve ever heard. Get that on through decent headphones and you’ll never listen to it the same way again. That breath he takes before the last lines is absolutely haunting.
Watch the video with headphones. His facial expressions match.
Mine is Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds Live at Radio City. Someone showed me that as an introduction to Dave Matthews and it was right when I was getting into playing guitar and I was awestruck! Watched the whole thing in one sitting and then learned several of the songs over the next few months.
