Best Live Album

[Joe Ferguson forever]

probably my favorite( fundraising concert for earthquake victims):  I second "Waiting for Columbus" too.  Finally, James Taylor LIVE

 

[Gugny]

Kiss Alive/Alive II

Billy Joel - Songs in the Attic

Zep - The Song Remains the Same

Jane's Addiction - Jane's Addiction

Rush - All the World's a Stage

Rush - Exit Stage Left

 

 

[May Day 10]

Alice In Chains uplugged

[frostbitmic]

Yes - Yessongs

Grateful Dead - Dead Set & Europe 72

The Outlaws - Bring It Back Alive

Santana - Sacred Fire: Live In South America

[yall]

Iron Maiden/Live After Death

[LeGOATski]

16 hours ago, Pete said:

 

 

1 hour ago, May Day 10 said:

Alice In Chains uplugged

 I was going to post the same

[DrW]

Fairport Convention - House Full: Live at the L.A. Troubadour - I love the long versions of "Sloth" and "Matty Groves"

[T&C]

I don't know how I forgot about this one... gives me chills to this day.

 

 

[Gugny]

Can't believe I forgot these in my original submission:

 

Wings: Wings Over America

Queen: Live Killers

Aerosmith: Live! Bootleg

 

The Queen and Aerosmith albums were my introductions to each band.  My brother (six years my senior) had them on vinyl and we shared a bedroom, so I listened to what he listened to.

 

The Wings album was my own purchase (well, my parents bought it for me, anyway).  I became a Beatles/McCartney/Wings fan at around 8-years-old and got this album (three-album set) when I was about 10 in 1981.

 

 

 

[LewPort71]

I forgot  this one

Renaissance       Live at Carnegie Hall

 

[DrW]

For me, the best live albums should have an element that elevates the songs beyond the versions on studio albums. In some cases, there are longer jams which take you far away from the original song, but manage to return to it some five or ten minutes later. Best examples here are "Dark Star" on Grateful Dead's  Live/Dead or "The Low Spark of High-heeled Boys" on Traffic's "Live On The Road".

In other cases, it is the interaction with the audience that makes a live recording special. Unfortunately, often this interaction is left off the released album. This is why I like Frank Zappa's live albums, where he reacts to the audience. The prime example: The Helsinki Concerts (found on "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 2").  First, Zappa plans to play a Finnish tango (well, we are in Helsinki). His band has never played it before, but all of them are able to read sheet music. Thus, he asks for the lights to be left on so that they can play the piece.

Later in the concert, a somewhat inebriated member of the audience asks them to play "Whipping Post". Zappa, not familiar with the Allman Brothers' song, still modified the lyrics of "Montana" to include "whipping floss". Several years later, Zappa actually played a cover of "Whipping Post" in concerts; in Bobby Martin, his keyboard player at that time, he had found somebody able to sing the blues. 

Edited October 25, 2022 by DrW

[T&C]

17 minutes ago, LewPort71 said:

I forgot  this one

Renaissance       Live at Carnegie Hall

 

Me too.... I let the goddess down as well. 

 

 

 

 

[GETTOTHE50]

zeppelin - how the west was won.

 

massive af:

 

[Milanos Milano]

Sammy Hagar and Van Halen live greatest hits. 

[roboticus]

Many great mentions so far covering different eras and genras.

I  would add "Unleashed in the East" by Judas Priest as my favorite "live" metal album. Particularly love their live cover of "Diamonds and Rust". Always wondered what Joan thought of it. Lol

[Just Jack]

 

[Greybeard]

12 hours ago, LewPort71 said:

I forgot  this one

Renaissance       Live at Carnegie Hall

 

       After seeing your post, I asked myself why I have never tried to go to a Renaissance concert, so I went to look to see if they might be touring.  Shockingly, they are in Homer,NY tomorrow.  I'm one hour away.  It's a great place to see a concert, as it is an old church.  I saw the Strawbs there and the sound was excellent.  Bad news, my car is being repaired.

 

     For those out Albany way, they will be in Troy  Thursday night.

[Irv]

Cheap Trick - Live at Budokan

The Doors - Alive She Cried

Alison Krauss and Union Station - Live

Elvis Presley - Elvis 

U2 - Under A Blood Red Sky

Bob Marley And The Wailers - Live

Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense

Aerosmith - MTV Unplugged   (I can't find this anywhere on the web.  Anybody?)

[T&C]

22 minutes ago, Irv said:

Bob Marley And The Wailers - Live

Are you talking about Babylon By Bus? Love that one, War/No More Trouble is fantastic.

 

 

Edited October 26, 2022 by T&C

[Bad Things]

When I was a kid, my oldest brother had the greatest musical influence on me.

Here's another fantastic live album from back in the day.