Favorite/Best Live Album

[HFWR]

Okay, slow day at the silicon mine. We've had threads on best and favorite albums sides, etc., but I don't remember one re: live albums.

My criteria include: how much I like the music, the quality of the performance, and the quality of the recording. So, here's a list of some of my favorite, and dare I say, best live albums, in no particular order...

Yes, it's all rock albums for me, but feel free to include other genres.

Steppenwolf Live - Steppenwolf
Yessongs - Yes
FM Live - Climax Blues Band
Four-Way Street - CSNY
Live at the Fillmore East - The Allman Bros. Band
Raunch and Roll - Black Oak Arkansas
Bloodrock Live - Bloodrock
Genesis Live - Genesis
Woodstock - Various artists
Roadwork - Edgar Winter's White Trash

 

[Free To Canoe]

Those are some good ones.
I haven't heard Bloodrock mentioned in a while.

 

[Keim]

My favorite is Oingo Boingo: Farewell. It is a recording of their last concert. The band retired in fine form. Many of the songs are vastly different from album versions. The energy level is high. The band was really cookin' that night.

I also like The Commodores live album from the 70s. Hits them at the height of their funkiness, before Lionel Ritchie decided every song needed to be a ballad about a "Lady."

Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square is pretty fantastic. As is James Brown at the Apollo. Tho both significantly pre-date me.

While not actual live albums, Pink Floyd released some 70s live performances with their recent reissues. These include a great live version of Dark Side of the Moon. Reaaaaaaly good. I'll bet the Colorado and Washington Baby Boomers are really enjoying it.

 

[Koolau]

Best live album (IMHO): An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer

Here is the opening cut

Poisoning Pigeons in the Park Tom Lehrer 1959 - YouTube

 

[steelyman]

"The Trio" - Oscar Peterson (Verve recording)
"International Pedal Steel Guitar Convention" - Buddy Emmons

These were two guys who had mastered their instruments and weren't fooling around.

 

[Nodak]

The Who - Live at Leeds
Waiting for Columbus - Live Deluxe
Cheap Trick - Live at Budokan
Allman Brothers- Live at the Fillmore East

I am generally not a fan of live albums since the recording quality usually suffers.

 

[Louis2]

I agree that live albums are typically inferior, but sometimes the live performance get captured in a way that you really get to know more about the performers. Maybe from onstage chat, maybe from the way they change up lyrics or arrangements, or maybe just the "energy". A couple examples from my distant youth, bands I really didn't appreciate until I heard them live:

- Lynyrd Skynyrd "One More From the Road" 1976
- REO Speedwagon "You Get What You Play For" 1977

And there is some wonderful stuff on the multitude of Pearl Jam live concerts available online.

 

[Sarah in SC]

No Nukes. Just for the awesome album liner notes, complete with solar power exhortations and adorable pics of James Taylor and Carly Simon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Nukes:_The_Muse_Concerts_for_a_Non-Nuclear_Future

 

[Janet H]

Ralph Mactell - Ralph Albert & Sydney (live at Sidney Hall)

Eric Clapton - Unplugged

Eva Cassidy - Live at Blues Alley
Art Blakely and Friends - Live at Birdland

 

[golfnut]

A lot of really good one mentioned so far. Couple I would mention.

- Get yer yas yas out -Stones
- Rock and Roll Animal - Lou Reed

 

[Onward]

 

[kevink]

My vote for the best live rock or jazz/rock album of all time (and the best power trio) is "Boing" by the Aristocrats. Here's one song: The Aristocrats: Boing!...I'm In The Back / I Want A Parrot (Live, 2012) - YouTube

 

[David1961]

I'd vote for "Blow Your Face Out by J. Geils Band

 

[HFWR]

Not albums per se, but Jeff Beck - Live at Ronnie Scott's and The Eagles - Farewell Tour I/Live at Melbourne are excellent live DVDs.

Marshall Tucker Band's "Where We All Belong" is not totally live (half studio), but showcases their live performance, especially Toy Caldwell, the fastest thumb in the south...

 

[Ronstar]

Another vote for get yer ya yas out by the stones

And frampton comes alive

 

[Mulligan]

Wings Over America and yes, Barry Manilow Live!

 

[GrayHare]

Running on Empty - Jackson Browne

 

[HFWR]

It's a Beautiful Day at Carnegie Hall

 

[steelyman]

Adding to my earlier post: the Oscar Peterson Trio did a stand at Chicago and several albums were released that Verve compiled into "The London House Sessions". It's fantastic if you like jazz piano but can be hard to find. Some guy on eBay sold it to me for an extortion price but I didn't care.

Also, the Emmons shows were released on CD as "Buddy Emmons Live". Also hard to find now but worth it if you like that stuff. There are two tunes in particular: a standard called "Here's That Rainy Day" and "Witches Brew".

 

[ronin]

I love the Roadwork album by Edgar Winter and White Trash. Edgar is great live, at least back in the 70's he was.

I'd add Peter Frampton-Comes Alive, Tedeschi Trucks-Everybody's Talking (just saw them, they killed it), James Brown-Live at the Apollo and Los Lonely Boys- Live at Blue Cat Blues (another great live band).

 

[RockyMtn]

Don't know if was ever an album but the U2: Under a Blood Red Sky concert film at Red Rocks Amphitheatre is amazing.

 

[Nodak]

Lots of excellent albums listed here. In contrast if you have any interest in what I would call the worst live album ever it is "Got Live if You Want It" by the Rolling Stones.

 

[F4mandolin]

I have no favorites. But....an old copy of Tom Petty live was quite nice..no idea on the details. A friend copied it for me....on cassette. It's long dead.

 

[ERsoonihope]

Talking Heads - Srop Making Sense
Tom Waits - Nighthawks at the Diner
The Band - The Last Waltz

 

[mystang52]

Peter Gabriel - Secret World Live