Top 5 Favorite Live Albums

[alecduncan]

I thought I'd put together a fun list of my favorite live albums. I really, really appreciate live albums that are mixed/done properly and I feel it's more indicative of the act's quality. Feel free to give your own lists! I noticed an older thread but wanted to work my brain and build a definitive list.

5. Violent Femmes - Live at the Hacienda*
4. Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
3. King Crimson - The Great Deceiver
2. Led Zeppelin - How The West Was Won
1. Portishead - Roseland NYC Live


*Violent Femmes' live recordings featured on the compilation album "Add It Up: 1982-1983" are amazing, but since it's not technically on a live album the recent release definitely tracks.

[virgindog]

A great but rarely mentioned live album is Elton John's 11-17-70, recorded in New York on that date. It's just him, drummer Nigel Olson and the late Dee Murray on bass, and it freakin' rocks. Murray is magnificent from start to finish.

[alecduncan]

Originally Posted by virgindog

A great but rarely mentioned live album is Elton John's 11-17-70, recorded in New York on that date. It's just him, drummer Nigel Olson and the late Dee Murray on bass, and it freakin' rocks. Murray is magnificent from start to finish.

Dee Murray's a great bassist, and I love that album. Elton John considers it his favorite performance.

[bass12]

Level 42 - "A Physical Presence"
Trouble Funk - "Say What!"
Earth, Wind & Fire - "Gratitude"
Kassav' - "Live Au Zenith"
Michael Franti - "Live At The Baobab"

[tangentmusic]

Yessongs - Yes
Exit.. Stage Left - Rush
On Your Feet Or On Your Knees - Blue Oyster Cult
Made In Japan - Deep Purple
Live At Leeds - The Who

[nortonrider]

Live at the Fillmore east - Allman Bros.

[DBCrocky]

Rush - Exit Stage Left
The Who - Live at Leeds
Bob Dylan and the Band - Before the Flood
Widespread Panic - Light Fuse Get Away
moe. - Warts and All (all of em)

[lijazz]

In no particular order:

Rush - Exit...Stage Left
Rush - Different Stages
Rush - All the Worlds A Stage
Rush - Snakes and Arrows Live
Rush - Time Machine Tour

[alecduncan]

Originally Posted by lijazz

In no particular order:

Rush - Exit...Stage Left
Rush - Different Stages
Rush - All the Worlds A Stage
Rush - Snakes and Arrows Live
Rush - Time Machine Tour

Something tells me you're a fan of Geddy Lee...

[nortonrider]

Originally Posted by alecduncan

Something tells me you're a fan of Geddy Lee...

who?

[JimK]

I can't even name my 5 favourite live Miles Davis albums...

I did buy myself about 10 albums for Xmas...more than 1/2 are live albums-

Charles Mingus- Mingus In Europe, Vol. 1
Pendelum -Live @The Village Vanguard
The Doors- Live In Vancouver
BS&T- Live & Uncompromised...sorta
James Gang- Live In Concert
Mott The Hoople- Live 30th Anniversary

...damn, forgot about Deep Purple Live At The BBC.

[bstringkyle]

Rush-Exit Stage Left
The Who-Live at Leeds
Iron Maiden-live after death
Opeth-The roundhouse tapes
Lamb of God-Killadelphia (these guys really know how to bring the intensity live

[D.A.R.K.]

Grateful Dead- Live Dead
Butthole Surfers- Latino Buggerveil
801- 801 Live
Michael Hedges- Live on the double planet
Miles Davis- Bitches Brew

This was tough, but these came to mind first.
So many great live records....
But live can be a grey area, considering albums like Miles' "Kind of Blue" or Coltranes' "A Love Supreme" is essentially
live, albeit without an audience.

[mellowinman]

Stages - Jimi Hendrix
All the World's a Stage - Rush (I remastered it with more bass!)
Yessongs - Yes
The Song Remains the Same - Led Zeppelin
Lou Reed - Rock and Roll Animal

[samurai1993]

Originally Posted by lijazz

In no particular order:

Rush - Exit...Stage Left
Rush - Different Stages
Rush - All the Worlds A Stage
Rush - Snakes and Arrows Live
Rush - Time Machine Tour

Rush - Exit...Stage Left
Rush - Different Stages
Rush - All the Worlds A Stage
Rush - Grace Under Pressure Tour
Rush - A Show of Hands



And also tons of bootlegs

[dtripoli]

Thank God we're all adults here and to save anybody embarrassment, 'Frampton Comes Alive!' while commercially successful, does not qualify as a great live album

[alecduncan]

Originally Posted by dtripoli

Thank God we're all adults here and to save anybody embarrassment, 'Frampton Comes Alive!' while commercially successful, does not qualify as a great live album

I do love Frampton Comes Alive, but it's not really anywhere near my top ten favorite live albums.

[Mike in Chicago]

Sounds like Tangent knows his live albums.

Made in Japan
Live at Leeds
Yessongs
Welcome Back My Friends(Tarkus only)

[ack]

some of my favorites (in no particular order)

Porcupine Tree - Arriving Somewhere
Clutch - Live in Flint
Deep Purple - Made in Japan
X - Live at the Whiskey
Pink Floyd - Live in Pompeii

Honorable mention: Foghat - Live

[Hawkeye]

Originally Posted by virgindog

A great but rarely mentioned live album is Elton John's 11-17-70, recorded in New York on that date. It's just him, drummer Nigel Olson and the late Dee Murray on bass, and it freakin' rocks. Murray is magnificent from start to finish.

Yeah, +1

I picked that one up. Dee Murray was really an inventive and creative player. I'm usually not a fan of live albums, but am really a big fan of DVD concerts on the home theater. One live album I really liked was Jimi Hendrix Bandof Gypsys recorded at the Fillmore East. A new band with a new sound, very fresh sounding.