Greatest (Favorite) Live Album

[Marky Dread]

Everything mentioned except Kiss so far is exceptional. I've been trying to think of truly "contender for the throne" type punk live albums, this one comes to mind:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... _cover.jpg

It's great but Johhny overdubbed it in the studio.

I think a lot of the live albums mentioned have at least some overdubbing. This one maybe moreso. I guess a question is whether a live album needs to be totally unsweetened in the studio to rate highly.

I think when bands put out official live albums they were often patched up in the studio. That's why I think it's great when reissues contain unreleased live material which is of a decent soundboard tape. Sometimes warts n' all is great.

[revbob]

Everything mentioned except Kiss so far is exceptional. I've been trying to think of truly "contender for the throne" type punk live albums, this one comes to mind:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... _cover.jpg

It's great but Johhny overdubbed it in the studio.

I think a lot of the live albums mentioned have at least some overdubbing. This one maybe moreso. I guess a question is whether a live album needs to be totally unsweetened in the studio to rate highly.

So many things can and probably do go wrong during a live show its probably hard for most musicians to let that go on record.

In the golden era of the bootleg—the 70s—that was a big reason why bands didn't like bootlegs. It was less the idea of lost money, but being exposed as less than perfect, as studio records appeared to show.

That's not what "What's Happening" taught me.

[Heston]

Everything mentioned except Kiss so far is exceptional. I've been trying to think of truly "contender for the throne" type punk live albums, this one comes to mind:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... _cover.jpg

It's great but Johhny overdubbed it in the studio.

I think a lot of the live albums mentioned have at least some overdubbing. This one maybe moreso. I guess a question is whether a live album needs to be totally unsweetened in the studio to rate highly.

So many things can and probably do go wrong during a live show its probably hard for most musicians to let that go on record.

Bingo. That itch is always there to mend a bum note. Then it turns into a perfection exercise. Give me bootlegs any day of the week.

[Dr. Medulla]

Give me bootlegs any day of the week.

Agreed a zillion percent. If you want perfection, get the studio album. Live isn't supposed to be perfect.

[Sparky]

Everything mentioned except Kiss so far is exceptional. I've been trying to think of truly "contender for the throne" type punk live albums, this one comes to mind:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... _cover.jpg

It's great but Johhny overdubbed it in the studio.

I think a lot of the live albums mentioned have at least some overdubbing. This one maybe moreso. I guess a question is whether a live album needs to be totally unsweetened in the studio to rate highly.

I think when bands put out official live albums they were often patched up in the studio. That's why I think it's great when reissues contain unreleased live material which is of a decent soundboard tape. Sometimes warts n' all is great.

For me a soundboard or radio broadcast bootleg is the best way to hear what a band was really like live, as you said, warts & all is the real show.

[weller259]

I have always been of the opinion that studio albums are where one should strive for "perfection" and live albums are for fun and maybe even some improvisation being shared with a lot of people all at once. But every band/act is different. What the Allman Brothers did was play gigs at one place for a week, record them all and then choose the best performances for the album. I'm not sure about overdubs on that but I don't think there were very many, the reissue of that had all the gigs and they all sound very similar in terms of how many instruments were played etc..

I bought the cassette of Stop Making Sense when it came out and it just bored the shit out of me. I never totally got into the Heads after the first or second album, they just ended up kinda boring me to death.

I haven't listened to Cheap Trick Budokan in years, might have to give that one another go. Deep Purple Made In Japan is pretty cool too. I also think the Beatles Get Back rooftop is pretty frigging awesome. Not sure if that entire thing can be called a live album but them up on that roof was about the coolest thing ever, and they sounded incredible.

[WestwayKid]

Fire & Skill, the Jam live box that came out several years ago was fantastic. It sounds raw and powerful and not far off from bootleg quality (and I mean that in the best sense). Disc 4, which is from just before they put out Sound Affects, is my favorite. They sound dangerous.

[WestwayKid]

I have always been of the opinion that studio albums are where one should strive for "perfection" and live albums are for fun and maybe even some improvisation being shared with a lot of people all at once. But every band/act is different. What the Allman Brothers did was play gigs at one place for a week, record them all and then choose the best performances for the album. I'm not sure about overdubs on that but I don't think there were very many, the reissue of that had all the gigs and they all sound very similar in terms of how many instruments were played etc..

I bought the cassette of Stop Making Sense when it came out and it just bored the shit out of me. I never totally got into the Heads after the first or second album, they just ended up kinda boring me to death.

I haven't listened to Cheap Trick Budokan in years, might have to give that one another go. Deep Purple Made In Japan is pretty cool too. I also think the Beatles Get Back rooftop is pretty frigging awesome. Not sure if that entire thing can be called a live album but them up on that roof was about the coolest thing ever, and they sounded incredible.

I agree on the Get Back concert. Much has been written about how the band was falling apart, but in that moment they sounded tight. Makes you wonder what a Beatles tour would have been like?

[JennyB]

It's great but Johhny overdubbed it in the studio.

I think a lot of the live albums mentioned have at least some overdubbing. This one maybe moreso. I guess a question is whether a live album needs to be totally unsweetened in the studio to rate highly.

So many things can and probably do go wrong during a live show its probably hard for most musicians to let that go on record.

In the golden era of the bootleg—the 70s—that was a big reason why bands didn't like bootlegs. It was less the idea of lost money, but being exposed as less than perfect, as studio records appeared to show.

That's not what "What's Happening" taught me.

The only time I cared about the Doobie Brothers.

[revbob]

I think a lot of the live albums mentioned have at least some overdubbing. This one maybe moreso. I guess a question is whether a live album needs to be totally unsweetened in the studio to rate highly.

So many things can and probably do go wrong during a live show its probably hard for most musicians to let that go on record.

In the golden era of the bootleg—the 70s—that was a big reason why bands didn't like bootlegs. It was less the idea of lost money, but being exposed as less than perfect, as studio records appeared to show.

That's not what "What's Happening" taught me.

The only time I cared about the Doobie Brothers.

They were Taking it to the Streets!

[Dr. Medulla]

Makes you wonder what a Beatles tour would have been like?

Mostly George grousing enough to make others think it wasn't worth it.

[Marky Dread]

Fire & Skill, the Jam live box that came out several years ago was fantastic. It sounds raw and powerful and not far off from bootleg quality (and I mean that in the best sense). Disc 4, which is from just before they put out Sound Affects, is my favorite. They sound dangerous.

Yeah that's a good listen. Though it contained nothing really new. One of the gigs I forget which one now but the stereo is reversed.

[matedog]

The live archive releases of the last six or seven years have fortunately made Bruce's problematic Live 75/85 irrelevant. Roxy 78 has always been my favorite from his vital Darkness tour for the immediacy of the audience/club environment when he was in the middle of an arena tour. Other fans will cite the Passaic, Atlanta, or Winterland shows as having better or more elaborate performances, but for me, the frenetic energy of the audience puts this one on the top for me.

In terms of what makes a live album essential, this one greatly improves on the studio versions in nearly every way, in some cases dramatically rearranges the studio versions (see the guitar orgasm of a 10 minute "Prove It All Night"), and provides a lot of unique songs/covers he never did in the studio.

[chocolatejesus]

[paulc]

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