# Best live album **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 25, 2010, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346 "2010-08-25T00:12:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/21 "2010-08-25T05:04:05Z")
Here are some of my favorite live albums, you may find them noteworthy: Grateful Dead, Dick’s Picks Vol 4 Eric Clapton, Just One Night The Allman Brothers, Live At the Fillmore East Tom Lehrer, That Was The Year That Was ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/22 "2010-08-25T05:17:20Z")
Ah, but does anyone have a great live album from a band you didn’t like, in a genre you didn’t care for, but the live performance had _something_ that just blew you away? \*\*Poco, _deLIVErin’_ \*\* (cute title, huh?) I was a disciple of “Nothin’-But-Rock-n-Roll, Man”. Had barely heard of Poco, knew they were some leftovers from Buffalo Springfield, but didn’t really care. Then, one night, heard this concert album in a friend’s car (on… ready for this?.. 8-track)! I had _never_ heard an energy level – or an optimism level – this high. Richie Furay and Jim Messina pickin’ double-time and singin’ their guts out. And I had never heard a pedal steel so haunting, or used like an edgy Hammond organ for some tasty … (it pains me to say it) … Country-Rock. And Roll. ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/23 "2010-08-25T05:47:57Z")
_Dig The New Breed_ or _Live Jam_ The Jam kicked ass live. ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/24 "2010-08-25T05:55:11Z")
Madonna - _I’m Going To Tell You A Secret_ Runners up are Kraftwerk - _Minimum Maximum_, Kylie Minogue - _Intimate And Live_ and Kanye West - _VH1 Storytellers_ ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/25 "2010-08-25T06:15:17Z")
**In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up** -Ministry **ALIVE 1 & 2** -KISS ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/26 "2010-08-25T06:27:57Z")
_Hot August Night_ has been mentioned, so there’s really no need for me to contribute. So don’t think of this post as a contribution; it’s more a seal of approval. ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/27 "2010-08-25T06:36:21Z")
The Ramones’ “It’s Alive”. 28 songs, 17 of which are under 2 minutes. I was at The Rainbow the night before it was recorded as I didn’t want (as a fairly wimpy 19 year-old) to be schlepping home from Finsbury Park to Kilburn on New Year’s Eve. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/28 "2010-08-25T13:32:25Z")
“Under a Blood Red Sky” U2. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/29 "2010-08-25T13:35:45Z")
**P-Funk All-Stars** _[Live at the Beverly Theatre](http://www.amazon.com/Live-at-Beverly-Theatre-Hollywood/dp/B000001TV5)_ - unlike a lot of live albums, not just the album versions with crowd noise, this is the full P-Funk live experience on record. They improvise, they mash songs together, they jam out. The almost 13 minute version of “Give Up the Funk” is one of the greatest tunes I’ve ever heard. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/30 "2010-08-25T14:09:48Z")
[O.A.R. - Any Time Now](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=o.a.r+anytime+now&sprefix=O.A.R+any&ih=4_1_1_2_0_0_0_0_0_2.176_174&fsc=7) [Kansas - Two for the Show](http://www.amazon.com/Two-Show-Kansas/dp/B0000025EU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1282745262&sr=1-2) [R.E.M. Live (2006)](http://www.amazon.com/R-E-M-Live-2CD-1DVD-Rem/dp/B000VI04HK) All of these surely influenced by the fact that I experienced concerts with each band around the time the live album came out. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/31 "2010-08-25T14:13:02Z")
**Midnight Oil** _Scream in Blue_ is a good one, too. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/32 "2010-08-25T14:24:13Z")
[_The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: The “Royal Albert Hall” Concert_](http://www.bobdylan.com/#/music/live-1966) - Bob Dylan Runners up: _Stop Making Sense_ - Talking Heads _Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out_ - Rolling Stones _Live at the Boston Tea Party_ - Fleetwood Mac _Live at the Fillmore East_ - Allman Brothers _Waiting for Columbus_ - Little Feat ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/33 "2010-08-25T14:26:23Z")
> [@Labdad](#): > > [_The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: The “Royal Albert Hall” Concert_](http://www.bobdylan.com/#/music/live-1966) - Bob Dylan > > Runners up: > _Stop Making Sense_ - Talking Heads > _Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out_ - Rolling Stones > _Live at the Boston Tea Party_ - Fleetwood Mac > _Live at the Fillmore East_ - Allman Brothers > _Waiting for Columbus_ - Little Feat _Stop Making Sense_ doesn’t count. Byrne did so many overdubs on that album that it’s more studio than live. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/34 "2010-08-25T14:38:43Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > > [@Labdad](#): > > > > [_The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: The “Royal Albert Hall” Concert_](http://www.bobdylan.com/#/music/live-1966)- Bob Dylan > > > > Runners up: > > _Stop Making Sense_ - Talking Heads > > _Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out_ - Rolling Stones > > _Live at the Boston Tea Party_ - Fleetwood Mac > > _Live at the Fillmore East_ - Allman Brothers > > _Waiting for Columbus_ - Little Feat > > _Stop Making Sense_ doesn’t count. Byrne did so many overdubs on that album that it’s more studio than live. 😛 I’ve heard that a lot of live albums are like that. I’ve certainly heard some stuff that made me go :dubious: . ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/35 "2010-08-25T14:39:44Z")
Joe Satriani’s _Dreaming #11_ EP… ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/36 "2010-08-25T14:42:24Z")
Barenaked Ladies **Rock Spectacular** ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/37 "2010-08-25T14:55:16Z")
> [@campp](#): > > Barenaked Ladies **Rock Spectacular** I was going to post this one as well. It’s actually “Rock Spectacle” pronounced the French way, “Spec-tawk.” Love this album… Does a great job of capturing the bands live-show energy. Too bad Steve is gone though, he was the best thing about BNL. ---
**Author:** ![Suil\_Dubh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85f322/32.png) [@Suil\_Dubh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suil_Dubh)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/38 "2010-08-25T14:57:08Z")
[The Space Ritual](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Ritual) ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/39 "2010-08-25T15:15:47Z")
> [@An\_Arky](#): > > **Midnight Oil** _Scream in Blue_ is a good one, too. It is, but I actually prefer [“Oils on the Water”](http://www.amazon.com/Best-Both-Worlds-Midnight-Oil/dp/B000BD1JC4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1282749009&sr=1-1). Here’s a [clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xAm7wqm18s) from the DVD of same. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346/40 "2010-08-25T15:17:38Z")
A couple of my fav’s haven’t been mentioned: Frank Zappa’s **Roxy and Elsewhere** Todd Rundgren and Utopia’s **Another Live** [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-live-album/551346.md?page=3)