Favorite live albums

Cafe Society
1

I think it’s been a while since we’ve had a thread like this. Pick, say, five of your favorite live albums.

My selections, in no particular order:

Hawkwind - Space Ritual. This is the definitive spacerock album. Indulge in your favorite pharmaceuticals and play it loud.

Hawkwind - Love in Space. A tight live album after they got over their '80s-era “boy, do they suck” period. Nice version of “Assassins of Allah”, too.

Dead Can Dance - Toward the Within. It’s live DCD. What more could you want?

Fred Eaglesmith - Ralph’s Last Show. Fred puts on a great live show, though this recording doesn’t really have any of his inter-song banter. Great version of “Carmelita”.

Coil - Live Four | Three | Two | One. I don’t really differentiate between these, so I’m listing them together. Late-era Coil is magical stuff.

2

Allman Brothers Band Live at Fillmore East
The Who Live at Leeds (extended versions)

3

I’ll have to toss in Queen’s Live at Wimbly.

4

Rock of Ages - The Band
The Concert in Central Park - Simon and Garfunkel

5

Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense. Get the re-released version which has almost all of the songs on it. Even if it is still missing Big Business/I Zimbra :mad:

6

Bob Marley & The Wailers, Babylon By Bus.

That’s about it. I don’t like live albums, usually. I’m like antimatter to Deadheads.

7

King Crimson - USA
The Guess Who - Live At The Paramount (expanded remaster)
Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains The Same
Kate Bush - Live At The Hammersmith Odeon (only an EP, but still, yow!)
Tom Waits - Nighthawks At The Diner, even though it’s live in a studio with an invited audience. It still achieves the goal.

Special mention: Victor Borge - Comedy In Music / Caught In The Act

8

James Brown - Live at the Apollo

Everything else, no matter the artist, pales in comparison.

9

Doesn’t “The Name of This Band is Talking Heads” have “I Zimbra” on it. Plus, it’s a live album, too, IIRC.

10

Roger Watars (of Pink Floyd fame) - The Wall Live In Berlin

As I recall, it set some records for attendence. And hearing the Red Army Marching Band perform in “Bring the Boys Back Home” was startlingly good.

Billy Joel - KOHUEPT (Live in Leningrad)

One of the first big-name western artists performing in Soviet Russia.

U2 - Rattle and Hum

Oh yeah, another vote for Stop Making Sense - my favorite rendition of “Psycho Killer” starts that album.

11

Stop Making Sense is one of my favorite albums, but when I found out how much “after-the fact” stuff got added to the recording, it kinda ruined the “live” feel for me.

Live At Carnegie Hall - Renaissance
Live In New York - Bruce Springsteen
Live At The Fillmore East - Allman Brothers
Get Yer Ya-Yas Out - Rolling Stones
The Dance - Fleetwood Mac

12

Nirvana: “Unplugged in New York”, and “Muddy Banks of the Wishkah”

Ben Folds: “Ben Folds Live”

Johnny Cash: “Live at Folsom Prison” and the one from San Quentin I can’t remember the name of.

13

Rez Band - Live Bootleg

14

UFO “Strangers in the Night”

Blue Oyster Cult “On Your Feet Or On Your Knees”

15

I absolutely love the movie, and it’s a genius way to start the show.

16

growing up, I loved Second’s Out by Genesis… actually, I still love it now and again.

Louder than Bombs by The Smiths = also a good one.

17

One More From the Road - Lynyrd Skynyrd

18

Ted Nugent Double Live Gonzo. I know Uncle Teddy don’t get no love 'round here, but we used to wear that thing out.

19

The Clash: From Here to Eternity
The Kinks: The Road
Led Zeppelin: How the West was Won
The Slits: The Peel Sessions
The Who: Live at Leeds
Wire: Wire on the Box 1979

20

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
The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: The “Royal Albert Hall” Concert - Bob Dylan
Waiting for Columbus - Little Feat