# Top 50 Live Albums of All-Time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 6, 2002, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665 "2002-08-06T21:00:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![NYR407](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@NYR407](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NYR407)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665/21 "2002-08-07T14:36:20Z")
George Harrison - Live in Japan Iron Maiden - Live After Death (Ok that was during my head banging days but I do still listen to it) George Thoroghgood - Live (I can’t remember if that is the title or not) Kicks ass though! …and away we go ---
**Author:** ![Fingolfin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eada6e/32.png) [@Fingolfin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fingolfin)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665/22 "2002-08-07T14:37:47Z")
Rock of Ages better than The Last Waltz?! Hmmmm… 😉 I would like add that _Deep Purple’s Made in Japan_ should be on that list, and high up; like Top 20 high. What a killer album! A 30+ minute version Space Truckin’! Get out of town! 🙂 And where is _Rush’s All the World’s a Stage_? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665/23 "2002-08-07T14:46:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fingolfin \* > \*\*Rock of Ages better than The Last Waltz?! Hmmmm… 😉 \*\* THERE"S a question that’s probably worth a debate thread all on its own! My reasoning: **The Last Waltz** was an Event, a Seminal Moment, and all that other crap with all its attendant emotional baggage. **Rock of Ages** was just a concert, albeit a New Year’s Eve concert, and a concert by The Band at the peak of its power. And it’s JUST The Band, no crowded stage full of Guest Stars. It’s purer. That’s why I picked it. (Also, the Allan Toussaint arrangements for the Tower of Power horn section kicked ass!) ---
**Author:** ![MarkF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@MarkF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarkF)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665/24 "2002-08-07T17:15:23Z")
[Nine Below Zero - Live at the Marquee](http://www.ninebelowzero.com/) Asskicking R’n’B at it’s finest. 🙂 Others would be… A ditto on **Talking Heads, "Stop Making Sense"** And **Rufus and Chaka khan "Live! Stompin’ at the Savoy"** ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665/25 "2002-08-07T17:46:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fingolfin \* > \*\*The House of Blues ([hob.com](http://hob.com)) has released their Top 50 Live Albums of All-Time list. A superb list with some interesting selections. Judy Garland?! Kiss Alive?! My only grip is that The Last Waltz should be in the Top 5. > > Thoughts? Opinions? > > \*\* Maybe these were truncated due to the fact they were 51 & 52? **Rock n Roll Animal:** _Lou Reed_ **Nighthawks at the Diner:** _Tom Waits_ ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665/26 "2002-08-07T18:55:34Z")
I would add _A Live One_ and _Hampton Comes Alive_ by Phish and _Live Art_ by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. _Live from Mars_ by Ben Harper is pretty good, too. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Bee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Larry\_Bee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Bee)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665/27 "2002-08-07T21:30:08Z")
Not mentioned earlier is VAn Morrison - Too Late To Stop Now ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665/28 "2002-08-07T21:48:45Z")
**Frank Zappa** - _Roxy and Elsewhere_ and _You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore, volume 2 - The Helsinki Concert_ ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665/29 "2002-08-07T21:54:27Z")
Though not all from 1 concert, “Songs in the Attic”, and from 1 concert, “Cokquept” (russian for “concert”). ---
**Author:** ![RexDart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@RexDart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RexDart)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665/30 "2002-08-07T23:09:31Z")
I’ll mention **Undead** by Ten Years After. Clever wordplay name, cute intro making fun of American perceptions of the British accent. I would make **Frampton Comes Alive** my favorite overall. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665/31 "2002-08-07T23:23:28Z")
YOU ARE ALL _WRONG!!!_ Oh, sorry about that! I agree with many on the list, but No. 1 has got to be Mr. Harrison’s **Concert for Bangla-Desh** (expect the Ravi Shankar part!!) More stars that the midnight sky, a real good “feel” and “groove”, a real good cause, first of it’s kind and a sucess!! I second the SRV, Cheap Trick, Allman Bros., Band, Kiss and a bunch of others as well, but they all fall down the list from “Bangla-Desh”. (I have a mint copy on vinyl in the original box with booklet included in very good condition!!) * * * Lets go drink BEER!! ---
**Author:** ![krazy\_kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b2d939/32.png) [@krazy\_kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krazy_kat)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665/32 "2002-08-07T23:42:35Z")
There are times when I can’t think of 48 better **albums** than Live at El Mocambo, nevermind 48 better live albums. that said. Johnny Thunders live at Max’s KC, Velvet Underground Live at Max’s KC, Graham Parker - Squeezing out Sparks Live (live version of Baby I want you Back, c’mon!) and the collection of songs following Tiffany’s wildly successful mall-tour from 1987 (the name eludes me, “You be my Chess King, I’ll be your Queen,” or perhaps “I’m About to Hold (food) Court”) I just don’t remember ---
**Author:** ![Fingolfin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eada6e/32.png) [@Fingolfin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fingolfin)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665/33 "2002-08-09T11:21:55Z")
Interesting selections everybody. Thanks for sharing. 😉 One last thing, if anybody has a bootleg copy of an **English Beat** concert (circa 1982 or so), any concert, please let me know. Ok thanks! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2002, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665/34 "2002-08-10T01:40:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hawthorne \* > \*\*Talking Heads **Stop Making Sense** \*\* Considering all of the studio re-recording and overdubbing that was done, I have a **really, really** hard time considering this as even coming close to being a “live” album. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2002, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665/35 "2002-08-10T02:48:32Z")
**Bob Dylan - Before The Flood [Live With The Band, 1974]** Bob Dylan, of course, is the main focus here, and is excellent, especially in his very intense acoustic set. And the songs that the Band play alone easily surpass any of the enjoyable, but mostly uninspiring songs on **Rock of Ages**. This is easily in my top five greatest live albums. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665/36 "2002-08-11T12:08:26Z")
Just finished listening to another famous live record that hasn’t been mentioned: _Friday Night in San Fransisco_ by **John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola and Paco De Lucia**. ---
**Author:** ![MarkF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@MarkF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarkF)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665/37 "2002-08-14T04:18:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Considering all of the studio re-recording and overdubbing that was done, I have a really, really hard time considering this as even coming close to being a “live” album. Well, with respect **WSLer** , that would be _your_ problem. It _is_ an amalgam of concerts (so I understand) but then a vast majority of them are. One other I would nominate that springs to mind is **Bob Seger’s “Live Bullet”** which is pretty fucking awesome (and about as similar to **TH** as, um, something to something 🙂 ). Trick is, the development of presenting a live concert has changed and is changing. It isn’t simply about being there for the one-off event, it’s a completely new canvas to paint on. What **TH** did (for me, at least) in that production, was present a whole imagery of music and visuals and lyrics that I can listen to, watch and enjoy time and again without being dishonest. That’s the aim isn’t it? Cheers 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MarkF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@MarkF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarkF)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665/38 "2002-08-14T04:26:34Z")
> [@](#): > > Considering all of the studio re-recording and overdubbing that was done, I have a really, really hard time considering this as even coming close to being a “live” album. Well, with respect **WSLer** , that would be _your_ problem. It _is_ an amalgam of concerts (so I understand) but then a vast majority of them are. One other I would nominate that springs to mind is **Bob Seger’s “Live Bullet”** which is pretty fucking awesome (and about as similar to **TH** as, um, something to something 🙂 ). Trick is, the development of presenting a live concert has changed and is changing. It isn’t simply about being there for the one-off event, it’s a completely new canvas to paint on. What **TH** did (for me, at least) in that production, was present a whole imagery of music and visuals and lyrics that I can listen to, watch and enjoy time and again without being dishonest. That’s the aim isn’t it? Cheers 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-50-live-albums-of-all-time/122665.md?page=1)