# What are the best live albums? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 6, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689 "2005-05-06T14:08:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chance\_the\_Gardener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@Chance\_the\_Gardener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chance_the_Gardener)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/1 "2005-05-06T14:08:39Z")
I was inspired by [the double album thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=315012) to start this one: what are the best live albums ever? I see no need to stick to a fixed number of albums on your list, though. **Yes** —_Yessongs._ Triple live album from… 1973, I think? Fantastic stuff. The didn’t do “South Side of the Sky” because they said they weren’t able to make it sound good live, but I saw them do it live last year, and it sounded fine. Regardless, this is a kick-ass record. **They Might Be Giants** —_Severe Tire Damage._ This one dates from around 1998 or so, I think. They really do some great interpretations of their stuff, and their special “Planet of the Apes” suite really is one for the fans. I love seeing them do “Shoehorn with Teeth” live, but I’m not sure if it would translate as well into a recording. **Yes** —_9012Live._ I think this came out in 1984. Maybe I just dig this one because of their excellent cover of “Amazing Grace,” plus “Whitefish,” which is about the only reference to _Drama_ that I can recall Yes making since I first got into them back in 1983. **Jefferson Airplane** —_Thirty Seconds Over Winterland._ Released in 1973, just after they broke up, even one of the band members have sneered at this record, referring to it as a “turd.” Well, I don’t care. I think it’s fantastic, especially the version of “Twilight Double Leader” that appears on it. **Jefferson Starship** —_Across the Sea of Suns._ 2001 or so. The latter-day Jefferson Starship isn’t doing much worth noting but live shows and live albums. This one breathes new life into their old classics, including a rockin’ good version of “Law Man.” ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/2 "2005-05-06T14:27:44Z")
**It’s Alive** - The Ramones. Not only a fantastic record of the frenzy that was a Ramones’ concert, but I was at the Rainbow in Finsbury Park on New Year’s Eve 1977 when it was recorded. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/3 "2005-05-06T14:32:08Z")
I liked Hendrix Live at Woodstock. ---
**Author:** ![CapnPitt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/edb3f5/32.png) [@CapnPitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CapnPitt)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/4 "2005-05-06T14:36:23Z")
Dare I say “Frampton Comes Alive”? ---
**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:** [May 6, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/5 "2005-05-06T14:47:50Z")
\*\*Allman Brothers \*\* - _Live at the Fillmore East_ \*\*Renaissance \*\* - _Live At Carnegie Hall_ \*\*Rolling Stones \*\* - _Git Yer Ya-yas Out_ \*\*Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band \*\* - _Live In New York City_ ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/6 "2005-05-06T14:48:24Z")
**Talking Heads** - _Stop Making Sense_. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/7 "2005-05-06T14:56:16Z")
James Brown–Live at the Apollo Otis Redding–Live in Europe Van Morrison–It’s Too Late to Stop Now Bob Dylan and the Band–Bootleg Series Vol. 4: Live 1966 The “Royal Albert Hall” Concerts The Who–Live at Leeds ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/8 "2005-05-06T14:57:19Z")
Tom Waits: Nighthawks At the Diner. (Yes, I know it’s really recorded in a studio with an “audience” to simulate everything about a live set but with better sound quality, but I love it regardless.) Portishead: PNYC at the Roseland Ballroom. U2: Rattle and Hum. Ben Folds: Live. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/9 "2005-05-06T14:58:25Z")
**Rat Pack** - Live at the Sands **Ella Fitzgerald** - The Complete Ella in Berlin ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/10 "2005-05-06T15:28:07Z")
Blue Oyster Cult: “On Your Feet or On Your Knees” UFO: “Strangers in the Night” (second) The Who: “Live at Leeds” ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mycroft\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_H)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/11 "2005-05-06T15:45:09Z")
Cheap Trick at Budokan ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/12 "2005-05-06T15:46:20Z")
James Brown _Live at the Apollo_ The Band _Rock of Ages_ The Who _Live at Leeds_ MC5 _Kick Out the Jams_ Various _Woodstock_ Johnny Cash _At Folsom Prison_ ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/13 "2005-05-06T15:46:25Z")
**Warren Zevon** - _Stand in the Fire_ A great live album. Zevon went out and found a band that made a living doing covers of his stuff, and recorded a wild set with them. It’s fantastic. It’s so wild that Zevon claimed to have no memory of recording it… **Lynyrd Skynyrd** - _One More From the Road_ ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Incognito\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@Guy\_Incognito\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Incognito_1)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/14 "2005-05-06T15:46:47Z")
**Bela Fleck and the Flecktones: Live Art** is one of the greatest live CD’s of all time. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/15 "2005-05-06T15:50:43Z")
**Allman Brothers Band** – Live at Fillmore East **The Who** – Live at Leeds (extended versions) **Lyle Lovett** – Live in Texas **Taj Mahal** – The Real Thing **Elton John** – 11/17/70 ---
**Author:** ![My\_Dog\_Klaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@My\_Dog\_Klaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/My_Dog_Klaus)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/16 "2005-05-06T15:55:57Z")
Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live Michael Brook - Live At The Aquarium ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/17 "2005-05-06T16:02:09Z")
> [@CapnPitt](#): > > Dare I say “Frampton Comes Alive”? Hey, it’s an undeniable classic. I loved that album. \*\*All The World’s A Stage \*\* by Rush and \*\*Seconds Out \*\* by Genesis were staples of my youth. \*\*Roxy and Elsewhere \*\* and \*\*Tinseltown Rebellion \*\* by Zappa are albums I wore out in my early 20s. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/18 "2005-05-06T16:03:02Z")
**Isaac Hayes** Live at the Sahara Tahoe ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/19 "2005-05-06T16:08:52Z")
J. Geils Band… **Full House** ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689/20 "2005-05-06T16:29:47Z")
Well worth a mention (and a few listens): BBC Radio 1 Live In Concert (1980) – XTC Fab Foursome In Philly (bootleg, 1979) – XTC Live at the BBC (no audience) – The Beatles King Biscuit Flour Hour Presents (1983) – The Romantics B’Boom (Live in Argentina, Official Bootleg, 1994) – King Crimson Copenhagen (Danish Radio Concert, with audience, 1990) – Galaxie 500 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-live-albums/302689.md?page=2)