What is your favorite live music recording

Cafe Society
#1

I was making some artist specific playlists for myself on Spotify this morning and realized 2 things:

  1. live recordings are great. I knew this already, but I am occasionally reminded of how much fun it is to hear something recorded live instead of in a studio.

  2. live recordings when they come up mixed in with studio recordings, suck. They are too much their own thing. They don’t work together. But they do work with other live recordings of almost any genre.

So, I decided that I was going to make a playlist of just live music, and I would like to take suggestions. It’s always more fun to get outside input.

Rules.

1)No albums. Pick a track.
2)No genre restrictions. Classical, jazz, punk, classic rock. Let’s try to mix it up.
3) try to suggest something that hasn’t already been suggested. I am going to turn this into a playlist. It will be dull if it’s all the same artist or variations on the same song.

Don’t worry if it’s specifically on Spotify, but bonus points to you if you know it is.

If we get a good mix I’ll post the playlist here and we can all share it if this works.

#2

Led Zeppelin, Live at Earl’s Court is pretty awesome. No idea if it’s on Spotify. Not even sure what Spotify is.

ETA; for a specific track, Trampled Under Foot /Gallows Pole. A two-for-one deal

#3

Dire Straits - Once Upon a Time in the West from Alchemy
Frank Zappa - Five-Five-Five from Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar
Gong - Zero the Hero & The Witch’s Spell from Live Etc.

I know that was 3 and not just one, but I couldn’t resist. I’ll check back in a day or so and if no one has posted them I’ll offer some suggestions in a genre other than rock.

#4

Rush - Xanadu (from Exit… Stage Left)

#5

Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold by Townes Van Zandt from his Live at the Old Quarter album.

Bonus: It begins with Townes telling a pretty funny joke.

Available on Spotify.
mmm
(resisting the temptation to shout “Free Bird!”)

#6

Electric Light Orchestra - Medley: In the Hall of the Mountain King/Great Balls of Fire; from, “The Night the Light Went on in Long Beach” (CD remix; forget the vinyl LP).

#7

Johnny Cash A Boy Named Sue

#8

“Whammer Jammer” by the J. Geils Band from Full House

#9

Metallica - From the Live Shit Binge & Purge box - Live in Seattle 1989 VHS/DVD - Either Battery or Creeping Death
Guns 'n Roses - not sure if its on an album, but it’s on Youtube Live at the Ritz 1989 - Nightrain
Coheed & Cambria - Live at the Starland Ballroom - A Favor House Atlantic
Barenaked Ladies - Rock Spectacle - Brian Wilson

#10

Don’t worry about Spotify. I only mentioned it in case people care. If you don’t, don’t worry.

Go nuts just keep it mixed.
My selection is going to be Elvis Costello- Lipstick Vogue from Live at Hollywood High School.

One of my favorite songs anyway but the this performance is blistering.

#11

Todd Rundgren The Last Ride from Back to the Bars
**Paul McCartney **Maybe I’m Amazed from Wings over America
Genesis Supper’s Ready from Seconds Out coming in a 24 minutes 33 seconds and actually does a live fade-out…spectacular

#12

This is a fantastic thread idea. I hope some folks start throwing up youtube links as well.

There are gonna be some fantastic performances here, but how many inspired people to pick up an instrument the way, “Whammer Jammer” did?
“I’m So Afraid” - Fleetwood Mac, “The Dance”

“Low Spark of High-heeled Boys” - Dave Mason and Jim Capaldi, “40,000 Headmen” (not on Youtube :frowning: )

“Incident On 57th Street” - Bruce Springsteen, “Live at Main Point”

"Chant from the Heart - Kitaro, “An Enchanted Evening” (odd choice, I know, but I’ve long loved this CD)

#13

Otis Rush, “So Many Roads” from* So Many Roads- Live In Concert- Tokyo, Japan 1975*

Roy Buchanan, “Roy’s Bluz” from Livestock

Ten Years After, “I Can’t Keep From Cryin’ Sometimes” from Recorded Live

#14

I generally don’t like live recordings, but I would pick ELP’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” since there isn’t a studio version.

#15

I was going to suggest “Firth of Fifth” from Seconds Out. It’s shorter than “Supper’s Ready”, and has an absolutely gorgeous and haunting guitar solo.

The live version of “Barrier Reef” from Hit By A Train:
Best of the Old 97s is far superior to the studio version.

#16

Oh man, how’d I forget Live Stock? Great choice.

Can I Change My Mind? - Roy Buchanan and Billy Price, “Live Stock” Kind of restrained for Roy. Always felt like he wasn’t one to let a song get in the way of a guitar solo, but he serves the song well here. Saw him live once, saw Billy live several times.

#17

Johnny Cash “At Folsom Prison”

#18

“The Clap”, a live track on a studio album, The Yes Album.

“Still In Love With You”, from Thin Lizzy’s Live and Dangerous.

#19

This is not a song, pick a track. I love Johnny but he doesn’t get to have the whole folsom prison concert live on the Playlist. Maybe someone can talk me into the San Quentin concert, but not folsom.

#20

Bruce Springsteen - “Light of Day” From the *Live In New York City *DVD.

Bob Dylan - “My Back Pages” From the 30th Anniversary Boxed Set (Bobfest), featuring Neil Young, Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Roger McGuinn and Bob Dylan.