Your 10 favorite live albums

I know some people don't like live albums, but I just love them. nowhere else can a band be free of the restriction to try to sound perfectly but simply let the music flow. what are your favorite ones? here are mine, counting backward from10 to 1. please try to give s short explanation why you include the albums too.

10) Frumpy: "Live" (1973). Inga Rumpf and company put on a great show; she definitely has the blackest voice of all white singers. an excellent introduction to this band which deserves more attention.

9) Kraan: "Live" (1975). a stunning classic with highlights like "Holiday am Marterhorn including Gipfelsturm", "Sarah's Ritt durch den Schwarzwald" or "Nam Nam". Helmut Hattler definitely is one of the best bass players in prog; something you can hear here.

8) Guru Guru: "Live" (1976). with a lot of previously unreleased tracks (some of which had been a live favorite already though), like "Medicine Man's Overdose", "Herzflimmern" or "Transylvanian Express", and great versions of "Moroso", "Der Elektrolurch" and "Ooga Booga". the album shows what a great live act Guru Guru must have been (I never saw them live myself). one can actually see Mani Neumeier hopping around in his wrestling suit when hearing him. it helps if you understand some German to get some of the jokes they make, like when Neumeier sings "Santa Fu, raus bist du" ("Santa Fu, you are out", that song was recorded at Santa Fu, a prison in Hamburg) in "Ooga Booga" and talks about the prisoners getting new uniforms after the concert that look like his wrestling suit.

7) Hawkwind: "Space Ritual" (1973). what can I say? a classic. Hawkwind re-released the album with uncut versions of "Time We Left" and "Brainstorm" (they had been shortened for the original release because they were too long). too bad this is not a DVD; Stacia would have been a nice addition

6) Gentle Giant: "Playing the Fool" (1977). Gentle Giant show that their complex compositions can be played live without sounding sterile; on the contrary, they make them sound really alive. highlights are the "Octopus Medley", "On Reflection" and "Funny Ways".

5) Steve Hillage: "Live Herald" (1978). this one originally came out as a 3-sides live, 1-side studio vinyl; unfortunately the studio material sounded bloodless compared to the live material (with the exception of "1988 Activator"). it was in my opinion a good decision of Virgin to release this as a single CD live album and add the studio material to the CD-version of "Open". at 69 minutes the album is still long enough. great versions of classic Hillage songs.

4) 801: "Live" (1976). Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera and friends play a collection of songs associated with former projects of them as well as some classic. one of the most interesting releases of that time; the beginning of punk can be felt in songs like "Third Uncle". unfortunately a single album only.

3) Magma: "Live / Hhai" (1975). featuring a 17-year old Didier Lockwood on violin who (almost) steals the show; just listen to his seven and a half minute solo in "Mekanik Zain". great version of "Köhntark". a friend of mine once commented: "sounds like a holiday in hell".

2) Gong: "Live au Bataclan" (1990). this album was recorded in 1973 and shows the "classic" band line-up (Daevid Allen, Gilly Smyth, Pierre Moerlen, Didier Malherbe, Steve Hillage, Mike Howlett, Tim Blake) in top form, performing some of their classics. don't get irritated by the strange titles on the album; you will recognize these classics quickly.

1) Van der Graaf Generator: "Vital" (1978). since I follow my usual policy of best lists (naming an artist twice or more in such a list is behaving like a fan boy/girl; pick your gender) I was torn between "Vital" and "Real Time". I settled for "Vital" because it adds new aspects to the songs; also because it includes some previously unreleased material. the general treatment of all songs was: give 'em a raw brushing up! Nic Potter's bass truly is a monster!

again this list may change at any moment, depending on my mood, but "Vital", "Live au Bataclan" and "Live / Hhai" will always be in it


Edited by BaldJean - August 17 2007 at 18:52

1. Deep Purple - Made in Japan.  Great performances, classic live album showcases the band at the top of their game.

Edited by mystic fred - August 17 2007 at 08:57

mystic fred wrote: 1. Deep Purple - Made in Japan.  Great performances, classic live album showcases the band at the top of their game. 2. Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains the Same. Zeppelin's answer to all those poor bootlegs, stunning version of  "No Quarter". 3. Argent - Encore. Overlooked double live masterpiece, one of my all time faves. 4. Genesis - Genesis Live . Definitive line up, an honest recording. 5. Hawkwind - Space Ritual. Legendary live performances, many live recordings exist    but this is the best. 6. The Who - Live at Leeds. Classic show, raw and powerful. 7. Yes - Yessongs. Sprawling triple album set. 8. Pink Floyd - Pulse. Spacious sound and great performances. 9. Wishbone Ash - Almighty Blues. Great versions of old and new songs. 10. Peter Gabriel - Plays Live. Very entertaining album, includes non-album "Swimming".

I respect other people's opinions; however, I had to make a face at the mentioning of "Pulse". that's not a live album, in my opinion; what Pink Floyd actuially did here was putting their studio on stage

Mmm First sorry about my english , i am from argentina. Now my top ten :
1- Genesis - Live
2- Camel - A Live Record
3- Porcupine Tree - Coma Divine
4- Jimi Hendrix - Band Of Gypsis
5- King Crimson - Lament
6- Yes - YesSongs
7- Astor Piazolla - The Central Park Concert
8- Aquelarre - Corazones del Lado del Fuego
9- Jeff Beck and the Jan Hammer Group - Live
10- Led Zeppelin - How The West was Won

That`s the albums that i now remember but must have much more that can be in the list. Bye

I don't like live stuff most of the time.
But Exit stage Left by Rush is brilliant.

I'm not crazy about live albums.  But I liked Anekdoten's live double album, and I really, really like Mats/Morgan live.  And that Magma Hhai live sure ain't bad!  Oh, and Deep Purple Made in Japan.

I have nothing against studio records; however, my preferred albums are live albums. sadly many so-called "live albums" are not live albums at all; an example is "Yessongs". only the drum tracks are the original live; the rest have been tampered with (source: Tibor Kneif, Sachlexikon der Rockmusik)

1. Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends,Ladies and Gentlemen...Emerson,Lake and Palmer. Opens with a speedy live version of Hoedown and continues with a mega powerfull version of Toccata and a super elongated Tarkus (the added on section is bombast 'heaven') .The live version of Take A Pebble is admittedly tedious but there is so much good stuff on here that it doesn't matter!

BaldJean wrote: I have nothing against studio records; however, my preferred albums are live albums. sadly many so-called "live albums" are not live albums at all; an example is "Yessongs". only the drum tracks are the original live; the rest have been tampered with (source: Tibor Kneif, Sachlexikon der Rockmusik)

Here are 10 of my favourites
Klaus Schultze Live -
Never expected to hear Crazy Arthur Brown on a Klaus Schultze   album. Sense is absolutely captivating.
Uriah Heep Live -
Hey what can I say one of my first live albums. I also picked up the 2003 expanded edition. For some reason I love that rock`nroll medley at the end. Got drunk for the first time in my life at my friend`s house listening to this.
Grobschnitt - Solar Music Live
Wacked out tripping and groovin. If you`ve ever seen their live show with that weird guy with the horns, robe and skull at the end you`ll know what I mean, the guy on the cover. That guy. Saw them do this thing live in `78 when I was 16.
Yessongs -
Love the version of Perpetual Change especially Howe`s guitar solo and Bruford`s drum solo. It just keeps goin` like perpetual. Dean`s artwork decorated my room. Love the book that came with the original vinyl. Still have it.
King Crimson -The Great Deciever
!,000,000 times better than USA which I played the life and death out of before this gem finally came along. Love the improvs which were so improved from the bootlegs they were taken from. How much more tripped out can a title get than " A Voyage to the Center Of The Cosmos". Loved the book you got with the package. I don`t know how many hours I`ve spent with these four discs.
Jane - Live At Home
Jane at the top of their game in the mid `70s. Psychedelic. Moody.
Omega - Elo `72
Poorly recorded live album  which was their first  real prog album after their psychedelic period. Pepita, the state owned record label in Hungary didn`t want to release it for political reasons. Beautiful mystical Hungarian lyrics which a friend translated for me.
Pink Floyd - Pulse
Perfection.
ELP - Pictures At An Exhibition
Hack, slice, dice, cull, mutilate. ELPs merciless  disection of  a Mussgorsky classic. Made me want to get into real classical music.
The Mahavishnu Orchestra - Between Nothingness and Eternity
Speed of light excursion into fusion. Mind blowing escape velocity talent. Wish Liard`s bass was louder.
Guru Guru - Essen `70
Mindtripping relentless freaking out They actually prove that the early stuff from UFO & Hinten could actually be played in a recognizable manner live.

 There`s 11.






Edited by Vibrationbaby - August 17 2007 at 15:45