Essential Live Albums

[liebzz]

Are you doing both volumes of Live Cream?

Yes Volume 2 will come once I hit 1972.

[wease]

Are you doing both volumes of Live Cream?

Yes Volume 2 will come once I hit 1972.

I thought you were going more or less by recorded date.

[liebzz]

It’s squishy. I am trying to stay close to recorded date if I can, but then I skipped over stuff and went back and added and went with release. I am also trying to maintain as much variety as I can, and cover the time period in somewhat of an arc. That said, I think I ended up putting CCR’s The Concert on release (1980) rather than when it was recorded, but pushed up a lot of releases (Hendrix’s Woodstock for example) to recorded date. I actually pushed back Santana’s Live at the Fillmore to group it with a bunch of other live albums by the same or similar names. I am hoping in the end it’ll all make sense.

[tragabigzanda]

[liebzz]

Man I hadn’t thought about Hendrix at Woodstock for years. That was one I borrowed from my parents library when I was first really getting into music. Played it a lot back then but not once since like 1993 or something.

I mean, same. And it’s still beyond phenomenal now.

[rick malone]

Two more suggestions:

Otis Redding-anything he released live, maybe Live at Whisky a Go Go
The Replacements-The Shit Hits The Fans

[liebzz]

Two more suggestions:

Otis Redding-anything he released live, maybe Live at Whisky a Go Go
The Replacements-The Shit Hits The Fans

Added both. Mental gymnastics to get a proper arc out of including Otis but I found a good spot.

[wease]

Two more suggestions:

Otis Redding-anything he released live, maybe Live at Whisky a Go Go
The Replacements-The Shit Hits The Fans

Added both. Mental gymnastics to get a proper arc out of including Otis but I found a good spot.

Jaimoe played drums with Redding the same year that was recorded, but not when that show was recorded.

[liebzz]

The Who - Live at Leeds

Well this is one of the most famous live albums of all time and for good reason. In the slightly expanded version, we get plenty to chew on. Young Man’s Blues, A Quick One While He’s Away, the My Generation Medley, a killer Magic Bus…really everything here is phenomenal even if I believe it is still not the whole show. The out of body experience moment here for me is Amazing Journey/Sparks.

The Essential Performance: Amazing Journey/Sparks

Next Up: The Who - Live at Hull

[liebzz]

The Who - Live at Hull

The legend of Live at Leeds is indeed worthy, but it’s here, the next night, where their performance seems to up the ante even further. The band is on fire on this performance, the release including all of Tommy to end it with the remainder of the tracks also all being essential performances. As in, all of them. I had a hard time picking an essential performance because all of it is, though for the sake of a playlist, we’ll take Pinball Wizard, but it could be any of the songs here.

The Essential Performance: Pinball Wizard

Next Up: Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out

[oasisfan35]

This got me listening to some Who though I'm really not a Tommy fan, especially sucking up almost the entirety of a set.

Not sure if you'd be including releases as such but the second disc of the 2003 Who's Next reissue is the live performance from the Young Vic Theatre 1971-04-26 and definitely one I have enjoyed over the years.

[liebzz]

This got me listening to some Who though I'm really not a Tommy fan, especially sucking up almost the entirety of a set.

Not sure if you'd be including releases as such but the second disc of the 2003 Who's Next reissue is the live performance from the Young Vic Theatre 1971-04-26 and definitely one I have enjoyed over the years.

Thanks. I will throw it in.

[liebzz]

Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!

This one’s nearly tailor-made for me. In the midst of the Stones’ creative peak, Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out is exactly what you want from them at this point. Heavy on the stuff from that era, they provide the big rock stomp of Jumping Jack Flash, Honky Tonk Women, and Street Fighting Man, while still bringing the blues with Love in Vain, a slight slowed down Stray Cat Blues, an awesome building Sympathy for the Devil. The performance here for me though is that Midnight Rambler. Just the Stones at their very best. Need to go back for the extended version.

The Essential Performance: Midnight Rambler

Next Up: Jimi Hendrix - Band of Gypsies

[liebzz]

Jimi Hendrix - Band of Gypsies

This journey thus far feels in part a Hendrix journey mostly because of the chance to hear him evolve in his short time as a live performer. Here he feels less of a need to be center stage vocally and focuses in on playing off killer grooves. That this live album is 6 songs and 45 mins speaks to the deep digging he and this band we’re doing, and everything here again feels essential to the whole. Nothing though quite hits the heights of Machine Gun, which is just phenomenal even still a million listens later.

The Essential Performance: Machine Gun

Next Up: The Velvet Underground - Live at Max’s Kansas City

[liebzz]

The Velvet Underground - Live at Max’s Kansas City

This is a tough listen. It’s not the band but the quality of the recording. I am relatively certain I have heard better quality audience bootleg recordings. The drums basically drown out the whole band, so it’s really tough to get a read, other than the general sense that the band seems to have some good energy and picks a really strong set of songs. I wish there was a better quality version of this. That said, Beginning to See the Light was probably my favorite among the songs.

The Essential Performance: Beginning to See the Light

Next Up: Grand Funk Railroad - Live Album

[liebzz]

Grand Funk Railroad - Live Album

At least in the context of this journey, this release reads about a year or two ahead of its time. Busting out the gates with big riffs, bigger bass lines, massive drum solos - this immediately recalls more of a mid-70s and later call to excess. Then again, this is exactly what I needed at this moment. A good old fashioned face melting, particularly that bass guitar. I have been trying to weigh the essential performance here but it’s near impossible given that nearly every song is taken to its furthest extreme and battered until it can be barely recognized. That is what it’s all about, particularly since I have almost no familiarity with their work and none with the songs featured here. This was a really great suggestion.

The Essential Performance: Inside Looking Out

Next Up: Joe Cocker - Mad Dogs and Englishmen

[tragabigzanda]

[oasisfan35]

The Velvet Underground - Live at Max’s Kansas City

This is a tough listen. It’s not the band but the quality of the recording. I am relatively certain I have heard better quality audience bootleg recordings. The drums basically drown out the whole band, so it’s really tough to get a read, other than the general sense that the band seems to have some good energy and picks a really strong set of songs. I wish there was a better quality version of this. That said, Beginning to See the Light was probably my favorite among the songs.

The Essential Performance: Beginning to See the Light

Tried listening to this release as well, agreed it is rough... switched to 1969: The Velvet Underground Live which is still less than stellar but not stealth microphone in your pants pocket bad.

Elton John's Here and There is another I'd recommend though only the reissue really.

[liebzz]

The Velvet Underground - Live at Max’s Kansas City

This is a tough listen. It’s not the band but the quality of the recording. I am relatively certain I have heard better quality audience bootleg recordings. The drums basically drown out the whole band, so it’s really tough to get a read, other than the general sense that the band seems to have some good energy and picks a really strong set of songs. I wish there was a better quality version of this. That said, Beginning to See the Light was probably my favorite among the songs.

The Essential Performance: Beginning to See the Light

Tried listening to this release as well, agreed it is rough... switched to 1969: The Velvet Underground Live which is still less than stellar but not stealth microphone in your pants pocket bad.

Elton John's Here and There is another I'd recommend though only the reissue really.

Agreed on VU. I covered The Velvet Underground Live With Lou Reed a few pages ago. I liked it but the performance at Max’s Kansas City was likely better though the terrible sound sort of ruins it.

Will add Elton.

[liebzz]

Joe Cocker - Mad Dogs and Englishmen

Crazy Uncle Joe and his band of super fans are back! Actually, this release seems to have much more of an orchestrated feel than the Woodstock performance that felt edgy in comparison. The band is good, Joe is in good form. The song selection is a pretty good mix of soul and rock, making for a solid though maybe not so essential live album.

The Essential Peformance: Feelin’ Alright

Next Up: The Doors - Absolutely Live