Best Live Albums

ColinP · January 19, 2021, 9:07am

I’m not reallyinto live albums but some I like

Slade Alive
Lynyrd Skynyrd, One more from the road
Status Quo, Live
Pink Floyd, Delicate sound of thunder
Nirvana, Unplugged
The Who, Live at Leeds

AndyP · January 19, 2021, 10:22am

This is an album (as live albums should be) that makes you want to be there in the crowd.

One of the best.

Neil0001 · January 19, 2021, 4:21pm

Was that the year that Slade stood in last minute for someone (It was someone big but I can’t remember who) and basically blew everyone away?

ColinP · January 19, 2021, 4:33pm

I was there that day, brilliant, it was like the crowd was expecting Andy Williams on stage until they started playing, I’m a Slade fan anyway so I was made up they were on. They did another epic at Donnington the year after, fantastic live band

crispyduck · January 19, 2021, 4:35pm

Absolutely right. They stood in for Ozzy Osborne and the Blizzard of Oz. Absolutely storming set!

Neil0001 · January 19, 2021, 4:52pm

That’s right… I read an interview with them not very long ago. I thought it was Ozzy but wasn’t sure. @ColinP I remember listening to that set on on the Friday Rock Show with Tommy Vance. It was amazing… Noddy Holder… “Is it loud enough?” Just after doing “When I’m Dancin’…” Immortalised on “Slade Alive”. Might have to play that later now… Good times.

ColinP · January 19, 2021, 5:01pm

Mike Peters (Alarm) got a small gig together a couple of years ago in a quarry in Bethesda and got Slade as is to headline it, well sad now or what but Don Powell is still a great drummer at least. (we were at the back here!

StuW · January 20, 2021, 12:21pm

Live Dates Volumes 1 & 2
Wishbone Ash

Tokyo Tapes
Scorpions

Strangers in The Night
UFO

Neil0001 · January 20, 2021, 12:25pm

Great Albums!!

StuW · January 20, 2021, 12:28pm

Have seen WA and UFO a few times, great live bands particularly UFO. Never got to see Scorpions

Neil0001 · January 20, 2021, 12:33pm

I saw UFO at the then Hammy Odeon on a class trip from school back in 80 or 81 I’m guessing! We had a brilliant class teacher who was up for such things.

Not seen WA or Scorpions, but I have seen Martin Turner as a solo act doing the Argus album as a performance. Just superb!

Neil0001 · January 20, 2021, 12:42pm

Planet Rock Top 100 Live Albums: This was published last summer and yes, I made a spreadsheet of it so I could see what I’ve got. I love live albums.

Let’s have some debate. What do we agree with? Disagree? What’s missing?

I’ll start. Sammy Hagar at number 95 is a travesty of justice. To me it’s a top twenty.

Go!

StuW · January 20, 2021, 1:30pm

There are a lot I haven’t heard on that list. Must listen to Made in Japan and Live and Dangerous again as haven’t heard those for years.
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with live albums. If you hear the live version of a song before the studio version I often feel the studio version is sterile and artificial and I don’t enjoy listening to it as much.
I must listen to more live recordings.

Neil0001 · January 20, 2021, 2:54pm

I agree about live versions sounding better than Studio. A prime example is Deep Purple’s Highway Star. The live version on Live in Japan is amazing and with so much atmosphere. The same goes for much of UFO’s songs on Strangers in the Night.

There are some fantastic albums on that list. Perhaps it’s best to forget the order and just explore.