A good live album can make you wish you’d been there. A really good live album makes you downright angry that you weren’t. I’ve been listening to Brian Setzer’s “Rockabilly Riot! Live from the Planet,” and I am one mad dude.
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Some excellent ones already listed. I’ll add a few
Zappa - Roxy and Elsewhere
Wes Montgomery - Smokin’ at the Half Note
Climax Blues Band - FM Live
McLaughlin, Al di Meola, Paco di Lucia - Friday Night in San Francisco
Keith Jarrett - Live at the Blue Note
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Blackfoot, highway song live
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Hawkwind - Space Ritual
Bloomfield, Kooper & Stills - Super Session
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Tim Buckley. Dream Letter. Live From The Royal Albert Hall. 1968.
Typo, or did RT make an album in ‘83 I haven’t come across? I’ve got the ‘93 version, which is excellent.
You are right, it’s 93. Sorry for the confusion.
P.S. Sorry, HH. I know how much you do not like this band. Played it to death, in my teen years - happy and carefree days 
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No worries - there are so many examples of bands I cannot abide on this thread that one more makes no difference!
I think HH being, I believe, at least 10 years or so younger than many of us, missed out on those heady days of early heavy, psychedelic and prog rock. We are all products of our time, hence my detestation of the Smiths, Morrissey and the majority of the post punk discordance so beloved of HH’s musical generation. What a difference just a few years can make! Thank heavens for musical diversity.
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Another classic live album by the mighty ELP we had one album at the youth club in 1974 (this one) and played it to death. Hearing it can transport me back there.
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Definitely one of favourite live albums, if not one of my favourite bands! I have most of their studio albums, and play them occasionally. This knocks the socks off them all in terms of musicality and atmosphere.
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Same for 10cc as for Roxy. Studio albums good, this live album brilliant!
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Better post punk discordance than self indulgent bollocks!!! That was largely the point of punk - to blow away the endless noodling of bands like ELP. Back in 1975 I had that triple ELP live album, and absolutely loved it, then punk arrived and blew it all away. I’ve tried listening to ELP since, and simply cannot abide it, even though the musicianship cannot be questioned. I still love Made In Japan, which is an absolute classic. Songs like Space Truckin’ with its brilliant organ solos, and Child in Time with the amazing screaming, are just superb. Perhaps it’s the raw power and passion that I love, and which you’ll find in post punk outfits like Gang of Four or The Pop Group. ELP on the other hand is to me just clever clever self indulgence, more like musical onanism. I loved a couple of Yes albums, Fragile and Close to the Edge, but let them loose live, such as on the live Yessongs, and all restraint is lost and self indulgence takes over.
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Now you’ve got me thinking. Totally agree with most of the recommendations with a big thumbs up for The Last Dance by Runrig…best “live” recording I’ve heard & always gets the emotions going as any live album should. A couple of suggestions…Live Cream vols 1 & 2, Mothers live at Filmore East 1971 (no one mentioned Zappa yet?) &, probably the best live album of all time (?) Derek & Clive Live, Peter Cook & Dudley Moore together with “a packet of craven A & a bottle of Tizer”. Not strictly “live” although there was a small invited audience.
Kick out the jams MC5
Gotta let this Hen out Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians
Live Shots Joe Ely
Stand in the Fire Warren Zevon
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For atmosphere and wishing I had been there :
Bob Marley “ Live” recorded at the Lyceum in 1975.
Van Morrison “It’s too late to stop now”.
The Allman Bros “ at Fillmore East”
The first pro. Band I ever saw live was Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band at The Club AGogo in Newcastle in the 1960’s, last year I came across a reissue of a live concert from that era. “Hand Clappin’ Foot Stompin’ Funky -Butt … Live.” But sadly find it virtually unlistenable due to the volume of audience noise! Sometimes it is better not to disrupt your own memories!
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