live albums
Live albums are often hit or miss for me. I mean I can appreciate watching the concert itself, but as a listening experience, they can often times be a bit subpar to what the artist is known for putting out (not naming live albums I don't dig to avoid getting more hate than I already do). I find what makes a live album work as an overral listening experience is the artist taking songs the listener is familiar with and transforming them, even so in a way that new or casual listeners of the artist cam greatly appreciate the experience being provided. Bur of course, to "transform" doesn't totally mean to greatly rework the original work, but sometimes more like breathing in a completely different and new life to these songs, so in a way that brings an obviously different experience than if I were to listen to the original. What are some of your favorite live albums and what do you think makes a live album work for you? |
| 1 |  | Nirvana
Live and Loud
See my soundoff for this gem |
| 2 |  | Joy Division
Les Bains Douches 18 December 1979
Joy Division live is a whole other beast than their studio counterpart. |
| 3 |  | Joy Division
Preston 28 February 1980
While their studio output sounds more like a quiet anger, their live stuff is unbridled, pure emotion and the aggression and passion they particularly display in this performance is admirable |
| 4 |  | Neil Young
Live Rust
Basically if Crazy Horse had a hand in co-writing the songs performed here. Neil's guitar tone on songs like Hey Hey, My My and Like a Hurricane is particularly gnarly and his attempt at harsh vocals on Sedan Delivery is amusing to listen to. |
| 5 |  | Mayhem
Dawn of the Blackhearts
Imo, the best thing Dead era Mayhem has ever created (albeit unintentionally as this is a bootleg). Although I say this disregarding the covers tacked onto the end of the album as they were added by record labels distributing the bootleg. |
| 6 |  | 801
801 Live
I'm not very sure how to even explain this. It just needs to be heard to be believed |
| 7 |  | Alice in Chains
MTV Unplugged
My favorite MTV Unplugged performance that is nearly matched by Pearl Jam's. But the sheer emotion and the long and rewarding setlist makes this a powerful listen, stripping the distortion that enveloped a majority of the original songs and providing sonething much more naked. |
| 8 |  | Pink Floyd
Is There Anybody Out There?
If you hate The Wall because of its lopsidedness of it being more Roger than the other members combined, chances are you'll find this way more rewarding to listen to as solos are fleshed out and the musicianship is much tighter than on the original album. And for those of you guys who already love the album like me, you'll be in for a magnificent treat |
| 9 |  | Pink Floyd
Live at Pompeii
Psychedelic Pink Floyd at their peak. Only thing missing is a rendition of Interstellar Overdirve but the performances of Echoes and Careful with that Axe more than make up for that exclusion |
| 10 |  | David Bowie
Live At Nassau Coliseum '76
Probably the first Bowie live album I've heard that didn't place theatrics far higher in priority than the performance itself. Sone of Bowie's best live vocal performances recorded show up here and if Bowie's soul era is your fav of his, the setlist will be far from disappointing as he takes the energy from the Ziggy Stardust Motion Picture performance and combines it with a way more focused and calculated execution |
| 11 |  | Frank Zappa
The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life
I'm not familiar enough with Zappa's discog to properly to compare the songs to their originals, but that reggae rendition of Stairway to Heaven and Ring of Fire kicks so much ass |
| 12 |  | Jeff Buckley
Live at Sin-é (Legacy Edition)
Fucking hell is Jeff's vocals heavenly. The dude is also pretty funny, such a damn shame he died so young |
| 13 |  | Radiohead
In Rainbows: From the Basement
The loudness war production on In Rainbows greatly aggravated me but this organic performance of the album provides the missing depth and subtely lost on the studio counterpart |
| 14 |  | Radiohead
The King of Limbs: From the Basement |
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