In the first article of this series on The Best Albums, I talked about the best debut albums by bands or artists, which by no means was an exhaustive list but was based purely on personal preference and the influence the bands went on to have on the industry. Here’s a link to that article:- The Best Albums I- Debut
We now take a look at what in my opinion are some of the best LIVE albums to have been captured on tape.
The LIVE album was an event. It was the hallmark of a great band or artist to have a stellar LIVE record that captured the essence of their music and their relationship with the fans and back in the day when there was no video or internet, the only way the audience got to see their favourite artists were cameo appearances on TV or LIVE Concert venues and of course pictures in the magazines and posters on the wall.
However to reach a wider audience of hungry fans who wanted a piece of the action and who wanted to experience what their favourite bands sound and look like LIVE, bands and performers started to record their LIVE concerts and after some studio overdubs to get rid of the odd glitches here and there, released ‘in concert’ albums which were either culled from a variety of performances while on tour or served straight up LIVE in whatever city the band was playing in.
LIVE albums are always exciting for the band and the audience. Bands get to connect with their audience, revisit their material especially if they’ve been around awhile and they have an exhaustive catalogue and reinterpret their music to add some freshness for the fans. Fans also get to see their idols and experience their music in a new light.
Pop, Jazz, Rock, Metal, Soul, Funk, Reggae, any every other genre and their Uncle has seen a slew of LIVE releases over the decades but in this one we revisit some of the rock and pop releases of the 60’s 70’s and 80’s which capture the sounds of what could arguably be the best era the music scene has well, ever seen…
Deep Purple – Made in Japan
Capturing the energy and musicianship of one of the best bands in the world, Made in Japan was a double album which had just seven songs featuring extended versions of their loud and rocking studio albums Machine Head, Fireball and In Rock this arguably one of the best LIVE albums of all time. The album captured the spontaneity, the trade- offs and moments rarely captured on vinyl since. There were also no studio overdubs, fake applause and all of that studio jugglery to enhance the production.
Improvisations, extended solos and interplay between the band recorded by legendary producer Martin Birch who after his work wth Deep Purple and other outfits went on to produce metal band Iron Maiden’s work right through the 80’s.
The Mark II line-up featuring Ian Gillian- Vocals, Richie Blackmore- Guitar, Jon Lord- Keyboards, Roger Glover- bass and Ian Paice- Drums is in top form belting out their hits including Highway Star, a twelve minute version of Child in Time, a twenty minute version of Space Truckin and the eternal smash Smoke on the Water. The musical interludes and jams in between make those extended versions a collectors item. Recorded over concerts in Osaka and Tokyo in 1972, Made in Japan is a piece of music history.
Scorpions- World Wide LIVE
My personal favourite, this is a must have for any collector or music fan. Released in 1985, that mega year in music, the album, a double LIVE set successfully captured the band in their element. Recorded over large arena concerts and festivals shows a tour that spanned over 13 months and saw 2.2 million fans in attendance, the excitement and energy of the band and the audience is what strikes you from the get- go as the countdown begins and the band rips through Coming Home, Blackout, Bad Boys Running Wild, the ballad Still Loving You, the monster Rock you like a hurricane and the sing along Holiday amongst others. The tracks featured from their Love at First Sting, Blackout, Love Drive and Animal Magnetism are all powerhouses and are taken from the Mathias Jabs era. For fans of the Uli Jon Roth era, Scorpions’ Tokyo Tapes is an excellent LIVE album as well. By the time they get to Dynamite they are powering full steam ahead. It really knocks your socks off this one, its a trip… Incidentally the album ranks number two behind Frampton Comes Alive as the largest selling LIVE albums of all time in the US.
Iron Maiden- LIVE After Death
Mega band Iron Maiden’s 1985 ( what is it about 1985?) offering LIVE after Death recorded over 4 nights in Long Beach, California, as part of their World Slavery Tour to promote their 1984 release Powerslave. No studio overdubs on this one and what you hear is what the audience in the arena got on the night. 90000 people and a heavy metal band means only one thing, a helluva lot of noise… The band is rocking, the fans are ecstatic, the critics are bewildered wondering as frontman Bruce Dickinson says how a band with no radio airplay cold sell out Long Beach Arena four nights in a row. Because its Iron Maiden, because its the music and because heavy metal fans are known to be some of the most loyal fans in the world…
The band sets the mood with a snippet from Churchill’s World War II Speech as they rip into Aces High after which there is no let up. They power through the staples Two Minutes to Midnight, Trooper, Number of the Beast, the 13 minute Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Hallowed be thy Name amongst others… The album was recorded and produced by the previously mentioned legendary Martin Birch.
Neil Diamond- Hot August Night
Another personal top favourite LIVE album of mine, Neil Diamond’s voice just takes you away to that special place and the pace, tone and flow of the album transports you to this magical place where all the elements are aligned as it were and you’re one with the music and the moment…
Hot August Night came out in 1972. What is it about 1972? As we saw earlier, Deep Purple’s Made in Japan is a 1972 release as well. It was recorded at the Greek Theater, Los Angeles over a series of sold out dates. The Prologue sets the tone of the album as the orchestra kicks in building up to Neil Diamond’s entry on stage and launching into Crunchy Granola Suite and making his way to Solitary Man, Sweet Caroline, Song Sung Blue, I am I said and so many more talking about the stars and the night and the tree people, it has it all, orchestral highs, powerful sequences, quiet moments the works… Featuring quintessential Diamond, it covers his body of work from the mid sixties up to that point extensively. A collector’s absolute essential and a ‘trip…’
Peter Frampton- Frampton Comes Alive
One of the best selling LIVE albums of all time, it featured 25 year old Peter Frampton ex Humble Pie LIVE in San Francisco, it showcased the talented performer at his finest backed by a stellar band. Both Electric and Acoustic material were part of the set and his trend setting use of the Wah pedal and talk box inspired a generation of musicians who came later. Featuring Show me the way, an extended sing along version of Do you feel like I do, Baby I love your way, All I wanna be is by your side and a cover of the Rolling Stones’ Jumping Jack Flash amongst others. A double album release in 1976 it went straight into the Billboard Top 200 and has sold over 11 million albums so far.
The songs were so popular on radio that it prompted Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott to ask what’s it about this album that’s so special. What’s he doing that we can’t, why can’t we do this, which set the stage for Thin Lizzy’s iconic LIVE offering LIVE and Dangerous…
Thin Lizzy- LIVE and Dangerous
Running in contention for the best LIVE album, LIVE and Dangerous was recorded over many different concert tours and released in 1978. Featuring the classic line up of Phil Lynott- Vocals and Bass, Brian Robertson- Guitar, Scott Gorham- Guitar,Brian Downey- Drums, and their twin guitar sound, the double album hit No. 2 in the UK charts. The band’s high voltage energy was recorded and captured on tape and while there were studio overdubs to remove the glitches, the album remains iconic and one of the best ever.
Pink Floyd- p.u.l.s.e.
Pink Floyd fans would be hard pressed to choose between Delicate Sound of Thunder ( love the title) and p.u.l.s.e. However with the latter offering a full LIVE play through of the phenomenal Dark Side of the Moon as well besides their regular set and a song from the Syd Barett era Astronomy Dovine and the fancy LED cover had all the bells and whistles. Featuring a full backing band besides Dave Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright of Pink Floyd, the band is in its usual element. It reached Number One in many countries.
Dire Straits- Alchemy
A Dire Straits LIVE recording is a phenomenal piece of work. Dire Straits in the early days were a two guitar band but LIVE they transformed their material with a bigger band, two keyboardists, two guitarists, a steel guitar player, drums, percussion and a sax. The whole sound just gets bigger and the songs feature extended solos, parts and pieces that so take you to a higher place… Alchemy featured songs from their first four albums, the classic Dire Straits catalogue but the treatment especially in the opener Once Upon a Time in the West with the groove they set and extended guitar solo , or the beautiful sax piece in Romeo and Juliet, the extended Telegraph Road, Tunnel of Love and need I mention Sultans of Swing. The album has fewer songs but still spills over to two CD’s and is an absolute must have for any music lover. Oh yes it classifies as a ‘trip’ as well…
UFO- Strangers in the Night
Anybody who hasn’t heard the seminal guitar player of Michael Schenker hasn’t lived. The 70’s was an experimental time in music and fans were open to all sorts of music and influences and ideas and so on. Their demand for explorative musical ideas to existing and new material spawned a lot of the studio double albums and LIVE album releses of the time. UFO’s Strangers in the Night released in 1979 was one of them. Recorded in the USA over two nights it captured the UFO sound and Michael’s playing in all its glory cementing his position as a guitar hero and player extraordinaire.
Another album in contention for the best LIVE album of all time, the classic lineup of Phil Mogg -Vocals, Michael Schenker- Guitar, Paul Raymond- Guitar and Keyboards, Pete Way- Bass and Andy Parker – Drums , play through the UFO catalogue including the smash hit Doctor Doctor, Only You Can Rock Me, I’m a Loser, Let it Roll and carry with them the emotions of not only those who were there but the listener as well. The deafening roar of the crowd is proof enough of the impact of the show.
Simon and Garfunkel- Concert at Central Park
Slated as a fund raiser as well as the reunion for night only of the classic duo Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel who came together after eleven years in 1982 to raise funds for the conservation of New York’s Central Park. They played to an audience of 500,000 people with an eleven piece band and captured the essence of their classic hits of the 60’s and 70’s despite working together after so long. The concert also covered some of their solo recordings. The voices were in fine fettle and the night despite rains earlier in the day was magical.
Al De Meola, Paco De Lucia, John Mclaughlin– Friday Night in San Francisco
45 minutes of acoustic guitar madness, this album which released in 1981 features five tracks, four of which were recorded LIVE at the Warfield Theater and one in the studio. The recordings feature left and right channel separation so the audience can discern who’ds playing each piece. Featuring a fusion of Jazz and Flamenco styles, the album featured stalwarts John Maclaughlin of Shakti, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Chick Corea, Spanish sensation Paco de Lucia who despite not studying music formally played with the greats all over the world and Italian American Al de Meola who played with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White in Return for Forever and went solo after recording three albums with them. All three stalwarts are legends in their own right and their solo and collective work and projects are monuments by themselves. An exciting album to have.
There are many others Rush, Exit Stage Left; Clapton 24 Nights; The Who Live at Leeds; , Wishbone Ash LIVE Dates an album I have to get my hands on, Dream Theater, Scenes from a memory, John Mayer Live in Los Angles and a few Englebert Humperdink LIVE albums floating about as well, BB King LIVE in Japan or LIVE in San Quentin and the lsit goes on…
Ravi Sasan 