Weld.
Prob already been mentioned, but there is no other live album I’ll listen to.
Remember thinking the Monday’s “Baby Big Head” was good when I first bought it, but not played it since.
That reminds me – Alan Smith still has my Dead Kennedys video…. he’s had it for maybe 25 yrs now. Think that there’s a small chance I’ll not see it back…
Michelle Shocked – The Texas Campfire Tapes.
Literally recorded sat around a campfire using a Sony Walkman Pro, you can hear crickets, the fire crackling, trucks on the highway and trains going past in the distance.
Cowboy Junkies – Trinity Sessions: recorded live using one Calrec microphone into a 2-track RDAT recorder over the course of one day* in the Church of the Holy Trinity, Toronto, with no mixing or overdubs.
*except for Margo’s a Capella chanting of ‘Mining for Gold’, which had to be recorded later at the same venue during an orchestra’s lunch-break due to time running out.
Most ‘live albums’ are made up of a number of recordings from during a tour, mixed together, and often with some studio work afterwards as well, which is fine, but I love true, one take live recordings because you get all the ambience of the room and the surroundings.
Recorded in 1971 at The Olympia, Paris, France. Bootsy Collins, Catfish Collins, and Jabo Starks on drums! The air is charged and you can hear/feel it in the crowd. Like a sex/time-machine! Was shelved which meant this recording wasn’t actually released until 1992 (on CD). There are some vinyl 3xLP knocking around with each disc mastered from the original mixdown reels. Some clips of those here (scroll down)
Vid below of ‘There Was A Time’. Of all the bersions I’ve heard it NEVER sounded this incredible. It’s like a whole new song with Bootsy magic. And I can’t even find a good long clip of ‘Soul Power’ but it takes OFF!.
Muse’s Hullabaloo. Caught them pretty much at their high point, the live DVD’s phenomenal…
And Hundred Reasons, Year 10- their last ever gig. It’s pretty rough in places- they did that “play the whole album” thing and that always gives an iffy setlist- but it’s still fantastic, one of the few live albums I can listen to over and over. Helps that I was there, mind! Just a total celebration.
(I thought it was the law that someone’d suggest Cheap Trick At Budokan?)
Has nobody mentioned Joe Cocker? Live Rust is my favourite Neil Young but need to get Live at Massey Hall. Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes at the Greek Theatre is a good mix of Led Zep songs and old blues songs. Black Crowes Freak n Roll is superb and if you use iTunes the 6 shows from the Philmore are worth a look. They finished each night with different covers, the Neil Young night is probably my favourite.