Best Live Album?

How about Yes Songs - Yes - Live & Dangerous - Thin Lizzy - Live At Leeds The Who and I'm digging
Joe Bonamassa At Red Rocks. ( That's too much to think about at 5 30 in the morning)!!!
 
Mother's Finest.....
Impressive!! Not a lot of people even know about them, funk/rock at its best.

Hard to add to the list after you threw Frampton out there, gets my vote for all around best live release.
How about "Band of Gypsys" -Jimi, "Lotus" and "Moonflower" -Santana, although Carlos did a half live/half studio on that one.
 
I don't really understand the point of Pink Floyd live albums -- they're too much like the studio recordings. I either want long jams worked into the studio versions, like ABB's Live at Fillmore East, Deep Purple's Made in Japan, and Led Zeppelin's Song Remains the Same, or I want wildly different versions, like Joe Walsh's You Can't Argue with a Sick Mind or Blue Öyster Cult's Some Enchanted Evening.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I still own all of them, I'm a huge Pink Floyd fan, but I would never cite their albums as the best live album.

I also really dig Oingo Boingo's live-in-the-studio album, Boingo Alive as well as their wonderful career-capping Farewell.

I like when the concert versions of songs closely match the recorded versions. When artists change the meter or style or the tempo of a song I've listened to for years, is just doesn't work for me. A notable exception would be the two versions of 'Revolution' by the Beatles. It's worth noting that they were released at nearly the same time, so I had a chance to listen to them both, side by side and frequently.

I do like extended versions of songs with new solos thrown in, though.

I'm not a fan of 'unplugged' versions. The absolute worst example would be Clapton's unplugged version of 'Layla'. The slow, laid back version evicerated that song and rendered it meaningless. Gone were the angst, longing and despair, only to be replaced by apathy.
 
album-live-johnny-winter-and.jpg
Anytime I think I can play guitar, I just listen to Johnny's version of Jumpin Jack Flash with Rick Derringer that is on this (dare it say it) LP. Phenomenal guitar playing!
 
OK - to the best of my knowledge only one vote for the Allman Brothers Live at The Filmore East so I will cast my for for it as well. Also liked The Who - Live at Leeds
 
I'll toss out a couple that may not be "the best". They bring back good memories of youth in the early 80's. We certainly did wear them out....

Pat Travers - Live! Go For What You Know

Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush - Live
 
I'll toss out a couple that may not be "the best". They bring back good memories of youth in the early 80's. We certainly did wear them out....

Pat Travers - Live! Go For What You Know

Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush - Live

Two of my all time favorites, and both were absolute staples for me for "put on the album and play along" albums.

Just saw this and haven't given it any thought but I'll throw this one out there. Emerson, Lake and Palmer "Welcome Back My Friends...." The first hour of that concert has to be some of the most incredible live performance ever recorded. STUNNING! I've seen many of the greatest guitar players ever, and heard most of them. I still say Keith Emerson is the best musician I've ever seen live. Both times, just completely blew me away.

There is a YouTube video of that concert and when this topic came up in a smaller forum a couple years ago, I mentioned this concert. Many guys who'd never heard it watched and even the non-ELP fans were all blown away by this. When I have time later today I'll link it up here for you guys to check out. Mind blowing stuff!
 
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(Sorry, just catching up on this thread!)
Another GREAT one that was for years a regular on the "put the album on and play along" list. GREAT STUFF. Probably my favorite Johnny album.
 
No contest.

Many great mentioned, but this is another all time favorite for me.

Edit: and I was worried that I was most of the way through the thread without mention of it, but Huggy B saved us all. Band Of Gypsys. Jimi's best solo ever (the greatest guitar solo of all times!) and multiple other killer ones.
 
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Didn't notice this thread when it was originally put out there... For me, no contest. Snuck into this bar at age 13, and was in the audience when this was recorded...

Totally set my bar in terms of what live sound should be.

 
I'll toss out a couple that may not be "the best". They bring back good memories of youth in the early 80's. We certainly did wear them out....

Pat Travers - Live! Go For What You Know

Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush - Live
Good call on both -- I listened to these two albums more than the respective artists' collective studio albums.
 
I like when the concert versions of songs closely match the recorded versions. When artists change the meter or style or the tempo of a song I've listened to for years, is just doesn't work for me. A notable exception would be the two versions of 'Revolution' by the Beatles. It's worth noting that they were released at nearly the same time, so I had a chance to listen to them both, side by side and frequently.

I do like extended versions of songs with new solos thrown in, though.

I'm not a fan of 'unplugged' versions. The absolute worst example would be Clapton's unplugged version of 'Layla'. The slow, laid back version evicerated that song and rendered it meaningless. Gone were the angst, longing and despair, only to be replaced by apathy.
Yeah, I know, I suspect I am in the minority on that, but I really dig alternate versions.

The Name of this band is Talking Heads is another one I love, where I don't think there's a single track from Remain in Light that hadn't been completely rearranged.

I'd be curious as to your opinion of the Eagles' live version of Hotel California, where they replaced the searing solo with that pulled back unplugged version. I like it, of course, other than it got overplayed, but I suspect you hate it.
 
Yeah, I know, I suspect I am in the minority on that, but I really dig alternate versions.

The Name of this band is Talking Heads is another one I love, where I don't think there's a single track from Remain in Light that hadn't been completely rearranged.

I'd be curious as to your opinion of the Eagles' live version of Hotel California, where they replaced the searing solo with that pulled back unplugged version. I like it, of course, other than it got overplayed, but I suspect you hate it.

Oddly, the acoustic version from the "Hell Freezes Over" DVD is quite nice to me...
 
In no special order :)

Frank Zappa- Best band you never heard
UFO -Strangers in The Night
Humble Pie -Rockin the Filmore
Robin Trower Live
Ted Nugent Double live Gonzo
Peter Frampton - Frampton comes alive
AC/DC - If you want Blood
Atlanta Rhythm Section - Champagne Jam
 
UFO Strangers is not only my fav live album but fav of ALL TIME!!!

Pat Travers - Go for What You Know is a close #2
 
In no special order :)

Frank Zappa- Best band you never heard
UFO -Strangers in The Night
Humble Pie -Rockin the Filmore
Robin Trower Live
Ted Nugent Double live Gonzo
Peter Frampton - Frampton comes alive
AC/DC - If you want Blood
Atlanta Rhythm Section - Champagne Jam

Double Live Gonzo was a staple during my high school and college days. Back in the 8-track days, this was a double length tape, which any of you who had them know, didn't last long. I used to wear out a DLG 8 Track about every 6 months until I finally got a cassette deck for the car.
Robin Trower Live is one of my 10 desert island albums. An all time favorite from one of my favorite guitar players.
 
Oh, heck yeah, my introduction to Rush.

Loved side 3, especially, and one of these days, I'm going to do a bizarre cover of "What You're Doing" that I have in my head.
 
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