Top 5 Greatest Live Albums

[spacekowboy]

I do love me some Queen and I own the Live Aid concert on dvd, but Queen was very reliant upon the studio sound. That sound could never be recreated live. Not by a 4 piece band anyway.

 

[patient1]

I do love me some Queen and I own the Live Aid concert on dvd, but Queen was very reliant upon the studio sound. That sound could never be recreated live. Not by a 4 piece band anyway.

Same with their layered vocals.

 

[schism666]

I do love me some Queen and I own the Live Aid concert on dvd, but Queen was very reliant upon the studio sound. That sound could never be recreated live. Not by a 4 piece band anyway.

how many hammonds and rhythm guitar players did zep use live

 

[cowslinger64]

There was the whole phenomenon in the '70s of acts that really broke through due to a successful live album (Seger, Cheap Trick, Frampton).

Little Feat would possibly be in that category too, if Lowell George hadn't died so soon afterwards (and if he hadn't been such a pain in the ass even on the rare occasions he was sober). Unfortunately, I rarely run into anyone, especially anyone younger than me, who knows the first thing about them.

I actually got to see Little Feat one time.. they opened for The Allman Brothers.. tenth row center baby!!!

Went home wore out after all that jammin too!!

 

[PlayfulAsAPussycat]

I do love me some Queen and I own the Live Aid concert on dvd, but Queen was very reliant upon the studio sound. That sound could never be recreated live. Not by a 4 piece band anyway.

Same with their layered vocals.

Enhanced by the studio sound, maybe...reliant, no. Freddie Mercury had a larger-than-life stage presence and Brian May is just fucking amazing. I was too young to see them live wen Freddie was alive and John Deacon was still with them, but I’ve seen Queen + Paul Rodgers and Queen + Adam Lambert live, and Brian and Roger can still rock out!

 

[spacekowboy]

how many hammonds and rhythm guitar players did zep use live

I'm not knocking Queen at all. I love their sound, but it was over produced. Their music live is not as good as the studio. Studio work is awesome in it's own right, but this thread isn't about studio work.

Zeppelin as well in the later years when they used too much studio magic couldn't recreate that sound live.
Also anecdotally, Zeppelin in the later years was not a great live band.
And I'm a Huge Zeppelin fan as well, but the evidence is the evidence.

 

[spacekowboy]

Enhanced by the studio sound, maybe...reliant, no. Freddie Mercury had a larger-than-life stage presence and Brian May is just fucking amazing. I was too young to see them live wen Freddie was alive and John Deacon was still with them, but I’ve seen Queen + Paul Rodgers and Queen + Adam Lambert live, and Brian and Roger can still rock out!

This is exactly my point with Queen.
They CAN get that sound now with all the digital tricks you can implement live these days. Back in the day you could not. I'm not taking anything away from their creativity or their ability. The facts are that Queen made that sound in the studio. That sound could not be recreated live without the aid of a full orchestra and backing vocalists and no one is going on tour with a circus like that. Not even Freddy Mercury.

 

[cowslinger64]

This is exactly my point with Queen.
They CAN get that sound now with all the digital tricks you can implement live these days. Back in the day you could not. I'm not taking anything away from their creativity or their ability. The facts are that Queen made that sound in the studio. That sound could not be recreated live without the aid of a full orchestra and backing vocalists and no one is going on tour with a circus like that. Not even Freddy Mercury.

Brian Setzer plays with a 19 piece orchestra.. they're brilliant live..

Brian Setzer Orchestra - The House Is Rockin

 

[debear]

Queen Rocks Plus...My Picks

I saw Queen at the Forum in LA way back in a magical time called the 70's during the Day At The Races/Night Of The Opera Tour. I'll probably get eatin alive for saying this but I thought their live sound was better than their studio sound in a lot of ways. A lot of the Album stuff sounded flat and muted to me. Live these guys put the pedal down and rocked...and Freddie...well he just stole the show. That man commanded the stage. I just saw Adam Lambert and Queen in Vegas at the Park MGM (great venue) and they still bring it. If you like Queen there's a tribute band that kicks around in LA called Queen Nation and they are very, very good.

Ok...My picks and in no particular order. I put six cause one might be DVD only...not really a "live album". These are just my off the top of the head picks.

Rush - All The World's A Stage
Little Feat - Live From Neon Park (Also Dig Waiting For Columbus)
Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More From The Road
Grateful Dead - Dead Set
John Fogarty - Premonitions (This Might Be DVD Only)
Steely Dan - Live In America

 

[sircumvent]

There was the whole phenomenon in the '70s of acts that really broke through due to a successful live album (Seger, Cheap Trick, Frampton).

Little Feat would possibly be in that category too, if Lowell George hadn't died so soon afterwards (and if he hadn't been such a pain in the ass even on the rare occasions he was sober). Unfortunately, I rarely run into anyone, especially anyone younger than me, who knows the first thing about them.

Haha.........I don't know how old you are, but I'm somewhere between rust and dirt.

And Little Feat was great.

 

[HampshireBoy]

I saw Queen at the Forum in LA way back in a magical time called the 70's during the Day At The Races/Night Of The Opera Tour. I'll probably get eatin alive for saying this but I thought their live sound was better than their studio sound in a lot of ways. A lot of the Album stuff sounded flat and muted to me. Live these guys put the pedal down and rocked...and Freddie...well he just stole the show. That man commanded the stage. I just saw Adam Lambert and Queen in Vegas at the Park MGM (great venue) and they still bring it. If you like Queen there's a tribute band that kicks around in LA called Queen Nation and they are very, very good.

I far prefered Queen live to their studio albums, as I thought the albums overproduced, especially the later ones. Freddie was a superb front man and the other guys were great musicians, all fused into a great unit. With Paul Rodgers they were still great, though could never be the same they managed to put a different slant on some classic songs. I'm afraid that the tribute band with Lambert is not Queen, I've only seen them on TV as I wouldn't pay to see that.

 

[debear]

I far prefered Queen live to their studio albums, as I thought the albums overproduced, especially the later ones. Freddie was a superb front man and the other guys were great musicians, all fused into a great unit. With Paul Rodgers they were still great, though could never be the same they managed to put a different slant on some classic songs. I'm afraid that the tribute band with Lambert is not Queen, I've only seen them on TV as I wouldn't pay to see that.

I agree with everything you said except for one thing. The Adam Lambert fronted show was not a tribute band show. He played with both Roger Taylor and Brian May same as Paul Rogers did. John Deacon declined to play in either concert tour.

I never got to see the Rogers/Queen shows but I've got the DVD. Excellent show. Like you said...different slant on some of the songs but all in all its a great show. The thing I enjoyed about the Lambert/Queen show is he was able to hit many of the upper register notes that Rogers couldn't...he's still no Freddie and he even says that when he walks on stage but I really enjoyed his performance.

The tribute band I spoke about is called Queen Nation. They are very popular in the LA area. They play about 150 shows a year. If you like Queen go see these guys. They don't have the big bucks production stage show but if you want to hear Queen music reproduced in an authentic manner check them out. There's a lot of videos on You Tube.

 

[TJX]

Led Zeppelin the song remains the same. The Beatles the stones and Zeppelin are the top 3 bands of all time according to ticket sales, gold and platinum albums and number of weeks at #1. Of course the stones have been going at it for 50 some years vs 10 years or so for the other two.

 

[Gamine67]

1. Frampton Comes Alive

2. Harry Chapin - Greatest Stories Live

 

[Colonel Hogan]

Wheels of Fire - Cream

 

[johnny62]

For me it would be :
1) Frampton Comes Alive
2) Kiss Alive
3) Foghat Live
4) Bob Seger Live Bullet
5) Ozzy Osbourne Tribute

 

[Sweet_Lara]

Add Deep Purple's Made in Japan to any list.

 

[darrad143]

I agree with a lot of these 5 is a hard pick. There is a lot of great live concerts. I do think it is a shame that not one dead album was named. So I’ll put “ One from the vault it is a go to for me. Any of the great albums listed could be in my top 5. They are so good.

 

[Ann_Tagonist]

 

[WiserSoutherner]

I might argue that Queen’s set at Live Aid deserves one of those slots, but technically, it’s not a live album in itself, as the entire concert was probably about 16 hours long. Still among the best live performances ever recorded, and even better on video than audio formats alone.

There’s no arguing with Johnny Cash at Folsom.

Side note (not trying to hijack the thread) - I was in Philly for Live Aid

And I'll throw in another vote for Springsteen - NYC

 

[HisArpy]

Amateurs. Eagles live! is the best live album because it was done by the best band ever.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-artists-147446/eagles-85769/

Second place goes to Hotel California.

The rest are also rans.

 

[jomar]

And...Bob Marley

 

[BrokenBarbie]

Descendents – Liveage!
The Cramps – Smell Of Female
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Live From The Middle East
Black Flag – Who’s Got The 10 1⁄2?
NOFX – I Heard They Suck Live

 

[Kantarii]

Slayer - Decade of Aggression

 

[Sweet_Lara]

no particular order

Rush Exit Stage Left

Scorpions World Wide Live

Deep Purple Made in Japan

Humble Pie Fillmore gotta get Steve Marriott on list