The Best Live Albums
Here’s 10 of my favorites…what are yours?
A classic, as is the concert film it accompanied. This CD has so many fantastic moments – not least of which is a version of “Ruby’s Arms” that’s better than the original and is probably the most heartbreaking song I’ve ever heard.
The definitive Townes album in my opinion…which means the definitive recording of one of the greatest of songwriters. This has such great performances of so many of his best songs.
An acknowledged classic, but for good reason. A powerhouse performance all-around, whether we’re talking about the original EP, the fleshed-out-to-an-album CD version, or the double-disc deluxe one.
I bought this LP the other day at a yard sale and it’s so gorgeous—a lengthy showcase of what made Hayes a soul legend. Plus it’s got this great fold-out cover, where the doors to the venue open up and you see him inside.
When this semi-official bootleg showed up in stores back in 1995, it was the first taste many of us GBV fans were getting of their live show. Fitting, right, that the first image is one of increasingly drunker GBV, plowing through their songs? It’s a snapshot of a party, but it also has some on-fire performances, and special moments.
All of the live sets Bjork’s released have been excellent, as she gives the songs a whole new style. This one for some reason is my favorite of them, quite eclectic and beautiful.
Ely in full-on rockin’ mood, uniting Texas border sounds with that of ‘50s rock radio. So much energy, such great songs.
Most hip-hop live albums are awful, and this one overall isn’t so great either, but it’s still perhaps the best, and has some moments that truly show off why Krs-One is one of the best MCs ever, no matter how lackluster so many of his more recent albums have been.
It’s impossible in this day and age to only think about official live albums, when there’s so many other live recordings out there. Actually that was true even in the past, like 13 or so years ago when this recording was made, though then it was all about people taping shows and spreading them around. This Jonathan Richman recording is of atrocious quality, absolutely unlistenable, and it cuts off halfway through the show. It’s an example of a terrible taping job, yet I have a fondness for it. It’s a recording of my first time seeing Jonathan play, a very special night, and it’s one of the first bootlegs I remember playing again and again, even when I had to strain to hear anything at all through the fuzz. I’ve not even sure if I have this anymore; I might have come to my senses and taped over it. But I still remember it, especially a great version of “City vs. Country” that’s starker and more powerful than the one he ended up releasing on an album. I’m probably remembering the show itself more than the album, but sometimes live recordings serve that purpose: memory.
On a similar note, there’s no reason why I’d listen to this so-so recording of an after-its-prime VU more often than their classic live album 1969, but for some reason I do. I think it’s because I actually like hearing people talking over the music, it adds atmosphere to it. At the same time, I started listening to this much less often when the excellent Bootleg Series, Vol. 1: The Quine Tapes box set came out, as that’s so much more enjoyable overall. I haven’t heard the “deluxe edition” of Live at Max’s Kansas City – is it worthwhile?
