Live al***s with good performance and good sound

Please click here to hear the wonderful Waking the Witch - alas this band is no longer together, but they did make three superb albums. Rachel Goodwin, Patsy Matheson, Becky Mills and Jools Parker hail from Leeds and have appeared at Glastonbury, Trowbridge and Cambridge. Their last album Boys from the Abattoir released at the beginning of 2007 is the best place to start; the live performance is a DVD and is up there with the best musical DVDs like Kate Rusby Live at Leeds Royal Variety Theatre.

Genesis Seconds Out is my favourite live album and sounds superb with an outstanding performance.

A recent live album that is superbly recorded and with a good performance is David Gilmour Live in Gdansk.

I don't know your musical taste but I will also add Keith Jarrett Trio - My Foolish Heart Live at Montreux.

Exit Stage Left and Different Stages are 2 of my favourite Rush live albums.

I like Seconds Out also.

If you call the unplugged sessions live, then Nirvana, Neil Young and the 10,000 Maniacs should be on your list.

Kraftwerk - Minimum Maximum
Pink Floyd - Pulse

quote:

Originally posted by BigH47:
Exit Stage Left and Different Stages are 2 of my favourite Rush live albums.

I like Seconds Out also.

'Different Stages' I would agree with, but 'Exit Stage Left' I have always thought has a strange mix, all bass and little guitar, I like 'All the World's a Stage' and 'A Show of Hands', all by Rush. My complaint with Rush live is that there is little variation compared with the studio versions, and also in the later live albums, you can hear that Neil Peart is tied to a click track for the visuals and sequencers, that said the other two more than make up for the drumming being a bit 'stodgy'.

Genesis 'Seconds Out' would get my vote too as one of the best.

Pink Floyd 'Pulse' is an amazing recording, but so good that it does not feel like a live album to me.

Thin Lizzy 'Live and Dangerous' is one of the best for performance. Kraftwerk 'Minimum, Maximum' has a fantastic sound, and the versions are excellent too.

Nine Inch Nails 'All that could have been' has a really punchy sound. Pearl Jam 'The Gorge' box set is excellent. Tangerine Dream 'Logos' and 'Poland' from the early 80's are very good.

Some of the numerous King Crimson live releases are worth getting if you are a fan.

I love the live Led Zeppelin albums for performance, but the sound is not good.

Neil Young live at Massey Hall is stunning.

Gary

quote:

Originally posted by fathings cat:
Neil Young live at Massey Hall is stunning.

Gary

Second that.

Leonard Cohen 'Live in London' works for me on both counts as does Fleetwood Mac 'The Dance', Eagles 'Hell Freezes Over' and The 'Stones 'Stripped'.

Little Feat 'Waiting for Columbus' is another.

GH

quote:

Neil Young live at Massey Hall is stunning

Even better on bluray!
Nat

Dire Straits - Alchemy....on vinyl.

Van Morrison - Its Too Late To Stop Now.

"Coma Divine" - Porcupine Tree

Thanks for the replies, defiantly some things to check out! I always feel that a good live album can be a great experience.

Two favourites of mine are Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense but contain a lot of studio overdubs, and Quicksilver Messenger Service - Happy Trails but not such good sound quality.

Defiantly agree with Thin Lizzy - Alive and Dangerous, have been playing this album for years!

Eagles - hell freezes over
Richard thompson - semi detached mock tudor
James mcmurtry - live at aught 3.

All are outstanding

I really like Eva Cassidy, Live at Blues Alley........

quote:

Originally posted by Bluetorric:
I really like Eva Cassidy, Live at Blues Alley........

Yes, another cracking live album.

So is this...

quote:

Originally posted by munch:
This is a classic.

Indeed. So is this:

My little list :-

Waiting for Columbus, Little Feat.

Yessongs, Yes.

Seconds Out, Genesis.

Bursting Out, Jethro Tull.

Joan Baez - From Every Stage
Jackson Browne - Running on Empty
Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Session
Alison Krauss + Union Station - Live
Joni Mitchell - Shadows and Light
Supertramp - Paris
Graham Parker - Live Alone in America
Bruce Cockburn - Live
Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis - Two Men With the Blues

All on vinyl of course, and another vote for Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall 1971, superb performance and recording.

I have hours of enjoyment with this list...

CD:
Joni Mitchell - Shadows and Light
Jackson Browne - Solo Acoustic Vol 1
Neil Young - live at Massey Hall ("is stunning"; totally agree)
Love - The Forever Changes Concert: Live at the Royal Festival Hall 2003
Porcupine Tree - Coma Divine
Porcupine Tree - Warszawa
Blackfield - Live In NYC [DVD + CD]
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid (Abbey Road Live Edition) [CD+DVD]
Thomas Dolby - The Sole Inhabitant [CD+DVD]
King Crimson - Night Watch
Led Zeppelin - BBC Sessions
Richard Thompson - semi detached mock tudor
Jeff Beck - Performing This Week...Live At Ronnie Scott's
Pete Townshend - Live at the House of Blues Chicago/a Benefit for Maryville Academy

Vinyl:
John Mclaughlin Trio - Live at the Royal Festival Hall: 27th November 1989
Phil Manzanera - 801 Live

Recorded in Boston Symphony Hall with the 'Boston Pops' orchestra and some excellent 'special guests' that play a truly amazing array of styles.Katharine McPhee does a wonderful version of Got you under my skin, then ther's Steve Tyler, Josh Groban, John Meyer and Dominic Miller. Lucia Micarelli plays brilliantly.
I do wish that Chris would learn a few more trumpet tracks - while these are all excellent in recording and playing, I've got them by him already more than emnough times!
Well worth a punt as the ambiance of the hall and recording are excellent. I fully expect this album to do the rounds in HiFi shows this year and beyond. At least there is more than one track that can be played and appreciated.

more...

Spooky Tooth - Nomad Poets
Christine Collister - Live: at the Gaiety Theatre Douglas
Rainer Ptacek - Live at the Performance Center

If you like electric guitars with lot of feedback, well this is it!