Best recording of a live rock performance?
Posted by: MDS on 08 March 2014
Over the years I’ve become accustomed to being disappointed with recordings of rock concerts and generally avoid buying them. I’ve found that they often suffer from one or more of (a) the loudness of the concert masking weaknesses in the performance which are all too obvious when the recording is played (b) the acoustics of the auditorium make the recording flat or distant and (c) the audience seems separate from the performance of the band so it all feels a bit contrived. There are exceptions, I know, and playing one this evening has caused me to think I should pose the question what do you think is the best? The one I’m going to nominate is this:
The opening song, Thunderstruck, sets a very high standard. The performance of every instrument is spot on, and the interaction of the crowd makes for a wonderful ‘almost-being-here’ atmosphere. It always gives me goosebumps and the need to take a breath at the end of the performance. That sort of ‘connection’ is what good music should be able to do to in my book.
Any other nominations?
This is an excellent live album.
It was a side project headed by Donald Fagen while Steely Dan were on a bit of a sabbatical in 1991. Stars such as Donald Fagen, Boz Scaggs, Phoebe Snow and Micheal McDonald got together to perform a series of shows backed by an outstanding 16 person backing band.
Some good suggestions here. I can feel a shopping list being written. And my definition of 'rock' was intended to be broad and would certainly include Floyd so keep 'em coming.
The best live Floyd by far and away is the live album from this:
...which shows why they were considered one of the best live bands in the country in 1969. The version of "CWTAE" is definitive, and utterly extraordinary.
"Delicate Sound of Thunder" from 1988 is best avoided as it is utter dross, with pointless facsimiles of the dire "AMLOR" material and dodgy 80s remakes of the old classics. There is also the whiff of studio tinkering so there is no atmosphere - something which afflicts its 1995 successor "Pulse" which is all studio gloss and no energy. The "DSOTM" on "Pulse", for all its polish, is completely inferior to the Wembley version of 1974 found on the Immersion and Experience box sets of 2011.
The live tracks on the "WYWH" Immersion set, also recorded at Wembley in 1974, are pretty good as well, as is the 2000 live album "Is There Anybody Out There?", recorded at Earls Court in 1980/81, a good document of the "Wall Live" show and a souvenir of the last time the classic line-up played together.
My own hope is that now the Floyd back catalogue has moved to Warners, they will start to issue some of the great live stuff that's in the vaults, such as the legendary BBC concerts from 1970 and '71 (plus the 67 to 69 Peel sessions), the '72 Brighton Dome concerts, Earls Court in 1973, the Jan 1970 Paris show, the awesome September 1969 tape recorded by Dutch radio, the Montreux and KQED tapes from 1970, one of the 1977 soundboards the band themselves recorded on the "Animals" tour, and one of the excellent Mike Millard audience recordings from the LA Forum in 1975. We can but wait... 
Not exactly 'rock' but a stunning performance and superb clarity & dynamics from 1974.
G
EC's Un-Plugged performance ought to be on the list of the best-est
As above, Joe
Surprised nobody's mentioned the greatest live band of all time...
This, recorded at MSG over three nights in July 1973, has been fiddled with by Page (see The Garden Tapes website for details) is a bit erratic, but has its moments, including (as long as you don't get the 2007 LP or CD reissues) an incredible version of "No Quarter" which shows off the band in excelsis. Bags of atmosphere too.
Recorded the previous year and is much better, still suffers from Page-Just-Can't-Stop-Tinkering-In-The-Studio syndrome, but it is one of the best live albums ever made.
For anyone interested, all five of the legendary Earls Court shows - which may represent the band at their absolute zenith - are easy to get hold of these days, in very good quality too.
A terrific respond to this thread everyone. Thank you. I've got one of two of the nominations but most are new to me so I'm quite excited about my rich-looking shopping list.
Ewemon
Regrettably I never saw Skynyrd or the original Little Feat line up. I'm too young 
Little Feat touring Let it Roll at the Hammersmith Odeon is one of the best gigs I've ever attended though - Hayward/Gradney/Clayton were awesome.....
Olly
Some good suggestions here. I can feel a shopping list being written. And my definition of 'rock' was intended to be broad and would certainly include Floyd so keep 'em coming.
The best live Floyd by far and away is the live album from this:
...which shows why they were considered one of the best live bands in the country in 1969. The version of "CWTAE" is definitive, and utterly extraordinary.
"Delicate Sound of Thunder" from 1988 is best avoided as it is utter dross, with pointless facsimiles of the dire "AMLOR" material and dodgy 80s remakes of the old classics. There is also the whiff of studio tinkering so there is no atmosphere - something which afflicts its 1995 successor "Pulse" which is all studio gloss and no energy. The "DSOTM" on "Pulse", for all its polish, is completely inferior to the Wembley version of 1974 found on the Immersion and Experience box sets of 2011.
The live tracks on the "WYWH" Immersion set, also recorded at Wembley in 1974, are pretty good as well, as is the 2000 live album "Is There Anybody Out There?", recorded at Earls Court in 1980/81, a good document of the "Wall Live" show and a souvenir of the last time the classic line-up played together.
My own hope is that now the Floyd back catalogue has moved to Warners, they will start to issue some of the great live stuff that's in the vaults, such as the legendary BBC concerts from 1970 and '71 (plus the 67 to 69 Peel sessions), the '72 Brighton Dome concerts, Earls Court in 1973, the Jan 1970 Paris show, the awesome September 1969 tape recorded by Dutch radio, the Montreux and KQED tapes from 1970, one of the 1977 soundboards the band themselves recorded on the "Animals" tour, and one of the excellent Mike Millard audience recordings from the LA Forum in 1975. We can but wait...
Kevin - I got Delicate Sound of Thunder a few months back and I must say I was a bit disappointed. Think I expected more passion from a Floyd live performance, rather as I remember them at Wembley when they did the Animals tour. Curiously, Ummagumma is an album I've never had. One for my list now. Cheers
Not exactly 'rock' but a stunning performance and superb clarity & dynamics from 1974.
G
No, she doesn't count as rock but I like Joni so thanks for the suggestion, Graeme
Get 'Live on Air' - it is even better.
G
Ewemon
Regrettably I never saw Skynyrd or the original Little Feat line up. I'm too young
Little Feat touring Let it Roll at the Hammersmith Odeon is one of the best gigs I've ever attended though - Hayward/Gradney/Clayton were awesome.....
Olly
You don't know what you missed Olly. I saw the Feat on the Warner Brothers Presents tour at the Rainbow Finsbury Park. They blew the Doobies off the stage.
Olly if you want to hear the best Little Feat Live album then the above is it. You can get a copy by popping over to www.archive.org. It's free, legal and sanctioned by the band.
Olly if you want to hear the best Little Feat Live album then the above is it. You can get a copy by popping over to www.archive.org. It's free, legal and sanctioned by the band.
I agree, it is fabulous, blows Colombus outta the water...
Olly if you want to hear the best Little Feat Live album then the above is it. You can get a copy by popping over to www.archive.org. It's free, legal and sanctioned by the band.
I agree, it is fabulous, blows Colombus outta the water...
Have you got the version with the encores Kevin or the Pre Fm version which is great sq? There is beginning to be a concensus in amongst some of Feat fans that the 3 encores weren't possibly from the same session as they aren't on the Radio stations orignal 7" tape.
Olly if you want to hear the best Little Feat Live album then the above is it. You can get a copy by popping over to www.archive.org. It's free, legal and sanctioned by the band.
I agree, it is fabulous, blows Colombus outta the water...
Have you got the version with the encores Kevin or the Pre Fm version which is great sq? There is beginning to be a concensus in amongst some of Feat fans that the 3 encores weren't possibly from the same session as they aren't on the Radio stations orignal 7" tape.
The Pre-FM version ewemon (which is GREAT SQ). I know of the "three encores" version but I don't think I've ever actually heard it. What's your take?
Olly if you want to hear the best Little Feat Live album then the above is it. You can get a copy by popping over to www.archive.org. It's free, legal and sanctioned by the band.
I agree, it is fabulous, blows Colombus outta the water...
Have you got the version with the encores Kevin or the Pre Fm version which is great sq? There is beginning to be a concensus in amongst some of Feat fans that the 3 encores weren't possibly from the same session as they aren't on the Radio stations orignal 7" tape.
The Pre-FM version ewemon (which is GREAT SQ). I know of the "three encores" version but I don't think I've ever actually heard it. What's your take?
They are up on archive as well and were played on the re broadcast of the gig. I think they probably were from the same gig but can't be sure.
Did you get the Orpheum Halloween show Pre Fm tape which is great as well even though it is missing one track?
Olly if you want to hear the best Little Feat Live album then the above is it. You can get a copy by popping over to www.archive.org. It's free, legal and sanctioned by the band.
I agree, it is fabulous, blows Colombus outta the water...
Have you got the version with the encores Kevin or the Pre Fm version which is great sq? There is beginning to be a concensus in amongst some of Feat fans that the 3 encores weren't possibly from the same session as they aren't on the Radio stations orignal 7" tape.
The Pre-FM version ewemon (which is GREAT SQ). I know of the "three encores" version but I don't think I've ever actually heard it. What's your take?
Just seem to get the album art files from archive.org?
Would like to hear this.....
G