Some highly recommended live albums:
All of
Rory Gallagher's - notably
Stage Struck, Irish Tour '74, Live in Europe, G-Men Bootleg Series. No one put more effort into trying to please an audience than Rory.
Captured Live - Johnny WinterFull-on straight-ahead play-as-if-your-life-depended-on-it rock blues from his 1976 heyday. Total exhilaration right the way through, and a frantic 10-minute slide-fest on 'Highway 61'. Who'd think a stick-thin, unhealthy-looking, cross-eyed albino could become one of the greatest guitar heroes able to command the total attention of full 100,000-seat stadiums with confidence so supreme that he would announce "Check this out...." before going off on one?
'Live at the Agora Ballroom' - Molly HatchetPile-driving southern hard boogie at its best. Think Lynyrd Skynyrd squared and on amphetamines.
London 1974 - Captain BeefheartSome great chooglin' Capt from his most listenable period. The rambling yet tight sound is guaranteed to put you in a good mood.
It's Alive - RamonesA classic 1-2-3-4 chainsaw-blitzkrieg from da brudders.
Live at Ludlow Garage - Allman BrothersWorth it just for the edge-of-the-seat slide duelling frenzy in 'Dimples'.
'Band of Gypsys', 'Live at Woodstock' and 'Live at the Isle of Wight' - Jimi HendrixNo explanation required......! Outstanding.
In Concert - The DoorsTop musicianship - one man playing bass and keyboards, as it were, simultaneously and some real haunting guitar from Robbie Krieger. Singer's not bad either!
Charly Legends Live - Roy BuchananAfter Johnny Winter, the most unlikely looking guitar hero, and in 'Short Fuse' the most extraordinarily frantic high energy playing from someone generally considered more of a 'blues' player.
Double Live Gonzo - Ted NugentHighly exhilarating music from the man with the best stance in rock.
Hogs on the Road - The GroundhogsVery distinctive, industrious and noisy. Play it if you want to wake up the neighbours.
Live at Shepperton - The DamnedAfter Daltrey's scream-shout in 'Won't Get Fooled Again', the one in 'Smash It Up' on this album by Dave 'Dracula' Vanian is the next most impressive. Short recording but full of well crafted energetic punk rock.
Live in Europe - Creedence Clearwater RevivalMost people don't realise that CCR were one of the best early guitar-hero bands, as they just equate John Fogerty to some famous songwriting achievements. Not the most advanced or technical of players, but he had feel and presence in spades in his playing style, with the 13-minute 'Keep On Chooglin' really showcasing this.
Smell of Female - The CrampsWay too short, but their weird style and bassless sound was never better captured than on this, with 'Psychotic Reaction' having one of the most enjoyable really simple riffs I've heard.
The Last Waltz - The BandBuy it for Robbie Robertson's intro to 'Who Do You Love'. A player noted for what he leaves out almost as much as what he leaves in. Everything else, including the upper echelon musicianship and Americana-at-its-best is a bonus!
'Deep Purple in Concert' (1970-1972 I think) has some good messing about by the band. On 'Lucille', the rhythm section sets off and Gillan does a bit of explaining..."Here's a bit of boogaloo....it's an old song written by, er, Little Richard". Drums and bass continue tapping out a great rhythm while the keyboards play some random melody, and Blackmore is WAY WAY out of tune with his desultory and random intro chops. He carries on with the odd little out-of-tune lick or chord, still miles from the rest of the band who quite clearly aren't prepared to wait, and there's the most god-awful pitch-adjustment sounds as he cranks away tuning the strings. So the rest keep going and the guitar disappears altogether, still out of tune, until suddenly, several minutes in, Blackmore crashes in with the most impeccable timing and BANG in tune, and they commence the song proper. Fantastic!
AC/DC's If You Want Blood is just chock-full of the most primeval, instinctive hard-rocking riffs ever invented. The sort of thing that a chap automatically feels the urge to do when he picks up a guitar!
Blow Up - Television has an amazing air of energised desperation about it, and in Marquee Moon Tom Verlaine comes up with the most oddly unexpected but thoroughly enjoyable note and phrasing choices. Fans of Television should get Tom Verlaine's 'A Miller's Tale' anthology. The live cd in this set has some brilliantly inventive playing, most notably in 'Always', 'Breaking in My Heart' and of course that version of 'Marquee Moon'.
Lou Reed's Rock 'n' Roll Animal. The guitar solo at the end of Heroin (starting at 9'55" after "....dead bodies piled up in mounds, yeah....") is one of the most energising and uplifting pieces of live music ever recorded. Coming after the long, gloomy and forlorn lead-up to it, the way guitarist Dick Wagner kicked in with such an exhilarating aural assault is fantastic to listen to. This Lou Reed album should be on the compulsory list for all discerning musos.
And, of course, last but not least and in fact first....anything recorded live 1970-84 by my beloved
Grateful Dead. Mesmerising feelgood exploratory improvised noodle-rock spawning legions of devoted seekers (and finders!) of aural nirvana.
Dancin' from
8 May 1977 is out of this world (see signature and use headphones for the most enthralling freight-train groove-ride you'll ever hear....Go Jerry!
).
Boy, they don't make 'em like they used to.