Your favorite, and least favorite, live albums
- Thread starter Rudy
- Start date
Some favorites, in no particular order.
Horace Silver: Doin' The Thing
Yellowjackets: Mint Jam
Herb Alpert/Hugh Masekela: Main Event Live
Joe Jackson: Big World
All of the above feature new sets of tunes that usually have not been previously recorded. The best type of live album, in my opinion. (Jackson's album wasn't presented as a live album, but all tracks were recorded in front of a live audience in a theater to preserve the energy and spontaneity, with the audience instructed to hold applause until the song faded away.)
Joe Jackson: Live: 1980-1986, Summer in the City, Afterlife, etc.
One of the more inventive touring artists who will create new arrangements of existing tunes each time he goes out on tour, as well as fold in some unusual cover versions of songs we already know. Or as with the Afterlife album, he brings back his original band and tears through new songs and old without sounding stale.
Earth, Wind & Fire: Gratitude
Frank Sinatra: At The Sands / Count Basie: Live at the Sands (Before Frank)
Neil Diamond: Hot August Night
Three examples of albums where the individual tunes are not much of a change beyond studio versions, but the raw energy of the performances carry through in the recording, and highlighted the showmanship of the artist or group. Diamond's album has already had a deluxe edition, but Gratitude could use one as well--the EWF Eternal Flame box set had additional recordings from this concert, including "Mighty, Mighty" (an earlier hit). EWF's album captured them hot off of their breakthrough #1 single "Shining Star," and an added bonus was a fourth side of studio tracks, including a couple that would become well-known staples of their repertoire.
Sinatra's record captures the bulk of one of his live sets in Vegas, including a monologue and some audience banter, showing how he worked the room; if you pair this with the Count Basie recording, which was the warm-up set before Frank arrived on stage, you have a complete picture of an evening in Vegas.
I'm leaving some out, which I can add as I remember them, and I will list my least favorites at a later time also. My biggest complaint about many live albums is that they are rushed, sloppy versions of the studio recordings, released to fufill the contract and make a quick buck. Nothing new really happens on them, and I usually give these a single play and never pull them out again.
Horace Silver: Doin' The Thing
Yellowjackets: Mint Jam
Herb Alpert/Hugh Masekela: Main Event Live
Joe Jackson: Big World
All of the above feature new sets of tunes that usually have not been previously recorded. The best type of live album, in my opinion. (Jackson's album wasn't presented as a live album, but all tracks were recorded in front of a live audience in a theater to preserve the energy and spontaneity, with the audience instructed to hold applause until the song faded away.)
Joe Jackson: Live: 1980-1986, Summer in the City, Afterlife, etc.
One of the more inventive touring artists who will create new arrangements of existing tunes each time he goes out on tour, as well as fold in some unusual cover versions of songs we already know. Or as with the Afterlife album, he brings back his original band and tears through new songs and old without sounding stale.
Earth, Wind & Fire: Gratitude
Frank Sinatra: At The Sands / Count Basie: Live at the Sands (Before Frank)
Neil Diamond: Hot August Night
Three examples of albums where the individual tunes are not much of a change beyond studio versions, but the raw energy of the performances carry through in the recording, and highlighted the showmanship of the artist or group. Diamond's album has already had a deluxe edition, but Gratitude could use one as well--the EWF Eternal Flame box set had additional recordings from this concert, including "Mighty, Mighty" (an earlier hit). EWF's album captured them hot off of their breakthrough #1 single "Shining Star," and an added bonus was a fourth side of studio tracks, including a couple that would become well-known staples of their repertoire.
Sinatra's record captures the bulk of one of his live sets in Vegas, including a monologue and some audience banter, showing how he worked the room; if you pair this with the Count Basie recording, which was the warm-up set before Frank arrived on stage, you have a complete picture of an evening in Vegas.
I'm leaving some out, which I can add as I remember them, and I will list my least favorites at a later time also. My biggest complaint about many live albums is that they are rushed, sloppy versions of the studio recordings, released to fufill the contract and make a quick buck. Nothing new really happens on them, and I usually give these a single play and never pull them out again.
GDBY2LV
Well-Known Member
I’m not a big fan of live albums myself. There are a few that were huge sellers like
Neil Diamond Hot August Night, Peter Frampton Comes Alive and George Benson’s Weekend In L.A. None of which I own, though I have a lot of live Neil Diamond on the 2 box sets I have. I probably have a dozen or so; both Carpenters, all 4 Elton John, Carole King Living Room, among them. My favorites though are out of the norm, and I played them in store, in the car or home, in the 80’s & 90’s quite often.
My favorite is Jean -Michel Jarre “The Concerts In China”. It’s a great 2 disc set that got his career up to star status, especially in Europe. The second is another cult favorite, YMO, or Yellow Magic Orchestra “After Service” I had the vinyl from Japan 1st. A 2 record set. Then the single cd came from Japan a bit later. I just bought a 2cd set a couple of months ago that has the complete concert on it. They’re both electronic style albums, but not pounding EDM style. More artistic and creative. Especially the Jarre recordings.
Nice new thread.
Neil Diamond Hot August Night, Peter Frampton Comes Alive and George Benson’s Weekend In L.A. None of which I own, though I have a lot of live Neil Diamond on the 2 box sets I have. I probably have a dozen or so; both Carpenters, all 4 Elton John, Carole King Living Room, among them. My favorites though are out of the norm, and I played them in store, in the car or home, in the 80’s & 90’s quite often.
My favorite is Jean -Michel Jarre “The Concerts In China”. It’s a great 2 disc set that got his career up to star status, especially in Europe. The second is another cult favorite, YMO, or Yellow Magic Orchestra “After Service” I had the vinyl from Japan 1st. A 2 record set. Then the single cd came from Japan a bit later. I just bought a 2cd set a couple of months ago that has the complete concert on it. They’re both electronic style albums, but not pounding EDM style. More artistic and creative. Especially the Jarre recordings.
Nice new thread.
I've often railed against live albums, particularly in the Carpenters realm. Their live stuff just doesn't sound right to me and I can understand why Richard is no fan of them. But over the years, like @GDB2LV I've acquired my share of live albums and even singles, not that I listen to them all that often. It seems like HOT AUGUST NIGHT was a big enough seller that many of us own that one. I think we even have a video of the "sequel" somewhere around here.
Probably my favorite live albums come from The Corrs. They did an UNPLUGGED album that is just superb, and that one was on CD as well as video formats. Their most famous live performance was a homecoming concert they did called LIVE AT LANSDOWNE ROAD. A few tracks were released on CD, but largely this was a video concert. They did more, but those two were outstanding.
Back in the 1970s, I was enthralled with the group, Renaissance, and got to see a very memorable concert at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, PA. Shortly thereafter, they appeared up at Carnegie Hall and that concert was released on a double LP (LIVE AT CARNEGIE HALL). As I tend to favor the studio recordings, I rarely listened to that LP. But a year or so ago on another forum, I engaged in conversation and was urged to give it another listen. And I was very much impressed with the sound and presentation.
I'm sure I'll think of more to say, but those come to the top of mind right now.
Probably my favorite live albums come from The Corrs. They did an UNPLUGGED album that is just superb, and that one was on CD as well as video formats. Their most famous live performance was a homecoming concert they did called LIVE AT LANSDOWNE ROAD. A few tracks were released on CD, but largely this was a video concert. They did more, but those two were outstanding.
Back in the 1970s, I was enthralled with the group, Renaissance, and got to see a very memorable concert at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, PA. Shortly thereafter, they appeared up at Carnegie Hall and that concert was released on a double LP (LIVE AT CARNEGIE HALL). As I tend to favor the studio recordings, I rarely listened to that LP. But a year or so ago on another forum, I engaged in conversation and was urged to give it another listen. And I was very much impressed with the sound and presentation.
I'm sure I'll think of more to say, but those come to the top of mind right now.
Bobberman
Well-Known Member
My favorite live albums are Weekend in LA By George Benson Main Event Live By Herb Alpert and Hugh Masekela and Barry Manilow Live one album I don't own but my Mom had was The Bee Gees Live At Last from I believe 1976 just before their Explosion in the Disco scene I enjoyed that one other Live albums are OK but not really Necessary unless they contain material that hasn't been recorded previously but even those are rare few and far between to me
There are two Simon & Garfunkel live albums that I enjoy. The first was the monumental CONCERT IN CENTRAL PARK that was also captured on video. It's still a treat to listen to all these years later.
The second was actually an earlier concert, but not released until the 2000s called LIVE: 1969. The goosebump moment occurs as the song "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is introduced as a new song, not yet released.
The second was actually an earlier concert, but not released until the 2000s called LIVE: 1969. The goosebump moment occurs as the song "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is introduced as a new song, not yet released.
rockdoctor
Well-Known Member
I have 4 Live CD's by Carole King. My favorite is Carnegie Hall Concert followed by Troubadour Reunion with James Taylor.
I do listen to all of them.
I have 2 on LP by Joni Mitchell- Miles of Aisles and Shadows and Light. I prefer the latter. The former has too much of a rock sound from LA Express and that was a bit of a turn off for me, especially on Woodstock. She also drops the F bomb on one song so it is not something I can play with guests in the house.
I used to have Hot August Night but I think it went to a used record store years ago or it is buried in the house somewhere.
5th Dimension Live was not released on CD in the form that was on LP. The live version that is out on cd is not the same as the lp and has different singers. I have probably listened to this LP more than any other live album.
I was given a copy of Frampton Comes Alive but I was so turned off By Do You Feel Like I Do on the radio that it will be going to a used record store in the near future.
The last Live LP that I have is Melanie at Carnegie Hall. My brother had the Leftover Wine album and I got it in a cutout bin and later the aforementioned LP as a cutout as well. These are probably my least favorite Live lp's
The Moody Blues Time Traveler CD Box Set has a live bonus CD that I have only listened to once or twice.
I do listen to all of them.
I have 2 on LP by Joni Mitchell- Miles of Aisles and Shadows and Light. I prefer the latter. The former has too much of a rock sound from LA Express and that was a bit of a turn off for me, especially on Woodstock. She also drops the F bomb on one song so it is not something I can play with guests in the house.
I used to have Hot August Night but I think it went to a used record store years ago or it is buried in the house somewhere.
5th Dimension Live was not released on CD in the form that was on LP. The live version that is out on cd is not the same as the lp and has different singers. I have probably listened to this LP more than any other live album.
I was given a copy of Frampton Comes Alive but I was so turned off By Do You Feel Like I Do on the radio that it will be going to a used record store in the near future.
The last Live LP that I have is Melanie at Carnegie Hall. My brother had the Leftover Wine album and I got it in a cutout bin and later the aforementioned LP as a cutout as well. These are probably my least favorite Live lp's
The Moody Blues Time Traveler CD Box Set has a live bonus CD that I have only listened to once or twice.
Bobberman
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the correction AM Matt my mom Bought that album in 1979 my memory on some things isn't as good as it used to be unfortunately
rockdoctor
Well-Known Member
The bonus CD is from Red Rocks in 1992. There are 8 selections.
Last edited:
My favorites:
Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band - Live Bullet
Seger is pretty much unstoppable on this album, and would reach the creative peak in subsequent years with Night Moves and the even-better Stranger in Town but this is really his zenith, in my book.
Frampton Comes Alive
...although I might turn it off once it gets to the breakdown on "Do You Feel Like We Do." But there is a lot of great stuff here.
REO Speedwagon - Live: You Get What You Play For
This one contains the only version of "Ridin' The Storm Out" that should ever be allowed to be played again. Way better than the original.
Simon & Garfunkel - The Concert in Central Park
This is one album that's best experienced on video. The sight of almost half a million people just being there and sitting silently while one guy strums a guitar is pretty amazing.... plus you get to see the shocking moment during "The Late Great Johnny Ace" when a guy rushes the stage yelling 'Paul, I gotta talk to you' before getting hauled off by security. Due to the interruption, that song isn't on the album version.
Neil Diamond - Hot August Night
This is the only album by Diamond that I own. Not that I don't like his music - I do, although I pretty much got off the bus after he turned into a sappy 'crooner' -- but to me the studio versions of his early hit songs just don't hold a candle to the more powerful live versions on this album.
Phil Collins - Serious Hits Live
This is another one that's better experienced on video, since the video is one complete concert, filmed in Berlin. The audio version has songs selected from various locations on the same tour. The concert on the video is from the same tour (and has the exact same set list) that I saw in person in Los Angeles in 1991... what an outstanding show that was.
Charley Pride - In Person
Anyone who has kept up with my musical tastes over the years might be surprised to see this on my list, since I'm not a country music fan - but Charley Pride has a special place in my consciousness because he lived in Montana for a while and I've seen him in concert three times. And, the songs on this album are just downright catchy, especially "Cotton Fields" and "Six Days on the Road." Pride plays with a very minimalist, Grand-Ole-Opry type band setup (there are no drums on quite a few of the songs), but the recording quality is second to none and the stage patter that's included is a lot of fun.
Elton John - Here and There
This one contains songs from two concerts - side one was recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and side two at Madison Square Garden in New York City. There are only nine songs on the original release -- the one to get is the 1995 reissue, which contains much more of each concert on two CDs, with 25 songs in all. Even so, only two songs ("Your Song" and "Take Me To The Pilot") overlap between the two, despite both shows being packed with hits. The USA crowd is noticeably more fired up, not the least because Elton brings out John Lennon for three songs late in the show. It turned out to be Lennon's last appearance onstage before he was assassinated.
Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band - Live Bullet
Seger is pretty much unstoppable on this album, and would reach the creative peak in subsequent years with Night Moves and the even-better Stranger in Town but this is really his zenith, in my book.
Frampton Comes Alive
...although I might turn it off once it gets to the breakdown on "Do You Feel Like We Do." But there is a lot of great stuff here.
REO Speedwagon - Live: You Get What You Play For
This one contains the only version of "Ridin' The Storm Out" that should ever be allowed to be played again. Way better than the original.
Simon & Garfunkel - The Concert in Central Park
This is one album that's best experienced on video. The sight of almost half a million people just being there and sitting silently while one guy strums a guitar is pretty amazing.... plus you get to see the shocking moment during "The Late Great Johnny Ace" when a guy rushes the stage yelling 'Paul, I gotta talk to you' before getting hauled off by security. Due to the interruption, that song isn't on the album version.
Neil Diamond - Hot August Night
This is the only album by Diamond that I own. Not that I don't like his music - I do, although I pretty much got off the bus after he turned into a sappy 'crooner' -- but to me the studio versions of his early hit songs just don't hold a candle to the more powerful live versions on this album.
Phil Collins - Serious Hits Live
This is another one that's better experienced on video, since the video is one complete concert, filmed in Berlin. The audio version has songs selected from various locations on the same tour. The concert on the video is from the same tour (and has the exact same set list) that I saw in person in Los Angeles in 1991... what an outstanding show that was.
Charley Pride - In Person
Anyone who has kept up with my musical tastes over the years might be surprised to see this on my list, since I'm not a country music fan - but Charley Pride has a special place in my consciousness because he lived in Montana for a while and I've seen him in concert three times. And, the songs on this album are just downright catchy, especially "Cotton Fields" and "Six Days on the Road." Pride plays with a very minimalist, Grand-Ole-Opry type band setup (there are no drums on quite a few of the songs), but the recording quality is second to none and the stage patter that's included is a lot of fun.
Elton John - Here and There
This one contains songs from two concerts - side one was recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and side two at Madison Square Garden in New York City. There are only nine songs on the original release -- the one to get is the 1995 reissue, which contains much more of each concert on two CDs, with 25 songs in all. Even so, only two songs ("Your Song" and "Take Me To The Pilot") overlap between the two, despite both shows being packed with hits. The USA crowd is noticeably more fired up, not the least because Elton brings out John Lennon for three songs late in the show. It turned out to be Lennon's last appearance onstage before he was assassinated.
JOv2
Well-Known Member
Thank you, Rudy: Count Basie / Live at the Sands (Before Frank)
Thank you, Harry: Simon & Garfiunkel / LIVE: 1969
Both of these were unknown to me -- and I just now ordered up CDs of each!
Otherwise...
Classical: None. Given the ambient microphone placement that is essential for capturing an orchestra and its sound stage you’re guaranteed to pick up the guy seated in seat A-15 in the front mezzanine who can’t stop coughing. (Remember all those watches from the 1990s that gave you an audible top-of-the hour "cuckoo"? Man, those people made instant enemies at classical concerts!)
Pop — Very Few (historical recordings notwithstanding): For my nickel, pop/rock "live" performances — with a few notable exceptions — are routinely disappointing relative to their studio counterparts. (It was not uncommon for 1960s "live" recordings to undergo post-op production whereby inferior live versions were replaced by studio versions. In the 1970s, this practice became easier to manage given all the on-stage close-miking where one could then simply "punch" all the flubs during post-op.)
Jazz: Any. Whether rooted in improvisation or reading challenging arrangements, jazz musicians routinely blow away 99% of all pop musicians regarding both technical mastery and off-the-cuff valid artistic development; so, unless someone’s having an off night, these dates are as a matter of course quite good. I have so many I wouldn’t all the more know where to start. At the moment, I’m thinking of Miles Davis ’58 Sessions for its historical importance as it contains the only other recordings of his then-new group with Bill Evans.
Thank you, Harry: Simon & Garfiunkel / LIVE: 1969
Both of these were unknown to me -- and I just now ordered up CDs of each!
Otherwise...
Classical: None. Given the ambient microphone placement that is essential for capturing an orchestra and its sound stage you’re guaranteed to pick up the guy seated in seat A-15 in the front mezzanine who can’t stop coughing. (Remember all those watches from the 1990s that gave you an audible top-of-the hour "cuckoo"? Man, those people made instant enemies at classical concerts!)
Pop — Very Few (historical recordings notwithstanding): For my nickel, pop/rock "live" performances — with a few notable exceptions — are routinely disappointing relative to their studio counterparts. (It was not uncommon for 1960s "live" recordings to undergo post-op production whereby inferior live versions were replaced by studio versions. In the 1970s, this practice became easier to manage given all the on-stage close-miking where one could then simply "punch" all the flubs during post-op.)
Jazz: Any. Whether rooted in improvisation or reading challenging arrangements, jazz musicians routinely blow away 99% of all pop musicians regarding both technical mastery and off-the-cuff valid artistic development; so, unless someone’s having an off night, these dates are as a matter of course quite good. I have so many I wouldn’t all the more know where to start. At the moment, I’m thinking of Miles Davis ’58 Sessions for its historical importance as it contains the only other recordings of his then-new group with Bill Evans.
I thought of two live albums that had an abundance of energy and captured the bands well in a live setting, more so than many other recordings of their era. For instance, as much as I like the studio Led Zeppelin albums, the live album never did anything for me.
J. Geils Band -- "Live" Full House. Recorded before they hit it big, at the Cinderella Ballroom in Detroit. It pulls material from their first two albums, and the energy is intense to the point of the music jumping out of the grooves. Geils really came alive during their live shows, and Peter Wolf proves to be the ultimate frontman, bursting with enthusiasm. They would do more live recordings, including the famous "Rapunzel" bit, but this eclipses all of them.
The Who: Live at Leeds. This captures The Who post-Tommy, but before their Who's Next masterpiece. This one shows the band in fine form with a lot of energy, and before Townshend's artistic excess (or pomposity, depending on how you look at it) became, well, excessive. They rocked this one out from end to end, and aside from playing the entirety of Tommy (more on that in a bit), they dug backward to their earlier songs. Pete Townshend had two gigs recorded--one at Leeds University, the other at Hull--but technical issues made the Hull gig mostly unusable for release at the time.
The number of different versions of this album can get confusing.
J. Geils Band -- "Live" Full House. Recorded before they hit it big, at the Cinderella Ballroom in Detroit. It pulls material from their first two albums, and the energy is intense to the point of the music jumping out of the grooves. Geils really came alive during their live shows, and Peter Wolf proves to be the ultimate frontman, bursting with enthusiasm. They would do more live recordings, including the famous "Rapunzel" bit, but this eclipses all of them.
The Who: Live at Leeds. This captures The Who post-Tommy, but before their Who's Next masterpiece. This one shows the band in fine form with a lot of energy, and before Townshend's artistic excess (or pomposity, depending on how you look at it) became, well, excessive. They rocked this one out from end to end, and aside from playing the entirety of Tommy (more on that in a bit), they dug backward to their earlier songs. Pete Townshend had two gigs recorded--one at Leeds University, the other at Hull--but technical issues made the Hull gig mostly unusable for release at the time.
The number of different versions of this album can get confusing.
- The original LP had six songs on it. Nothing from Tommy here.
- The 1995 CD version expanded this to 14 tracks.
- The 2001 Deluxe Edition expanded this to two CDs, the first with 13 tracks, and the second (20 tracks) with the entirety of Tommy. First release of the entire recording, but not in set list order.
- A 40th Anniversary Collectors' Edition expanded the Deluxe Edition to include the full Hull concert, spread over four CDs.
- The 2014 digitally released Deluxe Edition stuck to the 33 Leeds tracks of the 2-CD set, but restored the concert to its original set list order.
I know that videos have been mentioned above. I hadn't included them in this list since we were going more after the musical side, on record. But that is not to slight some of the live concert videos that were released. They work better on video than on record.
One such artist I can think of is Peter Gabriel. I don't really find much to like in his live albums, but to see a Peter Gabriel concert on video or better yet, experience one in person, it is an active, multi-media event with a lot of visual elements that create a striking production, yet still do not detract from the music. I got to see the second leg of the tour for his Up album, where he toured smaller theaters as opposed to arenas. He had scaled the production down a bit to fit the smaller venues, but we still got to see the "hamster ball," his light vest (yes...a vest covered in lights), a couple of Segway scooters, and so many other things it's hard to remember.
I have the two CD set of the concert we attended, straight off the soundboard, and it's an interesting souvenir of our particular date in the schedule. At one point, half the power went out onstage*, and Peter performed a solo keyboard version of "Here Comes The Flood." Perhaps the most technically amazing thing was the band grabbing portable instruments and winding up and down the aisles in the audience (yep, I had an aisle seat
); amazing because when the band plays, the sound takes a while to travel from the speakers on the stage to the audience, especially the further out you get. How they could manage to listen to only their in-ear monitors and stay in sync was the amazing part. I would have been easily distracted!
Seeing Earth Wind & Fire was another highlight of my concertgoing experience. Saw them during their Touch The World tour. While it wasn't the original 70s band, they still brought their "A" game and I can see why they were such a tour-de-force on the road. They released a fake "live" concert video in the early 80s around the time of their Raise! album ("Let's Groove," "I've Had Enough"). There were parts of the video clearly lip-synced! (Kind of obvious when you hear horns playing, but see the horns hopping up and down with their instruments nowhere in sight!) There was a later video release, I believe it was Live in Japan, that was a genuine live gig. That one is worth watching.
* Perhaps not a coincidence, but I saw Steely Dan three times in the 2000s--the 2000, 2003 and 2006 tour. The 2000 gig was the best--they had a lot of momentum from Two Against Nature and this was their first tour with all-new music to promote. It also sounded the best of all three I attended. They had a few engineers with them, but the one and only Roger "The Immortal" Nichols was running the stage monitors. Just like Peter Gabriel a few years later, there was a partial power outage on the stage, with Nichols jumping up from his seat like a worried mother.
But there was a concert video of this tour, and a live album from several years earlier, Alive in America, neither of which I listened/watched more than once. And the same can be said for the two recent live recordings (Steely Dan and Donald Fagen)--one listen, skipping through some of the tracks, and I was done. This is one band where the studio albums are nothing that can be topped. (Except maybe Everything Must Go, and Sunken Condos.)
One such artist I can think of is Peter Gabriel. I don't really find much to like in his live albums, but to see a Peter Gabriel concert on video or better yet, experience one in person, it is an active, multi-media event with a lot of visual elements that create a striking production, yet still do not detract from the music. I got to see the second leg of the tour for his Up album, where he toured smaller theaters as opposed to arenas. He had scaled the production down a bit to fit the smaller venues, but we still got to see the "hamster ball," his light vest (yes...a vest covered in lights), a couple of Segway scooters, and so many other things it's hard to remember.
I have the two CD set of the concert we attended, straight off the soundboard, and it's an interesting souvenir of our particular date in the schedule. At one point, half the power went out onstage*, and Peter performed a solo keyboard version of "Here Comes The Flood." Perhaps the most technically amazing thing was the band grabbing portable instruments and winding up and down the aisles in the audience (yep, I had an aisle seat
); amazing because when the band plays, the sound takes a while to travel from the speakers on the stage to the audience, especially the further out you get. How they could manage to listen to only their in-ear monitors and stay in sync was the amazing part. I would have been easily distracted!Seeing Earth Wind & Fire was another highlight of my concertgoing experience. Saw them during their Touch The World tour. While it wasn't the original 70s band, they still brought their "A" game and I can see why they were such a tour-de-force on the road. They released a fake "live" concert video in the early 80s around the time of their Raise! album ("Let's Groove," "I've Had Enough"). There were parts of the video clearly lip-synced! (Kind of obvious when you hear horns playing, but see the horns hopping up and down with their instruments nowhere in sight!) There was a later video release, I believe it was Live in Japan, that was a genuine live gig. That one is worth watching.
* Perhaps not a coincidence, but I saw Steely Dan three times in the 2000s--the 2000, 2003 and 2006 tour. The 2000 gig was the best--they had a lot of momentum from Two Against Nature and this was their first tour with all-new music to promote. It also sounded the best of all three I attended. They had a few engineers with them, but the one and only Roger "The Immortal" Nichols was running the stage monitors. Just like Peter Gabriel a few years later, there was a partial power outage on the stage, with Nichols jumping up from his seat like a worried mother.
But there was a concert video of this tour, and a live album from several years earlier, Alive in America, neither of which I listened/watched more than once. And the same can be said for the two recent live recordings (Steely Dan and Donald Fagen)--one listen, skipping through some of the tracks, and I was done. This is one band where the studio albums are nothing that can be topped. (Except maybe Everything Must Go, and Sunken Condos.)
We had a funny little situation the other night that has to do with a live concert recording. Mrs. Harry was looking through our music DVDs and found a Blu-ray of ROY ORBISON & FRIENDS: A BLACK & WHITE NIGHT, still sealed. One of us bought it for the other a Christmas or so ago, but neither of us remember which way it went.
Anyway, we opened it up and enjoyed the video of the concert. The concert stage was packed with music heavyweights from Jackson Browne to Bruce Springsteen, and was filmed - in black & white - not too many months before Mr. Orbison passed. And this concert sounded great. I was quite impressed. The package also included a CD, but we haven't just listened to it yet.
en.wikipedia.org
Anyway, we opened it up and enjoyed the video of the concert. The concert stage was packed with music heavyweights from Jackson Browne to Bruce Springsteen, and was filmed - in black & white - not too many months before Mr. Orbison passed. And this concert sounded great. I was quite impressed. The package also included a CD, but we haven't just listened to it yet.
Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night - Wikipedia
That reminds me of a similar surprise. I have never been a fan of 60s Motown, but the Motown 25th Anniversary TV special, which also released on video at a later date, was a great way to spend the evening. The pacing and production were perfect, and we got to see everyone as (now) seasoned professionals who, at least in our part of the world, were also household names. It was a nice mix of nostalgia (especially through a few vintage clips that were aired), well-performed music by all, and enough variety to keep it interesting for the entire show.
One album that's been mentioned above, Joni Mitchell's Miles of Aisles, is one I enjoy parts of but don't like other parts. My favorite part of it is the back-to-back performances of "Real Good For Free" (played on piano with Tom Scott providing a sax solo at the appropriate lyric moments) and "All I Want," played on dulcimer. And the version of "Big Yellow Taxi" on this album is "miles" ahead of the studio version, which I can barely stand.
Another live album I like, but is more obscure, is Live at the El Mocambo by April Wine. There was an "unannounced" performance by the Rolling Stones in this Toronto nightclub called the El Mocambo in 1977, which resulted in the Stones' live album Love You Live. April Wine was the opening act for that show. They are a Canadian band that had a few hit singles in the US, but they were popular in our area for several years before they hit the "big time," partly (or mostly) due to me playing their album The Whole World's Goin' Crazy in my store. I had that thing on heavy rotation and we sold hundreds of copies of that album, yet the people in the "big city" music stores in Billings had mostly never heard of the band! Then a few years later they moved to Capitol records in the US and hit the charts with songs like "Just Between You and Me" and "Sign of the Gypsy Queen," among others.
Another live album I like, but is more obscure, is Live at the El Mocambo by April Wine. There was an "unannounced" performance by the Rolling Stones in this Toronto nightclub called the El Mocambo in 1977, which resulted in the Stones' live album Love You Live. April Wine was the opening act for that show. They are a Canadian band that had a few hit singles in the US, but they were popular in our area for several years before they hit the "big time," partly (or mostly) due to me playing their album The Whole World's Goin' Crazy in my store. I had that thing on heavy rotation and we sold hundreds of copies of that album, yet the people in the "big city" music stores in Billings had mostly never heard of the band! Then a few years later they moved to Capitol records in the US and hit the charts with songs like "Just Between You and Me" and "Sign of the Gypsy Queen," among others.
jfiedler17
Well-Known Member
Wholeheartedly agree that Joe Jackson's Big World is one of the most worthwhile live albums out there. The fact that it's nothing but new material is a huge plus, and I like how they were able to get the audience to remain silent while the tapes rolled so that it sounds as if it could have been taped onstage in an empty venue before the fans got there. Utterly ingenious. I don't know why more artists haven't tried cutting new material this way. His Live 1980/1986 isn't nearly quite so creative, but it's almost just as appealing, if only for the unusual re-workings of some of the songs. The a cappella version of "Is She Really ..." in particular never ceases to floor me. I never would have thought to perform it that way live, but it just works amazingly well, and I probably listen to it more than I do the original.
Others I love that haven't been mentioned yet that rank among my favorite live albums of all-time:
Peter Allen - It Is Time for Peter Allen: I've never been able to get into Allen's studio albums for A&M (there's just something about the production of them that turns me off, but then again, I can say the same thing about Frampton's earliest studio albums for the label), but I find this album so, so much fun; the songs breathe more than they do in the studio versions, the performances are vibrant ("I Go to Rio" just pulsates in a way it doesn't on the original studio recording, especially in the instrumental break), and his banter with the audience is utterly hilarious (especially at the end of "Love Crazy" and "Everything Old Is New Again"). There's also a bit of a sentimental attachment to this for me, since I adopted "Quiet, Please" as the title of a local concert series I used to emcee!
The Corrs - VH1 presents Live in Dublin: Probably my favorite live album of all-time. The whole thing is a knockout from start to finish, but it'd be worth owning just for the covers of Ryan Adams' "When the Stars Go Blue" (better than Adams' version - or Tim McGraw's, for that matter) and Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" (this might be heresy to say, but I actually think their version is better than Neil's) and the utterly amazing rendition of "Joy of Life/Trout in the Bath," which highlights the band at their instrumental best.
Heart - The Road Home: An "unplugged"-style album that did not get nearly the attention it deserved. I like the stripped-down versions of "These Dreams" and "Alone" much better than I do the original hit recordings, and the covers (i.e. "Seasons, ""River," "Love Hurts," etc.) are all really well-chosen.
Bruce Cockburn - Slice 'o Life: While a few of the cuts were recorded during sound checks, most of this was done "unplugged"-style in front of an audience, and Cockburn provides some great banter in between songs. [The between-song monologue "Bearded Folksinger" is especially funny.] "Wondering Where the Lions Are" might be even more fun than the studio recording, and the live recording of "The End of All Rivers" never fails to give me goose bumps. Utterly chilling.
Barry Manilow - Live: Anything but a hip choice, I know, but for one, he's just a natural showman and works as well onstage as he does on record, and the album's just got so, so much personality. The "V.S.M. (Very Special Medley)" of his ad jingles is a childhood favorite of mine that still makes me smile when I hear it, and I love the dialogue scattered throughout, like when he loses his place just before "Daybreak" or when he introduces "It's Just Another New Year's Eve". Like the Peter Allen album above, it's not necessary for you to have actually been there to get the sense of just how much he appreciated the audience and how much he truly hates to have the show come to an end.
Be-Bop Deluxe - Live in the Air Age: Hip enough to make up for the previous one?
Some of the songs might not differ much from the studio versions, but I always tend to reach for this disc over their studio output when I'm in the mood to listen to them. I just love the playing throughout (even on more jam-oriented sides like "Shine," they still sound as tight as can be), and Bill Nelson's guitar on "Sister Seagull" never ceases to slay me. That is some truly creative guitar work right there. I don't know if this is true of all pressings, but one of the two discs in my copy comes on white vinyl, which makes me love it all the more.
Kenny Loggins - Alive: If only for that nearly-solo third side with the previously-unreleased original "All Alone Tonight" and the stripped-down covers of "Here, There & Everywhere" and "You Don't Know Me." Truly gorgeous stuff. Packaging-wise, the record's also got really fabulous front and back cover shots.
Al Jarreau - Look to the Rainbow: It pre-dates his run of pop hits, so songs like "We're in This Love ..." or "Mornin'" aren't on here, but it's just a really great-sounding live recording and the performances are full of life throughout, especially on "We Got By." The vocalese rendition of "Take Five" is also great fun.
Harry Chapin - Greatest Stories Live: Worth having just for the hilarious false start to "Dreams Go By" (never fails to make me laugh, even with as many times as I've heard it by now) and the spoken break during "30,000 Pounds of Bananas."
Dave Mason - Certified Live: If only for that unavailable-elsewhere cover of "Take It to the Limit." With all due respect to Randy Meisner and the Eagles, that is hands-down, without a doubt, my favorite version of that song I've ever heard by anyone. That wall of harmonies just kills me!
Others I love that haven't been mentioned yet that rank among my favorite live albums of all-time:
Peter Allen - It Is Time for Peter Allen: I've never been able to get into Allen's studio albums for A&M (there's just something about the production of them that turns me off, but then again, I can say the same thing about Frampton's earliest studio albums for the label), but I find this album so, so much fun; the songs breathe more than they do in the studio versions, the performances are vibrant ("I Go to Rio" just pulsates in a way it doesn't on the original studio recording, especially in the instrumental break), and his banter with the audience is utterly hilarious (especially at the end of "Love Crazy" and "Everything Old Is New Again"). There's also a bit of a sentimental attachment to this for me, since I adopted "Quiet, Please" as the title of a local concert series I used to emcee!
The Corrs - VH1 presents Live in Dublin: Probably my favorite live album of all-time. The whole thing is a knockout from start to finish, but it'd be worth owning just for the covers of Ryan Adams' "When the Stars Go Blue" (better than Adams' version - or Tim McGraw's, for that matter) and Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" (this might be heresy to say, but I actually think their version is better than Neil's) and the utterly amazing rendition of "Joy of Life/Trout in the Bath," which highlights the band at their instrumental best.
Heart - The Road Home: An "unplugged"-style album that did not get nearly the attention it deserved. I like the stripped-down versions of "These Dreams" and "Alone" much better than I do the original hit recordings, and the covers (i.e. "Seasons, ""River," "Love Hurts," etc.) are all really well-chosen.
Bruce Cockburn - Slice 'o Life: While a few of the cuts were recorded during sound checks, most of this was done "unplugged"-style in front of an audience, and Cockburn provides some great banter in between songs. [The between-song monologue "Bearded Folksinger" is especially funny.] "Wondering Where the Lions Are" might be even more fun than the studio recording, and the live recording of "The End of All Rivers" never fails to give me goose bumps. Utterly chilling.
Barry Manilow - Live: Anything but a hip choice, I know, but for one, he's just a natural showman and works as well onstage as he does on record, and the album's just got so, so much personality. The "V.S.M. (Very Special Medley)" of his ad jingles is a childhood favorite of mine that still makes me smile when I hear it, and I love the dialogue scattered throughout, like when he loses his place just before "Daybreak" or when he introduces "It's Just Another New Year's Eve". Like the Peter Allen album above, it's not necessary for you to have actually been there to get the sense of just how much he appreciated the audience and how much he truly hates to have the show come to an end.
Be-Bop Deluxe - Live in the Air Age: Hip enough to make up for the previous one?
Some of the songs might not differ much from the studio versions, but I always tend to reach for this disc over their studio output when I'm in the mood to listen to them. I just love the playing throughout (even on more jam-oriented sides like "Shine," they still sound as tight as can be), and Bill Nelson's guitar on "Sister Seagull" never ceases to slay me. That is some truly creative guitar work right there. I don't know if this is true of all pressings, but one of the two discs in my copy comes on white vinyl, which makes me love it all the more.Kenny Loggins - Alive: If only for that nearly-solo third side with the previously-unreleased original "All Alone Tonight" and the stripped-down covers of "Here, There & Everywhere" and "You Don't Know Me." Truly gorgeous stuff. Packaging-wise, the record's also got really fabulous front and back cover shots.
Al Jarreau - Look to the Rainbow: It pre-dates his run of pop hits, so songs like "We're in This Love ..." or "Mornin'" aren't on here, but it's just a really great-sounding live recording and the performances are full of life throughout, especially on "We Got By." The vocalese rendition of "Take Five" is also great fun.
Harry Chapin - Greatest Stories Live: Worth having just for the hilarious false start to "Dreams Go By" (never fails to make me laugh, even with as many times as I've heard it by now) and the spoken break during "30,000 Pounds of Bananas."
Dave Mason - Certified Live: If only for that unavailable-elsewhere cover of "Take It to the Limit." With all due respect to Randy Meisner and the Eagles, that is hands-down, without a doubt, my favorite version of that song I've ever heard by anyone. That wall of harmonies just kills me!
Last edited:
As I consider Live albums more of a curiosity than as a concrete part of an artist's catalog (though often they are particularly in my choices below) I can't really list "least" favorites... All live albums seem to have some elements that one would wish were better. Or as one critic said of Urgh! (one of my selections below), "There's at least one song on each side to piss you off!"
In no particular order:
Herb Alpert/Hugh Masekela Main Event - Live
Special to me as 17-year-old me was there at the Roxy, my first Herb concert AND first concert ever!
The Cramps Smell of Female
Their first post-I.R.S. album, delayed because of their lawsuit against I.R.S. and Miles Copleand and a contractual dispute.
Oingo Boingo Boingo Alive
Not truly a live album in the strictest sese of the word. No audience was present. However it was recorded "live to tape" by the band with no overdubs or post-production studio wizardry.
Joe Jackson Big World
Similar to Oingo Boingo's Boingo Alive in that it was live to tape... but there WAS an audience (of specifically invited people) for this one but they were directed NOT to applaud or make noise.
Oingo Boingo Farewell-Live from the Universal Ampitheater
The last "official" release from the band (minus compilations of course) marked their return to A&M. I would likely list this as a "least favorite" as the band had evolved into a smaller rock oriented act on their previous release. The horn boys and keyboards were essentially treated as "special guest appearances." Disappointing, as the horns and keyboards are what drew me to this band (and new wave in general) in the first place.
Various Artists Urgh! - A Music War
Soundtrack to live concert film featuring punk and new wave artists, the bulk of which were from A&M and I.R.S. (and most of those NOT on the two sister labels were managed by I.R.S. chairman Miles Copeland or his brother, the late Ian Copeland). Sound quality for most acts was pretty good and captured the way they actually sounded in concert. I would love to see all the songs that were NOT included in the film. Some have appeared in various incarnations of MTV's Cutting Edge (or the pilot which was called The I.R.S. Records Show). Allegedlyeach band had three songs filmed and picked the one they wanted in the movie.
Joe Jackson Live 1980/1986
Recording evolved over the 7 years covered on this release and the sound quality reflects this. But what is most captivating about this record is hearing how Jackson and his band evolved over the years, as evidenced by the different versions of many familiar Jackson tunes.
Supertramp Paris
This one gets a lot of grief from Supertramp fans. I enjoyed it as I was just getting into "regular rock music" at this time. Until New Wave came along I hated Rock and Roll for a number of personal reasons (mainly drugs, maybe sex... Oh Ian Dury nailed it, I think). Heck, in the 70s I thought Bread and Carpenters were just that darned evil rock and roll and way too loud and hard! So after I embraced punk and new wave I started getting into rock "backwards" and learned to like what I considered "crap like the Eagles" as I journeyed back in time... So this live album opened that door for me. Soon the bridge from 70s rock to 50s rock (which i always DID like) was built via embracing 60s rock. Sorry for telling more than you care about my own personal music journey...
Groucho Marx An Evening With Groucho
Not sure if this qualifies or not... It's more spoken word than music (though there is plenty, courtesy of the late Marvin Hamlisch). As a fan of classic comedy, the Marx Brothers in particular, I played this to death when it came out. It is only because of those few musical numbers I am including it here. Other comedy recordings should not be on the list, as they are (usually) all live anyway.
Squeeze A Round and A Bout
The 1990 Squeeze line-up performed thisconcert featuring classic Squeeze songs and a few new ones as well. The core line-iup of Difford, Tillbrook, Holland and Lavis makes this one pretty decent! And it's their only release actually on I.R.S. Records (co-labelled with their original Copeland family of UK labels, Deptford Fun City)!
Phil Ochs Gunfight At Carnegie Hall
I've detailed the interesting history of this release elsewhere, so I will spare them here. This is a great documentation of an artist beginning his decline into paranoia and perhaps schizophrenia as a couple years after the recording, Phil Ochs declared Ochs was dead and he was now John Train... I would love to hear the entire recording as many of Ochs's songs are heard just ending or beginning between tracks. Alas, the actual master tape probably died in the Universal fire...
Peter Allen It's Time For Peter Allen
"I Go To Rio" is probably the catchiest tune he ever put to tape, and the live version captures his flamboyant style and the audience feeding back on the energy, something you get in a live performance that is not usually there in the studio... The live versions of "Don't Cry Out Loud," "The More I See You," and "Don't Wish Too Hard" and "I Honetly Love You" are just as good as the studio album versions, demonstrating what a terrific showman Mr. Allen was. (though I miss Herb Alpert's trumpet solo on "The More I See You")...
--Mr. Bill
In no particular order:
Herb Alpert/Hugh Masekela Main Event - Live
Special to me as 17-year-old me was there at the Roxy, my first Herb concert AND first concert ever!
The Cramps Smell of Female
Their first post-I.R.S. album, delayed because of their lawsuit against I.R.S. and Miles Copleand and a contractual dispute.
Oingo Boingo Boingo Alive
Not truly a live album in the strictest sese of the word. No audience was present. However it was recorded "live to tape" by the band with no overdubs or post-production studio wizardry.
Joe Jackson Big World
Similar to Oingo Boingo's Boingo Alive in that it was live to tape... but there WAS an audience (of specifically invited people) for this one but they were directed NOT to applaud or make noise.
Oingo Boingo Farewell-Live from the Universal Ampitheater
The last "official" release from the band (minus compilations of course) marked their return to A&M. I would likely list this as a "least favorite" as the band had evolved into a smaller rock oriented act on their previous release. The horn boys and keyboards were essentially treated as "special guest appearances." Disappointing, as the horns and keyboards are what drew me to this band (and new wave in general) in the first place.
Various Artists Urgh! - A Music War
Soundtrack to live concert film featuring punk and new wave artists, the bulk of which were from A&M and I.R.S. (and most of those NOT on the two sister labels were managed by I.R.S. chairman Miles Copeland or his brother, the late Ian Copeland). Sound quality for most acts was pretty good and captured the way they actually sounded in concert. I would love to see all the songs that were NOT included in the film. Some have appeared in various incarnations of MTV's Cutting Edge (or the pilot which was called The I.R.S. Records Show). Allegedlyeach band had three songs filmed and picked the one they wanted in the movie.
Joe Jackson Live 1980/1986
Recording evolved over the 7 years covered on this release and the sound quality reflects this. But what is most captivating about this record is hearing how Jackson and his band evolved over the years, as evidenced by the different versions of many familiar Jackson tunes.
Supertramp Paris
This one gets a lot of grief from Supertramp fans. I enjoyed it as I was just getting into "regular rock music" at this time. Until New Wave came along I hated Rock and Roll for a number of personal reasons (mainly drugs, maybe sex... Oh Ian Dury nailed it, I think). Heck, in the 70s I thought Bread and Carpenters were just that darned evil rock and roll and way too loud and hard! So after I embraced punk and new wave I started getting into rock "backwards" and learned to like what I considered "crap like the Eagles" as I journeyed back in time... So this live album opened that door for me. Soon the bridge from 70s rock to 50s rock (which i always DID like) was built via embracing 60s rock. Sorry for telling more than you care about my own personal music journey...
Groucho Marx An Evening With Groucho
Not sure if this qualifies or not... It's more spoken word than music (though there is plenty, courtesy of the late Marvin Hamlisch). As a fan of classic comedy, the Marx Brothers in particular, I played this to death when it came out. It is only because of those few musical numbers I am including it here. Other comedy recordings should not be on the list, as they are (usually) all live anyway.
Squeeze A Round and A Bout
The 1990 Squeeze line-up performed thisconcert featuring classic Squeeze songs and a few new ones as well. The core line-iup of Difford, Tillbrook, Holland and Lavis makes this one pretty decent! And it's their only release actually on I.R.S. Records (co-labelled with their original Copeland family of UK labels, Deptford Fun City)!
Phil Ochs Gunfight At Carnegie Hall
I've detailed the interesting history of this release elsewhere, so I will spare them here. This is a great documentation of an artist beginning his decline into paranoia and perhaps schizophrenia as a couple years after the recording, Phil Ochs declared Ochs was dead and he was now John Train... I would love to hear the entire recording as many of Ochs's songs are heard just ending or beginning between tracks. Alas, the actual master tape probably died in the Universal fire...
Peter Allen It's Time For Peter Allen
"I Go To Rio" is probably the catchiest tune he ever put to tape, and the live version captures his flamboyant style and the audience feeding back on the energy, something you get in a live performance that is not usually there in the studio... The live versions of "Don't Cry Out Loud," "The More I See You," and "Don't Wish Too Hard" and "I Honetly Love You" are just as good as the studio album versions, demonstrating what a terrific showman Mr. Allen was. (though I miss Herb Alpert's trumpet solo on "The More I See You")...
--Mr. Bill
tomswift2002
Well-Known Member
Some LIVE albums I have are:
The Carpenters live In Japan (CD)
The Carpenters Live at the Palladium (LO)
Morris Chapman and the Maranatha Sings Live! (Cassette)
Bob Kilpatrick Live! (Cassette)
Michael Bolton Live At Royal Albert Hall (Blu-ray, really great way to show off an HDVideo and Audio setup, even though it’s a 1080i Video, with DTS HD 5.1 and PCM 2.0 and for some odd reason a Dolby Digital 5.1 track (no Dolby Digital Plus or Dolby TrueHD which Blu-Ray players can extract the base Dolby Digital track from, should someone’s player be connected by optical or coax digital audio, also the disc is from 2009-10, so no Atmos).
Brian Wilson Presents Pet Sounds (2002 DVD, Dolby Digital 5.1 & 2.0, DTS 5.1)
Best of Michael Bolton Live (DVD, DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 & 2.0)
Carman, Commission and the Christ Church Choir (Cassette)
Roger Whittaker…Live In Concert (Dolby Surround CD)
Beach Boys Concert (CD)
Beach Boys Party! (CD)
Beach Boys In Concert (LP)
Michael Bolton My Secret Passion (VHS, Dolby Surround)
Integrity Music’s Praise and Worship series—-too many albums to list on CD, cassette and VHS, as these were recorded LIVE at church services.
The Carpenters live In Japan (CD)
The Carpenters Live at the Palladium (LO)
Morris Chapman and the Maranatha Sings Live! (Cassette)
Bob Kilpatrick Live! (Cassette)
Michael Bolton Live At Royal Albert Hall (Blu-ray, really great way to show off an HDVideo and Audio setup, even though it’s a 1080i Video, with DTS HD 5.1 and PCM 2.0 and for some odd reason a Dolby Digital 5.1 track (no Dolby Digital Plus or Dolby TrueHD which Blu-Ray players can extract the base Dolby Digital track from, should someone’s player be connected by optical or coax digital audio, also the disc is from 2009-10, so no Atmos).
Brian Wilson Presents Pet Sounds (2002 DVD, Dolby Digital 5.1 & 2.0, DTS 5.1)
Best of Michael Bolton Live (DVD, DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 & 2.0)
Carman, Commission and the Christ Church Choir (Cassette)
Roger Whittaker…Live In Concert (Dolby Surround CD)
Beach Boys Concert (CD)
Beach Boys Party! (CD)
Beach Boys In Concert (LP)
Michael Bolton My Secret Passion (VHS, Dolby Surround)
Integrity Music’s Praise and Worship series—-too many albums to list on CD, cassette and VHS, as these were recorded LIVE at church services.
rockdoctor
Well-Known Member
I did forget but I have the LP of Donna Summer Live and More. I also bought the import CD of this as well as the first release did not have the MacArthur Park Suite on it.
One thing I really like about this album is that she sings with her natural voice on many of the selections while singing live.
The Judy Collins Concert LP was all new material and that is part of my collection as well. Her album Living was partially live and they sound very good as well. Recently I was given a copy of Genesis 3 Sides Live but I am not a Genesis fan so that will be going away.
One thing I really like about this album is that she sings with her natural voice on many of the selections while singing live.
The Judy Collins Concert LP was all new material and that is part of my collection as well. Her album Living was partially live and they sound very good as well. Recently I was given a copy of Genesis 3 Sides Live but I am not a Genesis fan so that will be going away.
