What Makes A Great Live Album?

[Cosmic Harmony]

What is it that makes a great live album? Is it the energy of the crowd, how the band sounds compared their studio albums, a lack of re-recording in the studio, a hard to pinpoint x factor, or other things entirely? I'm sure everyone out there has at least one live album that they love that just isn't the runaway smash like others or is just flat out overlooked. Why did it not sell 18 million albums like "Frampton Comes Alive". Does it make it any less of a captivating documentation of a live show?


Discuss.

 

[Khor1255]

Great live music. Some of the best bands sound better live so good band + live recording should = cool album.

Not always the case and today largely a joke. But that is to be expected from bands who never had to make it in front of live audiences.

 

[Powerage]

For me, it's the power. I mean, studio versions can seriously kick, but live is usually where the whole thing takes off.

My favourite album is a live album.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Funny you should mention this, because I was recently reading this article regarding 'live albums'. You might find it interesting.

LINK:
Best Live Albums: From Axl to Zeppelin. - Slate Magazine

Personally, for me, I love a good live album. Especially if it's of a favorite artist that you have seen live. It makes you remember what it was like to be at the concert. It's the heart that the artist puts into the show and the interaction and reaction of the audience. It's a combination of all those things to me.

 

[Powerage]

I realise that live albums aren't the property of classic rock bands, but even so, any live albums article that doesn't contain Made in Japan by Deep Purple has missed the point IMO.

 

[JerseyGirl]

I realise that live albums aren't the property of classic rock bands, but even so, any live albums article that doesn't contain Made in Japan by Deep Purple has missed the point IMO.

The article states this...

Also, with a few exceptions, I've limited the list to canonical live releases—i.e., those released during the act's artistic or commercial peak, and not a late-era or posthumous release, or an archival recording of something that should have been released in the canonical period. The exceptions are duly noted.

 

[Powerage]

Made in Japan came out in 1972. It was recorded on the Machine Head Tour in the August and released in the December. It followed Machine Head but preceded Who Do We Think We Are.

Plus, what is the point in stating that it had to released at the time it was recorded [paraphrasing there] and then goes on to break the rule by including How The West Was Won which was released 30 years after it was recorded. Someones making the rules up as they go along...

 

[JerseyGirl]

I thought it was released in 1988. Yeah, I don't know. I really didn't pay attention to which albums he picked. I was just interested in what he was saying about live albums in general.

 

[Powerage]

Nothing better than seeing a list published on line or in a magazine and tearing it to shreds

Back to Live albums in general, I've read arguments on other forums by people who wouldn't accept an album as a live album unless it's all from one single concert. Would disagree with this personally but be interesting to see what people on here think about it.

 

[Lynch]

What makes a live albuma "great" live album? It totally depends on the bands and what they did with the concert.

Some bands to a LOT of additional production after the fact which in some ways turns these live albums into semi-studio albums. Personally, I don't mind that. if they are fixing some flaws, tweaking the sound of various instruments, etc, I don't care. If they are doing it to make up for something missing in the original concert tapes or due to less than stellar recording equipment but felt that the raw energy of the concert and the response by the crowd would make these additional efforts worth it, then so be it.


I would guess that major fans of bootlegs probably don't care for the more polished official releases of live concerts. I am just the opposite. I enjoy a live show as much as anyone, but bootleg recordings, for the most part, suck balls.