The Music Enthusiast Community Guide to the Live Albums You Must Hear

Written by Jim S.

I recently did a post where I challenged readers to come up with their Top Ten lists of live albums that they love. It occurred to me that if anyone wanted to actually see that full list they’d have to scroll through a bunch of comments.

So, as a “public service” and also as a way of dodging actually having to think of a new post topic, I figured I’d list them all here in no particular order. It’s a nice mix of folk, rock, pop, and jazz. Note – just in time for Christmas shopping.

Contributors to this fine, fine list include: Christians Music Musings; Vinyl Connection; Tony from Mumbling About; J from Resurrection Songs; Monsieur Cincinnati Babyhead; Greenpete58 from Longtitudes; Aphoristical; Music Enthusiast.

Under A Blood Red Sky – U2
Tina Live in Europe – Tina Turner
Dream Letter: Live in London 1968 – Tim Buckley
Live Dead – Grateful Dead
Live in Vienna, December 1st 2016 – King Crimson
Live Nassau Coliseum’76 – David Bowie
Solo Concerts: Bremen/Lausaunne – Keith Jarrett
Live at Leeds – The Who
At Fillmore East – The Allman Brothers Band
Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack – Various Artists
The Koln Concert: Keith Jarrett
Rock ‘n Roll Animal – Lou Reed
Cheap Thrills – Big Brother and the Holding Company
Get Your Ya-Ya’s Out – The Rolling Stones
Live at the Regal – B.B. King
Live at the Fillmore East, October 4th and 5th 1968 – Sly and the Family Stone
Live – Genesis
Yessongs – Yes
Live at Reading – Nirvana
Special Moves – Mogwai
Live on Two Legs – Pearl Jam
Okonokos – My Morning Jacket
Live Anthology – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
For Sale: Live at Maxwell’s 1986 – Replacements
Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6, 2005 – Cream
The Last Waltz: The Band.
Stop Making Sense – Talking Heads
Johnny Winter And/Live – Johnny Winter
Fragments of a Rainy Season – John Cale
Live at the Hollywood Bowl – The Beatles
Live Full House – J. Geils Band
Live at the Apollo – James Brown
Live 1975-85 – Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Live Rust – Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Black Beauty: Miles Davis at Fillmore West
Live a l’Olympia – Jeff Buckley
Live – Gary Clark, Jr
Live 1966 The Royal Albert Hall Concert The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: – Bob Dylan
How High the Moon – Masters of Reality
At Folsom Prison – Johnny Cash
Live in Copenhagen – Causa Sui
It’s Too Late to Stop Now – Van Morrison
Live Champs! – Danny & the Champions of the World
Rock of Ages – The Band
Ellington at Newport – Duke Ellington
Turning Point – John Mayall
Live in Europe – Otis Redding
Live! Go for What You Know – Pat Travers
Live Bullet – Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
1969: The Velvet Underground Live
Cornell 5/8/77 – Grateful Dead
Otis Redding/The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Historic Performances Recorded at the Monterey International Pop Festival
The Village Vanguard Sessions – Bill Evans
Live at the Village Vanguard – John Coltrane
Live at Cook County Jail – B.B. King
Robin Trower Live
801 Live – 801 (Phil Manzanera, Eno)
Live Again! – Phil Ochs
Five Live Yardbirds – Yardbirds
Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas – Townes Van Zandt
Live at Carnegie Hall – Bill Withers

16 thoughts on “The Music Enthusiast Community Guide to the Live Albums You Must Hear”

  1. My initial post was pretty lazy – I did it on my phone so just did a quickie. Two others I would have added are:
    Townes Van Zandt – Live at The Old Quarter, Houston, Texas
    Bill Withers – Live At Carnegie Hall
    Both pretty mellow too.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Some stuff there I completely forgot about and some to dig into.

    I’d forgotten to mention a couple that I absolutely do love – Sinatra at the Sands (with Count Basie and arranged and conducted by Quincy Jones) and Wilco’s Kicking Television (some of the best versions of the material on A Ghost Is Born), and, I don’t know how I forgot about this one, Rainer’s Live at The Performance Centre.

    Also, I’d give Townes Van Zandt’s Live at The Old Quarter, Houston, Texas another vote.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. I would add Made in Japan by Deep Purple and Waiting for Columbus by Little Feat. Essential.

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        1. When it comes to music, definitely! An old Babyhead too! Off to watch who will end up playing your Sox.

          (I’ve been listening to some 2 1/2 hr compilation by Nick Lowe on that magic source you turned me onto)

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        2. Isn’t Spotify fantastic? A day doesn’t go by that I’m not listening to it. As to the Sox, looks like it’s the Yankees. That will make a lot of fans not to mention the TV networks very happy.

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        3. Yup on the Spot thing. Unbelievable Doc. Remember the old days of chasing music down. This is to easy. I guess the next step is to upgrade the sound system to listen to it.

          I love fall ball. It’s some of the best sport. Now if I could get my Gal to let me smoke a cigar while I’m watching I’d be set.

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