My top 10 live albums

[vrem]

I listened to Tokyo Tapes last night for first time in quite a while, I had
forget just how good it was. As I'm off work today with nothing else better
to do I thought I would compile my favourite top 10 live albums along with
my views on them. I look forward to seeing other posters top 10s too.

1. All the Worlds a Stage - Rush. Still my all time favourite live album.
Very raw and live for a Rush live album, the latter live albums were a
little laid back and perhaps a tad over produced compared to this.

2. Tokyo Tapes - Scorpions. Fresh in my mind from last night! What a great
album, it's hard to pick out the killer songs on this because they are all
so good. If I was pushed I would go for Steamrock Fever and We'll Burn the
Sky.

3. Strangers in the Night - UFO. Still a classic and if you haven't got a
copy you should have! The UFO studio albums never quite did it for me but
live they are as good as anybody.

4. Live Between Us - The Tragically Hip. One of Canada's best kept secrets.
Although they're not a hard rock band, I would recommend this to anyone.

5. Unleashed in the East - Judas Priest. For me their classic era and it's
just a shame this was never a double album.

6. Different Stages - Rush. Worth buying it for the 1978 Hammersmith Odeon
show alone although the rest is pretty darn good too.

7. On Stage - Rainbow. For me the classic Rainbow line-up at their very
best.

8. Live Evil - Black Sabbath. Most die hard Sabs fans will obviously go for
the Ozzy years but I saw them several times with Dio and they were great.
This beats Live at Last by a mile.

9. I am a Wild Party - Kim Mitchell. The man who was at the centre of 70's
Canadian rockers Max Webster. His studio albums are a bit hit and miss but
he's a great guitarist and this album really rocks.

10. Acoustica - Scorpions. A great alternative to some of those MTV
Unplugged albums.

[Angus]

Righto. A good old list's always an idea to get some posts into a
newsgroup, eh? :) Let's see now ...

1. Strangers In The Night (UFO)
Might be of doubtful live provenance, but then so was Live & Dangerous
... doesn't stop it being ace.

2. World Wide Live (Scorpions)
A fresh-sounding document of the show the Top Of The Bill calssic
line-up Scorps peddled around the world (for far too long in the end)
... scorching Schenker and Jabs interplay.

3. Double Trouble Live (Molly Hatchet)
My old drummer got a great laugh at "Satisfied Man", but the version of
Freebird on here, allied to loads of other southern-fried belters,
makes it a must.

4. Live After Death (Iron Maiden)
Scream for me Long Beach! etc. Again, a perfectly timed live recording
of a band at its peak. Definitive versions of many Maiden standards.

5. Secret World (Peter Gabriel)
Ups and downs, ins and outs, quiet and noisy in a rather civilised
fashion. Sledgehammer & Solsbury Hill for the part-timers, and lots of
Tony Levin's thunderous bass work.

6. Live Forever (Screaming Jets)
Disgracefully overlooked Aussie mayhem-makers, witnessed briefly over
here in the early 90s supporting Quireboys and Thunder. Some of the
earlier live "b" sides are even better, though.

7. Speak/Talk of the Devil (Oswald of Osbourne)
Perhaps released to spite his old mates, who were putting out Live Evil
at the same time, this one had Brad Gillis freshening up Iommi's aged
riffs in spectacular style.

8. Exit Stage Left (Rush)
Not one for the purists, I believe, but I like um.

9. Made in Japan (Deep Purple)
Goes on a bit in many places, so requires a nifty hand on the FF
button, but nonetheless contains lots of Blackmore magic and definitive
live versions of some of the classics.

10. Yessongs (Yes)
Sounds a bit dated now, but was never off my turntable 20 years ago.
More recent live recordings have a far better sound, but just watching
the video which accompanies this release shows what a great lark Yes
were having in those days. And "Close To The Edge" has lots of
zooplankton in it, too, which is nice.


Bubbling under ...
If You Want Blood ... One Night At Budokan ... Lizzy Life/Live ...
Tokyo Tapes ... Pulse ... Another Brick In The Wall ... AtWaS, DS, ASoH
... Live At Leeds ... Rainbow On Stage etc etc etc. :)

Angus

[vrem]

Just one that appears in both lists but some good stuff though. Not that
familar with Molly Hatchet (didn't their frontman die a few weeks back?). I
almost went for Werewolves of London (I was there too!) as opposed to
Strangers but I'm not sure a remake of a live album is entirely a good idea.
WWL over Tokyo Tapes? And ESL over all the Rush live albums, interesting.

Post by Angus
Righto. A good old list's always an idea to get some posts into a
newsgroup, eh? :) Let's see now ...
1. Strangers In The Night (UFO)
Might be of doubtful live provenance, but then so was Live & Dangerous
... doesn't stop it being ace.
2. World Wide Live (Scorpions)
A fresh-sounding document of the show the Top Of The Bill calssic
line-up Scorps peddled around the world (for far too long in the end)
... scorching Schenker and Jabs interplay.
3. Double Trouble Live (Molly Hatchet)
My old drummer got a great laugh at "Satisfied Man", but the version of
Freebird on here, allied to loads of other southern-fried belters,
makes it a must.
4. Live After Death (Iron Maiden)
Scream for me Long Beach! etc. Again, a perfectly timed live recording
of a band at its peak. Definitive versions of many Maiden standards.
5. Secret World (Peter Gabriel)
Ups and downs, ins and outs, quiet and noisy in a rather civilised
fashion. Sledgehammer & Solsbury Hill for the part-timers, and lots of
Tony Levin's thunderous bass work.
6. Live Forever (Screaming Jets)
Disgracefully overlooked Aussie mayhem-makers, witnessed briefly over
here in the early 90s supporting Quireboys and Thunder. Some of the
earlier live "b" sides are even better, though.
7. Speak/Talk of the Devil (Oswald of Osbourne)
Perhaps released to spite his old mates, who were putting out Live Evil
at the same time, this one had Brad Gillis freshening up Iommi's aged
riffs in spectacular style.
8. Exit Stage Left (Rush)
Not one for the purists, I believe, but I like um.
9. Made in Japan (Deep Purple)
Goes on a bit in many places, so requires a nifty hand on the FF
button, but nonetheless contains lots of Blackmore magic and definitive
live versions of some of the classics.
10. Yessongs (Yes)
Sounds a bit dated now, but was never off my turntable 20 years ago.
More recent live recordings have a far better sound, but just watching
the video which accompanies this release shows what a great lark Yes
were having in those days. And "Close To The Edge" has lots of
zooplankton in it, too, which is nice.
Bubbling under ...
If You Want Blood ... One Night At Budokan ... Lizzy Life/Live ...
Tokyo Tapes ... Pulse ... Another Brick In The Wall ... AtWaS, DS, ASoH
... Live At Leeds ... Rainbow On Stage etc etc etc. :)
Angus

[Angus]

Post by vrem
Just one that appears in both lists but some good stuff though. Not that
familar with Molly Hatchet (didn't their frontman die a few weeks back?).

Lynyrd Skynyrd with balls. Don't know about dead members - they seem
to have a diff. lineup every time I see them mentioned. This Double
Trouble is fairly barnstroming, though, give or take the odd AOR
moment. Freebird knocks the original into touch effortlessly.

Post by vrem
almost went for Werewolves of London (I was there too!) as opposed to
Strangers but I'm not sure a remake of a live album is entirely a good idea.

Agreed. An even worse step was to take Strangers and re-model it with
a couple of extra duff tracks, changing the running order and
including some of Moggy's lengthier spiels. Bad idea. Ain't broke,
don't fix etc.

Post by vrem
WWL over Tokyo Tapes? And ESL over all the Rush live albums, interesting.

I like WWL because it has all the faves on it, and the sound is solid.
I love Tokyo Tapes too, but it was a different band really and,
besides, you'd already mentioned it. :) TT was the first Scorps album
I bought, but with hindsight it's an immature band on there. Uli Roth
aside, the band still hadn't forged their individual identities, and I
love Matthias Jabs' guitar work, too. The man's a veritable god.

ESL, again, was the first Rush album I bought (came to them a bit
late), so is stamped into my noggin. I know it's generally seen as a
bit weak and washed out, but Red Barchetta and Passage to Bangkok will
do for me! :) I think Rush still have the ultimate live album locked
up somewhere ... Rio was dodgily produced (no time for set-up), DS is
possibly the best sounding overall, ASoH was way too oily, and ATWaS a
bit reaw for me. The bonus DS disc was monster, though.

Angus