Best Live Album

[ReCycled]

Kind of an interesting poll to come up with this list. Must have been in England because there sure are a lot of Brit bands here. Thin Lizzy is a bit of a surprise since their portfolio consists of one song (Boys are Back in Town).

A couple of my favorites would be Johnny Winter's live in NY City album (97) and James gang Live from 1971. I also like Shania's live album (on DVD) for her voice and superb backing band.

Virtually all of these live albums are from "old-school" bands. The musicians who learned their craft and toured endlessly to support their albums. No lip-sync, fake back-up bands or microphone headsets.
 

[jägermonsta]

Live after Death is kick ass for sure and a personal fav is of course not making the list, Live from Mt. Fuji 

[ReCycled]

Iron Maiden - number 6?
 

[jägermonsta]

indeed, that's the one 

[|iR|Focalor]

Live after Death is kick ass for sure and a personal fav is of course not making the list, Live from Mt. Fuji 

Hell yes. I always loved the video of that concert as well. Iron Maiden had some of the coolest live shows for their time, with their gigantic evil Eddie in the back and elaborate stage setups. Not to mention they're just great musicians who can play live just as well as they do in the studio. There aren't many bands I've seen that are like that. The only thing that ever detracted from their live sound was Bruce Dickinson's limited vocal range on stage. I guess all the partying they did on the road and the hectic lifestyle kind of strained his voicebox. Then again, those high notes he hits on the LPs would be difficult to do live for anyone. These days, even vocalists who primarily do a death metal-ish scream do traditional vocal warmups for about 45 minutes before every performance to help preserve the health of their throat.

I think Ozzy's "Live & Loud" album deserves to be on any list. I believe it was recorded during his worldwide "No More Tours" tour after No More Tears came out. It was supposed to be his retirement tour. I almost wish he had've. I think all the insane partying he did during that stint on the road was what caused his voice and his body to fall apart. I actually saw that show when it came to Atlanta. One of the greatest concerts I've ever seen. He played for about 2 or 3 hours, all of his massive collection of hits. The fact that he always had only ONE guitarist on stage was a testimony of how great his choice of guitarist was. Especially Zakk Wylde. He was a fucking mad man on stage. The whole 3 hours, he looked like Animal from the Muppet Show. I don't see how the hell he didn't fall the fuck over from dizziness after banging his head around like that for 3 full hours.

Thin Lizzy is a bit of a surprise since their portfolio consists of one song (Boys are Back in Town).

You forgot...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMFYs3gfgis

[ReCycled]

Especially Zakk Wylde. He was a fucking mad man on stage.

Thin Lizzy.....You forgot...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMFYs3gfgis

Loved Zakk Wylde with those bullseye LP's. Good sense of melody especially on No More Tears.

As for Jailbreak...first time I've heard it. I like it...
 

[{TNP}Dukie]

You also forgot


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUI0boPZ8n0

The first album I ever purchased new, at the ripe old age of 13, was Jailbreak!

[|iR|Focalor]

As far as I know, those are the only two Thin Lizzy songs that ever gotten any widespread radio play. The guys in Metallica listened to them growing up, and they ended up doing a cover of their song "Whiskey In The Jar" after they went and turned gay. I like Thin Lizzy's version a lot better.

Thin Lizzy - Whiskey In The Jar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TehFZ38kt6o

I liked Zakk since he first joined Ozzy. He's always been kinda like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix, an amazing all-encompassing grasp of his instrument inside and out and the ability to play anything on the fly. Even his solo stuff has been pretty good. Pride & Glory, his acoustic solo album "Book of Shadows", and Black Label Society. I'm not too into him anymore though. His vocals have kinda turned to crap in my opinion. Lately he seems to be trying to copy Ozzy's nasal whine a little bit too much, when he started out he sounded a little bit like Gregg Allman. His solo acoustic album was DAMN good. Two of my favorites from it....

Zakk Wylde - Dead As Yesterday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HG-nKIXMis

Zakk Wylde - Throwin' It All Away

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3FacpX7dRk

[ReCycled]

Thing with Zakk is he's very good but he doesn't have to so INTENSE every time he plays anything. Backing off a bit is just as effective...

[[BTF]Jehar]

I've got to say that The Roundhouse Tapes from Opeth has got to be one of my favorites, if only because you got to hear some older stuff with an arguably better lineup (Under the Weeping Moon totally owns the studio version, for instance). It's one thing when a band can perform as well live as in the studio (especially these days, with all of the post-recording production), but it's a whole other level when live sets kick things up a notch.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luZIx5ZVQ28

[travolta]

Thing with Zakk is he's very good but he doesn't have to so INTENSE every time he plays anything. Backing off a bit is just as effective...

Pride and Glory.  Was listening to the CD the other day. Very good!

[|iR|Focalor]

Thing with Zakk is he's very good but he doesn't have to so INTENSE every time he plays anything. Backing off a bit is just as effective...

Not sure exactly what you mean by that. Perhaps you're refering to how he often approaches solos with his trademark runs, or perhaps you're referring to the way he headbangs constantly while playing. As far as I know, he doesn't really do that quite as much anymore. Or perhaps you're referring to his insane vibrato and pinch harmonic accents he added to absolutely EVERYTHING. Or perhaps you're meaning to say how versatile he is. He's actually a pretty good piano player too. I wish he'd do one more solo acoustic album, I miss that side of him. When I saw him touring supporting Book of Shadows, he was mainly playing his Gibson Dove dreadnaught acoustic. I gotta say, that's gotta be one of the best looking acoustic guitars I've ever seen. Solid sitka spruce top, some awesome looking curly maple sides and curly maple bookmatched back, curly maple neck, rosewood fingerboard and bridge. The design and inlay of the bridge is really good looking, along with the similarly styled pickguard. At around $3000, WAY outta my price range. But they do sound just as great as any top of the line Martin D series, and are a whole lot prettier to look at.



I've never understood why certain musicians would rather use some type of "fake" acoustic guitar for recording or performing like any of the Ovation guitars with those rounded plastic backs and built-in preamps. Nothing sounds better than a plain old dreadnaught or jumbo acoustic with a decent mic in front of it.

[{TNP}Dukie]

More TL


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svg_tvwW4po

[Whirlingdervish]

I'd say that one of my favorite live albums is Iced Earth's "Alive in Athens" 

Quite a few of the songs actually sound better to me than the studio recordings did, and all told the input from the oversold crowd mixed really well with a great selection of their thrash tunes to produce a very compelling and heart pumping album.


Another would be Bruce Dickinson's Alive at the Marquee, which was later released in a 3 disc live compilation with one from his Chemical Wedding tour and one from Studio A.

I used to rock that one in my discman back before I had a car while I was hoofin it around town.

[ReCycled]

Thing with Zakk is he's very good but he doesn't have to so INTENSE every time he plays anything. Backing off a bit is just as effective...

...Not sure exactly what you mean by that...

I could be wrong but every time I would come across a YouTube of him (post Ozzy) he always played his electric hunkered down and "shovelling" the ground. Could just be the odd ones I came across...