Best Live Rock LP Of All Time

mep · Feb 15, 2014

My vote goes to the Who, Live at Leeds on LP. As everyone knows, recording a concert live is very difficult and recording a very high-energy rock band live is even more difficult. They got it right with Live at Leeds. The vocals are miked great as well as the drums, the bass, and Pete Townsend's guitar through his wall of amps. And yes, you can hear the hum coming from Pete's amps as the songs fade out. Incredible songs, incredible musicianship, and incredible energy. Mix those ingredients with a great recording and you truly have something special.

If Live at Leeds on LP doesn't sound incredible at your house on your system, it's time to start checking the diapers of your gear because one of them has a load in their pants. If there is a live rock LP that sounds better than Live at Leeds, I want to know what it is. To think that this is a 1970 recording is very interesting. Of course we have great jazz live albums that were recorded in the 1950s, but I always thought it was easier to record a small jazz acoustic trio or quartet than to record rock and roll at realistic levels live.

rbbert · Feb 15, 2014

"sounds better" is pretty subjective...and I think especially for a live album the musical content is very likely to color one's perception of the sound.

mep · Feb 15, 2014

rbbert said:
"sounds better" is pretty subjective...and I think especially for a live album the musical content is very likely to color one's perception of the sound.

I don't get your point. I don't think I used the words "sounds better." I said it was "something special" and that it should "sound incredible" on your system. I also said I believe that Live at Leeds is the best live rock LP of all time. Those are my opinions. Are you saying you don't think Live at Leeds sounds great or are you arguing without a clear point for the sake of arguing?

rbbert · Feb 15, 2014

Re-read your post, you specifically asked if there is a live LP that "sounds better" than Live At Leeds. Somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of all my listening is to live stuff, both official and unofficial, soundboard, audience and/or multi-tracked. Live at Leeds is a great sounding live album, but I'm not sure it stands out in my mind as the "best" sounding. I like the sound of any number of Grateful Dead live albums at least as well; you can start with One From The Vault (recently released on LP for the first time) or Dead Set. Little Feat's Waiting For Columbus is another good one. Peter Gabriel's music barely qualifies as "rock" compared to The Who in 1969, but his new hires downloads from his Fall 2013 European tour have excellent sound. That's just scratching the surface; see what I mean? We do have another topic thread somewhere about good (or great) live albums...

mep · Feb 15, 2014

rbbert said:
Re-read your post, you specifically asked if there is a live LP that "sounds better" than Live At Leeds. Somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of all my listening is to live stuff, both official and unofficial, soundboard, audience and/or multi-tracked. Live at Leeds is a great sounding live album, but I'm not sure it stands out in my mind as the "best" sounding. I like the sound of any number of Grateful Dead live albums at least as well; you can start with One From The Vault (recently released on LP for the first time) or Dead Set. Little Feat's Waiting For Columbus is another good one. Peter Gabriel's music barely qualifies as "rock" compared to The Who in 1969, but his new hires downloads from his Fall 2013 European tour have excellent sound. That's just scratching the surface; see what I mean? We do have another topic thread somewhere about good (or great) live albums...

Ok. I stand corrected. You are right and now I understand your point. So list some hard rock LPs that sound better than Live at Leeds in your opinion. Or are you saying that the Dead albums you mentioned sound better and Waiting for Columbus sounds better than Live at Leeds?

rbbert · Feb 15, 2014

For sure I think the 2 GD albums "sound better", at least IMO. I'd have to revisit Waiting For Columbus, I have this memory that it has a very lifelike sound, but it's been quite a while since I listened to it.

mep · Feb 15, 2014

Cool. I need to buy some Grateful Dead LPs. I wouldn't classify them as hard rock though.

rbbert · Feb 15, 2014

Nor is Little Feat. Maybe QMS Happy Trails or JA Bless Its Pointed Little Head, Allman Bros Live at Fillmore East or Atlanta Pop, or Stones Get Your YaYa's Out or A Brussels Affair?

jazdoc · Feb 15, 2014

Warren Zevon "Stand In The Fire"...would make the list only for 'Werewolves' with different lyrics
Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense"
Los Lobos "Disconnected in New York City"
Allmans 'Live at Filmore East'...pay up for a Capricorn original.

mep · Feb 15, 2014

jazdoc said:
Warren Zevon "Stand In The Fire"...would make the list only for 'Werewolves' with different lyrics
Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense"
Los Lobos "Disconnected in New York City"
Allmans 'Live at Filmore East'...pay up for a Capricorn original.

Thanks for giving me more LPs to go after. I appreciate it.

Asamel · Feb 15, 2014

The Band -Rock of Ages
CSNY -Four Way Street

rbbert · Feb 15, 2014

Asamel said:
The Band -Rock of Ages
CSNY -Four Way Street

The music on both of these is great, but it would be pretty hard to make a case for the sound quality being anything more than OK for either of these IMO.

RBFC · Feb 15, 2014

Three Dog Night Live

Renaissance Live at Carnegie Hall

Deep Purple Made in Japan

I haven't heard the Three Dog Night and the Deep Purple in quite a while, but the Renaissance is very good. I'll admit there is some aspects of "great performance" that may have influenced my thoughts on the other two.

Lee

dingus · Feb 15, 2014

Scream In Blue - by Midnight Oil is pretty good... it might be hard to come by on LP though.

hvbias · Feb 15, 2014

My vote would be for Deep Purple's Made In Japan, the DCC vinyl sounds damn good.

mep what is your preferred LP for Live at Leeds? I have the Classic Records LP and some CD remaster that has more tracks.

Johnny Vinyl · Feb 16, 2014

A lot of the albums mentioned aren't really hard rock, although they are all wonderful live recordings. I've never been a fan of true "hard rock" and The Who have always left me somewhat cold. Same with Neil Young and Crazy Horse. As such I'll have to take Mark's word for Live At Leeds being something special.

lasercd · Feb 16, 2014

Great rock live albums I have known:

Grobschnitt - Solar Music Live
Eloy - Live
Emeson Lake & Palmer - Pictures At An Exhibition
King Crimson - The Great Deceiver
Led Zeppelin - How The West Was Won
Renaissance - Live At Carnegie Hall
Genesis - Seconds Out

rbbert · Feb 16, 2014

Of course, The Great Deceiver is "obsolete" now that new hires complete shows are available in The Road To Red

. And unfortunately How The West Was Won is one of the most compressed and peak-limited albums out there; even the DVD-A is not so great.

lasercd · Feb 16, 2014

I guess we can disagree about How The West Was Won. On my system its incredibly dynamic. I played it for a couple of friends and they were high-fiving each other during Dazed And Confused.

I didn't hear a significant difference between Redbook and 24/48.

BlueFox · Feb 16, 2014

The problem with Live At Leeds is that there are only two songs on it I like. On the other hand, with Get Yer Ya-Yas Out, by The Rolling Stones, I love every song.

Best Live Rock LP Of All Time

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