Live albums
Crapaud
Posts: 2,483
The result of a conversation a while back: Do bands not release live albums anymore?
Way back in the 70's and 80's, when I was in my youth, when a band had 'made it', either really big and had a large body of work or had been around for a good while and had a cult following, releasing a live album was the thing to do. Often the live feel of the music was better than the more controlled studio feel. I've asked a fair number of folk this question now and nobody can remember the last time they heard of a live album being released.
A quick search of my own collection reveals that the latest one I've bought was Peter Gabriel's 'Secret World' in 1993. So. what's happened (I've got some thoughts on this, but I'll keep them to myself for the moment)? What's the newest live album in your collection?
Way back in the 70's and 80's, when I was in my youth, when a band had 'made it', either really big and had a large body of work or had been around for a good while and had a cult following, releasing a live album was the thing to do. Often the live feel of the music was better than the more controlled studio feel. I've asked a fair number of folk this question now and nobody can remember the last time they heard of a live album being released.
A quick search of my own collection reveals that the latest one I've bought was Peter Gabriel's 'Secret World' in 1993. So. what's happened (I've got some thoughts on this, but I'll keep them to myself for the moment)? What's the newest live album in your collection?
A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject - Churchill
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Err can any of the current crop sing live?
not sure what my latest is.
did not the live album become the Un Pluged albums?"Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
Parktools :?:SheldonBrown0 -
Kraftwerk Mimimum–Maximum Notebook (bought for the additional concert DVD – great back projections)
http://www.kraftwerk.com/info/com/CD/notebook.html0 -
Crikey, the last live album I bought was Nirvana Unplugged.....that was a while ago, it's on a Cassette!!0
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I've only got one post 2000 and thats "I might be wrong" by Radiohead. Simply superb and by far the best live band I've ever seen.
A lot of live albums crop up as unofficial boot-legs which you can get from most independent record shops.
Probably my fav and most played live album is "Stop making sense" by The Talking Heads.
Nick, an un-plugged album is an acoustic album, usually performed live.0 -
Bjork released a live boxset not so long ago. Good stuff although I must admit I prefer listening to studio albums as if I'm not there I don't really see the point of hearing all the rough edges.0
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lots of other bands have done the unplugged thing haven't they? And didn't metallica release S & M live?0
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Pearl Jam have officially released loads of recordings of their gigs0
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Thin Lizzy, Live and Dangerous - a belting set from a brilliant band.
What do I ride? Now that's an Enigma!0 -
Recent live stuff, mmmm, good point.
Kraftwerk- Min max on dvd as mentioned above.
The Clash live, released 2000, and recorded many years before, so not that recent now. I bought the double LP, heavy duty vinyl, sounds incredible.
Pink Floyd - Pulse late 1990's.
Myabe downloads, mp3 piracy etc have changed the market.
Red Aende, Red Spesh Hardrock, Wine Mercian, Rusty Flying Scot0 -
Crapaud wrote:The result of a conversation a while back: Do bands not release live albums anymore?
Probably not - I suspect most of them release DVDs of concerts instead these days.
David"It is not enough merely to win; others must lose." - Gore Vidal0 -
Recently bought the EELS live recorded earlier this year i believe, at the Albert hall. Excellent album !!0
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Live at the ICA by Queen Adreena - 2005...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Live-at-Ica-Que ... 288&sr=8-50 -
Oasis - Familiar to millions0
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I think the live DVD has taken over from the live album and you just rip the soundtrack from that....although some DVDs come with a CD too which is slightly pointless.
Last live album I bought was that of Chris Rea last year (which was also available as a DVD)I'd rather walk than use Shimano0 -
Flogging Molly - Alive Behind the Green Door - 1997
Flogging Molly - Whiskey on a Sunday - 2006 - Not all live, but the last few songs are.
Black Label Society - Alcohol Fueled Brewtality - 2001
Reel Big Fish - Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album - 2006
Just a few from my collection.0 -
Jackson Browne - Solo Acoustic Vol 1
Simply stunning :shock: 8)0 -
McBain_v1 wrote:Thin Lizzy, Live and Dangerous - a belting set from a brilliant band.
Funnily enough My wife was shouting at me to turn this down yesterday morning.
Sad thing is that thirty years ago it was my Mother doing the same thing!
There are three types of Live Album
1. Those that are just a thumping good time with the band and fans enjoying an otten ad-lib rendition (as in Robert Plant bursting into Kylie's I should be so lucky at Knebworth)
2. A good rendition of the band's work, but without the same raw edge (Pink Floyd, Genesis and Yes)
3. Those who try 2 and fail to achieve 3, such as the early Tangerine Dream concerts<b><i>He that buys land buys many stones.
He that buys flesh buys many bones.
He that buys eggs buys many shells,
But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.</b></i>
(Unattributed Trad.)0 -
Live Bullet by Bob Seger is genius0
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S & M
by Metallica
One of the greatest albums ever- they take all of Metallica's best work and co-operate with the Sanfrancisco Symphony Orcestra (Sanfrancisco & Metallica) to massively improve all of the songs.
Absolutely brilliant and a must listen to album for all those with taste.
Other than that Pink Floyd the wall is quite good."I hold it true, what'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost;
Than never to have loved at all."
Alfred Tennyson0 -
JustRidecp wrote:
Nick, an un-plugged album is an acoustic album, usually performed live.
yep. got that.
my last live album bought Final Damnation 1998
have a few on vinyl including 3 sides of clear 12" - the radio sesions by.........."Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
Parktools :?:SheldonBrown0 -
nolf wrote:S & M
by Metallica
One of the greatest albums ever- they take all of Metallica's best work and co-operate with the Sanfrancisco Symphony Orcestra (Sanfrancisco & Metallica) to massively improve all of the songs.
Absolutely brilliant and a must listen to album for all those with taste.
Other than that Pink Floyd the wall is quite good.
greatest album ever is a bit strong... it's interesting at best. It was the death of Metallica as a band and the birth of the messed up diva rock band that would sue its fans for Napster and release a documentary of themselves as therapy. To think in their youth they wanted to call their first album 'Metal Up Your Ass'. I can't imagine Slayer ever following suit0 -
I'm with Ricadus on the Kraftwerk!0
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Foo Fighters do a great live album, all pretty much acoustic. Green Day Bullet in a Bible is pretty good too. If your into the Chilli Peppers then live at Hyde park is pretty good. Also Blink 182 in their younger days. MTV unplugged got a few editions out.There is never redemption, any fool can regret yesterday...
Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave!0 -
Interesting. The results are pretty much the same as all the folk that I've asked - almost all of the bands discussed so far (only 1 or 2 exceptions) are from a certain era.
I suspect that DavidBelcher's right that DVDs have taken over, but I still can't think of any modern bands who release them (embarrassingly, the latest video I have is also Peter Gabriel's 'Secret World' on video tape). Has the music industry got such a tight grip on things with manufactured bands that don't play any instruments / can't sing, rely too much on studio effects and refinements that playing live is effectively impossible?
I think I'll nip down to the shops tomorrow and have a look.A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject - Churchill0 -
Crapaud wrote:Has the music industry got such a tight grip on things with manufactured bands that don't play any instruments / can't sing, rely too much on studio effects and refinements that playing live is effectively impossible?
Certainly true for your X Factor acts etc. Also, guitar music was going that way a few years back, getting very over produced and shiny until the Strokes came along with "Is this it", ditched the studio effects and made an album heavily influenced by 70's and 80's NY punk scene. This was probably the most significant LP release in recent years as it, thankfully, killed off nu-metal and the likes of Fred Durst that were plaguing the air waves and ushered in a new era of indie music.
Of course this opened the flood gates for record companies to churn out carbon copies but you shouldn't write off all of the new music. By far the biggest influence on new music at the moment is 70's punk with bands shunning studio effects and going back to basics. Also loads of new bands are recording their LP's live in the studio rather than editing together the seperate instrument pieces.
I think the DVD market has certainly taken over for live albums as they have dolby 5.1 support and I'm sure it wont be long before they start filming concerts in HD.0 -
Yes... some bands are now even doing the Instant live cd's, which you can buy the same night on the way out...
Clutch - Live in Flint is an awesome live album
Queens of the Stone age released one a while back which was pretty good as well
the record company hyped crap wont have live albums though no as they're generally no talent fu<kwits seduced by $$$ and empty promisiesPurveyor of sonic doom
Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
Fixed Pista- FCN 5
Beared Bromptonite - FCN 140 -
The live album was a stop gap record to fulfill contractual obligations or for being a good band .
These days recording contracts usually don't allow for such stuff, unless it specifically says to produce a live album, but it certainly ain't part of the deal
Not sure Strokes killed nu-metal, plenty derivatives of that toss plague the pages of Kerrang. And the Strokes may have been a fleeting glance at good music but they lost interest or run out of ideas and opened the door for the Libertines and we've stuck on the that uninspiring tip for too long - Razorlight, Kooks et al
Best band out of that era - god it's only 6 years ago - is Kings Of Leon. Three albums in and they get better each time. White Stripes, again, improve album after album.
But going back to the threads point, these bands are aping music from a certain time period when live albums were all the rage
I just got Allman Bros live in 1970 - it's a beauty0 -
Richrd2205 wrote:Live at the ICA by Queen Adreena - 2005...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Live-at-Ica-Que ... 288&sr=8-5
I had a date with KJG once. Very strange. She pretended to be someone else. When I let on that I knew who she was she lost interest.<hr>
<h6>What\'s the point of going out? We\'re just going to end up back here anyway</h6>0 -
Sorry, might have been getting a bit carried away! Strokes might not have been solely responsible for the downfall of Fred Durst and his compatriots but certainly lit a path for a fresh alternative, which as you rightly said is growing stale already. Agree that the Strokes have failed spectacularly to live up to the hype of the first album, although Albert Hammond Jr's solo stuff is really great.
Also completely agree about King's of Leon. Simply fantastic and their new album is a stonker!
Good Stuff!0 -
The advent* of lo-fi has rendered the live album redundant.
All the more so with people now more widely adopting cruddy, lossful compression on all their music.
* Lies, just popularity.0
