1 Hot August night -neil diamond

2 Supertramp- Paris

3 Nirvana -Unplugged in New York

I could have also added BB King- Live at the Regal and Aretha Franklin- Fillmore West

(The new SHM-CDs of these are simply amazing, but I would have listed them anyway.)

And, since Denis has already chosen Neil Young at Massey Hall (great choice, Denis )



And in reserve



As a general rule, I prefer live recordings (within reason) even if they're not as good technically, because they are definitely so much more 'in the moment'.

James

Deep Purple – Made In Japan

Robin Trower – Live (1976)

Basia – Basia On Broadway


Outstanding Live DVD’s

Little Feat – Highwire Act (Live in St Louis 2003)

Steely Dab – Two Against Nature

John Lee Hooker - Live at the Café au Go Go



The Band - Rock of Ages



Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More from the Road



Mentioned in dispatches:
Little Feat - Waiting for Columbus
AC/DC - If you want blood...

Monk at the It Club
Coltrane and Monk at Carnegie Hall
Coltrane - Up & Down
various Monk live discs

Milcho Leviev and Art Pepper - Blues for the Fisherman

quote:

Steely Dab – Two Against Nature

Is that sound out of the new radio?

Re the question I'd probably go for:-
LS - one More From The Road
DP - Made in Japan
some thing from Rory Gallahger and a back up from RUSH - Different Stages.

This boxset is my fave this year.

Deep Purple: Made in Japan
Peter Gabriel: Secret World Live
Pink Floyd: Delicate Sound of Thunder

Deep Purple: Made in Japan
Thin Lizzy: Live And Dangerous
The Who: Live At Leeds

Bill Withers: Live at Carnegie Hall
Donny Hathaway: Live
BB King: Live at the Regal (started my love of the Blues)

ATB

KK

I would like to have added a Keith Jarrett Standards Trio choice and Supertramp Paris. Also disappointed not to be able to have a Bruce Springsteen live choice as he is one of the greatest live artists but I do not think he has released a classic live album.

This is a very difficult chose, as I love live recordings.

Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains the Same (2007 re-issue, with almost complete setlist) (also the live double DVD)

Van Der Graaf Generator - Real Time

Dead Can Dance - The Forum, London 2005 (limited edition) Any of the releases from this tour would be there, it is just that I was at that show.

There are so many great live recording to choose from, others options would be:
Tangerine Dream - Encore, Logos, and Royal Albert Hall 1975 (from Bootleg Box Vol1), Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous, Yes - Yesshows, Rush - Different Stages, King Crimson - The Great Deceiver (boxset), Sylvian/Fripp - Damage, Peter Hammill - Room Temperature Live, Miles Davis - The Cellar Door Sessions 1971 boxset, Pearl Jam - At the Gorge boxset, Genesis - Seconds Out (wish it had all been form the 76 tour though), Redshift - Faultline, Arc - Arcturus, Kraftwerk - Minimum, Maximum.

Unofficial recordings:
Led Zeppelin - Earls Court, London, 25 may 1975
Yes - Wembley Arena 28 November 1978
Underworld - Bootleg Babies (1996-99)
Van Der Graaf Generator - Leverkusnen 2005 DVD (Rockpalast broadcast)
Porcupine Tree - Nearfest 2001

Most disappointing live releases:

Bowie releasing the 74 and 78 tours, and not the 1976 Station to Station tour. Live, and Stage are not bad, but nothing compared to the 76 tour. Live and Well 1995-7 is pretty good though, available only through his website.

Van Der Graaf - Vital, I just do not get this album, this band had so much lightness and energy, but this setlist and performance is just a dirge.

4 of the best three I could think of - not very keen on live albums, but there are some exceptions such as those above.

No takers for Rick Wakeman on ice then?

- zep

Jamie,
The Led Zepp Earls Court May 75 3 disc set.
And the Porcupine Tree Nearfest 2001 live double,
Are my most played live albums this year.
Munch

I would show but haven't figured out how to post sleeves yet so words will have to do...

Van Morrison - It's Too Late To Stop Now
Bruce Springsteen - Live/1975-85
Joe Jackson - Live 1980-86