Top Ten Live Albums

s	Greatest Live Albums Let's face it, most live albums leave a lot to be desired. Many are recorded just to fulfill an artist's contractual obligation to a label they're getting ready to bolt. Others are used as a quick and easy way to get out some "new" product during those longs gaps between studio albums or during the holiday gift giving season (in lieu of the usual greatest hits cop out). But then there are those special live albums that rise above the rest and become more than just a sloppy run through of the songs you should know by heart sung by singers who often forget the words. These are the albums that become legendary reminders of the true spirit of live rock and roll. Here are some of the best live performances ever recorded. And as far as I know, none of them contain any lip synching. (Note: Dates reflect the time of performance, not release, and the order is based loosely on personal preference and how they look best on the page.)
	James Brown - Live At The Apollo, 1962 (10/24) A good day on the job for the hardest working man in show business. The ultimate live recording and yet the record company didn't think it was a good idea. Soul Brother Number One knew otherwise. So hot, you can hear the cold sweat dripping through the speakers.
	Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Piece De Resistance (9/19/78) The box set released by CBS is a collection of performances taken from different shows over a ten year time period. This "unofficial" 3 disc set is an entire show recorded at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, N.Y. during Springsteen's peak. A much better way for the Boss and his road crew to prove it all night and then some.
	The Who - Live At Leeds (2/14/70) This album was great before, but the remastered and expanded version is one Amazing Journey. The humorous stage patter conveys the connection between the band and audience that's missing from today's stadium extravaganzas. And the performance will have you shakin' all over to Maximum R&B.
	Bob Dylan - The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert (5/17/66) This legendary concert, which really took place in Manchester, showcased Dylan at a crossroads in his career. The first set was a solo acoustic performance and the folkies ate it up. Then Zimmy strapped on an electric guitar, brought out his band (which would become The Band) and all hell broke loose. Judas played a brilliant set despite it all.
	Van Morrison - It's Too Late To Stop Now (1973) In the summer of '73, Van Morrison said, "I'm getting my act together and taking it on the road, complete with horns and strings." Okay, he didn't actually say that. He just did it. The results: A mesmerizing trip into the mystic, guaranteed to rock your gypsy soul. There's no need for argument on this one.
	Jerry Lee Lewis - "Live" at the Star Club, Hambug (4/5/64) The Killer performing live on the very stage where the Beatles honed their chops and for the most part singing the rock & roll classics made famous by his American peers. "Take that, Elvis, Little Richard, Roy and Ray!" Jerry Lee is serving notice that anything you can do he can do better. Or at the very least, faster. Goodness, gracious!
	Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out (11/27-28/69) / Liver Than You'll Ever Be (11/9/69) Ya-Ya's is the official release from the tour that spawned the free but tragic Altamont concert. Liver is the infamous bootleg that jump started the illegal taping industry and coaxed Abkco into releasing their "legit version." Ya-Ya's has the better sound. Liver presents a more honest and complete performance. Advantage: Liver.
	Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison (1/13/68) The Man in Black at the height of his career, singing songs about hard luck, murder and life behind bars to an audience that best understood the lyrics. Recently remastered with 3 tracks restored to the lineup and unbleeped swear words, this is an American Classic that's hotter than a pepper sprout.
	Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps / Live Rust (1978) The '70's was a pretty good decade for Neil Young and he capped it off in style with these recordings from his productive "rust period." Rust Never Sleeps is a album of new songs performed live with most of the audience noise removed. Live Rust is the complete show with complete noise. Both are essential on different levels.
	Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Live At El Mocambo (3/6/78) He said he was there to take the country back, but he really showed up to take the music back. Grabbing it from the grubby hands of those who had turned rock into a pompous, boring mess and injecting it with an urgency and passion that had long been forgotten. The antidote to REO Speedwagon had arrived.
	Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense (Special Edition) (12/83) Best enjoyed as an audio and visual experience, especially when David Byrne starts dancing around in that big suit. At least by just listening to it you don't have to watch Tina Weymouth pretend she's got soul. (And by all means, opt for this newer edition with superior sound and extra tracks.)
	Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East (3/12-13/71)Recorded just a few months before Duane Allman's death, this double album set is a hot Southern melting pot of rock and blues that serves up some solid proof that "jamming" was not always a dirty word.
	B.B. King - Live at the Regal (11/21/64) What James Brown at the Apollo is to soul music and Jerry Lee Lewis at the Star Club is to Rock & Roll, this album is to the blues. You don't have to be a blues connoisseur to enjoy it, you just have to appreciate good music. And if you own only ten blues CDs, this should be one of them.
	Cheap Trick at Budokan - The Complete Concert (April 1978) The original version, a pricey import, made them superstars. This remastered and expanded edition captures the entire show on a night when these Rockford boys were the biggest thing to hit Japan since Godzilla. (Well, maybe Ghidrah.)
	John Lennon - Live In New York City (8/30/72) The backing band should be thinking "We're not worthy!" but the sheer power of Lennon's vocals are enough to make this an essential part of any music collection. Live Peace in Toronto 1969 (side one) also has its moments, but Lennon's reluctance to perform in front of an audience means we can only dream about the definitive live album.
	Randy Newman - Live (Sept. 17-79, 1970) Nothing fancy here. Just a guy sitting at his piano, playing and singing the songs that made him lonely at the top. He can be sad ("I Think It's Going To Rain Today"), he can be funny ("Tickle Me") or he can be downright creepy ("Davy The Fat Boy"). And he does it all without costume changes.
	Derek & The Dominos - Live At The Fillmore (Oct. 23-24, 1970) Why does love have to be so sad to make someone create music so good? This is what blues rock is all about. Some British mates giving it their all in between heroin injections. Next time someone breaks your heart, put on "Have You Ever Loved A Woman" and realize you are not alone.
	Bob Marley & The Wailers - Live! (7/18/75)In the world of reggae, there is Bob Marley and then there is everyone else. This album serves as a fine testament to the man, his band and the music. And I really believe him when he says he says he did not shoot the deputy.
	Nirvana - Unplugged In New York (11/18/93) This is one of the few MTV unplugged efforts that does justice to the concept. And it shows that Kurt Cobain was a pretty good songwriter after all. See, I told those boys they didn't have to yell and scream to get their point across. Now if they'd only taken off those ripped jeans and put on some nice pants.
	The Ramones - It's Alive (12-31-77) America's premiere punk band proves two things on this album: Rock and roll is not brain surgery and it's possible to play twenty eight songs in less than an hour. Happy New Year. Gabba Gabba Hey.
	J. Geils Band - "Live" Full House (4/21-22/72) Text book blues rock recorded live in Detroit, Michigan. Worth the price of admission just for "Whammer Jammer" alone. A decade later they would make some videos and become big stars thanks to MTV, but the music wasn't the same and the J. Geils Band unwisely cut the deck by tossing out the joker (Peter Wolf) and then folded with a losing hand.
	Graham Parker & the Rumour - Live At Marble Arch (1976) This much sought after promo record, which features hot cover versions of "Chain of Fools" and "You Can't Hurry Love," captured GP and the Rumour playing a tight set that completely blows away The Parkerilla, the contract breaking official live album on the "poisonous" Mercury label.
	Patti Smith - I Never Talked to Bob Dylan (10/3/76) Yet another great live recording from the mid-seventies. Yes, it's one of those "special imports" and you probably won't find it in your favorite music store, but since there's no legit Patti Smith live CDs on the market, I'll just have to exercise my "I can do whatever I want powers" and put this one on the list.