Favorite Live Recordings

Discussion in 'Music and Recordings' started by elwappo99, Jan 23, 2016.

  1. elwappo99

    elwappo99 Friend

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    Been meaning to make this thread for awhile. So I've got some downtime and am finally committing.



    After about 9 years of being in the headphone hobby I've finally set most of my time on recordings. I've found after countless headphones, amps, and DACs getting the best quality recording really is what matters at this point. Yes I'll be that person pouring over multiple recordings to find my favorite. So over the last 3 years, I've really honed in on this. My favorite type of recording by far is live concert recordings, and I want to share some of my favorites. The sense of space is really amplified (no pun) on a good recording. So I'll shut up and here we go!



    1. John Mayer - Where the Light is


    Only in recent years have I really gotten into Mayer's stuff. This album is what really swung me. His other albums have such low SQ, it distracted from the music. Found a quick little sample.



    Best recording: Get the Blu-Ray. It really sounds a lot better. Youtube clip above is definitely from the Blu-Ray

    [​IMG] upload_2016-1-23_16-59-48.png (bluray)

    [​IMG] upload_2016-1-23_17-9-4.png (CD)



    2. Jason Isbell - Live at Austin City Limits



    One of the reasons for making this thread is the fact that I found many great recordings and artists on CS. One of my favorite new artists (new to me, that is) is Jason Isbell which I found on CS. He needs no introduction around here. Audio taken from the DVD.





    [​IMG] upload_2016-1-23_17-13-5.png (DVD)




    3. Adele - Live at the Royal Albert Hall



    I'm not a huge fan of her music, but Adele's voice is truly stunning. Unfortunately (for me) I wasn't impressed with her voice until I started hearing live recordings. The studio productions really don't do her voice justice. Again, do yourself a favor and grab the Blu ray.







    [​IMG] upload_2016-1-23_17-17-42.png (bluray)





    [​IMG] upload_2016-1-23_17-16-43.png (CD)


    So, what do you guys think so far? I have a few more I can get into, if there's interest.

     
  2. Smitty

    Smitty Too good for bad vodka - Friend

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    I found this really interesting, since most of my live recordings are UltraDisc II Jazz recordings. Keep going, exposure to good recordings saves me a lot of research;)
     
  3. JoshMorr

    JoshMorr Friend

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    All of my favorite live albums are fairly cliche; all fairly widely released classics, but something about each of them keeps me coming back

    Miles Davis - Plugged Nickel : My favorite live performance by my favorite Jazz Musician
    Bill Evans Trio - Sunday at Village Vanguard : Possibly best live Jazz album ever recorded
    Neil Young - Live Rust : Neil at his best
    Allamn Brothers - Live at Filmore East : Feels like you're just hanging out with the band as they jam on forever
     
  4. Skyline

    Skyline Double-blindly done with this hobby

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    Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Live at the Quick
    Eric Clapton Unplugged
    Nirvana Unplugged
    Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds - Take your pick...they're all fantastic
     
  5. drfindley

    drfindley Secretly lives in the Analog Room - Friend

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    Dave Matthews Band @ Red Rocks 2005 (I was there, awesome)
    Iron & Wine @ SF 2009 (Also there, sadly you can't buy this anymore)
    Joseph Arthur @ SF 2010 (also there)
    Radiohead @ Bonnaroo 2006 (Yes, I was there too)
     
  6. drfindley

    drfindley Secretly lives in the Analog Room - Friend

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    Also, these three performances by Tay-Tay:


     
  7. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    The live Metal recordings from the late 1980ties and early 1990ties are legendary. Also Kyuss was around :)
     
  8. PoochZag

    PoochZag The Shadow knows - Friend

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    I somehow missed this thread and just searched for it. Like @elwappo99 my #1 is John Mayer's Where the Light Is. His other live stuff is really good (Try! and Any Given Thursday particularly) but none have the SQ of Where the Light Is.

    Couple other (songs from) go-to live albums, they are on Tidal/Spotify

    Natalie Merchant-Live In Convert


    Sarah McLachlan- Afterglow Live


    Matisyahu- Live at Stubbs
     
  9. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    Where The Light Is and Adele at Royal Albert are a couple of my favourites!!! I love live recordings.

    Anothers:
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  10. Case

    Case Anxious Head (Formerly Wilson)

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    th (1).jpg

    This concert is the subject of the documentary No Direction Home by Scorcese. It's most famous for the crowd's hostile reaction to the electric set. I prefer the acoustic set, Visions of Johanna, in particular, is ghost-like, ethereal.

    th (2).jpg

    I think Roger Glover's production on their studio albums is tepid trash, imagine if Jimmy Page had produced instead. Live, it's a different story ...

    I'll add Band of Gypsies, Bill Evans Trio at Village Vanguard, Miles Davis Agartha and Pangaea and of course....

    motorhead-no-sleep-til-hammersmith-vinyl-lp-27971550-imt5014001.jpg
     
  11. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    "Visions of Johanna" here is great, but is even better on the Real Royal Albert Hall disc (this performance was actually in Manchester but bootlegs had it mislabeled as RAH for decades so Dylan kept the name but put it in quotes, as you can see on the cover). The real gem from this recording is "Just Like A Woman", which is so achingly naked and heartfelt that it has made me cry. I agree that the electric set pales in comparison to the acoustic.

    A personal favorite of mine that is likely lesser known is the David Johansen record Live It Up. Johansen is the lead singer of The New York Dolls and had some hits as Buster Pointdexter in the '80s. In between the Dolls and Pointdexter, he had a very underrated solo career, which is perfectly captured on this live record, which manages to channel the energy of the live show onto the recording, something many live albums miss.

    Here's two tracks from it:



     
  12. burnspbesq

    burnspbesq Friend

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    Where to start ...

    Little Feat, "Waiting for Columbus"
    Miles Davis, "My Funny Valentine" and "Four ... and More"
    Bruce Cockburn, "Circle in the Stream"
    Sonny Rollins, "Road Shows, vol. 1"
    Keith Jarrett, "Rio"
    San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas, Cond. "Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine"
    The entire 58-disc Monteverdi Choir/English Baroque Soloists "Bach Cantata Pilgrimage" was recorded live
    X, "Live at the Whiskey a Go-Go on the Fabulous Sunset Strip"
    The Band, "Rock of Ages"
    "Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007"
     
  13. Case

    Case Anxious Head (Formerly Wilson)

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  14. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    I have a big list including a lot of what has been posted here, but here are some other favorites:

    • Friday Night in San Francisco
    • Tedeschi Trucks Band - Everybody's Talkin'
    • Sara Bareilles - Brave Enough: Live at the Variety Playhouse
    • Bill Withers - Live at Carnegie Hall
    • Martha Argerich and Friends Live at the Lugano Festival 2011 (my favorite year not just because of the unexpected Ravel)
    • Rodrigo y Gabriela - Live in Japan
     
  15. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    You went to Bonnaroo when you were 8?
     
  16. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    UNLEASHED IN THE EAST:

     
  17. Koth Ganesh

    Koth Ganesh Friend

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    My all-time favorite:

     
  18. DigMe

    DigMe Friend

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    This is not "my favorite" live recording for sure but I came across this track recently and I forgot how good it is musically. I have found Alanis quite annoying at times and even here her voice is verging on somewhat annoying here but the music, recording, dynamics and tension are all just so great on this track. She plays it perfectly, the musicians play it perfectly, the electric bass tone is badass, the string section is badass. I love it.

    EDIT: I can't get the embed to start at the right time so here's the link to 1:12:47

    Alanis - Uninvited Unplugged Live
     
  19. drfindley

    drfindley Secretly lives in the Analog Room - Friend

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    Try 25.
     
  20. Audioviel

    Audioviel New

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    Mother's Finest - Live (1979)
    Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous (1978)
     

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