Performance

It's sad that the concept of the live double-album has taken such a beating in recent years. People denounce them as lazy holding patterns or cynical attempts at exploiting the wallets and good will of fans. But man, if you were a rock band in the 70s, there was nothing cooler than laying down a smoking platter or two of hot, sweaty live jams. Not surprisingly then, most of the greatest live albums were made during those heady days. The concept seems to have lost its luster, which is odd considering there are as many great live bands as ever. The live album really serves two functions for the discerning consumer, documenting the onstage prowess of the band while acting as a de-facto greatest hits collection. Ideally it'll catch a band at the peak of their powers with classic lineup intact. Here are a few of my all-time favourites.

UFO - Strangers In The Night
Hawkwind - Space Ritual
MC5 - Kick Out The Jams
Motorhead - No Sleep 'Till Hammersmith
Jimi Hendrix - Live At The Fillmore East
Nirvana - Unplugged
Neil Young - Weld
Alice In Chains - Live
Judas Priest - Unleashed in the East
Scorpions - The Tokyo Tapes
The Who - Live At Leeds
Saint Vitus - Live
Thin Lizzy - Live & Dangerous
Pink Floyd - Ummagumma
Allman Brothers - Live At The Fillmore East
Blue Oyster Cult - On Your Feet, Or On Your Knees
Led Zeppelin - The BBC Sessions
Grand Funk Railroad - Live Album
Deep Purple - Made In Japan
KISS - Alive!
Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More For The Road
Iron Maiden - Live After Death
Rush - All The World's A Stage
The Rolling Stones - Get Your Ya-Ya's Out
Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
Uriah Heep - Live
Humble Pie - Rockin' The Fillmore
Robin Trower - Too Rolling Stoned Live!
Ted Nugent - Double Live Gonzo!