(ThyBlackMan.com) The live album is something heavily associated with rock music. Hip-hop tends not to feature live albums although there was a period when the live concert DVD was a thing.
Basically, the company will film a tour stop or show and release it as an album or DVD. It’s both for diehard fans and fans who can’t make the shows in some cities to see the band perform a show or entire set on stage.
With the advent of YouTube, the live album doesn’t have as much of a place in music as it did before. Either concerts can be streamed live or there are just tons of video from live performances uploaded.
There are a few live albums that are truly worth checking out whether it be for pure entertainment, history, or a combination. Here are five rock live albums that are both fun and significant.
Motorhead – No Sleep til Hammersmith (1981)
If you want to dive right into a live album that is high energy from start to finish then No Sleep til Hammersmith is a must listen! It’s loud, fast as you’ll come to expect from Motorhead.
The footage is great for that period of recording and the performance itself is pretty much what you picture of the band’s performance.
As for the set list for No Sleep til Hammersmith, the album wasn’t recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon but across several shows in late 1981.
Unfortunately, it was recorded after Ace of Spades and features several of the dope songs from that album.
Slayer – Live Undead (1984)
This was something of a live album where Slayer had a small audience in the studio. Any room can be a music venue, so I’ll allow it. Besides, this is a live album and not a video album or live DVD so it doesn’t matter.
The album falls after the Haunting the Chapel EP and their debut album Show No Mercy, so most of the tracks here are from those two releases. That means you’re in for a 23-minute head banging session off the bat!
With that said, it could’ve done with more tracks and that would’ve meant pushing Live Undead back until the release of Hell Awaits the following year. That’s not a bad thing at all since that was another of Slayer’s classic albums.
Ultimately, it’s a quick listen with nothing but bangers. If anything, it’s like listening to an unfinished playlist but all of the heat is at the start.
Kiss – Alive II (1977)
Here we have the first live album I ever heard. I checked out Alive II from the local library almost 15 years ago and it was experience. While not the landmark album that the first Alive was for Kiss and rock in general, this was still a dope live album.
Alive II came after the releases of Destroyer, Rock and Roll Over, and Love Gun. That’s not just important here but in general when going back through old live albums.
You always want to know what was released prior before listening. Unlike full length albums or even mixtapes, live albums typically aren’t new material.
In the case of Alive II, we have a solid trio of albums that have some great songs on them that make this release. These include “Beth” and “Detroit Rock City”.
I’ve always preferred the live album material from Kiss over the full lengths since there’s never been a whole Kiss album that I enjoyed. However, these live albums always had the songs I enjoyed.
Alive II is something of a mixed bag with songs I enjoyed right next to those I tend to skip. Make no bones about it: all songs featured were either hits or got heavy radio play for the band.
Megadeth – Rude Awakening (2002)
The second live album I checked out was Megadeth’s Rude Awakening. Between Alive II to 2002, live albums had gotten much better.
Sound production is the first thing that improves but also album structure as far what makes the set list and what performances from which show makes the album.
Rude Awakening had a number of strong tracks and a lot of them were from some of the band’s best albums. Also, the performances are tight to the point of the songs sounding studio-quality.
Now, the live album is a good listen but you could skip it and not miss anything. What’s really worth picking up is the DVD with the performances!
Thin Lizzy – Life (1983)
Upfront: Live and Dangerous from 1978 is the better Thin Lizzy live album. However, the selection of songs here is better as it draws from songs deeper in the band’s catalogue.
Not only that but Life is part of a two-part epitaph on the band’s career along with the final album Thunder and Lightning. The album had a good number of tracks so there’s something from every period of Thin Lizzy’s short initial run.
If you dig the band, you’ll find some song you enjoy and of course there’s a number you’ll probably skip over. Pairing this live album against Live and Dangerous, the quality is similar but I enjoyed the performances on L&D more than here.
In 1978, you had a Thin Lizzy that was still hungry, wanted to put out it’s best music, and give fans the best live shows. By 1983, you still had two of these elements but that hunger and drive that shines in performances wasn’t here entirely.
Staff Writer; M. Swift
This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.