Week 12: 25 Best Live Records of All Time

[Swish]

Ok BradH and 3 Lock, here's one from a band that everyone knows, and a record I'm sure you've heard more than a few times over the years. As I mentioned, there's really only one remaining that you may consider obscure, at least my Rave Rec standards. In any event, I hope this one draws decent attention so I have some incentive for continuing (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

14) Live At Leeds--The Who: Before this album, the Who had never sounded like this. Not on record. It was like they had this whole other side to them that they were hiding from the world at large, but that their true fans always knew about. They were one of those bands who took advantage of the idea that they could buy bigger amps and therefore be louder than everyone else. And since their drummer was certifiably insane--and yet always right on time--they had an edge over everyone else

Loud? Without a doubt. Great? Unquestionably, and it was their only live recording released while they were still together and recording.It was all of 6 tracks long (the remastered version added 8 more plus expanded the original 6), including a 14+ minute My Generation. This one is certainly worthy of anyone's 'Top 25' list.

Swish - won't get fooled again

[Mr MidFi]

Yeah, the expanded version is a revelation. Great, great stuff. Hard, heavy and out of control.

The live version of "A Quick One" alone is worth worth the price of the disc.

It goes without saying, but this one MUST be played loudly to have any proper appreciation of it.

[BradH]

This is an obvious choice that I would've ranked higher. Still, this whole thing is weird. I'm supposed to believe that Nico & Tim Hardin made live recordings almost as good as Live At Leeds?

Really?

Y'see, Swish? We're never happy!!

I better see Bootsy's Rubber Band Live In Louisville 1978 on this list or I'm gonna...uh...gripe some more!

[3-LockBox]

My only experience is with the remastered reissued version, on CD, so no vinyl experience for me that I remember. Never was muchuva Who fan either, but I do have the CD and back when I went through a live rock phase, this one was very much preferred to their Live at the Isle Of Wight Festival, which has the entire rock-opera Tommy on it, an album which really never grabbed me. (a friend of mine had the Isle Of Wight reissue). Funny thing, these two albums contain material recorded pretty much within the same time period, but while Isle Of Wight is just as good soundwise, the performances at Leeds were propulsive and raw (at times), where IOW sounds like a big ol' rockshow - thanks for coming. Live at Leeds makes The Who sound like a burgeoning young punk band, frenetic and even angry at times. Pete could definitely hear what he was playing back then. Daltry had a great voice, a manly voice, capable of wailing with anyone, Plant included - no girly sissified "does anyone remember laughter?" here. Entwistle and Moon were as tight and ballsy as Black Sabbath's Butler and Ward ever were. Their blues covers were as good as anything Zepplin covered- hell, this live album is better than any Led Zep live album, that's for true.

But this is one that the "reviewer" actually got right for a change - the Who never sounded like this on record. They had some songs that came close later, like Bargain, Won't Get Fooled Again, maybe Baba O'Riley, but nothing that really spits venom. I think having to live up to, and play, Tommy all the time made Townsend too self conscious after Who's Next, because IMO, The Who has a huge drop-off after Who's Next.

I'm lucky I came into the Live At Leeds album when I did, at a time when I could appreciate it. But I'm like Brad - number 14? Are there that many albums that are going to place higher? At least the reviewer thinks this one is slightly better than Tim Hardin, whom the reviewer implied sucked live.

[BradH]

...no girly sissified "does anyone remember laughter?" here.

BWAHAHAHA!

But Daltrey was more of a hippie than anyone else in The Who. It was practically forced upon him by the other members because he was prone to mucho violence. So, he stuck to hash while the others sped right along. Zep were just drunk most of the time. Enough baseball triva.

I agree, it's weird about Leeds and Isle of Wight being so close to together and having a different vibe. But look where they were recorded. One was a college hall and the other was an overcrowded festival. And yeah, the schism between The Who onstage and in the studio has always fascinated me. No one thinks of The Who as a 3-piece harmony band but they did a lot of it on backing tracks and were great at it.

Btw, the special edition 2-cd set of Live At Leeds has Tommy on disc two and, once again, is much better than IOW. But that footage of "Young Man Blues" at IOW is smokin'!