https://americansongwriter.com/3-of-the-greatest-live-albums-of-the-1970s/
At Fillmore East was my favorite live album of the 1970s. The Last Waltz by the Band was also a masterpiece. The only thing good I have to say about the Grateful Dead is that long ago I worked with a beautiful girl who was a Deadhead. I don't understand why anyone would like the Grateful Dead, though. But I'm sure not going to argue that with someone like the pretty girl in my office.
As for the comment that an argument could be made that the Allman Brothers Band was the finest group of musicians in the 1970s, I would say yes. IMO, yes.
I'm not as big of a fan of the Band as the Allman Brothers, but their music was legendary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dDbnwQlCek
For me that would be:
1. Live & Dangerous - Thin Lizzy
2. Strangers In The Night - UFO
3. Mother's Finest Live - Mother's Finest
Frampton comes alive, Kiss Alive and Made in Japan could all be up there too.
For me...
- Live at Leeds
- The Song Remains the Same
- Ummagumma
I've read that many "live" albums had many overdubs. Both the Last Waltz and Europe 72 are said to have extensive fixes.
Always loved Waiting for Columbus , by Little Feat. Great live band.
My favorite overall would be Live at Winterland by Jimi Hendrix. But that would be a 60s album, not a 70s as the article specifies.
But a very close second would be Hendrix in the West. That one might could be included with 70s live albums since half was recorded in 69 and half in 70.
I'd have to throw in Uriah Heep Live. Gary Thain's bass playing on that is just incredible.
I don't care much regarding overdubs or not so here goes:
1. Live The 1971 Tour - Grand Funk Railroad
2. Unleashed In The East - Judas Priest
3. It's Alive - The Ramones
Live at Leeds
ALIVE!
Frampton Comes Alive
All the World's a Stage
Unleashed in the East
Tokyo Tapes
Live and Dangerous
Strangers in the Night
WTF
SLADE ALIVE!
Uriah Heep Live
Made in Japan
Uhum, let's separate the men from the boys ...
(https://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTZjMDliOTUyZng5emM4N2xiYmtrYzh6cWRtZHIxb3ZtOGFkdHFhNW41NDJxcGtvaSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/l0Iy21CydCkaXMCD6/giphy.gif)
Can we please use the term "live album" for releases that did not have UFOs flying around in the studio or heroin addicted rock stars stumbling along the mixing console looking for a place to plug in their instrument for overdubs? Thank you. That kinda whittles it down to the one album you all know.
Undoctored. Unsanitized. Unbowed. Unbelievable. Unparalleled. When the 50th Anniversary remixer Richard Digby Smith did a first trial remix where he "
gently eradicated some of the most overt non-music related noises from the recording, much less than you would normally do with a live release" and sent that to the record company, the Purple management wrote him back that he should not dare to remove or ameliorate a single sonic signal originally captured that evening to "
or Purple fans will hang us!". :mrgreen:
You make a strong case and I won't argue with you. :toast: I never knew MIJ was untouched.
As untouched as a virgin coming home late from Sunday school, Tom! :-X
Needless to say, some inhabitants of flood-prone territories to the north-west of Germany will now scoff: "The only reason Uwe's silly Purple didn't need to patch up harmony vocals and harmony guitar on that thing was that they didn't have either, so any mistake by Ian, Ritchie or Jon is a solo!" :mrgreen:
But the real truth is: Purple didn't give a damn. Strange as it sounds today with a band relying as much on its live prowess as DP, in 1972 when they first toured Japan all band members thought that live albums were a cop-out for bands with dried out creativity. But the Japanese record company demanded a live recording, so DP relented under the condition that it would only be released in Japan. Three nights were recorded with two four-track reel-to-reel machines cobbled together and the whole thing mixed upon return to England. Blackmore, Lord and Gillan never even bothered to listen to it, only Paice and Glover said that the recordings were surprisingly good and exciting. So the album was released in Japan only under the title "Live In Japan" and all of the sudden all these vinyl imports cropped up in London and sold like hotcakes. EMI and the Purple management caught wind of this and then just in time for Christmas a European and US version of the live album remonikered tongue in cheek Made in Japan (back then not a quality stamp) was rush-released. And the rest is, of course, history.
I really liked the Rare Earth In Concert double album. It has been kind of forgotten, but it was huge at the time.
I just bought a copy of "Band of Gypsies" by Jimi Hendrix, and enjoyed it immensely. Billy Cox was awesome, in keeping it all glued together. Monster bass tone.
Zappa was so good live he spliced his solo from his Helsinki concert into the album version of the song Inca Roads. That would be the live album you can't do that on stage any more volume II.
Quote from: patman on January 23, 2026, 06:26:52 PMI just bought a copy of "Band of Gypsies" by Jimi Hendrix, and enjoyed it immensely. Billy Cox was awesome, in keeping it all glued together. Monster bass tone.
The only Hendrix album that I can listen to nowadays. Shoot me, I don't care.
"Free Live" would definitely be one of my top choices, along with ABB, Uriah Heep and Humble Pie.
Having said that, "Ummagumma" and "Mother's Finest" are the only two live albums from the era that I actually willingly listen to in my old age.
Quote from: ajkula66 on January 25, 2026, 07:09:34 PMThe only Hendrix album that I can listen to nowadays. Shoot me, I don't care.
Shoot you for having your own preference and opinion? Sure!
For anybody tired of listening to the Hendrix albums that have been listened to over and over, there is always the Jimi Hendrix Experience Box Set. Of course it has been around a while, too. There is also Hendrix in the West which I've already mentioned. Through the years, I've bought everything by Jimi Hendrix I could get my hands on; so I could go on and on. It has reached the point now, though, that some of what they release is scraping the bottom of the barrel.
https://vintagerock.com/the-jimi-hendrix-experience-box-set-cd-review/#google_vignette
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/jimi-hendrix-in-the-west-album-review/
Quote from: Ken on January 25, 2026, 09:54:21 PMShoot you for having your own preference and opinion? Sure!
Oh c'mon ! Being that you're from Brooklyn - where I used to live many harvests ago - I'd fully expect you to throw my earthly remains in a trunk of a '69 Caddy... :mrgreen:
All jokes aside, I guess that I've just been surrounded by way too many Hendrix buffs during the course of my lifetime so I'm not really used to having a dissenting opinion tolerated...
Quote from: ajkula66 on January 26, 2026, 07:14:29 PMOh c'mon ! Being that you're from Brooklyn - where I used to live many harvests ago - I'd fully expect you to throw my earthly remains in a trunk of a '69 Caddy... :mrgreen:
All jokes aside, I guess that I've just been surrounded by way too many Hendrix buffs during the course of my lifetime so I'm not really used to having a dissenting opinion tolerated...
Too fancy! It would be the East River.
Quote from: ajkula66 on January 26, 2026, 07:14:29 PMOh c'mon ! Being that you're from Brooklyn - where I used to live many harvests ago - I'd fully expect you to throw my earthly remains in a trunk of a '69 Caddy... :mrgreen:
All jokes aside, I guess that I've just been surrounded by way too many Hendrix buffs during the course of my lifetime so I'm not really used to having a dissenting opinion tolerated...
Hendrix buffs themselves don't always agree, though. I was literally kicked off a Hendrix forum many years ago because my taste in Hendrix's music was so different from the majority there. And in many ways I felt I knew more about Hendrix than many of them. But unlike many of them I was mostly focused on Hendrix's music, not the irrelevant details of his daily life. I was totally drawn to his music itself. I honestly think some of those people actually worshipped him. There is such a thing as getting carried away. Mein Gott!
Tough choice! Probably going to be more tha than three.😅
1. Live At Leeds
2. Slade Alive
4. Wishbone Ash Live Dates
5. Kiss Alive
6. Badfinger Day After Day Live.
7. The Beatles At The BBC
8. The Beatles at The Hollywood Bowl
9. Cheap Trick Live at Buddakan
10. Deep Purple Made in Japan.
11. BTO Live in Japan
12. Foghat Live.
13. Mott The Hoople Live.
There's probably more. There's something about a Live album that's a real measure of a band for me.
I always like when you can feel the adrenaline...like when you're actually playing in the band on a good night.
Quote from: godofthunder on January 29, 2026, 04:26:25 AMTough choice! Probably going to be more tha than three.😅
1. Live At Leeds
2. Slade Alive
4. Wishbone Ash Live Dates
5. Kiss Alive
6. Badfinger Day After Day Live.
7. The Beatles At The BBC
8. The Beatles at The Hollywood Bowl
9. Cheap Trick Live at Buddakan
10. Deep Purple Made in Japan.
11. BTO Live in Japan
12. Foghat Live.
13. Mott The Hoople Live.
There's probably more. There's something about a Live album that's a real measure of a band for me.
Oh man, Foghat Live! Kinda forgot about that. It was huge when I was in 8th grade (77-78). Glad I got to see them in '79.
"5. Kiss Alive"
Soundchecks in an empty hall polished in the aftermath in the studio don't count, Honorable God of Thunder!
:mrgreen:
There wasn't too much live on Cheap Trick's "Live At Budokan" either because the Budokan (built as a Sumo Wrestling temple with no thought given to acoustics whatsoever) has treacherous and billowing acoustics that can easily sound like a tsunami. A lot of repair work had to be done.
Quote from: godofthunder on January 29, 2026, 04:26:25 AMTough choice! Probably going to be more tha than three.😅
1. Live At Leeds
2. Slade Alive
4. Wishbone Ash Live Dates
5. Kiss Alive
6. Badfinger Day After Day Live.
7. The Beatles At The BBC
8. The Beatles at The Hollywood Bowl
9. Cheap Trick Live at Buddakan
10. Deep Purple Made in Japan.
11. BTO Live in Japan
12. Foghat Live.
13. Mott The Hoople Live.
There's probably more. There's something about a Live album that's a real measure of a band for me.
So who is your number 3 then?
Quote from: uwe on January 30, 2026, 11:28:40 AM"5. Kiss Alive"
Soundchecks in an empty hall polished in the aftermath in the studio don't count, Honorable God of Thunder!
:mrgreen:
At least the drums were all live. :rimshot:
Quote from: uwe on January 30, 2026, 11:28:40 AMThere wasn't too much live on Cheap Trick's "Live At Budokan" either because the Budokan (built as a Sumo Wrestling temple with no thought given to acoustics whatsoever) has treacherous and billowing acoustics that can easily sound like a tsunami. A lot of repair work had to be done.
As it turns out, "Live At Budokan" wasn't actually from the Budokan tapes, it was from Osaka.
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
That makes sense, because the Osaka hall has great acoustics. Which is why DP's Made in Japan features mostly songs from there and only two from Budokan.
Quote from: uwe on January 30, 2026, 11:28:40 AM"5. Kiss Alive"
Soundchecks in an empty hall polished in the aftermath in the studio don't count, Honorable God of Thunder!
:mrgreen:
There wasn't too much live on Cheap Trick's "Live At Budokan" either because the Budokan (built as a Sumo Wrestling temple with no thought given to acoustics whatsoever) has treacherous and billowing acoustics that can easily sound like a tsunami. A lot of repair work had to be done.
I can't argue, yes KISS ALIVE was heavily overdubed but I cut it some slack, it really did capture the energy of thier live show and the live unaltered video that is showing up on YouTube confirms what I personally witnessed on the '75 ALIVE tour, they were a great live rock band. No one would mistake them for Led Zeppelin but if anyone was expecting that they're missing the point. I stand by my choice. 😁😎🔥
Quote from: Basvarken on January 30, 2026, 05:36:36 PMSo who is your number 3 then?
Ha! These are listed in no particular order so I don't think it matters much.
I just played Humble Pie Rockin the Fillmore in the car...it still sounded pretty good to me.
Quote from: godofthunder on February 27, 2026, 07:46:21 AMHa! These are listed in no particular order so I don't think it matters much.
Haha, No it doesn't. But I was just wondering if you realised there is no No 3 in your list ;-)
This article is related to the topic, although to some extent also a rehash.
https://www.classical-music.com/rock/best-live-albums