3 of the Greatest Live Albums of the 1970s

4stringer77 · January 25, 2026, 09:45:26 AM

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.

ajkula66 · January 25, 2026, 07:09:34 PM

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.

Ken · January 25, 2026, 09:54:21 PM

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!

westen44 · January 26, 2026, 07:23:02 AM

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/

ajkula66 · January 26, 2026, 07:14:29 PM

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...

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...

Ken · January 26, 2026, 09:29:58 PM

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...

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.

westen44 · January 27, 2026, 12:26:38 PM

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...

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!

godofthunder · January 29, 2026, 04:26:25 AM

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.

patman · January 29, 2026, 02:49:21 PM

I always like when you can feel the adrenaline...like when you're actually playing in the band on a good night.

gearHed289 · January 30, 2026, 07:58:55 AM

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.

uwe · 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!

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.

Basvarken · January 30, 2026, 05:36:36 PM

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?

gearHed289 · February 05, 2026, 09:37:45 AM

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!

At least the drums were all live.

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.

uwe · February 14, 2026, 05:21:50 PM

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.

godofthunder · February 27, 2026, 07:44:54 AM

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!

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. 😁😎🔥