Essential live albums

I've never been a big live album guy. I've certainly owned a few. Usually by my absolute favorite artists. But I don't normally consider them when trying to complete a band's discography, and I rarely ever have purchased more than one by the same band.

But I was watching That Metal Show, and they did a Top 5 Judas Priest albums. At least two of the guys, maybe all three, included Unleashed in the East. I've never owned or heard it. I just never felt like I needed a JP live album. I may go ahead and check it out though.

What else do you consider essential live albums?

Live After the Death would be one.
The Who Live at Leeds, as well.
MC5's Kick Out the Jams, obviously, since they only released it as a live album.

Unleashed In The East is an essential live release and a must have for any Metal collection!!!!

Others include:

Iron Maiden - Live After Death
KISS - Alive
UFO - Strangers In The Night
Cheap Trick - At Budakon
Deep Purple - Made In Japan

Ramones - It's Alive
W.A.S.P. - Double Live Assassins
Raven - Live At the Inferno
Gamma Ray - Skeletons in the Closet

Jimi Hendrix- Band of Gypsys

AC/DC- If You Want Blood You've Got It

Scorpions- Toyko Tapes

KISS- Alive


Iron Maidien- Rock In Rio

I really should get that live W.A.S.P. album. They are one of my few favorite bands that I've never had a live album from.

Also, If You Want Blood You've Got It was the first live album I ever got--I bought it for like a quarter on a really beat up cassette at a yard sale when I was maybe 11. I haven't heard it since then. Should look into that one as well.

Bloodgood - Alive in America, Shakin The world

Iron Maiden - Rock in Rio

Mr. Big - Live @ Budokan

AC/DC - Live (2 disc set if you can find it)

Def Leppard - Live @ Donnington 1993

Def Leppard - Live in Seattle 1983 (Fantastic bootleg)

Stryper - Live in Puerto Rico, 7 Weeks Live

Tesla - RePlugged Live

Those are the ones that I personally enjoy.

I found this post I made back in 2007...

Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:25
1. FOUR WAY TIE FOR FIRST PLACE: Ted Nugent - Double Live Gonzo Judas Priest - Unleashed in the East Thin Lizzy - Live & Dangerous KISS - Alive 5. Yes - Yessongs 6. Aerosmith - Look Homeward Angel (bootleg) 7. Overkill - Wrecking Your Neck Live 8. UFO - Stangers in the Night 9. Iron Maiden - Live After Death 10. Genesis - Three Sides Live (European version) 11. Motorhead - No Sleep til Hammersmith 12. Scorpions - Tokyo Tapes 13. Blackfoot - Highway Song Live 14. Thin Lizzy - BBC Radio One 15. Aerosmith - Live! Bootleg 16. Deep Purple - Made in Japan 17. Queen - Live Killers 18. Mortification - Live Planetarium 19. Angel - Live Without a Net 20. Raven - Live at the Inferno 21. Cinderella - Live at the Key Club 22. Grave Digger - 25 to Live 23. Gillan - Double Trouble 24. Blue Oyster Cult - On Your Feet or On Your Knees 25. TIE: Deliverance - Live at Cornerstone 2001 Sacred Warrior - Live at Cornerstone 2001 27. Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush - RealLIVE! 28. Genesis - Seconds Out 29. AC/DC - If You Want Blood...You've Got It 30. Ted Nugent - Full Bluntal Nugity Some other recommended live albums: Narnia - Short Notice...Live in Germany Rainbow - On Stage Ted Nugent - Full Bluntal Nugity Foghat - Live Narnia - Short Notice...Live in Germany Annihilator - Double Live Annihilation Hammerfall - One Crimson Night Overkill - Wrecking Everything Live Testament - Return to the Apocalyptic City (EP) Testament - Live at the Fillmore Exodus - A Lesson In Violence Jimi Hendrix - Woodstock King's X - Live All Over The Place Ted Nugent & the Amboy Dukes - Survival of the Fittest: Live Black Sabbath - Live Evil Cheap Trick - At Budakon Peter Frampton - Comes Alive

manny wrote:

Jimi Hendrix- Band of Gypsys

AC/DC- If You Want Blood You've Got It

Scorpions- Toyko Tapes

KISS- Alive


Iron Maidien- Rock In Rio

Forgot about Tokyo Tapes and if You Want Blood!!!! Agree with you on Rock In Rio - a must have Maiden release!!!

I'm not a big live album guy, but I have to say Samson's Live At Reading '81 is having a hard time leaving my cd player since I got it.

thejokeriv wrote:

Unleashed In The East is an essential live release and a must have for any Metal collection!!!!

Others include:

Iron Maiden - Live After Death
KISS - Alive
UFO - Strangers In The Night
Cheap Trick - At Budakon
Deep Purple - Made In Japan

And I'd add:
Motorhead - No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith
W.A.S.P. - Double Live Assassins
Thin Lizzy - Live And Dangerous
Foghat - Live
AC/DC - If You Want Blood You've Got It

Veering away from older favorites, here are some relatively recent killer live releases. Most of these are live concert DVDs, some also have CDs included. The best live stuff generally gets filmed these days.

Rush - Rush In Rio
Rush - R30
Rush - Snakes & Arrows: Live
Rush - Time Machine (featuring Moving Pictures)
Porcupine Tree - Arriving Somewhere...
Porcupine Tree - Anesthetize (featuring Fear Of A Blank Planet)
King's X - Live Love In London
Opeth - Lamenations (featuring Damnation)
Opeth - The Roundhouse Tapes
Opeth - In Live Concert At Royal Albert Hall (featuring Blackwater Park + 1 song from each album)
Heaven & Hell - Neon Knights
Heaven & Hell - Live From Radio City Music Hall
David Gilmour - Remember The Night: Live At The Royal Albert Hall
Iron Maiden - En Vivo
Iron Maiden - Flight 666 (documentary + concert film)
Metallica - Français Pour Une Nuit
Slayer - Still Reigning (featuring Reign In Blood)
Overkill - Wrecking Everything
Testament - Live In London
Nektar - Pure: Live In Germany
E.L.O. - Zoom Tour Live

Mortification-Live Planetarium

S.D. wrote:

Veering away from older favorites, here are some relatively recent killer live releases. Most of these are live concert DVDs, some also have CDs included. The best live stuff generally gets filmed these days.

Rush - Rush In Rio
Rush - R30
Rush - Snakes & Arrows: Live
Rush - Time Machine (featuring Moving Pictures)
Porcupine Tree - Arriving Somewhere...
Porcupine Tree - Anesthetize (featuring Fear Of A Blank Planet)
King's X - Live Love In London
Opeth - Lamenations (featuring Damnation)
Opeth - The Roundhouse Tapes
Opeth - In Live Concert At Royal Albert Hall (featuring Blackwater Park + 1 song from each album)
Heaven & Hell - Neon Knights
Heaven & Hell - Live From Radio City Music Hall
David Gilmour - Remember The Night: Live At The Royal Albert Hall
Iron Maiden - En Vivo
Iron Maiden - Flight 666 (documentary + concert film)
Metallica - Français Pour Une Nuit
Slayer - Still Reigning (featuring Reign In Blood)
Overkill - Wrecking Everything
Testament - Live In London
Nektar - Pure: Live In Germany
E.L.O. - Zoom Tour Live

Great list!!!!! The latest Rush Live is really good! I prefer the Neon Kinights Live @ Wacken over the Radio City one. Flight 666 is awesome, of course!!!! And En Vivo just rules - after repeated views, it's passed Rocck In Rio as my fav Maiden live release! I am sure that having seen that exact show (and set list) 8 times has something to do with it - I usually listen to the Blu Ray 5.1 DTS mix. The CD sounds a bit too compressed compared to the DTS mix

Ozzy - Tribute

Overkill - Wrecking Your Neck

Testament - Live In London

Savatage - Ghost In The Ruins

Iron Maiden's "Death on the Road" is totally underrated and gets zero love. It smurfing rips and is easily on par with Live After Death. Also, Emperor's "Inferno" is a great double live album for fans of black metal.

Andy wrote:

Iron Maiden's "Death on the Road" is totally underrated and gets zero love. It smurfing rips and is easily on par with Live After Death. Also, Emperor's "Inferno" is a great double live album for fans of black metal.

The only reason I didn't mention Death On The Road is because the DVD is completely unwatchable, the quick-cut editing on that film is easily the worst in history. Since I bought the DVD and not the CD, I was very disappointed.

Savatage - Live Devastation

The best King's X albums have been mentioned. So, off the top of the noggin', I'll add:

Saxon - The Eagle Has Landed
Tigertailz - What Are You Looking At?
Black n Blue - One Night Only Live
MSG - Rock Will Never Die
Krokus - Alive and Screamin'
Doomsday News III
Dark Angel - Live Scars

At Fillmore East by ABB
Performance:Rockin The Fillnmore by Humble Pie
You Get What You Play For by REO
Go For What ya Know by Pat Travers Band

I'll add these ones too. Because I was there...

Death - Live In L.A.

Megadeth - Rust In Peace Live

Stuck Mojo - Hvy 1

I'm not into the rapping aspect so much, but the music is great.

Here's one I forgot about:

Masters Of Reality - Flak 'n' Flight


Criss Goss grabbed Josh Homme & Nick Oliveri (Queens Of The Stone Age, Kyuss) for a Masters of Reality European tour and sparks flew! This album is raw, hungry and tons of fun.

i'm not a major live album kind of guy. however i do enjoy these pretty frequently...

Asphyx - Live Death Doom
The Gathering - A Noise Severe
Misfits - Evilive
Iced Earth - Alive in Athens
Morbid Angel - Entangled in Chaos
Judas Priest - Unleashed in the East
Saint Vitus - Live
Doro - 25 Years in Rock... And Still Going Strong
Slayer - Decade of Aggression
Danzig - Live on the Black Hand Side

S.D. wrote:

Andy wrote:

Iron Maiden's "Death on the Road" is totally underrated and gets zero love. It smurfing rips and is easily on par with Live After Death. Also, Emperor's "Inferno" is a great double live album for fans of black metal.

The only reason I didn't mention Death On The Road is because the DVD is completely unwatchable, the quick-cut editing on that film is easily the worst in history. Since I bought the DVD and not the CD, I was very disappointed.

Great concert, but I agree with SD - too much quick-cut editing! Proof that Steve Harris shouldn't edit Iron Maiden live concerts!