What are your top 3 favorite "Live" Albums?

[emeraldknight47]

KISS ALIVE was my first "live" record and likely still my fave.
The aforementioned Simon and Garfunkel "Live in Central Park" is chock full of sonic goodness.
"200 More Miles" and "Long Journey Home" by The Cowboy Junkies are right up there, too.

[HardyGirl]

The Jacksons-Live
Shaun Cassidy-Live
Rick Springfield-Alive
Rick Springfield-Stripped Down

[nvmbrsdoom5]

Wow, this is a tough one! Here's what I can come up with at the moment.....

1.) JUDAS PRIEST - Unleashed In The East (Live In Japan) 1979
Well, there's a bit of controversy surrounding this one because it's been widely rumoured to have been recorded "live" in a recording studio. Various sources over the years have reported this to be true, and one of the engineers of this record worked with my band years back and more or less confirmed this. But nonetheless, since apparently a good number of "live" albums are guilty of this I am including it, because the performance is powerful and electrifying, with all of the excitement and energy you'd expect from a live show. And also Rob Halford never sounded better than he does on this record, in my opinion. "Victim Of Changes" still makes my hairs stand on end.

2.) KISS- Alive II 1977
Yet another "live" record that was in large part reconstructed/overdubbed later, again this scores points not only for the incredible song list but the energy and excitement. I didn't get to see the band when I was a kid, so I would just crank up this record and stare at the cover, especially the giant gatefold stage shot, and just imagine what it must've been like. Side note-- the studio tracks that made up side four are oft-overlooked gems from their catalog, some of my favorite tunes of theirs. And while I love nearly everything they've ever done, for me "Alive II" really represents the last great moment of the original lineup because they started their major phase of repeatedly jumping the shark, so to speak. Most folks would choose "Alive!" over this one, but for me this is the album that really sums up the bombast and excitement of classic era KISS.

3. GENESIS - Live 1973
Admittedly this album has risen up much higher in my personal favorites thanks to YouTube, and being able to actually see the theatrics that went along with this show from that era. Genesis, particularly during that time, were unlike any other band. They could be eerie, dark, humorous, intense, ethereal, etc., and often all within the space of just one long epic song! The versions of "Watcher Of The Skies", "The Musical Box", and "The Knife" on this record are superlative. Their latter live recordings are excellent as well, but "Live" from 1973 just captures them at this brilliantly weird and inventive period before the majority of the world ever caught onto them.

Honorable Mentions: Cheap Trick - At Budokan, Thin Lizzy - Live & Dangerous, Alice In Chains - MTV Unplugged, The Police - Live, Iron Maiden - Live After Death, Nirvana - Unplugged In New York

[Apositive]

3. Iron Maiden- Rock in Rio

2. Slayer- Live Undead(only an EP but it was a great live record)

1. Iron Maiden- Live After Death, recorded in Long Beach Arena on the World Slavery Tour.......just a perfect live record, great energy.

[megoapesnut]

My belief is that the mark of a good band is if they sound better live than they do recorded. If they sound like crap live, then what you are hearing on the recordings isn't really the band, but a good mixing job.

Elvis - Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite
RUSH - Time Machine 2011
Bee Gees - One Night Only

[Marvelmania]

1) KISS Alive
2) Queen Live Killers
3) Frampton comes alive
4) Cheap Trick at the Budokan
5) Led Zeppelin : The Song remains the same

Same top 4 for me just in a different order.

[Sideshow Spock]

Springsteen's live box set that was released Christmas 1986 changed my life..

[Nostalgiabuff]

Paul McCartney Good Evening New York City, probably because I was there
RUSH - All the Worlds a Stage
Simon and Garfunkel Central park

[ZombieJimC]

Rush All the Worlds a Stage
Heaven and Hell Live from Radio City Music Hall
Wasp Double Live Assassins

[Allie Fox]

Billy Joel rules this category for me. . .

1. Songs in the Attic - In my lifetime I have worn out or destroyed an LP, an 8 track, two cassettes and a CD. Thankfully my MP3 player will last forever. . .

2. КОНЦЕРТ - Just an awesome show. The crowd was really into it and you can tell he was having fun.

3. Billy Joel Live from Long Island - ripped off from the HBO/Video but Joel in his absolute prime. I saw this concert although not the night(s) it was recorded. The absolute best concert I have ever seen.

[Earth 2 Chris]

1. Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison


2. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band: Live Bullet


3. Eagles Live


Chris

[Marvelmania]

Funny you posted Bob Seger Chris, I came so close to adding that to my list along with The Scorpions, The Tokyo Tapes.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Love Seger. Seen him live twice over the last 20 years, and he still puts on one helluva show. Live Bullet is a seminal 70s album, IMHO, and Nine Tonight ain't no slouch, and actually has more of his hits live.

Chris

[Wee67]

1- The Who, Live at Leeds
---I really wish I could've seen these guys back in the early 70's, right around Quadrophenia. I didn't get to see them until after Moon died.

2- White Stripes, Under Great White Northern Lights
---I did get to see these guys and I was blown away by how only two people could fill a hall like an arena band.

3- The Kinks, One From The Road
---Simply a lot of fun. Great songs and just the way a rock show should be. (I almost used Cheap trick for the same reason)