Not a biggest live album fan but here's a few gems with arguments.
Only official (audio) releases accepted.
1. King Crimson - Absent Lovers: Live in Montreal 1984
Simply stunning performance collected from the two final concerts before breaking up (and reforming ten years after). All the 80s tracks are better than album versions. And the rest aren't bad either.
2. Stone - Free
I remember this being one of the first Stone records I ever listened to. Again the songs are collected from two evenings but I don't mind as the setlist and playing are tight as hell. Even better than on studio albums, if that's possible. And damn the sounds are good. The crowd noise after Vengeance Of The Ghostriders is quite hilarious if listened carefully.
3. Primus - Suck On This
You just can't go wrong starting your debut release with Rush's YYZ. I don't know if the songs are from one evening or many, but I think this is the greatest Primus album. Flawless victory!
4. Waltari - Yeah! Yeah! Die! Die! Death Metal Symphony In Deep C
Only live recorded material here (uncounting afterwards released studio version of Move), which I think is quite rare - at least in rock/metal circles. Don't really care about the story but music - man it's good. A Sign + Deeper Into The Mud + The Struggle For Life And Death Of "Knowledge" must be one of the best Finnish death metal (or whatever they are) tunes I've heard. Hats off for the symphony orchestra for blending so smoothly with the band. Unlike most of the symphony + metal stuff I've heard..
Nothing that special on the rest of the album but so what when the first half is So Fine (hah!). Tomi Koivusaari's vocals are great as always. Also the female singer is quite tolerable, way better than Tarja Turunen on the 1999's follow-up, Evangelicum.
Btw, I have some weird pressing of the album with the whole thing in one 60min track. But it's ok.
5. Nasum - Doombringer
Intense and brutal grinding with killer sounds. Also the lenght is just fine concidering the genre and my nerves. Luckily I got to see them before the tsunami, at Tuska festival in Helsinki 2004.
Honourable mentions:
6. Rush - Different Stages
7. Pekka Pohjola - Heavy Jazz
8. Martti Servo ja Napander - Avatkaa ovi!!
9. Nirvana - Unplugged In New York
10. Meshuggah - Alive
+ bonus: Slayer - Live Undead (not really live)
Only official (audio) releases accepted.
1. King Crimson - Absent Lovers: Live in Montreal 1984
Simply stunning performance collected from the two final concerts before breaking up (and reforming ten years after). All the 80s tracks are better than album versions. And the rest aren't bad either.
2. Stone - Free
I remember this being one of the first Stone records I ever listened to. Again the songs are collected from two evenings but I don't mind as the setlist and playing are tight as hell. Even better than on studio albums, if that's possible. And damn the sounds are good. The crowd noise after Vengeance Of The Ghostriders is quite hilarious if listened carefully.
3. Primus - Suck On This
You just can't go wrong starting your debut release with Rush's YYZ. I don't know if the songs are from one evening or many, but I think this is the greatest Primus album. Flawless victory!
4. Waltari - Yeah! Yeah! Die! Die! Death Metal Symphony In Deep C
Only live recorded material here (uncounting afterwards released studio version of Move), which I think is quite rare - at least in rock/metal circles. Don't really care about the story but music - man it's good. A Sign + Deeper Into The Mud + The Struggle For Life And Death Of "Knowledge" must be one of the best Finnish death metal (or whatever they are) tunes I've heard. Hats off for the symphony orchestra for blending so smoothly with the band. Unlike most of the symphony + metal stuff I've heard..
Nothing that special on the rest of the album but so what when the first half is So Fine (hah!). Tomi Koivusaari's vocals are great as always. Also the female singer is quite tolerable, way better than Tarja Turunen on the 1999's follow-up, Evangelicum.
Btw, I have some weird pressing of the album with the whole thing in one 60min track. But it's ok.
5. Nasum - Doombringer
Intense and brutal grinding with killer sounds. Also the lenght is just fine concidering the genre and my nerves. Luckily I got to see them before the tsunami, at Tuska festival in Helsinki 2004.
Honourable mentions:
6. Rush - Different Stages
7. Pekka Pohjola - Heavy Jazz
8. Martti Servo ja Napander - Avatkaa ovi!!
9. Nirvana - Unplugged In New York
10. Meshuggah - Alive
+ bonus: Slayer - Live Undead (not really live)
