With music made available in the technology this era, today's fans could not truly decipher the love old-school music lovers have for the live concert experience. If you cannot get to a concert, this is the next best thing.
Creating magic in the studio is one thing but doing it live is a surreal experience that adds a whole new level of creativity to the music. The best live albums encapsulate the essence of an artist or band's energy in concert and manage to make a listener feel like they are present in the actual concert.
A live album features between-song banter, the applauding of a crowd fueled by a poignant song or epic guitar solo, and the buzz that cannot be contained in studio albums, reported Buffalo News.
It could be the Ramones' final album as an original quartet, Johnny Cash singing about prison life surrounded by inmates behind prison walls, an extended guitar solo, or an acoustic jam session on one of MTV's greatest shows; these albums encompass the surreal live experience.
Best Live Albums of All Time
1. 'Live at Fillmore East' by The Allman Brothers
On their conclusive live statement, the original lineup of this fabled band reached hitherto improvisational heights.
The band incorporated jazz and blues influences on "Statesboro Blues" and "Stormy Monday" covers and their standards, including "Whipping Post." Adding to that is the telepathic guitar interplay of Dickey Betts and Duane Allman and Gregg Allman's Hammond soulful singing, reported Independent.
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2. 'MTV Unplugged In New York' by Nirvana
The acoustic performance of Nirvana resonated with a whole generation.
"Where Did You Sleep Last Night," the last song on the live album, was filled with endured angst that could only be conveyed by frontman Kurt Cobain.
Cobain passed away five months after the band's performance on "MTV Unplugged," and nearly a year later was the release of the live album.
3. 'Where The Light Is: John Mayer Live In Los Angeles' by John Mayer
John Mayer's live album is divided into three varied sets: a blues set with the John Mayer trio, an acoustic performance, and one set featuring Mayer's full band. It was recorded in December 2007.
Hit songs, including "Gravity," "Waiting On the World to Change," and "Daughters" were performed by Mayer at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles.
4. 'The Bootleg Series Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966, The Royal Albert Hall Concert' by Bob Dylan
What sets this album apart from its contemporaries, aside from its quality, is that the other live records captured performances in which audiences appreciated the sound. But the "Royal Albert Hall" concert is infamous because people hated the sound of the performances. They even booed the musicians and called out the musician as "Judas."
Because the electric half of this concert, in which Bob Dylan is joined by the Hawks, sounds stunning that makes the jeering all the more dramatic and touted the performance as an act of bravery.
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