The 411 Music Top 5: Week 10
Posted by Brian Berry on 03.13.2007
411 staffers pick their Top 5 LIVE ALBUMS ever in the 10th edition of the Music Zone's Top 5. From Johnny cash to James Brown and Bob Dylan, see what live albums stand above the rest!
Welcome to the 10th edition of 411 Music's Top 5!
In our last column 411 Mania staffers checked in with their Top 5 MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS. The ultra hip soundtrack to Pulp Fiction landed on more Top 5's than any other set. You can't deny that the kids love their Ricky Nelson & Dusty Springfield!
Our readers, as always, were quick to let us know what movie soundtracks we forgot to mention. If I had a dollar for every time a reader said we missed the Singles soundtrack I'd have, well, five dollars...which brings us to...
READER MAIL
*What about Singles? What about Last Action Hero? Other than that, I'm cool with much of the list(s) -Peter K.
*Missed a few from some of my top soundtracks, don't know how you guys feel about them but try these- The Matrix, Higher Learning, Human Traffic, I Am Sam (great Beatle covers), completely missed Trainspotting, Singles, True Romance, The Wedding Singer for great 80's riffs and not quite a film but Songs In The Key Of X from the X-Files. Have to agree with almost all on Pulp Fiction and High Fidelity, to (sic) brilliant soundtracks to two great films. -Mark Fawcett of Western Australia
*WHAT ABOUT THE "SINGLES" SOUNDTRACK? -Jason Holland
*I enjoy your Top 5 lists and the most recent one in particular, but I cannot believe no one even mentioned the Singles Soundtrack. Sure it was Seattle-centric, but it encapsulated the movie perfectly and was probably THE soundtrack to prove that there was a viable market for movie soundtracks as the soundtrack made a much greater impact than the movie did. It also inspired a bunch other Gen-X related movies to go out and put together a decent soundtrack. I would even argue that if it weren't for the singles soundtrack, The Crow soundtrack would never have been and to me, that is the #1 soundtrack ever. -Rob Cady
*Finally, what would a Top 5 list be without feedback from Jeff Osmond in Canada? Homeboy loves the 411 Music Top 5: Hi there. Just read the best soundtracks list. Good list from everyone but there were some major ones left. 1. Singles. 2. Private Parts. 3. Bride of Chucky 4. Detroit Rock City. 5. Last Action Hero. Those are probably my top 5 that no one mentioned. Seeing as though someone did mention AC/DC then these are some other soundtracks featuring the same band that didn't get mentioned: The Doors- The Doors. 2. Led Zeppelin- The Song Remains the Same 3. Pink Floyd- The Wall. Every person will have their own opinion. Keep up the great work.
I hope you brought a lighter and an extra pair of earplugs because this week 411 chooses our…
TOP 5 LIVE ALBUMS EVER
Michael Melchor
[Music Editor/Reviewer/Contributor To Most 411 Mania Zones]
Honorable Mention: Type O Negative - The Origin of The Feces - For making me wish a band – any band – would put out a real live album that sounds exactly like this. That would be the most uncomfortable record ever...and a comedy goldmine.
5. LL Cool J-MTV Unplugged- I've heard quite enough about Eric Clapton and especially Nirvana Unplugged, thank you very much. (If I have to hear about the latter again, I'm going to puke my guts out and die from turning myself inside-out.) Forget all this "quiet power" bullshit – it was LL Cool J – of all people – who showed what the "Unplugged" format was capable of. Backed by a live band, LL took his classic B-Boy anthems and, with more energy and danger than a nuclear power plant core breach, turned them into rock anthems. A brilliant display of what both Hip-Hop and the "Unplugged" format were truly capable of.
4. Queen-Live At Wembley- A master showman best. Freddie Mercury and the rest of his band, in what would prove to be their last tour, bring the spectacle to their home. The command performance (in more ways than one) was one of the liveliest documented concerts in the band's history; May, Deacon, and Taylor played like nothing in life could be finer than that moment, and Mercury was the conduit between his band and the audience, transferring the infectious feeling of emotion and a great time back and forth.
3. Johnny Cash-Live At Folsom Prison- Not many dudes are ballsy enough to play in a prison, much less one of the most infamous in the world. Johnny Cash certainly was – but the thing is, he wasn't all swagger and gall. Despite having never been one himself, Cash understood prisoners and their mindsets. He knew they hurt just like everyone else. That's why, along with songs about shooting dudes just to watch them die ("Folsom Prison Blues"), there are also songs about heartache and longing ("I Still Miss Someone"). The combination ranks as one of the best documented performances from anyone based solely on response and emotion.
2. The Who-Live At Leeds- This is the ultimate statement of a band coming into its own and dragging an entire genre with it. Before the rock operas and the artsier facets of rock and roll became them, Daltrey, Townsend, Entwistle, and Moon laid waste to conventional notions of popular music. Their mission statement came at Leeds University in England, where The Who made it plain and clear that they – and everything they represented – were taking over and there was nothing the old guard could do about it.
1. James Brown-Live At the Apollo [1962]- Before The Who read their manifesto Live at Leeds...before Johnny Cash brought emotion and swagger to a tough audience...before Freddie Mercury redefined showmanship...before LL Cool J showed a side of his genre we never knew existed...James Brown did every single bit of this years before all else. Seen as just another R&B act, James Brown used the perfect forum – The toughest crowd imaginable in the city that never sleeps – to tell anyone who would listen that he and his music were more than a passing fad. No one thought a revue band capable of jamming, turning on a dime, and then going for miles in another direction. No one thought a bandleader could be so passionate in his rantings and could keep that kind of energy up for so long. Brown showed us all he could, and to this day there is yet to be a live album recorded that proves anyone was as badass as Brown was on any given stage. Check out a live clip right here ->
Honorable Mention: U2 - Under a Blood Red Sky Although many prefer the Rattle and Hum collection, I think this is a superior concert document. It's not terribly long, but you can't argue with the song selection. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" roars (and is also the one most fans know from the video version where Bono - with mullet - prances around the stage waving a flag) and "Gloria" and "The Electric Co." are much livelier than their LP counterparts. This is because they're live, of course.
5. Nirvana-MTV Unplugged In New York - Who knew that one of the finest punk/grunge bands of the 1990's would put out one of the best-selling live (and unplugged) records of all time? Cobain's voice is scratchy and vulnerable and his choice of covers is outstanding (The Vaselines, David Bowie, The Meat Puppets - who also make a guest appearance). Still standing the test of time, "Lake of Fire" and "All Apologies" are still in regular rotation on modern rock radio.
4. Cheap Trick-At Budokan - This band kills live. I'm also a fan of Budokan II, but this is where it all started. You know a band is for real when you can say that they sound better live than they do on an album. "Surrender" is phenomenal and "I Want You to Want Me" smokes the album version. In addition, it's the version most people probably know. Check out a live clip right here ->
3. Johnny Cash-Live At Folsom Prison - Out of the several live albums this man released in his prolific career (San Quentin is also superb), Folsom Prison is fantastic. A smattering of selections about life in prison along with some of his greatest hits and a guest appearance by June Carter make this live country album a must-hear.
2. The Who-Live At Leeds - This is one of The Who's many crowning moments. I originally only heard the original version (which contained something like six tracks), but the remastered one is longer and much more worth it to hear stunning renditions of "Heaven and Hell" and "My Generation". This is proof that The Who was one of the most exciting live bands out there.
1. James Brown-Live At the Apollo [1962] - This is quite possibly one of the finest R&B records ever recorded and undoubtedly my favorite live album. No overdubs or re-recordings (so many live albums have them that it might just make you ill) make this and his other Apollo records (II and Revolution of the Mind) fantastic documents of the king of soul. The medley in the middle that consists of "Please, Please, Please", "I Want You So Bad", and many others make this worth the listen alone. It's only fitting that his body was displayed inside a casket at the Apollo for one last tribute to the man. You will be missed, James.
Jesse Coy
[Music Columnist, "Notes From the Padded Cell"/ Reviewer]
5. Type O Negative-The Origin of Feces - Sort of hard to top this one off, which begins with the audience chanting "You Suck!" and goes on to devolve into bottles being thrown at the band, smashing on stage, and a midway interlude where the concert has to be cleared out because a bomb threat is called in. All the stuff that makes a great live album! Why at #5, then? Because it wasn't really live. It was a hoax. But the damn release had me fooled for years, and is supposedly a compilation of events that did happen when Type O first toured.
4. Ministry-In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up - It's my opinion that this was when Ministry was at its peak as a phenomenal, cutting edge industrial act, instead of the less interesting metal industrial sludge that they've become nowadays. This live offering captures that mechanized intensity of old. The video of this concert is even twice as amazing. It's just too bad they didn't include Jello Biafra's Pledge of Allegiance on the album release.
3. fIREHOSE-Totem Pole EP - I know what you're thinking... what? fIREHOSE? Well, here's why I'd pick this release. fIREHOSE was a very interesting alternative band as quirky as Primus or Cake. What I liked about this live EP was that it was mostly interesting covers, mixed with a couple of their own tunes, done live... covers of Public Enemy, Butthole Surfers, and the Blue Oyster Cult. When I get a live album, I like to get some stuff I can't get on regular album releases by the band. This live release by fIREHOSE fit that bill. I only wish it'd been full length.
2. The Ramones-Loco Live -All I have is four words to say to you... 1-2-3-4! That's about all the onstage banter you'll hear from this live release, and it's shouted out many a time, signaling the band to plow through yet another punk gem at ninety miles an hour, or double speed compared to what you're used to on a studio version of said tune. This was their main official live release, but now that the core members of the Ramones have passed on one after another, I've seen a slew of other live releases appear. This one's good enough for me, though. Check out a live clip right here ->
1. (TIE) Iron Maiden-Live After Death/Judas Priest-Unleashed in the East - Sorry I can't pick one over the other, but really, these two go hand in hand. Metal live and at its best! Both of these bands have issued numerous other live albums, but for both, these two albums were the tightest and most energized. Once "Sinner" begins on Unleashed in the East or "Aces High" begins on Live After Death, there's no getting off either ride. Both albums, by the way, have also been re-released with bonus tracks, Live After Death becoming a double CD, and Unleashed in the East gaining two tracks, as did nearly all Judas Priest releases, via a record company's Screw-the-Fans and Add-Bonus-Tracks reissue campaign (sigh). No matter, for live releases, these two are where it's at.
Honorable Mention: Neil Young's Rust Never Sleeps, which plays like a modest Best Of record. Half of the songs here have become fan favorites, including "Pocahontas," "Hey Hey My My," and the excellent "Powderfinger." Counting Crows' Across a Wire was my favorite album at the end of my teenage years.
5. Tom Waits-The Dime Store Novels Vol. 1- This is an obscure little gem that showcases a young Tom Waits on tour in support of his debut album, Closing Time. Here, Waits still revels in bohemian obscurity rather than full-on carnivalesque freakishness. Sure, there are the usual stories of dwarfs and black beans, but Waits mostly scats his way through light-jazzy tunes, mumbles and sighs into the microphone, and plays offers a glimpse of his upcoming record. There's a fair deal of balladeering, too: heartbreaking versions of "Martha," "San Diego Serenade," and "Ol' 55." Waits doesn't play these songs very often anymore, but here they sound fresh and tender. It's perplexing that this album isn't more widely available.
4. Counting Crows-Face the Promised Land- Though never officially released, Counting Crows' Face the Promised Land has been circulating around the web and the Crows community (if there even is such a thing) for years and is called an "official bootleg," authorized by the band. The album catches the Crows on a particular lively and inspired evening of their tour in support of This Desert Life. After their mega-selling debut and its surprisingly rough-edged follow-up, Adam Duritz and co. were ready to try on another guise: that of old-fashioned roots-rockers with a poppy edge, channeling the jingle-jangly spirits of The Band and The Byrds. The tone down the louder cuts from Recovering the Satellites and turn highlights from August and Everything After into lengthy anthems, bettering the electric second disc of their official live release of the previous year.
3. Neil Young-Tonight's the Night- Neil Young's Tonight's the Night is a classic document of the musical aftermath of the ‘60s. On this bleakest of albums, Young tries to come to terms with the drug-related deaths of his guitarist and roadie and with the superstar status his folky outings of the previous decade (with CSN and, of course, Harvest) had given him. Each of these songs is raw with grief. They're unpolished and detuned. Young opted not to rerecord these tunes in a studio setting, instead settling for a seemingly unfinished product that sent his Harvest fans running. One cringes when Young doesn't hit his notes on "Tired Eyes," but the emotion that fuels these performances is undeniable.
2. My Morning Jacket-Okonokos- My Morning Jacket's Okonokos revamped my appreciation for live albums. For a few years there I'd lost my interest in live albums. They didn't offer the same intricacies as a studio recording, relying instead on vigor and volume; and unfortunately, few live albums manage to really capture these two essential elements of a show. My Morning Jacket's Okonokos changed that. For a band that is known for its roaring live shows, this two-disc document of a fairly recent show at The Fillmore in San Francisco is a testament to their ability: clocking in at a little under three hours, and heavy on material from their last studio album Z, Okonokos moves from psychedelic funk jams ("Off the Record") to 10-minute-plus juggernauts ("Dondante") to pedal-steel fueled county heartbreak ("Golden"). Check out a trailer for the concert film and a live clip right here ->
1. Bob Dylan-Live at the Royal Albert Hall- Bob Dylan's Live at the Royal Albert Hall is famous (or notorious) for so many reasons—it captures Dylan and The Hawks (who later became known as The Band) on tour after Dylan "went electric;" an audience members calls him Judas; Dylan is stoned out of his mind for the duration of the concert—that you'd almost overlook the sheer musicianship and intensity of these performances. The show is divided into two discs. The first 45 minutes feature Dylan by himself, delivering wonderfully complex songs-as-monologues (or vice versa) such as "Desolation Row" and "4th Time Around." But the second disc is the real treat. Dylan and his cohorts rip through soon-to-be classics like "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat" and "Ballad of a Thin Man" at breakneck speed. You won't hear a meaner guitar lick than the one Robbie Robertson offers on "I Don't Believe You" or a more vicious howl than Dylan's on "Tell Me Momma." At the very end, the band turns up the volume yet another notch and launch into a "fucking loud" (Dylan's words), glorious version of "Like a Rolling Stone." It was the bard's crowning moment.
Jared McGuckin
[News Reporter, "The Slightly Slanted Music Report"]
Honorable Mention: Metallica - Live Shit: Binge & Purge - Say what you will about them nowadays, I usually have few choice words, but this box set's a pretty good representation of a band that once kicked massive amounts of ass in their heyday.
5. Local H-Local H Comes Alive - I really could have went either way with this CD. It doesn't really have the best tracks on it as it's more of a live compilation as opposed to one recorded concert, but the energy is full on.
4. Rammstein-Live Aus Berlin - There's no denying that this band puts on one of the greatest rock stage shows in recent memory. While their show is largely visual, they somehow translate that perfectly in this live record.
3. Alice In Chains-Live - I never got to see these guys live while they were around, so this is the closest thing I got. Most of the hits are here with a few sleepers as well. This is a great recording of the band at its best.
2. Nirvana-MTV Unplugged In New York - This is probably the most talked about and most favored Unplugged performance since the series' inception. This live record spawned a slew of new hits for the band and showed that Cobain, is in fact saying real words in those songs of his. Check out a live clip right here ->
1. Johnny Cash-Live At Folsom Prison - Does this really need an explanation? The Man In Black just tears down the prison walls with live renditions of Folsom Prison Blues, I Got Stripes among others. This is THE definition of a classic live album.
Samuel Berman
[Wrestling Columnist, "The Independent Mid-Card"]
Honorable Mention:
Jay-Z - MTV Unplugged - A slice of something different from one of rap's greatest performers.
O.A.R. - 34th & 8th - In my opinion, this is the better of the underground sensation's two live albums.
Metallica - S&M - In another world, this landmark performance might make my top 5.
Nirvana - Unplugged in New York - Almost 15 years later, the music and emotion still resonate.
Counting Crows - Across a Wire: Live in New York City - Two different concerts that showcase the band's versatility.
5. Barenaked Ladies-Rock Spectacle –I can't claim anything like ‘this is the album for everyone' or ‘you aren't a music fan if you don't own this', but BNL was a major band for me in the late 90's, and their great live disc deserves mention here. The band's sense of humor and somewhat unorthodox approach to pop music makes them the kind of act that you either ‘get' or ‘don't get'. In my case, I most certainly ‘GOT' them, and nowhere is their style and talent more obvious to me than on Rock Spectacle. Track to Download: What a Good Boy
4. Dave Matthews Band -Live at Red Rocks, 8.15.95– Arguably the best generally released live recording from one of the top touring acts of the last twenty years. The first disc starts with an incredible version of Seek Up and the album doesn't let up through powerhouse jams like Recently and Lie In Our Graves. The second CD includes classics like Tripping Billies and Ants Marching. It's easy to hate on the Dave Matthews Band these days, after a couple of mediocre albums have come to light, but in 1995 there was certainly no better live act to be found anywhere in the world. Track to Download: Recently
3. Dispatch-All Points Bulletin – This two disc set chronicles the two supposed final shows of what is probably the most successful unsigned band in modern music history. Though the group recently announced that it will reunite for a three-night event at New York City's Madison Square Garden, the power and emotion from the two shows in this collection remain true and enduring. The first disc is from a small club show, with the intimacy being almost palpable as you listen to the music. The second disc contains the band's legendary (then) final performance, a free show in the park in Boston, which drew an astounding 110,000 people. To put that in perspective, the capacity of the Rose Bowl is just over 92,000. If you never got the chance to hear Dispatch perform, I'd recommend that you either buy this album or find some tickets to July's reunion shows. Track to Download: Outloud Check out a live clip right here ->
2. The Roots-The Roots Come Alive– If you've never heard it, believe me when I say that this album will change the way you look at hip-hop music. The Roots have long been lauded as the top live act in the genre and this record is proof positive that the accolades are well deserved. On this well mixed collection of live performances, the incredible Roots Crew is joined by guests like Common, Jill Scott and former band member Rahzel. The best cuts on this one are The Next Movement and Adrenaline!, but the entire record flows from one track to the next, turning the whole into something greater than the sum of its parts. Track to Download: Essaywhuman?!???!!!
1. Pearl Jam -Live in State College, PA, 5.3.03 –I guarantee that not every list I write will have Pearl Jam in the top spot. Seriously, I promise. But in this case, for me to put any other live album at the top of this list would have been a bold faced lie. I have done my share of driving around the country over the past four years, and on each long trip, I start by putting in this show (which is three discs long). Why? Because it's an incredible show that puts front-and-center the best part of the live Pearl Jam experience: the band's undeniable versatility. From covers of The Beatles and Neil Young to countless selections from their own expansive catalogue, Eddie, Stone, Matt, Mike and Jeff bring their very best to this show, the last from the first leg of their 2003 United States tour. Track to Download: Rearviewmirror
I didn't get a chance to do write-ups on my favorite live albums but if I did, my list would look like this: (10) Neil Young-Tonight's the Night (9) My Morning Jacket-Okonokos (8) Pixies-Death To the Pixies-Disc 2 (7) Cheap Trick-Live At Budokan (6) Built To Spill-Live (5) MC5-Kick Out the Jams (4) James Brown-Live at the Apollo [1962] (3) Johnny Cash-Live at Folsom Prison (2) Wilco-Kicking Television: Live In Chicago (1) Nirvana-MTV Unplugged In New York (-Ed.)
Did we miss a live album you think is one of the best? Send us a line and let us know!
…and don't forget to click on each writer's name to see what else they've been writing at 411 Mania!
That's it for The Top 5 this week. Check us out this time next week for another Top 5 list!
