To be a band whose produced studio material is flawless and impeccable is an incredibly difficult feat. However, to be a band whose live material is just as flawless and impeccable is nearly impossible. Given its daunting nature, many bands try to stray from releasing live recordings. So, many of the live recordings on the market are typically from a home recording or some pirated bootleg. Although, there are a few bands who lean into live recordings and made it their forte.
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When thinking of live recordings, only a handful of bands come to mind. But even when you think of those bands they still don’t have a surplus of live recordings. Maybe they have a couple of one-offs or a tribute show, but they aren’t staples of their careers. That being so, here are three bands whose live recordings are some of the best to ever exist.
1. The Grateful Dead
This one should come as no surprise, as the Dead were arguably the band that put live recordings in the mainstream. Furthermore, if you ask a true Dead Head what the preferred way of listening to the Dead is, they will most certainly say it is their live recordings. Out of their 200 albums, 77 of them are live. Not only is that incredibly cavalier, it is also unprecedented and unmatched.
Out of the 77 albums and the laundry list of tunes on them, some of their best live recorded songs include “Terrapin Station,” “Playing in the Band,” and “St. Stephen.” Also, it should most definitely be mentioned that all of their live-recorded songs are primarily over 10 minutes long. Matter of fact their recording of “Playing in the Band” has a run-time of 46 minutes. It goes without saying, but the Dead were pioneers in the live recording scene.
2. Pink Floyd
In close second to the Dead sits none other than Pink Floyd. Also known for their stacks and stacks of live recordings, Floyd has made 33 albums with six of them being live recordings. Like the Dead, Floyd viewed live recordings as opportunities to experiment and reimagine old songs in new ways. Thus, giving fans a completely new spin on some of their classic tunes.
Some of the songs articulating their experimentation are “Learning To Fly,” “Embryo,” and “Time.” Furthermore, Floyd’s album A Delicate Sound of Thunder charted new ground as it reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 200 and was certified triple platinum in 1997. Floyd is known for being unique in their musical practices, and if you don’t believe us, just give some of these live recordings a listen.
3. Metallica
To many of their fans, there is no better way to feel the intensity of their music other than at their concert or through a live recording. Metallica is known for many things, but they are known for one thing in particular—Being Loud! Their booming volume can be heard on their eight live albums. It’s an experience that will seemingly make your face melt off from the sheer heat that will come from the speakers. So if you do listen, maybe have a friend nearby to help you out in case you go down the rabbit hole.
Opportunities for this to happen are especially likely on songs such as “Welcome Home,” “Nothing Else Matters,” and “That Was Just Your Life.” Truly, there should be a black box warning on some of these songs. Though, that’s what makes them some of the best live recordings of all time.
Photo by Ed Perlstein/Redferns/Getty Images
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