I just recently got this....




James Brown Live at the Apollo Vol.II is essential, too.


What's yours?

erykah badu live

tori amos venus and back

Those strings and Stevie's energetic attitude makes the concert 100% stunning!

#1 David Bowie/David Live



#2 David Bowie/Stage



#3 David Bowie/Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars



#4 Tom Waits/Nighthawks At The Diner





tom waits edit
[Edited 10/16/05 11:28am]

Wire on the Box is a cd/dvd release of a 1979 performance by the cerebral English art-punk band Wire on a German television program called Rockpalast in front of a seemingly befuddled studio audience. It’s a terrific performance that captures the band about six months before the release of their 3rd and final album of their first phase. That record featured material that heavily relied on Eno-style atmosphere and art-punk mood pieces, but the versions of the songs performed here are more aggressive and pissy, in keeping with their class of ’77 origins. The only drawback is that there’s only one song from their classic debut Pink Flag performed (the title track). Even though the album was only about 16 months old at that point, Wire apparently felt they’d left that sound behind and considered the album nostalgia.

The audience for this performance don’t seem to have a clue what they’re seeing for the most part – they certainly don’t look like the type of crowd that would be lining up to see a cultish punk band in 1979. At the end of each song, the cameras scan the crowd to show a small group of seated Germans clapping politely and looking more than a little nonplussed.













[Edited 10/16/05 11:27am]

damosuzuki said:

nice. i only have one wire album, 'the A list', which is a compilation of critics' favorite wire songs. i'd love to branch out a bit, because i like what i've heard. wire really tuned my ear to a lot of different things, i think.

Cheek said:

I'm kinda surprised to see this at the top of a list over Stage- it has a reputation as being a little wobbly, doesn't it? I've never actually heard the album, so I can't judge for myself naturally - but I think Bowie fans usually gravitate towards Stage (witness Anxiety's selection...)

damosuzuki said:

actually, i find it to be the other way around. lots of bowie fans i know are way into david live, and they're kinda "eh" about stage...some fans are downright hostile, because the sound on stage was so manipulated, with most of the audience noise being edited out and the 'station to station' track being pieces from different performances and not one 'true' recording...but this is what i LOVE about the stage album...it's completely synthetic and not at all a by-the-numbers live album. it's a perfect statement for what bowie was doing at the time. plus, his voice sounds freakin' gorgeous all the way through.

/peace Manki

Anxiety said:

I've always noticed that when I meet people who are really into music, Wire are a band that come up as a point of reference, a 'gateway' band that opened people up to different sounds. They pretty much covered the entire spectrum of post-punk rock with their first three albums - Ramones-style minimalist punk to highly textured, almost new order-ish new wave.

There's a boxed set of their first three albums out there that's an absolutely great buy - loads of bonus tracks, great sound. It's always priced fairly steeply every time I see it, but worth every cent IMO.
[Edited 10/16/05 11:48am]

damosuzuki said:

Why do I like it better than "Stage"???

- Exciting arrangements,
- Bowie's amazing, wonderful vocals,
- rhapsodical mood,
- theatrical atmosphere,
- rough quality,
- and the Diamond Dogs/Young Americans=Plastic Soul era is my favourite period in Bowie's music!!!

I just feel "David Live" more "live" than "Stage" - though "David Live" had been overdubbed, and "Stage" had been much better recorded technically...

(...sorry for my English... )

Anxiety said:

I think I've got a couple of Stage tracks on the soundtrack to Christiane F. - I believe that version of Station to Station is on there, and if that is the one you're referring to then I know exactly what you mean. I does have an 'imitation of life' insincerity about it, in a very good way.

As I said, I've never heard Live (was the version of Diamond Dogs on Changesonebowie from that album?) - I've just heard iffy things about it, so I'd made the assumption it was generally frowned on.
[Edited 10/16/05 11:55am]

+1 thing:

New wave Ziggy played keyboards...

I find most good bootlegs are better than official Live albums.

Like U2's 2000 Irving Plaza Show or the Prince Love Sexy Sendai show is better than anything they ever released.

lilgish said:

The number of worthwhile officially released live rock albums could probably be counted on one hand, I bet. Jazz would be a different case entirely, I'd imagine...

Dewrede said:

Yes! Thin Lizzy rock! They rock!

But my favourite live album has to be Kiss Alive! (the first one)
So much better than the lame studio albums the songs were drawn from. Yeah, it was heavily overdubbed, but who cares. It's great.

damosuzuki said:

I agree, I just bought a jazz album that I really enjoyed. I gonna buy the same album for The Audience as a gift so I rather not tell, but it's kinda obscure.

Bootlegs are a whole nother musical universe. I really need to improve my official collection before I start collecting boots. I would really like a major boot thread soon.

Dewrede said:

besides the BBC Radio One live concert with a few tracks from Thunder and Lightning. Is there a show with This is the One in it.

I might be a dumb metalhead, but Thunder and Lightning is their best fucking album. I need to hear those songs live.


[Edited 10/16/05 12:52pm]

I'm not a big collector of live albums, but I really like these:


Bauhaus - Rest In Peace: The Final Concert


The Cure - Paris


Siouxsie And The Banshees - Nocturne

calldapplwondery83 said:

Curtis Live is one of my faves too. There's a few in that same, early-70's soul vein that are some of my favourites. Like this one:




...and also the Donny Hathaway Live album that manki mentioned. There's some great live stuff not featured on Donny's original live album on this one too:




And, ya gotta love Aretha:




Rewind a few years and this one was setting the standard:

David Bowie-Live
Rozz Williams-Live In Berlin
Smashing Pumpkins-Earphoria World Tour
Tina Turner-Live
Christian Death-Decomposition Of Violets/The Dolls Theatre
[Edited 10/16/05 13:46pm]

weepingwall said:

This one is also pretty good:


Gitane Demone - Love For Sale

sextonseven said:

oh yeah i forget that one..i love gitane demone's voice..especially on electra descending!...good taste thier lad..good taste indeed.

Cheek said:

only on the instrumentals! and he looked damn sexy doing it, too. i think lisa coleman took some lessons from his keyboard playing stage presence, though of course the hair-blowing is 100% hers.

James Brown-Sex Machine

The Jacksons Live 1981.