Live albums: love them or loathe them?

[leatherface]

There are seemingly plenty of people out there who don't like live albums.

I don't mind them personally, the live songs can provide a nice alternative to the studio recordings. Sometimes they surpass the studio recordings in quality.

Do people rate them or hate them?


Examples:

Live after Death
Halford live
Saxon Eagle has Landed


etc

[Thorn]

Don't mind them, come to think of it, Primordial have a new Live In New York don't they? Doesn't sound right does it?

[Eoin McLove]

No real interest. A couple of classics like Live After Death (best version of Revelations), Decade of Aggression and Live and Dangerous,  not to mention plenty of cool Motörhead stuff, but in general I'm not that fussed with them.

[Pagan Saviour]

Most of them are a complete waste of time and an opportunity for a band to stall things somewhat. Most aren't love either.


Decade and Live after Death and Metallicas Seattle show on the Live Box Set are my go to live albums.

[Mithrandir]

I have zero interest in listening to a live album, even my favourite band being Iron Maiden, I don't even own a copy of Live After Death (even though I think it's the best Cover Art they've done). Unless it happened to be a show I was at or I'm watching a live Video that's particular cool,  I love getting on the cans and watching Metallica Seattle 89' but I wouldn't listen to it on headphones going around the house.

[Thorn]

Would agree it's their best cover art, Eddie looks ferocious.

[Eoin McLove]

No Prayer For The Dying is their best album cover. KONTROVERZIUL!

[Thorn]

No prayer for that shout.

Iced Earth - Alive In Athens, That's one I go back to now and again.

[Eoin McLove]

Far from their best album, but the artwork rules.

[Thorn]

Ah man it wouldn't hold a candle to the classic album covers, can't get with the Billy Idol hair do on Eddie

[Anvil]

I quite like a live album, but drum solos can go fuck themselves.

[Pentagrimes]

Generally don't care for "official" (ie polished/post produced)live albums  with the notable exception of Swans-"Public Castration" and the live portions of "Body to Body" are the best recordings of them, far superior to the studio recordings of the era (which are already pretty great)

[Eoin McLove]

It came out when I was getting into metal so it has nostalgic value, but I think it looks the biz. Seventh Son is visually up there as well and Number of the Beast. And Piece of Mind  ah yeah... some great artwork from that era no doubt, but No Prayer looks phenomenal to me.

[Circlepit]

Decade Of Aggression
Live & Dangerous
Live After Death
Metallica Seattle
Alice In Chains live album
FNM live at Brixton
Motörhead - Hammersmith 2007

These are the only ones I'd listen to, the FNM was on constant rotation when I was in school.

[Thorn]

Well it's certainly one of the last good ones I'll give you that, I'd take it over any of the latter day ones, actually after looking through them, it's the last decent cover along with Fear..
State of Book Of Souls for fucksake