Live albums: love them or loathe them?

[Thorn]

Incidentally why do Mayhem  feel the need to release every damn chickenhouse they play? I don't own any of them except Leipzig, am I missing much?

[Eoin McLove]

True that. Their artwork has been bad since the mid 90s.

[Bürggermeister]

I do enjoy a good live album, though good ones can be hard to find as they're often put out to satisfy a contractual obligation. That Beat one which came out this year, however, the King Crimson effort, is fucking deadly.

Live At Leeds is the obvious high point  for the format but I'va a lot of time for
Maiden England, Gang Green's Can't LIVE Without It, FNM at Brixton, If You Want Blood...

some deadly material out there.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

An interesting one is Deep Purple. I'd say I listen to Made In Japan even more often than Burn.

[Trev]

Once they're not overly polished up in the studio I don't mind them, but there's still very few I'd reach to put on

[ochoill]

I would be quicker to watch a live set (and often do) but I do enjoy a live album every now and again.  None I think I prefer over studio albums or versions of songs but definitely nothing against them.

[jobrok1]

All the obvious classics listed above, including Iced Earth (fucki' love it).

But I'd have to throw "Ted Nugent - Double Live Gonzo" into the mix as a personal favourite. Absolute banger, IMO.
Still have the tape from my teens... and picked it up on CD and LP over the years, too.

[Ducky]

Can take them or leave them. The main one that sees any action from me these days is Allman Brothers' Band's "At Fillmore East". Lizzy's "Live and Dangerous" gets a go if I can't settle on a particular album to play. "The Song Remains the Same" gets the occasional airing as it has my favourite version of No Quarter on it.

Watched the Death Live in LA DVD to death(!) back in college. Great memories of sitting up in Barry/Bane's getting bladdered and watching it on repeat one night.

[TurnTheAirBlue]

AC/DC If You Want Blood, Live at Donnington and No Bull are all great. I know the Angus solo's are a fucking pain in the arse, but there is some serious energy in those performances.

Decade of Aggression was the first album of Slayer's I bought, fucking love it. The first disc is amazing. The second is let down by the songs being from different shows, but it's still great. Captor of Sin is fucking savage on it!

Iced Earth Alive in Athens is a good shout, better than all their studio albums. The guitar sound is massive on it.

Metallica Seattle is savage, but it's let down by the cringe solo's from Kirk and Jason.

I remember buying Testament Live at the Filmore when it came out and enjoyed it but haven't listened to it in years. Same for Overkill's Wreckin' Your Neck. Morbid Angel's rock city gig on the Grindcrusher tour is worth a mention too, great energy on it.

[Pagan Saviour]

Ah forgot about the FNM one, genuinely a good one too.

[The Heretic]

If you want blood

[Eoin McLove]

Live in Brixton is cool but I'd never think of putting it on over The Real Thing. Or Angel Dust.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

I don't listen to it more than any other Floyd album, but I do listen to Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live more than I listen to The Wall.

[Maggot Colony]

Space Ritual by Hawkwind is a mighty live album.   

[Putrefaction]

Big Black - Pigpile.

Only live album I listen to. Heard it first when I was 16, and loved how visceral and pissed off it sounded. Out of all their records, it's probably still the one I return to the most.