 "Photo: Courtesy Photo")
 "Photo: Courtesy Photo")
A few weeks ago it was announced that Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones would get back together with John Bonham's son Jason to, essentially, reform Led Zeppelin for a one-off concert in November. To honor the reunion of one of the greatest live rock groups of all time, I thought I'd present the 13 essential live rock albums of the "classic" era. Note that some albums have been omitted because they either don't really fit the genre (James Brown's Live at the Apollo), were heavily dubbed over in the studio (Neil Young's Rust Never Sleeps), done considerably in the studio (Jackson Browne's Running On Empty), or include an incredibly lame guitar talk-box (Peter Frampton's Frampton Comes Alive). So here they are, presented in a rough chronological order of when the concerts were recorded, with the dates of when they were recorded: The 13 essential live albums of rock 'n' roll.
The Yardbirds - Five Live Yardbirds (1964)
The first great live album in the classic, guitar-driven, rock sense, Five Live Yardbirds is particularly noteworthy because it was the first album the group ever released and established their place as one of the premier groups on the British blues scene. Not released in the U.S. for several decades, Five Live Yardbirds, to its advantage, is a very rough and raw listen, with the group absolutely plowing through, among its 10 numbers, Chuck Berry's "Too Much Monkey Business." This album also marks the first recording of a young guitar player by the name of Eric "Slowhand" Clapton.
Bob Dylan - Live 1966, The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert (1966)
Widely bootlegged and officially released in 1998, Live 1966 was the famous concert where a devout folkie yells "Judas" from the crowd, leading Dylan to tell The Band to "play f---ing loud" as they close out with an absolutely vicious version of "Like A Rolling Stone." The first half of the concert is just Dylan with his acoustic guitar and harmonica as he gives moving renditions of "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Visions of Johanna," and "Desolation Row" (which begs the question, how could Dylan remember all the words to that song?). The second half has his backing group, the group soon to be known as The Band (sans Levon Helm), come out and join him for an absolutely electric set that includes phenomenal versions of "Baby Let Me Follow You Down," "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat," and "One Too Many Mornings." By the end of the concert, Dylan could easily notch a victory over the folkies.
Quicksilver Messenger Service - Happy Trails (1968)
Almost 18 of the album's 48 minutes were recorded in the studio. Nevertheless, Happy Trails serves as the perfect document of the San Francisco acid rock scene. Quicksilver extends Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love?" into a 25 minute, 42 second jam that showcases the trademark of the group: legendary guitarist John Cipollina's prodigious fretwork and whammy bar blending together with Gary Duncan's stinging rhythm guitar, proving themselves to be America's answer to Keith Richards and Brian Jones. An absolute barnburner, Happy Trails shows that hippies could still kick your death in…ya dig?
Johnny Cash - Live at Folsom Prison (1968)
Dance halls, theaters, arenas-- none of these places can even come close to matching the atmosphere present on Live at Folsom Prison. The prisoners at Folsom County hang on every word as the man in black sings songs that could have very well been written about his audience with songs such as "I Got Stripes," "Busted," "25 Minutes To Go," and "The Long Black Veil," among others. Cash and his band, which includes Carl Perkins, knocks the songs "Cocaine Blues" and "Folsom Prison Blues" out of the park, with the latter getting a cheer after Cash sings that he "shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die." The loose atmosphere and sounds of the jail makes you feel more at this concert then any other live album out there, making it the closest you ever want to come to actually being in jail.
Cream - Live Cream, Volume 2 (1968)
In the history of rock and roll, there was never a more talented group than Cream. With Ginger Baker on drums, Jack Bruce on bass, and Eric Clapton on guitar all locked in, they could blow any other group out of the water on stage. Their ferocious sound and jazz-inspired jams completely changed the landscape of live rock performances. And while other groups have live albums that are superior to any that Cream has officially released, Live Cream, Volume 2 does a great job of portraying Cream's proficiency onstage. The trio delivers an intense "Tales of Brave Ulysses" and "White Room." Clapton plays an absurdly great solo on "Sunshine of Your Love," and the 13-and-a-half minute "Steppin' Out" demonstrates just how much these three really were the cream of the crop.
The Grateful Dead - Live/Dead (1969)
No group has staked its reputation on its live performances as much as The Grateful Dead. For a band whose studio album production was somewhat inconsistent, especially after 1970, yet remained one of the most popular touring acts through the early '90s tells you just how good the Dead were onstage. And while the Dead's live legacy has been preserved more extensively then any other group through the massive "Dick's Picks" catalogue, 1969's Live/Dead is the album that best demonstrates the Dead's onstage prowess in the midst of their heyday. The epic 23 minute-plus "Dark Star" from Live/Dead remains The Grateful Dead's signature song and "St. Stephen" takes its place as another signature of The Grateful Dead's live canon. For more live Dead, make sure to check out Europe '72 and Dick's Picks, Vol. 4, the best among all the Dick's Picks re-releases.
The Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya Ya's Out (1969)
When you're The Rolling Stones, in the middle of one of the greatest runs in rock history, with your most talented lineup, playing on an on night, you know you're going to put out a great live album. And that's just what you get with Get Yer Ya Ya's Out. The Stones execute a great performance of Robert Johnson's "Love in Vain" and rework their own "Stray Cat Blues" to give it a different take. Mick Taylor shows how great of a guitar player he was in the Stones with his solos on "Sympathy for the Devil," "Street Fighting Man," and the nine-minute long "Midnight Rambler" is absolutely prolific. By this time the Stones were calling themselves, "The greatest rock 'n' roll group in the world;" Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out is the album that verified this statement.
Jimi Hendrix - Band of Gypsies (1970)
I personally prefer my Hendrix with Noel Redding and the much underrated Mitch Mitchell. Yet, there is no denying that a live show of Hendrix was all about seeing Jimi light it up on his axe. And amongst all the re-released live albums that Hendrix has out there, it's the first live album of his that shows his most impressive work on the fret board. "Who Knows" has Hendrix, as usual, testing the limits of the guitar while "Message to Love" shows his onstage musicianship. And words cannot even begin to describe what Hendrix does with his guitar on a twelve-and-a-half long "Machine Gun." His performance on "Machine Gun" is otherworldly and, sonically, one of the most advanced things to ever be played on guitar. It alone makes Band of Gypsies a must buy.
The Who - Live at Leeds [Expanded Version] (1970)
The Who Sell Out, Tommy, and Quadrophenia were all marvelously written studio albums and "I Can't Explain," "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere," and "My Generation" brought out an incredibly raw and tenacious side of rock in the mid '60s, but if you haven't listened to Live at Leeds then you really don't have a true understanding of who The Who are. "Summertime Blues," "Fortune Teller, and "Heaven and Hell" are all out attacks on the eardrums, the last of which will give you a whole new appreciation for Pete Townshend as a guitar player. An almost 16 minute long "My Generation" provides the ferociousness of the original groundbreaking single, then meanders through parts of Tommy in a lengthy jam. "A Quick One, While He's Away" sounds as brilliant as it always did in their live shows. In terms of the best live rock album of all-time, I always find myself going back and forth between Live at Leeds and…
The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East (1971)
When a legendary group's best album happens to be a live one, you know that album must be something else. Live at the Fillmore East is just an absolute masterpiece, probably the closest to perfection a live album has come in rock 'n' roll. The opener, a cover of Blind Willie McTell's "Statesboro Blues," gives us one of the most prodigious guitar performances ever, compliments of Duane Allman and his slide. The band shows how versatile they are with fast paced and charging songs "Hot 'Lanta" and "You Don't Love Me," and also slowing things up for the bluesy "Stormy Monday" and the jazzy "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." The capper, a 23 minute long "Whipping Post," will leave you absolutely breathless. I'll go ahead and say that The Who's Live at Leeds is just the greatest live album by a British group. This is the greatest live album of all time, an absolute must-have for any sort of rock fan.
Pink Floyd - Live at Pompeii (1971)
This is a weird selection for several reasons. For one, I'm not even sure this exists in album form, it's a live film. Second off, the performance (for the most part) takes place in the ruined amphitheater of Pompeii, Italy with no audience aside from a bunch of roadies and recording techs. That being said, this live recording shows Pink Floyd at their peak performing period, before their music became heavily album oriented and driven by studio techniques. Floyd provides an absolutely assaulting version of the first ten minutes or so of the epic "Echoes," an insane and spaced-out "A Saucerful of Secrets," and a thrilling "One of These Days." Just an absolutely cool DVD to have, this would be great to watch while stoned…you know, if that sort of thing was legal. (Note: make sure you select to watch the "Original Film" rather then the "Main Film." The "Main Film" has a lot of incredibly cheesy visual effects added in).
Led Zeppelin - How The West Was Won (1972)
For years, if Zeppelin fans wanted to hear them on a live album, they had to settle with the very sub-par The Song Remains the Same. That was until 2003, when bits of two legendary L.A. concerts from 1972 were officially released as the triple disc How the West Was Won, giving just documentation to one of the greatest live acts of all time. Catching Zeppelin at their absolute peak, the group smashes its way through "Black Dog" -- with the riff from "Out on the Tiles" opening up the song - and "Rock and Roll" while they slow things down to provide a rousing homecoming for "Going to California." Jimmy Page displays his black magic guitar playing on "Since I've Been Loving You," Robert Plant's voice sounds fresh throughout the entire set, and oh yeah, "Stairway to Heaven" is on here too.
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Live/1975-85 (1975-1985…duh)
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band's live shows are a thing of legend. The Boss would get up there and crank out these three hour long shows where, when he came out to do an encore, it was a miracle that he was still able to walk, let alone sing. So, in saying that, it's a bit of a disappointment that there isn't really a live album to document one of these singular performances. However, Live/1975-85, a compilation of bits and pieces of live sets over those years, does a perfect job of translating Bruce's and Co.'s onstage intensity onto record and since it runs at about three-and-a-half hours long, it's almost like witnessing a Bruce show in its entirety. Highlights include "Backstreets," "Born to Run," "Cadillac Ranch," "It's Hard to be a Saint in the City," "The River," and "Because the Night," a song that Springsteen co-wrote with Patti Smith in which Smith made famous.
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