USA

I once read that Maynard James Keenan called King Crimson the biggest musical influence on Tool. KC's sound had certainly become more aggressive by the time of their second live album. By 1975 David Cross & John Wetton were touring members of the band; USA represents the band at their peak imho.

These are simply great performances of great music. My favorite tracks are the two bonus songs from the 2002 reissue; it's the version to get. I haven't heard other live compilations, which seen to breed like rabbits, for comparison.

I think the sound quality of USA, the main issue with EARTHBOUND, is perfectly acceptable. Deciding whether these live performances are "better" than the studio ones is purely subjective, so it's up to each individual. I don't listen to many live albums, but this is about as good as you can get!