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Greatest Prog Rock Live Albums

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Hercules View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hercules Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2023 at 05:47
In no particular order, and sticking to one per band:
Renaissance - Live at Carnegie Hall
BJH - BJH Live
Camel - A Live Record
Wishbone Ash - Live Dates
Gentle Giant - Playing the Fool
Rush - Exit Stage Left
IQ - Subterranea Live
Marillion - Real to Reel
Genesis - Seconds Out

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lewian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2023 at 06:13
Live albums are hard to cover by a list these days as so many shows have been published, but most of these were only bought by the most committed fans of the band. I see a distinction between "big" live albums (mostly from the past) which were put out by bands pretty much like a regular release and appreciated by many, and the releases just targeted at a small audience that were put out because you can do that cheaply even if only a few people buy it. Still some of these can be quite good.

Of course it isn't black and white like that and what I just write will not allow for a sharp classification, still Renaissance Live at Carnegie Hall is a mightily good album and has 266 ratings on PA whereas Day of the Dreamer has 15 and I've never heard of "King Biscuit Flower Hour", which I don't even find on PA, but this is highest on the list followed by Day of the Dreamer, whereas Carnegie Hall isn't on there. Weird! (Obviously the two listed ones may be great, what do I know?)

For Tangerine Dream on the other hand they just list "regular" live albums, chances are they didn't even know that Ricochet is live (seen as better than Poland, Encore, and Logos by maybe most), and of course TD has hundreds of "fan-targeted" live albums, but the list makers apparently don't know them and for Renaissance they do.

I shouldn't be very suspicious of nationalism but it also jumps at me that great German live albums such as Grobschnitt - Solar Music Live, Kraan Live, Hoelderlin Live Traumstadt are missing.

But then, as I wrote, putting together a meaningful live albums list is super hard, they can try, I can disagree, but I guess not much harm is done...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote moshkito Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2023 at 06:14
Originally posted by Hercules Hercules wrote:

In no particular order, and sticking to one per band:
Renaissance - Live at Carnegie Hall
...

Hi,

This one deserves a mention just by the ending of one piece ... where your ears get blown out ... even DD (never Deputy Dan!) got wow'd by it and surprised.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cristi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2023 at 06:15
^ I thought we were supposed to comment on the list in the original post. Confused
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lewian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2023 at 06:21
Originally posted by Hercules Hercules wrote:


Camel - A Live Record

Not sure whether we're supposed to discuss specific albums here. This one has some stellar material (the Never Let Go version is one of the best things I have heard), but it is also somewhat disjointed, putting together stuff from different years with different formations in a not necessarily optimal way. It's not like a concert experience from start to finish (and generally doesn't win much from playing it "in order"), so I would probably rate it quite a bit lower than most of its parts separately.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lewian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2023 at 06:23
Originally posted by Hercules Hercules wrote:


Gentle Giant - Playing the Fool

The highest ranked GG album is also "King Biscuit Flower Hour" and Playing the Fool isn't there... maybe I just don't get the joke!?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lewian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2023 at 06:24
Originally posted by Cristi Cristi wrote:

^ I thought we were supposed to comment on the list in the original post. Confused

There isn't much of a specification of what "we were supposed to do" but discussing good live albums is probably not the worst thing that can be done with such a thread. Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cristi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2023 at 06:26
Originally posted by Lewian Lewian wrote:

Originally posted by Cristi Cristi wrote:

^ I thought we were supposed to comment on the list in the original post. Confused

There isn't much of a specification of what "we were supposed to do" but discussing good live albums is probably not the worst thing that can be done with such a thread. Smile

True
Here is the working link nevertheless Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote someone_else Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2023 at 07:33
Yes - Yessongs
Rush - Exit ... Stage Left
Gentle Giant - Playing the Fool
Pink Floyd - Live at Pompeii
Kansas - Two for the Show
Peter Gabriel - Plays Live
Discipline - This One's for England
Van der Graaf Generator - Recorded Live in Concert at Metropolis Studios, London

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Logan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2023 at 11:01
I already commented on seeing Depeche Mode's 101 at 75 on that progressive rock list which stood out not so much because I would expect 101 to not be in a top 100 but instead just outside of it (101 is just the album name), but because I would not expect to find it in a Prog list of albums. That said, Björk is on my list (due to her being in PA), and I would not expect that many to associate her with Prog.

Lists are a dime a dozen, and I commonly take issue with lists that claim to be the greatest representatives, and I don't find that list compelling (thoughts on the list are of interest to me). For a list itself, I am more interested to see my fellow poster's lists as I care about what individual think. I don't know who made that list in the OP, how many contributed, the methodology... If not based on personal tastes, then I would rather a more meta list. Problem is, not everyone agrees on what is progressive rock and a site like PA does not label by the album, so the results could be better if drawing from various sources.

I have more Magma lives than any other band, lots, but here is a more general list of my favourites.

Some ones in PA that I like that spring to mind.

Area - Are(A)zione (1975)
Björk - Livebox (2003), Homogenic Live (2004), Post Live (2004), Vespertine Live (2004)
Cardiacs - All That Glitters Is a Mares Nest (1995), Cardiacs Live (1998)
Ciśnienie - Brass Album (2022), JazzArt Underground (2019)
Miles Davis - Live-Evil (1971), Pangaea (1975), Agharta (1975), Dark Magus (1977)
Electric Masada - At the Mountains of Madness (2005)
Anna von Hausswolff - Live at Montreux Jazz Festival (2022)
Hawkwind - Space Ritual (1973)
Henry Cow - Concerts (1976)
Kraan - Live (1975)
Magma - Rétrospective Vol. 1 & 2 (1981), Live Hhaï (1975), Concert 1976 - Opéra de Reims (released in 2000), Theusz Hamtaahk Trilogie (2001) etc.
Pink Floyd - the live album of Ummagumma (1969)
Swans - Omniscience (1992), Deliquescence (2017), Swans Are Dead (1998)
Tangerine Dream - Ricochet (1975), Encore (1977)
Robert Wyatt and Friends - Theatre Royal Drury Lane 8th September 1974 (released in 2005)

Out of PA and not really relevant , but mentioning because I love Portishead:
Portishead - Roseland NYC Live (1998)

If Portishead released on album their live performances of their album Third, then that would be more relevant as that has Krautrock, Post Rock, experimental rock and prog folk qualities.

Edited by Logan - September 09 2023 at 11:16
Two tracks per many of my fave acts: A Youtube Playlist
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Nogbad_The_Bad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2023 at 11:39
Originally posted by Logan Logan wrote:


Cardiacs - All That Glitters Is a Mares Nest (1995)
Electric Masada - At the Mountains of Madness (2005)
Anna von Hausswolff - Live at Montreux Jazz Festival (2022)
Hawkwind - Space Ritual (1973)
Henry Cow - Concerts (1976)
Magma - Theusz Hamtaahk Trilogie (2001) 
Pink Floyd - the live album of Ummagumma (1969)
Tangerine Dream - Ricochet (1975)

Add King Crimson - Great Deceiver and that would essentially be my list.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Dark Elf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2023 at 12:33
Procol Harum - Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
Jethro Tull - Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight Festival
Genesis - Seconds Out
Deep Purple - Made in Japan
ELP - Welcome Back My Friends to the Show that Never Ends
Frank Zappa - You Can't Do that on Stage Anymore, Vol. 2 (The Helsinki Tapes)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dellinger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2023 at 20:10
I'm not sure which I would consider the best live album. Even though I love them, I usually find them lacking something... specially if I want the classics in the 70's. They don't have the whole concert, or they don't have the best line-up, or whatever. Yet, if only Pink Floyd's Animals tour had been properly recorded and released, the complete show, that would surely have become (for me at least) the ultimate live album.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote richardh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2023 at 22:23
Originally posted by Cristi Cristi wrote:

Originally posted by Lewian Lewian wrote:

Originally posted by Cristi Cristi wrote:

^ I thought we were supposed to comment on the list in the original post. Confused

There isn't much of a specification of what "we were supposed to do" but discussing good live albums is probably not the worst thing that can be done with such a thread. Smile

True
Here is the working link nevertheless Smile

pleased to see Different Stages at the top even if I managed to forget it in my list. Always like 90's Rush so I like to hear the mix of music across their (at the time) 3 decades of excellence. You get the 78 Hammy Odeon as a bonus disc as well. All very nice.

ELP at No2 with Pictures At An Exhibition is quite ballsy considering it was just an encore performance. Personally as a fan I find it a bit anaemic and lacking any real fun. Very clinical, a criticism that was levelled at ELP and is fully evident here. Lyceum 1970 was more gritty and too my taste, I also much prefer the triple album and Mar Y Sol 1972 as far as ELP live goes.

On the theme of being too clinical I actively dislike Seconds Out with a passion. For me it's totally dull.

A lot of my selections didn't make the list but then some of them are DVD's rather than live albums.

Also I presume Led Zep would have had at least 2 entries if they were counted as a prog band (clearly not in this case).


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lewian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 10 2023 at 02:54
Apparently "King Biscuit Flower Hour" was a radio show and they also produced a good number of live albums of bands, probably what they had played on the show. Both Gentle Giant and Renaissance have that album listed highest in this list (both inexplicably without having their most well known, and actually great, live albums listed). The Renaissance one isn't even listed on PA.

Has anybody here heard these albums or at least one of them? Are they as good as the list suggests?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote omphaloskepsis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 10 2023 at 03:53
You guys named bunches of superb live albums.  I'd like to add one to the list.
SBB- Karlstad Live
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dapper~Blueberries Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 21 2023 at 08:58
My favorite is Two For The Show by Kansas, but recently I have also been listening to King Crimson's Night Watch. Some stellar stuff from their best, imo, era
D~B
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote terramystic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 27 2023 at 15:05
Rush - Exit... Stage Left
Kansas - Two for the Show
Dream Theater - Live at the Marquee
Angra - Holy Live
Mike Oldfield - Live at Montreux (DVD)
Vlatko Stefanovski & Miroslav Tadić - Live at Belgrade
Renaissance - Live at Carnegie Hall
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hector Enrique Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 27 2023 at 16:15
Yes - Yessongs
E,L&P - Welcome back my friends....
Dream Theater - Live Scenes from New York
Kansas - Two for the Show
Rush - Exit... Stage Left





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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote moshkito Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 27 2023 at 17:24
Originally posted by Dellinger Dellinger wrote:

I'm not sure which I would consider the best live album. Even though I love them, I usually find them lacking something... specially if I want the classics in the 70's. They don't have the whole concert, or they don't have the best line-up, or whatever. Yet, if only Pink Floyd's Animals tour had been properly recorded and released, the complete show, that would surely have become (for me at least) the ultimate live album.

Hi,

It sure made for an excellent set of bootlegs ... complete with raging RW, too!

It was a very good show for sure! And I think it was better than the DSOTM show.
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