In Praise of Concerts and Live Albums

^ Classic things like Hendrix's Band of Gypsys, the Allman Bros live at Fillmore, Led Zep's The Song Remains the Same, the Woodstock recordings, Cream's Live Cream and some others are some things that I was very into as a teenager in the 80s.

The spectacle of the show can be very off-putting to me, as well as the rowdiness of audiences. Yahoo types commonly bother me. I grew up attending classical concerts mostly with my parents and that does feel more dignified and as a reserved person to me loud and rowdy behaviour alienates me.. I can find the audience very distracting when at events. That said, sometimes I can find loud and showy fun. I enjoy much punk music which can be very in your face (even punch you in the face).

I go see more jazz concerts than rock. Most live rock seems to really annoy me (the band, the music, the attitudes, the audience...).

I often have preferred the studio stuff as well. Just depends. I still most turn to studio albums for my music listening.

Live can be so electrifying and I can enjoy the interaction of the band with the audience. I went to concert recently and the interaction was totally cringe.

Just cause I really it, but with no video footage to go with it, here is Swans' Blood Promise off its live album Swans Are Dead:

Quite something to see that Talk talk performance which I was unfamiliar with (not watched it in full yet) and I have enjoyed the other vids you posted. Kraan's first live album is one of my favourites and did not know Tournee. I'd be interested to know how Agitation free and Colosseum live are now. Agitation Free's Last (released in 1976) is a very fine live album.

I really appreciate those acts where each performance is quite unique and where the lives differ from studio versions. Some definitely sound better with the studio recordings and some of course just try to replicate the studio versions. Somethjng with, say, Fishmans, that I like is that each performance of a a piece I have heard has significant differences, and they would improvise on their works in preparation for performances, expand on them, and evolve them. I like variation and variations on themes.

here are some other things I enjoy:

Shared this first Vanishing Twin one more than once here (love the groove, love the band):

Vanishing Twin - Cryonic Suspension May Save Your Life (Pensiero Magico Live Session)



Vanishing Twin - Telescope & Floating Heart (Pensiero Magico Live Session)



Radiohead - There, There Live at Glastonbury (2003)





Edited by Logan - 20 hours 35 minutes ago at 07:38

Early September I'm going to see Colosseum and Agitation Free live. No idea how they are these days with very different line-ups from the early days, but I'm very curious.

John Lydon of Public Image Ltd and The Sex Pistols has referred to the authenticity of the live experience. It already was bad enough with things like autotune, but With the rise of AI, I'm concerned about there being much less authenticity in music and writing. Of course there has been studio "trickery" for ages which I can appreciate and I am not against lots of technology when it comes to making/producing, mixing and recording music... And of course some live albums are more authentic to the live experience than others and some concerts employ more "not live" effects and recordings than others.

I tried experimenting with AI music and the results were humorously cliche and also sadly better than I would have done in various ways, methinks (I appreciated Rick Beato's recent video on that topic). I loathe what's happening with AI, but I digress.

I have been finding myself enjoying live music much more over the past few years even if not actually seeing the acts live, but instead listening to recorded performances. I've seen a number of acts during the summer at "free" concerts and am most looking forward to seeing Stereolab in October. Magma has been one of my past highlights and my favourite "rock" concert was Spinal Tap in 1992. I've seen lots of classical, jazz and blues music live. I have not been attending many concerts other than free things for many years and now try to get out more.

The live release that I have been the most enamored with this year has been Fishmans' 98.12.28 Otokotachi no wakare, a release that I have talked about and shared a lot at PA (I tend to favour Fishmans live work over studio).



I made a list of some of my favourites (there are many more that I could add by Magma, and many others, but the 20 there are ones that have been exciting me of late) at Rate Your Music. Fishmans, Portishead, Swans, Ciśnienie, Magma, Bjork, Boris, Anna von Hausswolff, Cardiacs and Tangerine Dream are some of the representatives. I really dig many 90s concerts, but of course something like Woodstock had so much to offer (adored Santana there).

I mentioned John Lydon at the beginning, and PiL's 2013 concert at Glastonbury Festival is the last live performance I have seen. Rather different from my usual fare, but I always liked PiL, and I really like Lu Edmonds guitar-work.



Here's a very nice version of Sigur Rós' Popplagið (Live in Reykjavík) that I first heard not long ago.



Please mention any concerts you have enjoyed and/or are looking forward to, your favourite live albums, general thoughts on live music etc.