Eight superb live albums released in the 1990s

Two amazing live albums recorded in the 1960s and released in the 1990s

Santana - Live at the Fillmore 1968

What about some early magical guitar music played live by Santana? At the time this was recorded in 1968 the band had still to release their debut album. Santana and their unique sound had yet to wow the huge Woodstock festival crowd where they first made their name.

Santana brought a touch of jazz, added to that amazing Latin guitar sound and the skill and improvisational style of play from founder Carlos Santana. This record capturing an early live show illustrates all that superbly. None the least on a huge track from the album, “Freeway” which is jammed with improvisational music for over 30 minutes. This is a stunning record from the early years of Santana which well deserved its belated release many years later in 1997. 

The Beatles - Live At The BBC

There is a slight stretch to include this album on the list, but it’s such a unique snapshot of musical history that it has to be here. This wasn’t taken from live concerts but was captured at a series of BBC Radio studio sessions, recorded live before being broadcast on later dates. The recordings were all made between 1962 and 1965 and released via this album around 30 years later in 1994.

The album has 56 songs from the Fab Four, although coming early in their music career there are a hefty number of cover songs alongside Beatles originals. But that was how the group got started and built its extensive catalog of music.

Some 30 of the songs were previously unreleased and helped build the picture of The Beatles and their development. Their sound too was still developing and raw in places, it’s like hearing the band find their style and voice as they claim their place in history.