There are a few trends that develop when you look back at live music albums over the past few decades. That’s not always about the genre of the music, though it’s fair to say that many of the top live albums from the 1970s were by classic rock artists. In some decades there were lots of live albums pushed out, probably seen as an easy, quick, and cheap way to fulfill a contract for another record.
That doesn’t always ensure great quality though. And if you saw the possibility that some labels or groups might be trawling through old recordings to see what they could release, it could be a worrying signal. Will they churn out what they have and package it as a collector's item or unreleased rarities? Sometimes that’s a great treasure trove of music, or maybe there was a good reason why it hadn’t been released before.
In the 1990s there seems to be a higher number of live albums of older material being released. The actual recordings were often anywhere from just a few years previously to over 30 years earlier. The great news is that on many of those delayed releases, the actual quality of the music and the live performance was exceptionally good. Here are eight of those superb 1990s live albums with recordings from way back before then.
Eight live albums from the 1990s but recorded years before
The Clash - From Here to Eternity
This album was released in 1999 as the band's first-ever official live album. It captures several years of live gigs by the band. Those were spread over five years from the most prominent period for the Clash, 1977 to 1992.
The Clash were renowned as an amazing live band. Perhaps that was helped by the energy that punk music brought to the stage. It certainly comes across well on this album as the band rock more than the Casbah!
It’s not an ideal replication of a gig by the band though. Irrespective of where or when the song was recorded the album unusually uses the original date of the song to work out its position on the track listings. Although that could, and perhaps should, disrupt the flow it doesn’t at all. The sound of the album is as if the songs were recorded one after the other at the same gig. It’s an excellent example of a live album.
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.
Another two 1990s live albums recorded years before
AC/DC - Bonfire
Australia's premier rock band released this five-disc box set in 1997. There are two live albums within the set, a double album Let There Be Rock: The Movie - Live In Paris, from their 1979 concert film and a single disc Live From The Atlantic Studios.
The latter was recorded in New York in 1977 and although ‘in studio’ there was a small crowd there to ensure a live feel. It’s worth noting that this was very early in AC/DC terms, they weren’t established yet in the US. They give it full blast in their usual style for an excellent slice of what they are now well known for.
The 1979 concert recording in Paris was recorded on their Highway To Hell world tour. It’s particularly poignant having been just a couple of months before singer Bon Scott’s death in February 1980. The band delivers in style here, it’s full-blown, hard-rocking, heavy guitars and Scott’s tremendous voice. AC/DC at their best.
The Police - Live
What an amazing band The Police were. They brought a unique sound and some great songs. This live double album was made up of two separate periods, both before they disbanded in 1986 and reformed 20 years later in 2007.
The first disc is predominantly from two gigs in Boston, Massachusetts in November 1979 during their tour for their second album Reggatta de Blanc. The second disc is from two nights in Atlanta, Georgia during their 1983 Synchronicity tour. Even though this wasn’t released until many years later in 1995, it was their first live album.
There are subtle differences between the two discs in terms of style. But that shows the natural development cycle of a band. The first disc is full of lively energy and verve. It has the excitement of a band in their early years. The second disc has them at a different point, more comfortable with their music but still a great performance. Live is a really good collection of what helped The Police become one of the world's biggest musical acts.
Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 - Bob Dylan Live 1966, The 'Royal Albert Hall' Concert
There is quite a gap here between this 1966 recording of Bob Dylan in the UK and the release of this album in 1998. As with other artists, the space in time was partly filled by bootleg recordings. It’s a pretty important record in many ways from what were controversial times for Dylan. And don’t believe all you read in the title either!
The issues start with Dylan’s controversial switch from acoustic to electric guitar. The first disc here is all acoustic, it’s the second where he switches to electric on stage and draws heckles and barracking, plus occasional booing, from the crowd.
Dylan is superb throughout, on both discs and sets. He shows immense strength to cope with the crowd at times. And there’s got to have been some satisfaction as he was winning them over on certain songs.
It was a remarkable tour and concert, especially with that ongoing confrontational element each night. Oddly enough, and despite the album name, this wasn’t from Dylan’s concerts at the Royal Albert Hall London. That was an error made on early unofficial bootleg album titles. The recorded concert was actually at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester, but the London venue name stuck in place regardless.
Led Zeppelin - BBC Sessions
Some bands only have one or two live albums. Led Zeppelin has several and often there is a lot of contention between their fans over which is the best, or even the worst. These sessions at the BBC are a great audio snapshot of the band live in their early phase.
It’s a double album featuring great songs from a top band. Recorded in 1969 and 1971 in studio sessions at the BBC, it took until 1997 to be released officially. Bootleg versions had circulated for some time before. Some versions did include a third disc with interviews, but while interesting it’s the raw music we want to hear most.
These BBC sessions do carry an energy and vitality from the band. It’s a bluesy and heavy Led Zeppelin playing as if you were there watching and listening. John Bonham is full-on with the drums. Robert Plant's voice has an amazing range and sound. Jimmy Page on guitar is exceptional and John Paul Jones is almost like a conductor, setting a tone, pace, and direction on his bass and keyboards.
If you haven’t heard Led Zeppelin live then this is a great album to do so. Rather than debate the merits or otherwise of How The West Was Won, or The Song Remains The Same, dive straight in here to these BBC sessions. You won’t regret it.
Queen - Live at Wembley '86
This 1992 album release doesn’t look as far back as some of the other albums listed here. It does fit the criteria well overall though. It’s very definitely capturing Queen, one of the top rock bands ever, and very much still at a peak performance level. Their short Live Aid set the previous year at Wembley is hailed as one of the best live rock shows. For this double album, the band has returned to the stadium in London and very much delivered again.
The band had a real boost from Live Aid which they followed up with a brilliant new album A Kind Of Magic in June 1986 and The Magic Tour, which included two sell-out July dates at Wembley Stadium. The second night there on July 12 was recorded for this album. For those who remember such things, there was a VHS video of the show released in 1990, updated onto DVD in 2003.
But it’s the album that takes our focus. Sometimes live albums are overproduced or edited too much to remove the reality of a live show. This one crackles with the atmosphere and has all the anticipation of the space between songs. All the band is in fine rocking form here, especially Freddie Mercury. You can almost hear his swagger and posturing around the stage, you can hear it in his brilliant voice. The end of “A Kind Of Magic” has his trademark “Ay-oh” call out with the crowd to enjoy and remember too.
The two discs have a total of 28 songs, crammed with so many hits but also with a short rock roll segment including a blast of “Tutti Frutti” and then later in the show Mercury having fun on “Big Spender”. A stunning “We Are The Champion” closes the show before the band’s version of the UK national anthem. It’s a magical night, a brilliant album, and one of the best live records of all time.