11 - Supertramp - Paris
Supertramp was on a high at the time this was recorded. They were touring their highly successful Breakfast In America album. As the title here suggests, this live album was mainly from their late 1979 Paris gig. It was released the following year. Their studio material is excellent, and the live album provides ok versions of their music, but the main question usually asked about this album is why?
The answer is that it gave the band time to take a break from their studio recording schedule and a chance to try to find a follow-up to their previous success. It's another where fans probably like it more than critics; hence, it's showing here.
10 - Al Di Meola / John McLaughlin / Paco de Lucía - Friday Night In San Francisco
This is a very impressive album featuring three virtuosos on acoustic guitar. It may not be well-known or a regular feature on top live album lists, but they put in quite a show. Recorded in 1980 and released in 1981 it is highly regarded in terms of acoustic guitar. There is some amazing interplay between the three and much improvisation too, showing their skills on their instruments. This is far more than some simple strumming or fingerplay, it’s very accomplished musicians sharing their art.
9 - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Live/1975-85
The boss bosses it with this huge set of five albums, three CDs, and over 40 great songs. It came out in 1986 and covers recordings taken over the previous ten years. Given the way Bruce Springsteen varies his songs for shows, it gave him plenty of options for track selections. And, of course, he has the fabulous E Street band there too. This was a huge seller, thirteen times platinum award it’s an amazing collection.
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