It's time to take a look from a different angle at the wide and wonderful range of live albums from the 1970s. There are just so many alternative ways to look at them all and come up with a list of ten that stand out as something special. It´s not helped by there being so many great live albums at that time.
Naturally, whatever list of albums gets selected there will always be people who disagree. They don´t like one or more of those listed. In most instances, they have some alternatives they reckon are far superior and question why they aren't included. I bet some of you are thinking of a great but often-overlooked live album right now.
I looked previously at a top ten data-backed list of live albums from the 1970s. At first, it seemed a good way to get over those issues. It was based on BestEverAlbums.com and their aggregation of ratings from their nine million plus members. But their top live albums had a few surprises in terms of what was included and some staggering omissions too.
Ten 1970 live albums at the wrong end of a data-backed ranking list
That site and its data drew me back for another look. This time to the bottom end of their list of 88 live albums of the 1970s. I thought this might show albums that people didn't like, a sort of worst-of-live albums list. As this list of the bottom ten 1970s live albums, in ascending order shows us, the data is telling us something else.
Dr. Feelgood - Stupidity
An excellent 1976 live album from UK rock band Dr Feelgood. You can feel the atmosphere. Lee Brilleaux in top vocal form as is the late great Wilko Johnson and his chopping guitar work. Hot, sweaty, and noisy, it’s raw rock music captured as if you were there.
Roxy Music - Viva! Roxy Music (The Live Roxy Music Album)
Roxy Music had superbly crafted and performed art rock songs and albums. Brian Ferry’s smooth voice and the electronic artistry of Brian Eno stand out on them. But what's that like live on stage? Viva! is a great way to find out that the band can superbly rock it live too. A superb live album from 1976.
Aretha Franklin - Aretha Live At Fillmore West
All respect to Aretha for this 1971 live album. She opens with that song covering the Otis Redding original and again makes it her own. There are so many more great and unexpected covers from her on this one. The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Bread, and Diana Ross songs are among those featured. It’s magical listening.
Queen - Live Killers
Queen was at their extraordinary best when performing. They released several live albums and this from 1979 was their second biggest live seller. It shows off their live set at the time very well. There are so many great songs to follow afterward, but equally, there is a strong setlist on this, too.
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - ‘Live’ Bullet
This album launched Bob Seger and the band to a new level. It raised them from their status as a local band around Detroit and Michigan to a worldwide platform. You can feel and hear their hard-working and gritty when live style from the album.
These are all excellent 1970s live albums
As you can see from these five albums so far, the common connection is that none deserve to be at the wrong end of a ranking list. These are all standout albums worthy of praise and recognition. This view builds further as we progress to the remaining five.
Jimi Hendrix - Hendrix In The West
One of several live albums showcasing Jimi Hendrix, but not all of them are as good as this one. It includes some rarer material and covers, including "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Johnny B. Goode." but also “Voodoo Child” and “Little Wing” from his more usual setlists. Quite a variety, all with the Hendrix sound applied brilliantly.
Elvis Presley - Elvis In Person At The International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
This was only Elvis’s second live album when released. It is a slight anomaly with this list as the database notes it as released in 1970, but it was October 1969 when it hit the shop shelves. Putting that small point aside, it has a great selection of Elvis songs performed live for the first time in nine years. It’s an excellent slice of Elvis on stage.
Grateful Dead - Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses)
The second live album from the Grateful Dead after their Live/Dead 1969 album. The band didn't do hits as such, and their sets and improvisations of songs led to many variations on the night. Which makes live albums like this 1971 release all the more original. This one has always gone down very well with Deadheads, and rightly so.
Grobschnitt - Solar Music Live
Maybe a less well-known choice for many, this West German rock band took a hard and heavy approach to psychedelic rock back in the 1970s. But their blend of sounds and music is pretty popular with those in the know. It’s heavy on instrumentation and a bit spacey, with touches of early Pink Floyd in there perhaps.
You’ll find plenty of guitar soloing and intricate keyboard work in there. But worth a listen, and if you haven't heard them this is a great place to start.
Scorpions - Tokyo Tapes
There was a shift towards using advanced technology in Japan for recordings towards the end of the 1970s. Scorpions joined in with that movement. A strong album marking the best of the band and recorded with great sound quality. The only cautionary notes are some odd vocals from Uli Jon Roth in places, though overcome by his brilliance on guitar. Then there’s the story he told that some of the applause you hear was actually taken from Frampton Comes Alive.
That's all ten from the bottom of the rankings. The last five above all have strong merits too. As always, personal opinions will differ, but these aren't bad albums by any measure; many are excellent choices. The flaw becomes clear, but it’s not the data at fault, it’s a potential misinterpretation.
Those people have all ranked and rated their favorites to submit to the database. They haven't wasted their time ranking a load of albums they don't like, it's very much their own choices as best live albums. This means these are nowhere near being suggested as anyone’s worst of the bunch. That’s why we always need to be careful with what the data and lists tell us. This also shows just how strong a decade the 1970s was for live music albums.