For fans unable to secure a ticket for the hottest seat in town, these classic live albums offer the next best thing.
Words by Barry Page
Crucial snapshots of an unrepeatable moment in time or fan-rinsing cash-ins, whatever your opinion of live albums, they’ve become an important part of the musical landscape since time immemorial, with some even immortalised as major cultural milestones – Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison being a prime example.
While many concert recordings aren’t quite able to capture the atmosphere, energy and excitement of the gigging experience – with the rather clichéd observation of “you had to be there” often ringing true – there are plenty of live albums worthy of repeated listening, as our latest countdown attests. As a certain Simple Minds frontman might say, let us see your hands…!
20 The Cure – Paris (1993)
The Cure played a staggering 111 shows across 21 countries in 1992 on their Wish Tour, captured for posterity in a concert video and two disparate live LPs. While Show leant towards the poppier end of their spectrum (Friday I’m In Love, Let’s Go To Bed), companion set Paris took a deeper dive into the band’s catalogue, with fan faves (One Hundred Years, Play For Today) and underperforming singles (Charlotte Sometimes, Catch). A reconfigured and remastered 30th anniversary edition added two tracks.
19 Yazoo – Reconnected Live (2010)
Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet made quite an impression in Yazoo’s heyday, but their relationship was doomed, as the keyboardist told CP: “Alison and I worked out that she was really bored with me programming, and I was really bored with her singing.” Citing unfinished business, the opportunity to reconnect came in 2008 for a live tour, and this LP is a wonderful document of their reunion, drawing on both studio LPs plus B-sides Situation and State Farm.
18 ABBA – Live At Wembley Arena (2014)
Taped on the final night of ABBA’s six-date residency at Wembley Arena in November 1979, in support of sixth album Voulez-Vous, this long overdue triple vinyl and 2CD set is far more satisfying than 1986’s Live release – which shockingly overdubbed synthetic drums – and reveals what an exciting live act the Swedish ensemble were. Wisely omitting a song by backing vocalist Tomas Ledin, the set mixes hits with lesser-knowns, including rare Björn and Agnetha co-write I’m Still Alive.
17 Tears For Fears – Songs For A Nervous Planet (2024)
Frontloaded with four excellent newly-minted studio tracks, this was released to tie in with a concert movie – shot in Tennessee in July 2023 – that was shown in over 1,000 cinemas worldwide. Roland and Curt claimed that the cameras added stress but their laser focus resulted in one of the band’s finest performances. Drawing on virtually every facet of Tears For Fears’ career, it’s the sound of an outfit reinvigorated by the success of comeback album The Tipping Point.
16 Fleetwood Mac – The Dance (1997)
Although accounts were somewhat sensationalised, Lindsey Buckingham’s first departure from Fleetwood Mac in 1987 was certainly acrimonious, and plenty of gold dust would need to settle before the classic Rumours line-up could work together again. A precursor to a North American tour, the return of the Mac began with a televised show, from which this best-selling live LP was lifted. With a selection of their best tracks – including a new acoustic take on Big Love – the crowd-pleasing set also integrated new material.
15 The Smiths – Rank (1988)
Released 12 months on from The Smiths’ split, Rank felt like a sad postscript to their short career, but nevertheless captured the band – bolstered in their, erm, ranks by ex-Bluebells guitarist Craig Gannon – on great form at Kilburn National Ballroom in October 1986. First recorded and part-broadcast by the BBC, the 20 tracks were cut down to 14, with a mix of singles, B-sides and deep cuts, plus a fine version of Rusholme Ruffians that interpolated its Elvis-branded blueprint, (Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame.
14 Kate Bush – Before The Dawn (2016)
Tickets for Kate Bush’s first tour in over 35 years reportedly sold out in just 15 minutes, and unlucky fans unable to see the lesser-spotted star during her 22-night residency at London’s Hammersmith Apollo had to make do with this audio document of the acclaimed shows, whose primary conceptual focus was the albums Hounds Of Love and Aerial. “I hope it can be enjoyed by people who knew nothing about the shows as well as those who were there,” Kate wrote in the liner notes. In the absence of an official film, it certainly can.
13 Duran Duran – Arena (1984)
Forget Wham! and Frankie, the biggest band on Planet Earth during pop’s greatest year was Duran Duran. In a busy 12 months for the Fab Five, they recorded raucous tribal cut The Wild Boys for inclusion on their first live LP, which accompanied the release of a book and a board game. Arena reveals what a tight unit they were, but drew criticism for its muted audience sound. “There is a sense of us wanting to play down the teeny, screamy thing,” John Taylor wrote in his memoir. “We’re trying to be grown-ups.”
12 INXS – Live Baby Live: Wembley Stadium (2019)
The culmination of years of graft, INXS’s top-of-the-mountain moment came at Wembley in July 1991, exactly six years after Live Aid. And just like Freddie Mercury, frontman Michael Hutchence had the 74,000-strong crowd eating out of his hand. “He truly had that amazing ability to make the biggest shows as intimate as the pubs we grew up in musically,” bassist Garry Gary Beers told Radio Nova. Issued in edited form in 1991, this upgrade contains the entire concert, minus Shining Star.
11 Jean-Michel Jarre – The Concerts In China (1982)
Succeeding where other acts (including The Rolling Stones) had failed, Jean-Michel Jarre became the first Western artist to perform in post-Mao Zedong China (Wham! would become the first pop group to play there). Taking in five indoor stadiums in Beijing and Shanghai, the tour was captured in both a documentary and this double album. Before an estimated audience of 120,000, the synth maestro played virtually every note live, with new songs including French hit Souvenir De Chine.
10 Talk Talk – London 1986 (1999)
This edited recording of Talk Talk’s second May 1986 show at Hammersmith Odeon captures a band in transition, shifting away from the pastoral pop of The Colour Of Spring to the jazzier leanings of ambient masterpiece Spirit Of Eden. The Duran comparisons were a distant memory and they’d evolved into a formidable live outfit,aided by esteemed players such as David Rhodes (Peter Gabriel, Blancmange). The late Mark Hollis would soon favour fatherhood over live performance, making this a vital addition to the discography.
09 Gary Numan – Living Ornaments ’79 And ’80 (1981)
Struggling to deal with his success and the concomitant trappings of fame, synth superstar Gary Numan announced his retirement from touring at his peak, bowing out with three spectacular concerts at Wembley Arena in April 1981. The “stupid and childish” decision (his words) would be short-lived, but for Numanoids this boxset – made up of highlights from two shows at Hammersmith Odeon – was their consolatory souvenir showing what a brilliant live outfit Numan and his band had become
08 Level 42 – A Physical Presence (1985)
Boasting an energy and dynamism often missing from their studio albums, the recordings of this vital double set were culled from three low-key Level 42 shows in the spring of 1985 and document the jazz-funk pioneers at the top of their game, before becoming global hit-makers. It’s an opportunity to marvel at one of the best rhythm sections in the business, an ‘impeccable groove’ driven by frontman Mark King’s unique polyrhythmic bass playing – no wonder his paymasters had his thumb insured for £3 million.
07 Roxy Music – Viva! (1976)
By 1976, Roxy Music were exhausted after a punishing schedule, while Bryan Ferry was struggling to keep both ends burning as a solo artist. Unsurprisingly, they took an extended break, but appeased fans with this eight-track album. Featuring extended workouts of classics including If There Is Something and In Every Dream Home A Heartache, the critics responded positively to the intensity of the shows. “It’s a genuinely exciting, often thrilling record,” wrote Melody Maker.
06 David Bowie – Stage (1978)
Taped during the US leg of the Isolar II world tour, this second official live LP from the Thin White Duke captured him in great voice, and such was the level of playing, there were some accusations of backing tape usage. Prefaced by the Breaking Glass EP, the double album offering Stage included a chronologically-presented selection of old and new, but the reaction to the more experimental material from his Low and “Heroes” LPs led to producer Tony Visconti minimising the sound of an audibly impatient audience.
05 Peter Gabriel – Plays Live (1983)
To his record label’s consternation, Peter Gabriel self-titled his first four studio albums, but played ball with the helpfully monikered Plays Live. Sequenced to create the illusion of one concert, the recordings were actually sourced from four US shows, and on account of Gabriel’s crowdsurfing and other antics, there was some post-production (“cheating”, he called it). A Top 10 hit, fans and critics were impressed. “If it isn’t the next best thing to being there, it’s certainly enough to make you want to go,” said Rolling Stone magazine.
04 U2 – Under A Blood Red Sky (1983)
Capitalising on the success of third studio LP War, U2 released this live mini-album just in time for Christmas, with an enticing price point of just £2.99. The Irish quartet were on the precipice of international stardom, and this astute selection – culled from three summer shows that year, including a now-legendary performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre – was an ideal entry point for would-be buyers, with each of the first three LPs represented. With some tracks bettering the studio versions, this has the edge over many other live albums.
03 Talking Heads – Stop Making Sense (1984)
Concert movie Stop Making Sense brought Talking Heads’ ambitious live show to the big screen in 1984 and was notable for David Byrne’s oversized suit and quirky dancing. Avoiding the rock’n’roll clichés so astutely observed in that year’s This Is Spinal Tap mockumentary, the focus is the music, so there’s no backstage footage and, erm, talking head interviews. From the threadbare beginnings of Psycho Killer to the white funk of Take Me To The River, it’s an exhilarating ride, which translates well to the soundtrack album.
02 Prince And The Revolution – Live (2022)
The Purple One’s sensational show in Syracuse on 30 March 1985 was captured and beamed around the world during a global telecast, but fans had to wait until 2022 for this official audio release of the much-bootlegged concert. Leaning heavily on material from 1999 and Purple Rain, it’s Prince at his commercial peak, feeding off the 40,000-strong crowd and delivering a masterclass in musicianship and stagecraft, deftly supported by The Revolution, who are all given a chance to sparkle.
01 Depeche Mode – 101 (1989)
Named after the 101st and final performance on the Music For The Masses Tour, Depeche Mode’s inaugural live album was taped at the Pasadena Rose Bowl on 18 June 1988. Emblematic of their proliferating popularity across the big pond, 60,000 fans turned up to see the headlining synth-rockers – on a bill that also included OMD, Thomas Dolby and Wire – at a sporting venue unaccustomed to housing shows of such magnitude. This was a band that had enjoyed just one Billboard hit in People Are People, but they were fast evolving from college radio favourites into global superstars.
“We’d always been on the brink, especially in America,” said Martin Gore on the DVD, “but the 1988 tour was the first time that we headlined big arenas, the first time the band really took off.”
A rousing (black) celebration of their career to date, the album tied in with a movie that combined footage on and off stage, along with shots of devoted fans travelling across America to see them at the Rose Bowl. Like its celluloid counterpart, the LP captures the hysteria of the tour, and the crowd excitement is certainly audible in the mix. It remains a landmark gig for Depeche.
“There was something special about that whole time,” added Dave Gahan on the DVD. “After that concert I remember sitting down in the dressing room and I just cried. It was just so emotional.”
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