So you go to concerts all the time? That's good. Live music can make you glad to be alive.
So you don't go to concerts very often? Well, life can get in the way. Or maybe money is an issue. Or maybe you just don't have the inclination.
Shawn RyanLast week's column brought up the idea of live shows and how, if you can't make it to concerts, you may be able to find solace in live albums.
With that in mind, I listed some of my favorites, among them: Deep Purple's "Made in Japan." Blue Oyster Cult's "On Your Feet or On Your Knees." Neil Diamond's "Hot August Night." Yes, really.
A couple of readers responded to a call for their personal favorites, ones I didn't mention.
Richard Mazzaferro offered four albums, kindly saying that I "left out a few key albums." He's right.
"Eat a Peach." The Allman Brothers. "This is classic jam rock by some of the best who ever did it in their prime. Not to mention it is a perfect album for hanging out on your deck in the summer and drinking beer."
"All the World's a Stage." Rush. Rush is arguably one of the greatest live bands of all time, and this is the first of many live albums by the band just as they were breaking."
"Alive." Kiss. "Wasn't this the one that started it all? Not my fave but pivotal."
"Yessongs." Yes. "A tremendous performance."
The last is one of my favorites, too, I just didn't have room to put it in my list.
As for "Alive," I saw Kiss on that tour. They started with the first song on Side One, played straight through to the last song on Side Four and even said the same exact things between songs. I was a big fan before the show, not so much after.
If you've heard the actual recordings of their concert performances, they sound like a zoo burning down. On the TV show "Classic Albums," producer Eddie Kramer said the performances were unusable, so they "enhanced" them with studio recordings. Of the original performances, only Peter Criss' drum tracks were used.
On his list, Bruce Owens noted, among others, "Stand in the Fire" by Warren Zevon, "Blow Your Face Out" by the J. Geils Band (a band I wish I'd seen in concert), and a perennial, "At Fillmore East" live album by the Allman Brothers.
"The Allmans played at UTC's Maclellan Gym in the spring of 1971, a couple of months after 'Fillmore' and a few months before Duane was killed. The set was essentially the same as the album. Country Joe McDonald (Country Joe and the Fish) opened the show. Tickets were $2! It was the best concert I ever attended, and I've seen many since."
Contact Shawn Ryan at mshawnryan@gmail.com.