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Five Excellent Live Albums that Breathe Life into Me
Not every live album is created equal
Ah, the live album. It’s like a concert experience from the comfort of home.
It’s a concert sans the sweaty crowds, goosebump-inducing musical magic, and sweeping excitement. A live album doesn’t let you sneak up front to get a closer look at your favorite band.
Packaged live music may include a fifteen-minute version of a five-minute favorite song, but do we really need the fifteen-minute version?
Yes, I have a complicated relationship with live albums.
Some live music speaks greatness into my life and transports me to adventure. Other offerings feel like a rite-of-passage bands feel they must take — but they truly didn’t need to do so. When they reach a certain level of success, it seems every band releases a live compilation album. I wish these groups would painstakingly select their best performances to record, and some do. But others choose a venue for their live album and then release the music — whether or not the performance was phenomenal.
Typically, I enjoy my purchased music produced and clean. But when I’m at a show, excitement scrapes at my shouting vocal cords — I embrace the fifteen-minute tune because I am present for it.
