George HaffendenAre you counting down the days until live music returns? We certainly are at TFSR, so we’ve pulled together a list of some our our favourite live albums, to get you ready for when the lockdown lifts and the music returns.
Our favourite live albums
There’s something about live albums that draws me in. Perhaps its because I love live music, and it’s a way to bring the enjoyment and the thrill of going to see an artist live into everyday life.
It’s a chance to hear what the artist is able to do outside of the studio, whether they can replicate their songs or not, and how older artists perform their hits in more recent recordings.
It’s also a chance to hear artists we never got to see live, do their thing live. Acts like Marvin or Luther or James.
And, some acts are perhaps better live than they are in the studio.
There’s many decent albums in soul and funk, a definitive list would be hard to compile. Think we’re missing something? Let us know in the comments below.
Here’s our list in full:
- James Brown, Revolution of the Mind
- Luther Vandross, Live at Radio City Hall
- Bill Withers, Live at Carnegie Hall
- Aretha Franklin, Oh Me Oh My: Aretha Live in Philly 1972
- Rufus & Chaka Khan, Stompin’ At The Savoy
- The Commodores, Live!
- The Dramatics, The Dramatics Live
- Mavis Staples, Live in London
- Maze, Live in Los Angeles
- Marvin Gaye, What’s Going On Live (2019)
- The Temptations, In Japan!
- Parliament, Live: P Funk Earth Tour
- Michael McDonald, Live on Soundstage
- Rick James, Live in Long Beach 1981 (with a special appearance from Teena Marie)
- The O’Jays, Live in New York
James Brown, Revolution of the Mind
In fairness, James Brown could have a list of best live albums on his own. His 1963 recording, Live at the Apollo, was a game changer in live recordings: it sold phenomenally well for a live album, and captured the Godfather at his early best. It was also a pretty good promotional tool, after all, if the recording sounded that good, what would it like to see James Brown in the flesh?
However, I prefer Revolution of the Mind (also known as Live at the Apollo, volume III). Recorded in 1971, it’s made up of the best performances by Mr Brown over a week’s engagement at the Apollo. The setlist is made up of his later funk hits, such as ‘It’s A Brand New Day’, ‘Sex Machine’ and ‘Hot Pants’. Being a double album, it’s more expansive than the first Live at the Apollo, with a 12 minute version of ‘Make It Funky’, which probably worked better live in person than on vinyl.
It might not be as good as Live at the Apollo, but it sure is funky. If you like this, check out the recently reissued Say It Live and Loud: Live in Dallas 1968, and Live At Home With His Bad Self (from 1969). And if that’s not enough and you don’t mind his seventies output, check out James Brown…Live: Hot on the One from 1980 in Japan, it’s pretty fast but well worth a listen.
Luther Vandross, Live at Radio City Hall
What is there to say about this album, other than it’s vocal perfection. The album was recorded over a couple of nights in February 2003, just a few months before Luther was hospitalised by a stroke from which he would never recover.
Opening on a blistering version of ‘Never Too Much’ it’s clear that, production wise, Luther really hasn’t changed his style or sound since the mid-eighties. But, who cares when it sounds this good. He sounds amazing, the band are sharp and his backing vocalists are tighter than tight.
The album treats us to an hour and a quarter through Luther’s biggest hits, and a couple of newer hits from his 2001 self-titled album for good measure, the sultry ‘Take Me Out’ and the slightly-soppy ‘I’d Rather’. But it’s the classics that are the best. His take on ‘Love Won’t Let Me Wait’ is arguably better than both his cover, and Major Harris’s original. We’re then treated to a flawless versions of ‘Superstar’, ‘If Only For One Night/Creepin” and, of course, a full ten-minute version of ‘A House Is Not A Home’. There are very few better pieces of music than that.
Then, as an encore, Luther ends where it all started for him as a solo artist with ‘The Glow of Love’.
It’s a brilliant album, and for those of us who never got to see the big man live it’s the closest we’ll get to hearing perfection live on stage.
Bill Withers, Live at Carnegie Hall
Perhaps one of the greatest albums in soul, Bill Withers Live at Carnegie Hall is a masterclass is soul sophistication. Bill is in fine voice throughout, as he runs through cuts from his first albums.
Opening with a funky 8 minute version of ‘Use Me’, he ends the song only to re-launch back into it as the crowd cheers for more. For the casual fan there’s enough to enjoy, from great renditions of ‘Lean on Me’ and ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’, as well as a lovely version of ‘Grandma’s Hands’.
For the more involved fan, there’s superb versions of ‘Hope She’ll Be Happier’ (one of the saddest songs ever), to ‘Friend of Mine’ and the cheery ‘Better off Dead’.
One highlight of this stunning album is ‘I Can’t Write Left Handed’, a song Bill only released on this album. It tells the story of a Vietnam veteran who suffers the loss of a limb while fighting for Uncle Sam. Not necessarily as political as other protest songs, Bill brings attention to the individual suffering of the war rather than who was right or wrong in the conflict.
After Bill’s retirement from music in the eighties, his appearances were few and far between despite offers to perform and record. Thankfully, Live At Carnegie Hall captures this great soul man at his best.
Aretha Franklin, Oh Me Oh My: Aretha Live in Philly 1972
I once spent £700 on flights and a hotel to go and see Aretha live in Chicago in 2016. Sadly, she cancelled. But I was able at least to drown my sorrows with the help of this excellent live recording from the Queen in 1972.
In the early seventies Aretha was on fire: she’d just had Young, Gifted and Black and her masterpiece Amazing Grace released. She’d also had her classic soul hits in the previous decade.
On this recording, not released until 2007, Aretha takes a measured journey through the hits more over this hour long record. It’s all here: excellent versions of ‘Respect’, ‘Rock Steady’, and a medley of ‘I Never Loved a Man’ and ‘I Say a Little Prayer’.
Backed by a tasty brass and rhythm section, the standout highlight is her version of ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ (sorry Simon & Garfunkel, you simply cannot compete). The song builds and builds, buoyed by some excellent backing vocals while Aretha herself plays piano, a reminder that not only was she the world’s greatest singer, she was a mean piano player as well.
Rufus & Chaka Khan, Stompin’ At The Savoy
Chaka Khan reunited with Rufus for this classic double-LP live album in 9182, in the Savoy nightclub in New York City. Chaka sounds great and Rufus sound as funky as they ever did, as they stomp through some of their greatest hits.
Highlights include the brilliant ‘Tell Me Something Good’ (written by Stevie Wonder), their cover of ‘Stop On By’ (originally by Bobby Womack) and the sweet ballad ‘Sweet Thing’. There’s even room for a cover of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Ain’t That Peculiar’. But perhaps the best track is Ned Doheny’s ‘What Cha’ Gonna Do For Me’ – it’s a flawless rendition.
The fourth side of the double-LP then has the reunited group in the studio, where the group recorded perhaps their biggest hit, the evergreen ‘Ain’t Nobody’.
The Commodores, Live!
A great double-LP album from the Commodores in 1977, at a time when the ballads were beginning to take over from their earlier funk hits. The album features Lionel Richie at perhaps his funkiest, before he became the world’s biggest wedding singer. There’s plenty of funky tracks on Live!, from an extended version of ‘Brick House’ (featuring Walter “Clyde” Orange on vocals) to ‘I Feel Sanctified’ to ‘Slippery When Wet’.
Even the slow jams are pretty funky. The extended version of ‘Zoom’ is excellent, again with additional vocals from Orange on the vamp, extending the song to nearly 9 minutes long. Meanwhile, Lionel drags out ‘Easy’ for 8 minutes, but it somehow works. Lionel channels his inner Isaac Hayes on ‘Just To Be Close To You’, doing an Isaac-style rap at the beginning of the song.
The album also features one studio cut, the excellent jam ‘Too Hot Ta Trot’, a piece of sophisticated-funk (sophisti-funk, if you will) that Lionel should put his live shows immediately, once the pandemic is over.
The Dramatics, The Dramatics Live
Here’s an album I bought when the shops re-opened after lockdown #1 in the UK, for the princely sum of £3. It’s perhaps the best £3 I’ve ever spent. This truly is a phenomenal live album.
Made up of recordings from a variety of shows (and a different line-up), The Dramatics Live is a real tour de force of live music. Backed by a tight band who pack a punch, the vocal harmonies and riffs The Dramatics pull off is astounding. From the frantic opener of ‘Get Up and Get Down’ to the the albums more slower moments, on their biggest hits ‘In The Rain’ and ‘Whatcha See Is What You Get’, there’s not a dull moment on the album.
They even put their stamp on three excellent covers, the Burt Bacharach/Hal David standard ‘This Guy’s In Love With You’; fellow Stax Records label mates The Staple Singers’ ‘Respect Yourself’ and Bobby Womack’s ‘That’s The Way I Feel About Cha’.
Mavis Staples, Live in London
We’re perhaps a bit bias about this one, as we were lucky to attend one of the two shows this album was recorded at back in 2018. Recorded at London’s Union Chapel, perhaps one of the best places for live music in the UK, Mavis is in fine form, despite being 78 at the time of recording. Time has treated Mavis well, and, arguably, she sounds better than ever.
The setlist is made up mainly of her recent solo works, rather than the hits she recorded at Stax with The Staple Singers. In fact, there’s only two tracks here from her Staples Singers days: an excellent cover of Talking Heads’ ‘Slippery People’ (their studio version is also great) and the Curtis Mayfield-penned ‘Let’s Do It Again’.
There is however room for an excellent take on Funkadelic’s ‘Can You Get To That’, but the rest of the album is largely made up of her albums If All I Was Was Black and Living on a High Note, two solid albums.
Mavis is scheduled to return to London this year, pandemic dependent. If you’ve not witnessed the glory of Mavis Staples in person, get yourself down there as a matter of urgency.
Maze, Live in Los Angeles
Another act due in London this summer is Maze, who were due to make their return to the UK after a long absence last year.
Now their two live albums, Live in Los Angeles and Live in New Orleans, are both excellent in their own right. Maze and Frankie Beverly are perhaps a better act live than they are in the studio. But for us, Live in Los Angeles just pips Live in New Orleans as being better if only for the simple fact it contains an outstanding live version of ‘Before I Let Go’, whereas the latter merely contains the studio version. And before any comments saying Beyonce’s version is better, no it isn’t.
There’s much to love on Live in Los Angeles, and Frankie Beverly proves himself to be a great frontman and vocalist. Perhaps one of the rare funk bands without horns, this double album should keep you entertained until lockdown ends.
Marvin Gaye, What’s Going On Live (2019)
Released previously on the What’s Going On Deluxe Edition, this recording from the Prince of Motown captures the only live recording of Marvin playing What’s Going On it’s in entirety. Well, almost. Someone decided to change the tape during Mercy, Mercy Me, so that’s missing from the album. But, nevertheless, this is a brilliant recording from Marvin, an artist whose live records were at times hits and misses.
Being a “classic” Motown act there’s inherently a medley of his earlier hits (Motown loved doing live medleys of hits, and some, like The Temptations, still do them today). But, with that out the way Marvin plays for a hometown audience his then-latest release. And it’s a captivating performance, of an artist in transition away from Motown’s control, and onto his most creative, yet personally destructive, period.
The setlist doesn’t follow the studio album’s set list, but if anything it’s impressive hearing Marvin and the band (featuring bassist James Jamerson) replicate the album’s complexities in front of an audience. At one point during ‘Inner City Blues’ he stops the band, and restarts the song, clearly not happy with the groove. But the audience lap it up.
It’s probably the best live recording from Marvin we’ve had. His Live at the Copa in 1965 was typical of early Motown live recordings; his 1974 album Marvin Gaye Live is worth checking out, and his his Live at the London Palladium is also pretty good (but be warned for the medleys – although on the latter, the medley of Tammi Terrell duets is pretty good). But What’s Going On Live is something else, much superior.
The Temptations, In Japan!
Sticking with the Motown Sound, The Temptations’ In Japan! is an interesting album. This isn’t the classic 5 line-up of The Temptations, by this performance only Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin remained; Dennis Edwards on lead joined Damon Harris and Richard Street to round the group out.
The group are backed by a big, brassy horn section and tight, fast-paced rhythm section led by Cornelius Grant. The setlist is made up mainly of tracks The Temptations had recently recorded; there’s an odd, but also enjoyable, medley of ‘Get Ready’, ‘My Girl’ and ‘The Way You Do The Things You Do’ that rattles through three of the group’s biggest hits in under 5 minutes. Perhaps they race through it, as neither David Ruffin nor Eddie Kendricks were around to sing the leads.
The tracks therefore lean on much of their seventies output: there’s Richard Street’s excellent lead on ‘Hey Girl (I Like Your Style)’, the frantic ‘Plastic Man’, and ‘Masterpiece’. All great songs, no doubt about it – but it does feel like The Temptations are trying to move away from their earlier hits (and the ex-members) as fast as possible.
That said, Damon Harris delivers a stunning version of ‘Just My Imagination’ that even Eddie Kendricks would have been pleased with.
But the highlight of the album is the seven minute version of ‘Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone’. It’s a brilliant version that, for me, rivals the original. Dennis Edwards roars through the track, at the height of his vocal powers.
If you’re looking for a live album from the “Classic Five” line-up check out The Temptations Live! recorded in Detroit. It’s another great live album, showcasing The Temptations at their sixties peak.
Parliament, Live: P Funk Earth Tour
We’ve always preferred the funkier R&B of Parliament than Funkadelic, and here George Clinton delivers a cosmic mess in the form of Live: P Funk Earth Tour. And although it’s billed as a Parliament album, in reality the two groups shared musicians, and on this album there’s a few Funkadelic cuts, but it’s mostly made up of jams from the Mothership Connection album.
Known for their outlandish stage theatrics – including a “spaceship” that would descend onto the stage – it does feel like you’re missing out a bit just listening to the album, as the visual elements of the show don’t come across. But the music is nonetheless exciting, and captures Clinton in his most creative.
Some minor criticisms: the 13 minute ‘Dr Funkenstein’ probably works better experiencing it in the flesh rather than on the record, and ‘Mothership Connection’ and ‘Swing Down, Sweet Chariot’ are split up on the record, no doubt for lack of space given how long the tracks are. Pickiness aside, it’s still a super funky album worth checking out to hear Parliament in their prime.
Michael McDonald, Live on Soundstage
Released in 2018 on the heals of Michael’s excellent last solo album Wide Open, Live on Soundstage is a fun, sophisticated run through of his greatest hits and new singles. The King of Yacht Rock is still in fine voice, sure it’s a little frayed around the edges, but he’s perhaps one of the best vocalists we’ve had the pleasure of seeing live.
Highlights on the album include a funky version of ‘Sweet Freedom’, the yacht-rock classic ‘I Keep Forgetting’, and, of course, the brilliant ‘What A Fool Believes’. And the new songs aren’t bad either, check out ‘Find It In Your Heart’, perhaps the best song from Wide Open, and if there’s a thing as ‘neo-yacht-rock’, that’s what it sounds like.
The album ends on two covers, ‘What’s Going On’ and ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’, which were recorded on previous appearances on Soundstage, as the former is a duet between Michael and soul legend Billy Preston.
And if you like this, check out The Doobie Brothers’ live albums with Michael, Farewell Tour and the excellent Live at the Greek Theatre 1982.
Rick James, Live in Long Beach 1981
Recorded at Rick’s concert in Long Beach, Los Angeles in 1981, this live collection wasn’t released until Motown re-released his Street Sounds album as a deluxe package in 2010. But it was well worth the wait hearing Rick, his excellent musicians The Stone City Band, and an appearance by Teena Marie.
The album is bold, brash and really quite loud, as Rick and his boys run through some of his biggest hits, from ‘Ghetto Life’ to ‘Super Freak’ to ‘Give It To Me Baby’, all songs from Street Sounds. Meanwhile, on her two songs, Lady T sounds great, first duetting with Levi Ruffin Jr on ‘I’m Just A Sucker For Love’ and her then-recently released hit ‘Square Biz’.
The crowd goes wild for this amazing performance from Rick James, a man right at the peak of his career. Arguably, it wouldn’t be quite as great ever again.
(There’s also new mix coming of ‘Fire & Desire’ from the same concert coming soon from John Morales on his new M&M collection of Teena Marie mixes.)
The O’Jays, Live in New York
Released just in 2019, this live album from The O’Jays is pretty good and features some tasty versions of their classic Philly hits. The O’Jays are remarkable in that, five decades later, it’s still the two original lead singers Eddie Levert and Walter Williams that lead the group, along with new member Eric Nolan Grant (who himself has been in the group for nearly two decades).
Originally recorded for a US television special, Live in New York is an enjoyable run through of The O’Jays classic hits, along with live versions of songs from their latest album The Last Word. Backed by their usual rhythm section and a decent horn section, Eddie and Walter sound great even as they’re both comfortably in their seventies.
The highlight of the album, for us, is the 10 minute medley combining ‘Forever Mine’ and ‘Darlin’ Darlin’ Baby’. Walter’s smooth tenor contrasts superbly with Eddie’s gruff baritone, after all the years together. Helped by a great arrangement, it’s the best song on the album.
And, in fairness, the group’s rendition of their newer songs are pretty good too, particularly Bruno Mars’ ‘Enjoy Yourself’. But it’s the hits the crowd have come for, and The O’Jays roar through the classics, from ‘I Love Music’ to ‘Backstabbers’ to ‘Love Train’. Live in New York is Well worth a listen.