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Tag: Live

  • Tom Waits, Big Time, 1988 on Island Records

    Tom Waits, Big Time, 1988 on Island Records

    Live album from Tom Waits, including performances from the 1987 tour, also available as a concert film on Amazon Prime / MGM+. Waits is joined by Willie Schwarz, Michael Blair, Greg Cohen, Marc Ribot, and Ralph Carney – and Kathleen Brennan and Waits co-produced. Most (all?) of the Tom Waits catalogue is being reissued these…

  • Cactus World News, Special Forces Radio Concert, 1986 on Entertainment  Radio / MCA

    Cactus World News, Special Forces Radio Concert, 1986 on Entertainment Radio / MCA

    Another promo only release, this was a radio concert – originally sponsored by SPIN (the magazine), which is still featured on the cover, but with an insert noting SPIN has terminated their sponsorship. Includes the cue sheet for radio programming and the original advertisements. This show was recorded at the Whiskey A Go-Go in Los…

  • Living Colour, Cult of Personality (Official Live Bootleg), 1988 on Epic

    Living Colour, Cult of Personality (Official Live Bootleg), 1988 on Epic

    Living Colour in their prime, recorded live at T.T. The Bear’s in Cambridge (right outside central square), and including a cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Talkin’ Bout A Revolution.” I’m not sure what an “Official Live Bootleg” is – this was put out by Epic apparently – but this is a promo edition with five tracks…

  • Billy Bragg, Help Save The Youth of America (Live and Dubious), 1988 on Elektra

    Billy Bragg, Help Save The Youth of America (Live and Dubious), 1988 on Elektra

    Billy Bragg live six song EP released to encourage US youth to vote in the 1988 presidential election. Includes “Chile, Your Waters Run Red Through Soweto” (written by Bernice Johnson Reagon of Sweet Honey in the Rock) and “There is Power In a Union.” Remember, when you elect a President, you are electing President for…

  • Bob Marley & The Wailers, Babylon By Bus, 1978 on Island

    Bob Marley & The Wailers, Babylon By Bus, 1978 on Island

    Wonderful live album recorded (despite the maps on the inner sleeves showing the US leg of the tour) in Paris, Copenhagen, London, and Amsterdam. It’s 2xLP but not a gatefold. It’s die-cut in the front windows of the bus, so depending on the order you put the printed inner sleeves you determine what shows through.…

  • Blues Brothers, Made in America, 1980 on Atlantic

    Blues Brothers, Made in America, 1980 on Atlantic

    The Blues Brothers’ second album, released the same year the film came out (1980). Lots of folks are surprised (I was) that the Blues Brothers pre-existed the film – they performed on Saturday Night Live in April 1978 and put out Briefcase Full of Blues that same year. The band on this release includes, in…

  • David Bowie, Stage, 1978 on RCA

    David Bowie, Stage, 1978 on RCA

    Bowie’s second live album, following 1974’s David Live. It’s a 2xLP release, drawing on concerts from Boston, Providence, and Philadelphia. Playing with Bowie here are Carlos Alomar, Dennis Davis, George Murray, Adrian Belew, Simon House, Roger Powell, and Sean Mayes. (In essence the group that would be on Lodger). Got criticized at the time for…

  • Randy Newman, Live, 1971 on Reprise

    Randy Newman, Live, 1971 on Reprise

    Randy Newman recorded at The Bitter End, Sept 17-19th, 1970, and released in 1971. Only his self-titled debut (1968) and “12 Songs” (April 1970) had been released at this point. Such a talented songwriter – “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” and “Lonely at the Top” are great versions here. Produced by Larry Waronker…

  • Peter Gabriel, Plays Live!, 1983 on Charisma

    Peter Gabriel, Plays Live!, 1983 on Charisma

    Peter Gabriel’s first solo live album, released following his four self-titled solo albums (commonly called Car, Scratch, Melt, and Security). It was recorded across multiple venues in the American midwest: Illinois State University, Kansas City, Northern Illinois University, and South Illinois University. Accompanying Gabriel are Jerry Marotta, Tony Levin, David Rhodes, and Larry Fast, with…

  • Suzanne Vega at The Cabot, June 5th, 2025

    Suzanne Vega at The Cabot, June 5th, 2025

    Suzanne Vega is on 13-night tour of the east coast (Maine to DC), and one of the stops was in Beverly at the Cabot. The show is Vega, accompanied by Gerry Leonard, with cellist Stephanie Winters joining on maybe 2/3rds of the songs. There are some backing tracks (percussion) on some songs and I think…

  • Lyle Lovett & His Acoustic Group at the Shalin Liu in Rockport MA, 5/4/2025

    Lyle Lovett & His Acoustic Group at the Shalin Liu in Rockport MA, 5/4/2025

    Lyle Lovett is a phenomenal talent and great performer – you should see him any time you get a chance. He was in Rockport at the Shalin Liu with his “Acoustic Group” a few weeks ago – great show. We saw the Sunday “matinee” at 5pm, which meant that you could still see the harbor…

  • José González at the Cabot Theater, March 27th, 2025

    José González at the Cabot Theater, March 27th, 2025

    Quick post to share a photo and some videos from seeing José González at the Cabot. He plays with no opening act and no intermission – just him on stage with two guitars (different tunings?) – I’m not sure he even had a bottle of water. Really ended up just watching the performance and not…

  • Ella Fitzgerald, Ella at the Shrine, 2018 on Verve

    Ella Fitzgerald, Ella at the Shrine, 2018 on Verve

    Previously unreleased live appearance by Ella at the Shrine auditorium in LA January 21st, 1956 – making it two weeks earlier than Ella at Zardi’s: Verve Records, celebrating Ella Fitzgerald’s 100th birthday in 2017, released at the end of that year Ella At Zardi’s – a vibrant, previously unreleased album recorded during a two-week stint…

  • Fleetwood Mac, In London [1968], 2010 on Lilith

    Fleetwood Mac, In London [1968], 2010 on Lilith

    This is a bootleg that’s been released under a number of names – originally “London Live ’68” on Thunderbolt records. It was recorded at the Polytechnic of Central London, April 27th, 1968 – just a few months after their debut album. Lineup here is Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, Mick Fleetwood, and John McVie. It’s not…

  • Dire Straits, Alchemy – Dire Straits Live, 1984 on Warner Brothers

    Dire Straits, Alchemy – Dire Straits Live, 1984 on Warner Brothers

    Wonderful 2xLP live album of early 80s Dire Straits. Recorded in London at the Hammersmith Odeon over two nights in July 1983. Great versions of “Romeo and Juliet” and “Sultans of Swing.” There was also an accompanying film (on VHS, later reissued on DVD and Blu-Ray). My copy – hype stickered as being on Quiex…

  • Simon & Garfunkel, The Concert In Central Park, 1982 on Warner Bros

    Simon & Garfunkel, The Concert In Central Park, 1982 on Warner Bros

    One of the best live albums from one of my favorite duos. Good variety of tempos and tunes, enough stage banter to feel live but no so much that you feel the need to skip ahead. Wikipedia correctly recognizes it as “the” concert in central park – recorded in front of a half million people…

  • Tinsley Ellis at Shalin Liu, Rockport

    Tinsley Ellis at Shalin Liu, Rockport

    If you’ve never been to the Shalin Liu performing arts center in Rockport, it’s a fantastic venue, with a large scale window backing up to Rockport Harbor. Last night we saw blues guitarist/singer/songwriter Tinsley Ellis, who put on a great show. That’s his 1937 National resonator guitar on stage above – he walked on with…

  • Bob Dylan / The Band, Before the Flood, 1974 on Asylum

    Bob Dylan / The Band, Before the Flood, 1974 on Asylum

    This was the first released live album by Dylan, though of course since then many earlier live recordings have been released. After this came out Dylan went back to Columbia records, having recorded only Planet Waves and this LP for Asylum – later reissues starting in the 80s are actually on Columbia or imprints of…