Greatest Live Venues, and the Songs to Prove it

Music Wed - if u know me, u know I love anything musical which includes the appendage "live" to decribe the recording. I will always choose a live version over a recorded version, and once I hear a live version, I rarely will ever listen to the original studio recording. Music is a communion, both between the artists and the fans, but also between the artists themselves as they explore and test each other's respective abilities. Some albums r recorded "live" without overdubs, sweeteners, time signatures manipulations, echo chambers and other studio tricks, and those are pretty good and might even merit a future Music Wed exploration. But nothing beats playing live before an audience with no safety net. When it is done right, it is magic. And when it is not perfect, it is still better than a sanitary studio mixed, overdubbed, professionally sanitized version that passes for what people call a record. There are three legendary locations that have been the sites of more live recordings than any other locations. In no particular order, they are Budokan (Tokyo, Japan), Red Rocks (Morrison, Colorado) and Fillmore East (NYC) (which clearly outstrips Fillmore West as the site of choice for a live recording). Here are my picks for the greatest live albums at these venues based on the following criteria - great sound recording; importance of popularizing a historic venue loved by musicians for the public; and elevating a band that had "chops" but had not exploded into the public consciousness.  Here are my picks in chronological order: First is 1971's Allman Brothers "Live at Fillmore East". More than anything put out by the Grateful Dead before or after 1971, this album popularized not only this great blues rock band but virtually created the jam band ethos that the Dead, Phish, Dave Matthews Band and others have been living on for the 40+ years since this seminal recording. Since I suspect none of you has the patience for their 20 and 30 minute jams, I propose listening to the modest 12 minute version of "Stormy Monday" (http://youtu.be/KD4Exmbk04U) which highlights Duane Allman's historic guitar playing, Dickie Betts' supporting rhythm and co-lead guitar skills, and Gregg Allman's double threat of killer vocals and silky organ playing. Classic Southern Blues Rock at its transformative best! Second is 1978's Cheap Trick "Live at Budokan" which took a quirky, solid band with a modest following to an epic live band that made playing Budokan a must for every musician who has toured Japan since 1978. Feast on "I Want You to Want Me" (http://youtu.be/p6hxsd1n6vo) which features an audience sing along that was not only spontaneous but took a rather pedestrian song and made it unforgettable, and then listen to the band's take on Fats Domino's classic "Ain't That a Shame." (http://youtu.be/-C-jXJl0Zrg) Fun music without pretension, but with undeniable skill for a three piece band that features two of the weirdest dudes in rock (namely Rick Nielson and Bun E. Carlos [who is sadly estranged from the band for unknown reasons]). Finally is 1983's U2 "Under a Blood Red Sky" which featured video and audio from their almost-immediately legendary show at Red Rocks. Recently in a poll of musicians, Red Rocks was voted as their favorite live venue, and we all have U2 to thank for taking a rainy night and making it a dramatic showpiece which expressed the natural beauty and great acoustics of this legendary venue. A must hear song from this album has got to be "Bloody Sunday" (http://youtu.be/EM4vblG6BVQ) which was filmed, put out as an early MTV video in heavy rotation that helped force this new video channel into every teenager's home (remember "I Want My MTV!), and turned on the U.S. to the political, spiritual and sonic urgency, power and authority of U2 that they carry into every live show they have done over the 30 years since this show was recorded. Here's a toast to live music and three legendary venues that have collectively been the sites of over 100 live albums, but none finer than the three albums listed above. Enjoy!