The Beach Boys: What is their best live album?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by MarkusGermany, Apr 21, 2017.

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  1. MarkusGermany

    MarkusGermany WINNING Thread Starter

    Location:
    Rheinberg, Germany
    I have two BB live albums as downloads from iTunes.
    1. TBB In Concert (1973)
    2. The 50th Ann. Tour (2013)
    I have the Live At K. (1980) DVD, nice to watch, but soundwise not such a great performance IMO.

    So, what is your favourite BB live album?
     
  2. dance_hall_keeper

    dance_hall_keeper Forum Resident

    Which is my favourite?
    [​IMG]
    The Beach Boys in Concert.
    "Sail On, Sailor" is a great
    singalong song and I'm glad it
    starts this album off.

    "Sail On, Sailor" - The Beach Boys.
     
  3. Rock66

    Rock66 Forum Resident

    I have the 1973 album (on CD) and the 1964 Beach Boys Concert album (on LP). The 1973 album is good for live versions of their hits. The 1964 album has the early hits and covers of other's hits. The 1973 is probably better sonically.
     
  4. Daniel Plainview

    Daniel Plainview God's Lonely Man

    The Beach Boys In Concert. Best version of "Funky Pretty" ever. Great show, with perfect balance of hits and deep cuts.

    Don't forget about "Beach Boys London '69", also a very good live performance.
     
  5. Maggie

    Maggie like a walking, talking art show

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Let's not forget Live in London (1969). Far too much clowning from Mike, but the performances are excellent (as good as the 73 album IMO).

    Some of the 64 album was mimed to the studio recordings, and very few of the tracks are unedited. Plus the audience screaming is deafening. It's a fun listen but hardly a legit live document.
     
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  6. Daniel Plainview

    Daniel Plainview God's Lonely Man

    And then there's them three "download only" shows - U of Michigan '66, Chicago '65 and Sacramento '64.
     
  7. Braulio Acosta

    Braulio Acosta Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lima, PerĂº
    The Beach Boys In Concert, as others have mentioned, although I like to add the live version of "Wild Honey" included in the Made in California set because it feels like it's part of it.
     
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  8. peerke

    peerke Senior Member

    Location:
    Belgium
    Live in London, or as Capitol called it: Beach Boys '69 (although it was recorded in December 1968, in... well, London.)
     
  9. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    Is Sacramento '64 the show where Brian forgets the words to Don't Worry, Baby and Mike ribs him about it for the rest of the show?
     
  10. G00dVibrations

    G00dVibrations Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I've just got In Concert on CD - I shall listen to it later.

    As for the others,
    • Beach Boys Concert is fun, if you want to here the early hits and a pretty odd selection of covers.
    • Live In London is nothing special, but still pretty good, and has some songs on it that you won't find on other live albums ("Wake The World", "Aren't You Glad", "Bluebirds Over The Mountain"). Like someone mentioned above though, Mike's stage chat gets a bit irritating.
    • Good Timin': Live At Knebworth is probably my favourite of the ones I've heard. The classic lineup, lots of energy on the hits. I could take or leave stuff like "School Days" though, and I have no clue why they called it Good Timin' when they left that song off....
    • Live - 50th Anniversary Tour. Despite all the autotune and overdubs, the music largely shines through, outside of a few songs. That being said, they should have just realised the Royal Albert Hall show where they played every song on the tour setlist.
    Odds and ends, the live recordings on last years Pet Sounds box are good, but its not something I've returned to often outside of "Caroline, No" and "You Still Believe In Me".

    Brian Wilson's Pet Sounds Live is literally just that, and Brian Wilson and Friends is interesting, though not necessarily in a good way - if you combine all the stuff from CD and DVD you get a nice tracklist, and its nice to see love for songs like "Hold On Dear Brother". Still, Brian sounds a bit off on it I think, especially by the time you get to "All Summer Long" and "Fun, Fun, Fun".
     
  11. andrewskyDE

    andrewskyDE Island Owner

    Location:
    Europe
    Depends which era you like. For example, if it's the early Beach Boys, Concert and the Sacramento 1964 CD are good ones (and probably the only offiicial live albums from that time).
    Live In London (1969) is a great one, too. Still waiting for an official release of Lei'd In Hawaii (1967).
     
  12. andrewskyDE

    andrewskyDE Island Owner

    Location:
    Europe
    The "live" version of 'I Get Around' is a good example where you can hear that it's just the reduced studio cut mixed with audience noises (it's even the same backing track but no fade out). But generally Concert is a great album.
     
  13. MarkusGermany

    MarkusGermany WINNING Thread Starter

    Location:
    Rheinberg, Germany
    I also have the PS Live Recordings. I like them.
     
  14. Hall Cat

    Hall Cat Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    I really dig Mike's patter on Live in London
     
  15. oldsurferdude

    oldsurferdude Forum Resident

    Location:
    detroit, mi. 48150
    I'll go with the "In Concert" album but hearing Brian sing so well on the first one is incredible.
     
  16. MarkusGermany

    MarkusGermany WINNING Thread Starter

    Location:
    Rheinberg, Germany
    I downloaded "Live At Knebworth"- my third BB live album.
     
  17. Tristero

    Tristero In possession of the future tense

    Location:
    MI
    Oh yeah, Blondie just kills it there. I would love to get an expanded set of live material from this era, as they were really firing on all cylinders by this point, but as it stands, In Concert is the one. I like the London '69 album too, though Mike's MC routine gets old after a few listens, IMO.
     
  18. In Concert

    I think their performance of "Marcella" here is perhaps the only time they ever blew the doors off the studio version on an official live release.

     
  19. Jose Jones

    Jose Jones Outstanding Forum Member

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    What, are you sitting on an uncomfortable seat?
     
  20. Jose Jones

    Jose Jones Outstanding Forum Member

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    I would add "Darlin" and the early 70s version of "Heroes & Villains" to that list.
     
  21. Jose Jones

    Jose Jones Outstanding Forum Member

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    I must be the only fan of the BBs to not like Blondie doing "Wild Honey". It's in too high of a key for him to sing comfortably; he sounds like a tortured sheep.
     
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  22. Chuckee

    Chuckee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Upstate, NY, USA
    Live In London, first of the late 60s LPs I got, made me backtrack to get the studio versions of the songs.
     
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  23. Hall Cat

    Hall Cat Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    That's my Smiley Smile Board handle
     
  24. broccolid

    broccolid Trickologist

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    His Spanish introduction to one song is pretty good, he also introduces "Wouldn't it Be Nice" with perfect timing like a 60s top 40 DJ.
     
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  25. Jose Jones

    Jose Jones Outstanding Forum Member

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    That's Bruce Johnston introducing it.
     
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