Best live albums from the 60s and 70s for sound quality?

I'm delving into live albums lately (ranging between heavy rock and folk) and I'm keen to hear your recommendations for great live albums from the 60s and 70s that have extremely good sound quality and hopefully great performances. There are many modern live albums that sound great as pretty much everything is recorded well these days. But when I think of earlier stuff, I'm drawing a blank. For example Yessongs and The Song Remains the Same both have pretty bad sound. I guess live recording just wasn't an art back in those days. What springs to mind for some choice cuts in terms of sound quality?

 

It's Too Late to Stop Now - Van Morrison

 

The Band - Rock of Ages

 

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Pictures At An Exhibition

Not only great stellar sound quality but killer performance!

 

Jimi Hendrix-Band of Gypsys

 

Deep Purple - Made in Japan

Pick up the original Warner Brothers CD or album and enjoy!

 

The James Gang - Live In Concert (1971) - recorded at Carnegie Hall and it sounds like it

Grateful Dead - Europe '72 (1972) - a bit controversial because of vocal re-recording on many songs, for me it is a benchmark for how good a live record can sound

The Weavers - Reunion at Carnegie Hall, 1963 - Three Schoeps mics straight into an Ampex three track reel to reel. That's it. You don't get any simpler than that, and in this case, any better. It's got to be that Carnegie Hall magic at work again.

 

Thanks for your suggestions so far!

I'm especially interested on unedited concerts (or at least minimal editing) to really capture the live atmosphere from those days. I've been thinking about picking up Live in Japan for years but I always pass it by (mostly because the copies I've seen have been in VG- condition).

 

heres 2;
Jerry Lee Lewis, Live at the Star Club. From an era when you wouldn't expect a decent live recording...

Waiting for Columbus-Little Feat. Overheard someone call this the "Star Wars" of live albums...lol

 

I've held that Little Feat album in my hands several times with intent to buy, but I just don't know the music. I've read too that it's an epic live album, sound and performance wise.

 

David Crosby/Graham Nash - Another Stoney Evening (recorded 10/10/71 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles but not released until 1998) I believe it's the whole show. There was a wonderful vinyl transfer of this done a few years ago. Watch out. The pot smoke is so thick you might catch the Lebanese Flu from Crosby.

Agreed. Get the original MFSL release from the 1980s. Their remaster from a few years ago was not quite as good to my ear.

 

In addition to the vocals, the keyboards were redone on several songs. Live-Dead has no overdubs and sounds excellent.

 

The new MFSL master of Live/Dead is a revelation.

 

I'm just finding this thread so I wanted to chime in. I love live albums were bands improvise and change songs. My favorites from the 60's & 70's are thus:
James Gang-Live at Carnegie Hall. Not only does Walsh showcase his wailing guitar, but this album alone proves to me that Jim Fox and Dale Peters were the best bass/drum combo of that era, maybe all eras of R&R.
Live Cream Volume 2. This was the first Cream album I ever heard & still my favorite. They were on fire for this performance.
Argent-Encore. I've never listened to any Argent album but this so I'm not a huge fan, but this an is excellent live album. The keyboard work alone on almost every song makes it worth listening to.

There are others I really like, both Deep Purple live albums, Uriah Heep Live, Led Zep TSRTS, Judas Priest Unleashed in the East, BOA Raunch N'Roll & Live Mutha.....

 

War Live
Curtis Live
Frampton Comes Alive
Ted Nugent Double Live Gonzo
Grand Funk - Caught in the Act

 

Otis Redding "Live in Europe"on Volt

 

Neil Diamond - "Hot August Night"

 

The Doors - Absolutely Live

 

Pure Prairie League: Live! Takin' The Stage.

 

I love how Ya Ya's sounds, especially on the original vinyl. If you play it really loud, the album just snaps to attention.

 

I have always thought The Guess Who's 'Live At The Paramount' sounded pretty great.

 

801 Live

 

No Nukes

 

If you talk about the remix... I agree!

 

Supertramp - Paris (released in 1980, but recorded in 1979)
Little Feat - Waiting For Columbus
Deep Purple - Made In Japan
Emerson Lake & Palmer - Pictures At An Exhibition
The Band - The Last Waltz (disagree about Rock Of Ages, to me it doesn't sound great at all, not even on MFSL's SACD)