Best Live Albums & Opinions on Leonard Cohen
With the summer concert season approaching Jim and Greg name the best live albums of all time. They also take a look at Leonard Cohen's latest concert record, Leonard Cohen: Live in London.
05.01.09
00:01:12 After much controversy, Oklahoma has finally declared a new state song: "Do You Realize??" by The Flaming Lips. The native sons have always been proud Sooners, but their politics often go against the state's grain. After the people and the Senate approved this choice, conservatives in the House rejected the song. Despite this, Governor Brad Henry has signed an executive order naming "Do You Realize??" the official state rock song. Sometimes democracy does pay off.
00:03:54 It's easy to assume that rock stars are immune to the current economic crisis, but a recent UK survey shows that artists there have taken some big hits. Elton John's personal wealth fell by more than 25%. So the "Rocket Man" is going to have to get by on merely $256.8 million. Paul McCartney's wealth fell 12% bringing his fortune to only $88 million. And Mick Jagger fared even worse. He took a 16% hit and now only has $278 million to live off of. Jim and Greg hope these musicians know how to make Ramen.
Live Albums
The concept of a Live Album is a controversial one for many rock fans. Some see these releases as merely filler between proper new albums. And some see these records as a way to experience a specific musical moment again. For Jim and Greg, the following are great albums because they either bring something new to an artist's work, or capture a time worth remembering. As you gear up for the summer concert season, enjoy the following live albums:
Greg:
- Bill Withers, Live at Carnegie Hall
- Ani DiFranco, Living in Clip
- Velvet Underground, Velvet Underground Live: 1969
- Nirvana, Unplugged
Jim:
- James Brown, Live at the Apollo
- X-Ray Spex, Live at the Roxy
- MC5, Kick Out the Jams
- Jethro Tull, Bursting Out
Listeners’ Picks
Listeners John from Chicago and Dave from Clarendon Hills, IL also nominate these live albums:
- The Who, Live at Leeds
- Bob Dylan, Live 66
Live in London Leonard Cohen
74 year-old rock poet Leonard Cohen has gone out on his first tour in 15 years. He's also released a concert album Live in London. Jim thinks the record is one of those rare live gems that's more than just a souvenir. He found most of his studio albums overdone and really appreciates hearing this authentic performance. Jim gives this live album an enthusiastic Buy It rating. Greg has a few reservations about this record, including some of the instrumentation and backing vocals. But, for one stop Leonard Cohen shopping, this is a great pick. He also gives Live in London a Buy It.
Featured Songs
- The Flaming Lips, "Do You Realize??" Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Warner Bros., 2002
- Elton John, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, MCA, 1973
- Peter Frampton, "Do You Feel Like We Do," Frampton Comes Alive, A&M, 1976
- Bill Withers, "Use Me," Live at Carnegie Hall, Sussex, 1972
- James Brown and The Famous Flames, "Medley: I Found Someone, Why Do You Do Me, I Want You So Bad," Live at the Apollo, King, 1963
- Ani DiFranco, "Every State Line," Living in Clip, Righteous Babe, 1997
- Johnny Cash, "Folsom Prison Blues," At Folsom Prison, Columbia, 1968
- MC5, "Rocket Reducer No 62," Kick Out The Jams, Elektra, 1969
- The Who, "Young Man Blues," Live at Leeds, Geffen, 1970
- Bob Dylan, "Like A Rolling Stone," The Royal Albert Hall Concert, Columbia, 1966
- The Velvet Underground, "What Goes On," 1969: Velvet Underground Live, Vol. 1, Mercury, 1969
- X-Ray Spex, "Oh Bondage, up Yours!," Live at the Roxy Club, Receiver Records Limited, 1991
- Radiohead, "Idioteque," I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings, Parlophone, 2001
- Nirvana, "Where Did You Sleep Last Night," MTV Unplugged in New York, DGC, 1994
- Jethro Tull, "Too Old to Rock N' Roll," Bursting Out: Jethro Tull Live, Chrysalis, 1978
- Leonard Cohen, "Hallelujah," Live in London, Columbia, 2009
- Leonard Cohen, "Bird On The Wire," Live in London, Columbia, 2009
- Sean Kingston, "Fire Burning," Tomorrow, Epic, 2009
- Abba, "Ring Ring," Ring Ring, Polydor, 1973
- Aphex Twin, "Crying In Your Face," Analord 04, Rephlex, 2005
- The Cure, "Killing An Arab," Boys Don't Cry, PVC, 1980
Dear Listeners,
For more than 15 years, Sound Opinions was a production of WBEZ, Chicago's public radio station. Now that the show is independent, we're inviting you to join the band and lend a hand! We need your support more than ever because now we have to do all the behind-the-scenes work that WBEZ handled before (like buying insurance and paying for podcast hosting, ugh). Plus, we have some exciting ideas we'd like to try now that there's no one to tell us no!