The Legacy and Importance of Live Albums
When great live moments are captured in time.
Origins
The first live LP was allegedly recorded at Carnegie Hall in 1938. Unfortunately, it is difficult to differentiate between live albums and regular recordings before the 1960s. This is because of recording technology.
For instance, in the 1960s mixing and multi-track tape machines entered the recording process. Therefore, any recording before this period would be considered live by modern standards. There are still some early live recordings worth mentioning:
- Dizzy Gillespie had a full band recording from 1948.
- Louis Armstrong had a wonderful performance at Pasadena in 1952.
- The Weavers had a notable performance at Carnegie Hall in 1957.
- Both Ray Charles (1959) and Muddy Waters (1960) had live recordings from their Newport shows.
In short, live recordings have a long history in the music industry. Their foundation is mostly in big band jazz recordings, but some of these artists performed solo as well. Back in the first half of the 20’s century live music sounded best, so it was worth the time to see a band in person.
As 8-track recording and mixing entered into the recording process the record started to take on a life of its own. With the advancement of mixing, mastering, and recording technology music began to sound even richer and cleaner than potentially clumsy live show recordings.
So, what makes the live album special? Why do they still exist? Do they have a place in today’s digital music age?
What Live Albums Provide
This article is a firm and resounding yes to those questions. Live albums have always been a part of musician’s discography and this article will take you through its troubled history and remarkable potential moving forward. It is important to recognize that live albums provide a lot of good…