Our look at the best releases of the year kicks off today with an annual traditional around these parts that we don’t see elsewhere – a list of the best live archival releases from the past 12 months. These are all albums which feature music pulled from the artists’ archives that had never been officially released until 2011.
All in all 2011 was an exceptional year for archival releases as more acts and labels are realizing the benefits of opening their vaults. For this list we focused on straight live archival releases, so I didn’t include live shows that were included with studio remasters such as the wonderful Paramount show Nirvana put out with the 20th edition of Nevermind and the superb Wembley ’74 tracks that rounded out the Immersion Edition of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here. I also shied away from the free download compilations released by Phish (Live Bait) and the Grateful Dead (30 Days of Dead) which each deserve recognition for their awesomeness. With that said, here’s my list of live archival releases that caught my attention in 2011.
[Photo by Rob Chapman]
While jam stalwarts moe. have launched two archival series, Warts & All and Dr. Stan’s Prescription, over the years, both series seem to be on hiatus, with the last installments coming in 2007 and 2009 respectively. Without much fanfare moe. added an outstanding show from 2000 to their collection of live shows on LiveDownloads.com and the whole performance absolutely smokes. They come out of the gates with a 20+ minute Time Ed and don’t relent with strong versions of Head, Bring It Back Home, Four and Meat scattered about, but for me the highlight is a Dr. Graffenberg > Linus and Lucy > Dr. Graffenberg sandwich that features at least four distinct sections of improv.
Where You Can Sample This Release: LiveDownloads.com
9. The Bridge School Concerts – 25th Anniversary Edition
Neil and Pegi Young celebrated 25 years of the mostly acoustic Bridge School Benefit concerts by putting together a two-CD set filled with highlights from throughout the years. This collection features outstanding tracks from a diverse selection of artists that ranges from Metallica to Thom Yorke to R.E.M. to Sonic Youth to ol’ Neil himself. Standout tracks include Fleet Foxes’ Blue Ridge Mountains, an acoustic Get Back by Macca and Norah Jones’ cover of Jesus, Etc.
Where You Can Sample This Release: Official Trailer
Just when you thought Experience Hendrix had tapped all the material worth releasing from Jimi’s career comes this stunning 4-CD (five if you buy it from Amazon) box set featuring the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s two-year anniversary shows at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom. The action starts with the best version of Tax Free these ears have ever heard and continues with stunning versions of the best tunes in Hendrix’s catalog up until that point and kickass covers of Like A Rolling Stone, Sunshine of Your Love and Dear Mr. Fantasy. Even the repeats are worth it because the solos are so different from each other.
Where You Can Sample This Release: “Sizzle” Reel
Back in the mid ’80s Neil Young put together an eight-piece band of all-star musicians called The International Harvesters to play a batch of country-tinged songs he wrote at the time. The latest installment of Young’s Archive Series features 12 outstanding tracks hand-picked by Neil and the late Ben Keith from the only International Harvesters tour. Standout tracks include countrified versions of Buffalo Springfield’s Flying On The Ground is Wrong and an ode to becoming a father in Amber Jean.
Where You Can Sample This Release: Amber Jean Video
PAGE TWO = #6 – #4
6. Miles Davis Quintet – Live in Europe ’67: Bootleg Series Vol. 1
Columbia/Legacy has collected recordings by various European state-owned broadcasts from Miles Davis’ legendary Fall ’67 tour to create this 3-CD/1-DVD compilation featuring the iconic trumpeter’s second great quintet. Davis, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams had been performing together for three years at this point and their cohesiveness as a unit shines through on each track. I keep coming back to Footprints from Disc Two as my favorite moment in this box set filled with standout performances.
Where You Can Sample This Release: Miles Davis Live in Europe 1967 Trailer
5. Pearl Jam – Pearl Jam Twenty Soundtrack
While not every track on this collection of 29 rare and unreleased tunes is of the live nature, all of the first disc is live cuts and most of the second disc features live gems, so it makes the cut. From a high-energy performance of Alive at Pearl Jam’s third-ever show to a gorgeous Release taped in Italy in 2006 to a raw 1998 version of Do The Evolution, this soundtrack to the Cameron Crowe-directed film of the same name gives a history lesson that both Pearl Jam newbs and vets will surely appreciate.
Where You Can Sample This Release: Pearl Jam Twenty Flash Player
4. Rolling Stones – Brussels Affair
When I first heard that the Rolling Stones were putting out the Brussels show from their 1973 European Tour, I wasn’t that excited. Recordings of the radio broadcast from the two Brussels gigs have circulated forever and sounded pretty good. Well boy was I in for a treat when I pressed play on this release which is only available (legally) through Google Music in the states. Bob Clearmountain did an exceptional job of cleaning up the audio and the official version puts all the bootlegs to shame. Highlights include an 11-minute You Can’t Always Get What You Want, a rollicking Rip This Joint and a tender Angie.
Where You Can Sample This Release: The Brussels Affair on Soundcloud
PAGE THREE = #3 – #1
3. Frank Zappa – Carnegie Hall
Frank Zappa was an ornery, hard-to-impress fellow but even he was left in awe by the beauty of Carnegie Hall. Zappa is in fine spirits and plays his heart out in the latest Zappa archive release, the 4-CD Carnegie Hall, which features every note FZ and the Flo and Eddie edition of The Mothers played at the historic venue during a pair of shows on October 11, 1971. Despite the mono recording, the sound is good on this release and the performances are even better. There’s smoking guitar solos galore, a few hilarious skits from Flo and Eddie and exceptional versions of King Kong and Peaches En Regalia, in addition to the five-song Divan suite. All in all, it’s well worth the hefty $42 price tag.
Where You Can Sample This Release: Who Are The Brain Police
2. Phish – Hampton/Winston-Salem ’97
Ever since Phish left the stage in Winston-Salem on November 23, 1997, Phish fans have been begging for the band to release official recordings of the three-night stand which ended that evening. Phish was in the middle of arguably their best tour ever and littered all three shows with outrageous jams. Fred Kevorkian did a fantastic job mastering the sound on this release which was well worth the wait. Check out the Halley’s from 11/22 or the Bathtub from 11/23 for examples of why Phish was on top of their game that magical weekend in the Mid-Atlantic.
Where You Can Sample This Release: Three Incredible Sequences
1. Grateful Dead – Europe ’72: The Complete Recordings
I was always told that quantity does not outweigh quality, but the mammoth, 73-disc Europe ’72 box set is the rare case where both the quantity AND quality deliver throughout. Jeffrey Norman spent many months remixing the band’s original recordings and you could hear nuances that just didn’t come through on the best sources that were previously available. To be honest, I’ve only made it through about half of the 22 shows that make up this release, but I’ve found outstanding moments within each of the shows I’ve heard and I’m thankful for the opportunity to listen to “new” versions of old Dead shows for months to come. Hopefully the success of this mega-box will pave the way for more in the future.
Where You Can Sample This Release:04/14/1972 Playin’ Free Download (in widget)
Honorable Mention: Johnny Cash – Bootleg #2, Grateful Dead – Road Trips Vol. 4 No. 3, Bob Dylan: In Concert – Brandeis 1963, Phish – Fuji Rock Festival, Rolling Stones – Some Girls Live In Texas,
Previously on HT: Best Archival Releases of 2010, Best Archival Releases of 2009, Best Archival Releases of 2008
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