A
live album – commonly contrasted with a
studio album – is a recording consisting of material (usually music) recorded during stage performances. Live albums may be recorded at a single
concert, or combine recordings made at multiple concerts. They usually have a less "finished" character than a studio album, and are intended to reproduce some of the experience of attending a concert performance. As such, they may include applause and other noise from the audience, comments by the performers between pieces, etc. They often employ
multitrack recording direct from the stage sound system (rather than microphones placed among the audience), and can employ additional manipulation and effects during post-production to enhance the quality of the recording. Live albums also sometimes contain a new
studio track.
Classical
Live recordings of classical music can be similar to non-classical albums in the sense that they can record an event (e.g.
The Proms,
Vienna New Year's Concert). However, many artists prefer to record live rather than in the studio, with post-performance edits to correct any mistakes. Hence many 'live recordings' can be virtually indistinguishable from studio counterparts. Depending on the closeness of the
miking, such recordings may have a stronger ambient effect than studio performances. The conductor
Leonard Bernstein made virtually all of his later recordings from live performances rather than studio sessions.
Additionally, several classical artists and ensembles use empty venues to record what would otherwise be termed studio recordings. An example of this is
Walthamstow Town Hall in
London.
Jazz
In
jazz, live albums often stand beside studio efforts in terms of importance, as improvisation is such a major part of the genre. It is quite common for newly unearthed live recordings to be seen as vital, revelatory additions to a legendary artist's catalog, as with the release of
Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall in 2005.
Electronic
Studio and live albums in the
electronic genre can be nearly indistinguishable if the recording is made directly from the
soundboard. For this reason, some electronic groups have more live material than studio recordings in production. For example, electronic pioneer
Tangerine Dream had nearly 300 hours of live bootlegged recordings loosely legitimized by the artist themselves, called the
Tangerine Tree project.
Rock and pop
Many successful recording artists have released a live album, however these albums are generally seen as expendable parts of an artists’ catalogue, often failing to sell as well as
studio albums. However, some
pop and
rock artists are known for live albums that rival or exceed the sales of their studio albums. The best selling live album worldwide is
Garth Brooks'
Double Live, having sold in excess of 21 million copies as of November 2006.
See also
