Etta James Rocks The House 1963

Rocks The House is the first live album by blues and soul singer Etta James. It was recorded in September 1963 at the New Era Club in Nashville, Tennessee.

I find that some of her later recordings were drowned in strings but here you get to listen to a young, raucous Etta James backed by a small R&B band in an intimate club.

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Ray Charles At Newport 1958

At Newport is the first live album released by soul legend Ray Charles. It captures his performance in July 1958 at the Newport Jazz festival.

Ray Charles is one of the founding fathers of what we know as soul music as he fused elements of the blues, gospel and rhythm and blues.

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Aretha Franklin Aretha Live At Fillmore West 1971

Aretha Live At Fillmore West is a live album by soul singer Aretha Franklin in concert in San Francisco over three nights in March 1971.

These concerts caught Aretha singing pop songs rather than her great soul classics from albums like I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You and Lady Soul.

It has also been released in various versions.

Aretha Franklin Aretha Live At Fillmore West

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Solomon Burke Soul Alive 1981

Soul Alive is a highly regarded live album by soul singer Solomon Burke.

It was recorded at the Phoenix 1 Club in Washington DC in 1981 and Burke is backed by by the Realtones.

Like Bobby Womack, he is another artist who should have received more attention as the world focused on Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye.

Solomon Burke Soul Alive

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Bobby Womack The Womack Live 1970

The Womack Live is the first live album by soul singer Bobby Womack.

He is another of my “should have been huge” artists and if you like classic soul, you should listen to Bobby Womack. he nearly made it big with his early eighties albums The Poet and The Poet II.

The Womack Live catches him much earlier (it was released in 1970 but I’m not sure when it was recorded).

By then he’d written the #1 hit for The Rolling Stones, It’s All Over Now which Rod Stewart covers on the live album Coast To Coast. He’d also written songs for Wilson Pickett including I’m a Midnight Mover.

Bobby Womack The Womack Live

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What Is The Best James Brown Live Album?

James Brown released a lot of live albums but what are the best? Which James Brown live albums would you advise someone to buy?

The obvious answer is Live At The Apollo 1962 but is that really representative of the legacy that James Brown has left? I don’t think so.

You can vote for your three favourites and if you think I’ve missed a great one from my poll, leave me a comment and I’ll add it in. Continue reading What Is The Best James Brown Live Album?

Maze Live In New Orleans 1980

Live In New Orleans is the first live album by Maze featuring Frankie Beverly and was recorded in the city in November 1980. It also included four new studio recorded songs.

Frankie Beverly is the smooth voiced leader and songwriter of the band.

I have mixed feelings about this “live” album.

Maze Live In New Orleans – overall rating 25/30

Maze Live In New Orleans album cover

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