Art Rock is clever music where the musicians are trying to do something different by combining various art forms and musical styles. It’s not prog rock but it may be close, it’s not normally a big commercial success although some artists like David Bowie and Peter Gabriel are the exceptions.
Wikipedia says “Art rock was a form of music which wanted to “extend the limits of rock & roll”, and opted for a more experimental and conceptual outlook on music. Art rock took influences from several genres, notably classical music, as well as experimental rock, psychedelia, avant garde, folk, baroque pop, and, in later compositions, jazz.” I’d add in the influences of world music as well.
Art Rock Live Albums Recorded In The 1970s
Barclay James Harvest Live 1974
Barclay James Harvest After The Day The Radio Broadcasts 1974 to 1976
Barclay James Harvest Live Tapes 1977
Be Bop Deluxe At The BBC 1974-1978
Be Bop Deluxe Tremulous Antenna Radioland 1976 &1978
Be Bop Deluxe BBC In Concert 2nd October 1976
David Bowie Live Nassau Coliseum ’76
David Bowie Stage 1978
Kate Bush Live at Hammersmith Odeon 1979
City Boy BBC In Concert 1975
Electric Light Orchestra The Night The Light Went On 1974
Electric Light Orchestra Live In Winterland ’76
Family Live 1971
Fripp & Eno Live in Paris 1975
King Crimson Ladies of the Road 1971 1972
King Crimson Earthbound 1972
King Crimson The Night Watch 1973
King Crimson The Great Deceiver Part 2 vols 3 & 4 1973 1974
King Crimson Live in Central Park NYC 1974
The Moody Blues Live At The BBC 1967-1970
Procol Harum Live In Concert With The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra 1971
Procol Harum BBC Live In Concert 1974
Queen Live At The Rainbow 1974
Queen Live At The Hammersmith Odeon 1975 video
Queen Live Killers 1979
Roxy Music Viva 1973 to 1975
Roxy Music Concerto or Ladytron 1979
Supertramp Is Everybody Listening? 1975
Supertramp Live At Hammersmith Odeon 1975 (with Crime Of The Century Deluxe Edition)
Supertramp Paris 1979
Supertramp Live In Paris 79
Supertramp Live Tracks With Breakfast In America Deluxe 1979
Talking Heads The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads
Talking Heads Real Live Wires 1978
Talking Heads The Boarding House San Francisco 1978 (TAJ)
Talking Heads Performance 1979
Talking Heads The Boston Tea Party 1979
Television The Blow Up 1978
Television Live At The Old Waldorf 1978
10cc In Concert 1975 (King Biscuit Flower Hour)
10cc Live And Let Live 1977
10cc Live In Concert 1977
Frank Zappa You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol 1 – 1969 to 1984
Frank Zappa You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol 2 – The Helsinki Concert 1974
Frank Zappa You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol 3 1971 to 1984
Frank Zappa You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol 4 1969 to 1988
Frank Zappa Carnegie Hall 1971
Frank Zappa Zappa In New York 1976
Frank Zappa Baby Snakes 1977
Frank Zappa Sheik Yerbouti 1977 1978
Frank Zappa Hammersmith Odeon 1978
You can get these albums from Amazon.com – Amazon.co.uk
The All Time Best Live Art Rock Albums
I don’t have a poll to find the best art rock live albums of the decade but I do have a poll for the all time best art rock live albums which will help guide you:
Loading ...You can get these albums from Amazon.com – Amazon.co.uk
Art Rock Live Albums By Decade – 1960s – 1970s – 1980s – http://www.bestlivealbums.com/tag/1990s-art-rock/ – 2000s – 2010s
Live At Hammersmith Odeon 1975 is a bonus live recording by Supertramp available with the deluxe version of Crime Of The Century.
It was recorded in London in March 1975.
This live recording has previously been released as Is Everybody Listening although the venue and date is incorrectly described on that album.
Average Amazon Customer Rating – %%AVERAGERATING%% Stars Continue reading Supertramp Live At Hammersmith Odeon 1975 (with Crime Of The Century Deluxe Edition)
Live In Winterland ’76 is a live album by the Electric Light Orchestra.
It was recorded on the Face The Music tour while the band were playing in San Francisco.
Average Amazon Customer Rating – %%AVERAGERATING%% Stars Continue reading Electric Light Orchestra Live In Winterland ’76
Live At The BBC 1967-1970 is a comprehensive collection of studio recordings of The Moody Blues made by the BBC.
Average Amazon Customer Rating – %%AVERAGERATING%% Stars From %%REVIEWCOUNT%% Reviews Continue reading The Moody Blues Live At The BBC 1967-1970
The Boarding House, San Francisco is a live recording of a concert by Talking Heads which was originally broadcast on the radio.
It was recorded on 16th September 1978.
From what I’ve seen so far, it is an mp3 only release and not available in the United States.
Continue reading Talking Heads The Boarding House San Francisco 1978 (TAJ)
Sheik Yerbouti is a live album by Frank Zappa.
Most of the album is pulled from two sets of concerts:
Average Amazon Customer Rating – %%AVERAGERATING%% Stars From %%REVIEWCOUNT%% Reviews Continue reading Frank Zappa Sheik Yerbouti 1977 1978
You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol 4 is another compilation of live recordings featuring Frank Zappa and his various bands. This was mostly recorded in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Full recording details are available at Discogs
Average Amazon Review Rating – %%AVERAGERATING%% Stars Continue reading Frank Zappa You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol 4 1969 to 1988
Earthbound is a live album by King Crimson.
It was recorded in the USA in February & March 1972.
King Crimson at this stage were:
This isn’t one of the legendary versions of the band but they also recorded the better known live album Ladies Of The Road.
%%AVERAGERATING%%
You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol 3 is a collection of live recordings by Frank Zappa.
Unlike vol2 which was based on gigs at a single venue (Helsinki in 1974), this goes back to the format of vol 1 and collects together tracks from 1971 through to 1984.
While this loses the feel of one concert and opens up the issue of different members in the supporting band, it means that you get some of Zappa’s favourite versions of the songs. Of course, some fans disagree as the early 1980s weren’t his strongest period.
Average Amazon Customer Rating – %%AVERAGERATING%% Stars From %%REVIEWCOUNT%%
Continue reading Frank Zappa You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol 3 1971 to 1984
Barclay James Harvest Live is a live album by Barclay James Harvest.
It was recorded at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, London and the Liverpool Stadium in 1974.
Live in Central Park, NYC is a live album by King Crimson.
It was recorded in New York on July 1st, 1974.
