Is there anything better than live recordings?


Other than attending the concerts themselves?

I say NO.

 

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128x128jjbeason14

Supertramp "Live in Paris" is bloody amazing. Great recording.

Peter Gabriel "Plays Live" is also amazing. Great recording again...

The live performances cited by @petg60 are of excellent SQ because they were recorded by SOTA mobile recording trucks or in-house control rooms. OTOH, a good soundboard recording would be supplemented with a submix of dedicated mics. All live classical and opera would be recorded the same way as all their recordings in an empty concert hall or soundstage.

I often saw the 60ft trailers recording sound outside Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, or the Academy of Music in Philly. That was when I was young, later in my career I was working in either the sound truck or companion video trailer.

Regarding bootlegs, I used to find some very good quality LPs at Bleeker Bob's. I suspect the house mix engineer was involved in some of the high quality soundboard releases.

You also forgot the live concert tracks on Billy Joel - Piano Man Legacy edition :)