Alrighty then, here we go with the highly anticipated Top 5 Live Albums of All Time - Hold on to your hats:

Number 5: Jimi Plays Monterey (Jimi Hendrix): This album was released in 1986 and I remember I had it on LP and just about wore the grooves out on this one. He starts with an incredible version of “Killing Floor” that plain has one of the greatest ending’s to a song I ever heard. He works his way through a searing version of “Foxy Lady” and then through some raw covers of “Like a Rolling Stone” and “Rock Me Baby”. The song I still think I like most by Jimi and he never disappointed with was “Hey Joe” it’s just such a sweet song, with so much emotion. Like every great artist he adds a new little flair to every song with each different performance. Although not visible on the end of this album I believe this is the performance where he lights his guitar on fire at the end (during “Wild Thing”) and then sprays lighter fluid on it to make the flames go higher. He really pulled all the stops on this performance (playing behind the back and picking with his teeth) and it is a golden one.

Number 4: Wheels of Fire (Disc 2 - Cream): Although this was a combo studio/live album, the entire second disc was live and what a recording it was. Released in 1968 and starting out with ”Crossroads”, maybe one of the most recognized, copied, influential and inspiring cover’s ever, it sure starts out on a good note here. Amazingly of course Eric Clapton himself has denounced this re-working of Robert Johnson’s classic as a version he really didn’t like, but he must be the only one in the world that thinks so. I really thought this was some of both his and Cream’s finest work. It epitomizes the raw, driving, blues/rock fusion that Cream was so great at. As, what I consider the first real “Power Trio” they just had an incredible chemistry with each other and this song showcases it. It moves on with a lights out version of “Spoonful” and climaxes with a supercharged 16 minute long version of ”Toad” by Ginger. Very, very stirring stuff!

Number 3: The Song Remains the Same (Led Zepplin): What kid growing up in the 70’s didn’t at least hum “Stairway to Heaven” at some point. This album was actually released in 1976 I never actually heard this album until the early 80’s while in college. All I had heard to that point were the studio versions of most the songs. Of course, at that time, we didn’t have YouTube, Napster, etc..and the recording medium of choice was cassette tape for audio and in the mid 80’s the advent of recordable VHS video tapes. Cable was becoming the big thing for viewing and I think it was either VH1 or MTV that had the Video version of this and I did tape it. It just mesmerized me. As if the awesome versions of “Dazed and Confused”, “The Rain Song”, “Moby Dick”, “Whole Lotta Love” and “Stairway to Heaven” weren’t enough, I was really in a daze listening to “The Song Remains the Same”. What a great song and great arrangement by Jimmy and company. This album left me with incredible imagery in my mind for years to come.

Number 2: Frampton Comes Alive (Peter Frampton): What is there to say, this one has been voted by many to be THE NUMBER 1 Live album of all time and I have a hard time totally disagreeing with that, but I do have reasons for putting it in the Number 2 Slot. I can listen to this album start to finish any time. It is a gem of an album with some truly timeless music. This album really had an influence on me in my teen years and even since then. It became synonomous with partying and having a good time. All you really have to do is listen to “Do You Feel Like We Do” to get the atmosphere that surrounds it. It’s more of a mood than anything else I think.

and here it is, what you’ve all been wating for:

Number 1: Woodstock - the original Soundtrack (Various Artists): Setting - 1969, the last summer of love, Yasgur’s Farm. Some of the soon to be Greatest Rock Acts ever: Santana, Mountain, the Grateful Dead, CCR, Jefferson Airplane, Blood, Sweat and Tears, The Band, Canned Heat, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, incredible artists, incredibly diverse music with such a spontaneous and original almost surreal real life story line that went along with it, truly the music, magic and feeling will never be captured again. Among all that diversity, there still were I believe 2 performances which really defined and etched Woodstock into stone forever - Ten Years After and Jimi Hendrix. Alvin Lee made himself a household name with the supercharged “I’m Going Home” and became synonomous with speed and feedback, while Jimi took what crowd remained into the stratosphere with his signature version of the “Star Spangled Banner”, rocked us to the bone with “Purple Haze” and cut deeply with his strange and melodic instrumentals to end the festival. Although it was a shame that almost nobody was there to see it live, luckily it was recorded for the rest of us. Well, there you have it, the number 1 live album had diversity, controversy and some of the greatest Marquee performances of the last century - enjoy!!

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