Today's Suggestion:

Six Live Albums That That'll Make You Want To Kick Some Ass Part One!

Some days you just need a pick me up and not just the kind that  a cup coffee or a shot of whiskey helps with. I'm talking about the days when you're stuck sitting at the laundromat or at your horrible desk job wishing you could make the mundane a little more tolerable. Well, today I'm telling you to let those feelings out! Jump up on those folding tables and air guitar till your ass gets kicked out. Spin around and around in that office chair and do a tom roll till Bob and Bob fire your ass! Let these five albums recorded at the height of these phenomenal musicians careers be your soundtrack to not giving a rats ass about your comfortable life. Let your inner badass out my friends and enjoy these jams!

Yes - Yessongs (1973)

Taken from multiple shows recorded during two different tours, Yessongs showcases everything that was great about Yes. First, the tracklisting is perfect, it's my go to greatest hits album for these guys. Second, all the members of they're best era as a band are showcased. We get to hear both Bill Bruford and Alan White's chops behind the kit. Bill even plays a pretty killer drum solo at the end of Perpetual Change. Steve Howie shows his classical chops on Mood For A Day. He also has some of the most killer tones for 1973 and today! If you don't believe me then skip to the end of the record and listen to Starship Trooper, you disbelieving wench! Rick Wakeman gets his time to shine in The Six Wives of Henry VIII. And just like Steve Howie, you gotta appreciate those tones and classical chops. Chris Squire gets his time in The Fish, but who are we kidding he's the driving force for all these songs. That man's tone was so heavy, metal bands should be tipping some kind of hat to him. Rest in peace Chris you were one of the best. Okay, and let's not forget about Jon Anderson, he kills it on every track he's on. Yea some of those notes he really stretches for, but that just makes him human. This band was ahead of they're time and this live album showcases it! If you wanna kick some ass while being sophisticated, then headphone up Sherlock and check out Yessongs.

Favorite Tracks: And You And I, I've Seen All Good People, and Starship Trooper.

Rush - All The World's A Stage (1976)

"I want you to please welcome home Rush" announces the beginning of All The Worlds A Stage, with no hesitation into Bastille Day. I'm all about a good opener to a set and Rush passes with flying colors. They keep the energy going with Anthem and as Geddy Lee says in the climax of the song, I say "Come on" to my fellow air musicians and try to keep up. They play a great mix of songs from their first four albums. Including singles like Working Man and Fly By Night, but also some deep cuts like In The End and By-tor And The Snow Dog. But most importantly they play 2112 in its entirety. Let me repeat THEY PLAY THE WHOLE DAMN THING! Most bands would kill to sound as big as these three. Geddy Lee's bass just oozes grooves and heaviness. Alex Lifeson will forever be one of the most underrated guitarists of all time. If you don't believe then listen to those tones and those rip-roaring guitar solos. And, of course, we have the professor Neil Peart. His technical skills behind the drum kit are unmatched and the mix is good enough in this album that you can hear all he's doing. And that drum solo at the end of Working Man is one of the best in rock history. Rush has a special place in my heart and every time I listen to this album I feel like I'm in Toronto circa 1976 welcoming back home my boys. If you wanna feel like a badass and air guitar, drum, and bass all at the same time, well here's an album for you!

Favorite Tracks: Anthem, 2112, and Working Man.

Judas Priest - Unleashed In the East (1979)

Again we have a winner when it comes with a show opener with Exciter. "Bow to your knees and repent if you please" okay Rob just stop yelling at me... okay don't stop. Each track on this record is full force in your face and it simply kicks ass. The guitars are like Blane the mono racing his way to Topeka, relentless and unstoppable (any Stephen King fans). And if you want to know how a dual guitar solo is done then just throw some headphones on and listen to The Ripper. K. K. Downing and Glen Tipton are aces with a six string. Now, I know Rob Hafford overdubbed his vocals in a live studio setting. He did this because of his vocal tracks being ruined somehow. Who knows why the originals aren't here or for what reason, but whatever happened, he still crushes these songs. For example, the end of Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown) or Victim of  Changes are just two prime scenarios of his vocal dominance. This album showcases a band on the verge of major success while still having that raw energy I love so much. It's just like the Scorpions before they got their big break. Just nothing but raw energy. If you feel like going for a run or punching someone in the face, then might I suggest this album for your ass-kicking day.

Favorite Tracks: Exciter, Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown), and Victim of  Changes.

Kansas - Two For the Show (1978)

This may be my favorite live album of all time. I grew up on it and it was the soundtrack for most of my 45-minute bus rides to school every day in Junior High. It saddens my heart that most people only know Kansas for Carry On My Wayward Son or Dust In The Wind. They are one of the best progressive bands to come out of the 70's and some of the best musicians as well. Their song structures are complex yet approachable. They mix intricate guitars, unique otherworldly synths, violins, and vocal trade-offs and harmonies in a way that can only come from Kansas. What I love most about this album is it takes you on a journey. I like to close my eyes and just picture landscapes and characters and create a world around these sounds. This album is the perfect introduction to Kansas, or the perfect argument piece for they're place in progressive rock's elite. They play songs from they're first five albums which are my favorite. If you haven't guessed yet I'm pretty fond of 70s rock and a little, not so much 80's. Its not my fault that most bands were better in the 70's! Anyway, There's something for everyone on this album. We have the singles to get the fair weather fans through and there are the incredible jam sections. For example the end of Portrait (He Knew), the middle of Journey To Mariabonn (Mahavishnu Orchestra much), and the last four tracks contain the craziest of all the Kansas jams (Mysteries and Mayhem, Excerpts From The Lamplight Symphony, They Wall, and Magnum Opus). This album also contains awesome solos because what live album is acceptable without solos! Rich Williams plays a beautiful acoustic solo to transition between Dust In The Wind to Lonely Wind. Where in the beginning a beautiful  piano solo is played by Kerry Livgren. I could go on for pages about how great this album is, but please do yourself a favor and listen to it yourself and find out why it's my favorite live album. If you want to take a journey to another land and kick ass with a sword or something else mystical like that then here's an album for you. 

Favorite Tracks: Icarus - Borne on Wings of Steel, Paradox, and Journey From Mariabronn. 

Deep Purple - Made In Japan (1973)

I was listening to this record the other day and it was the spark that got me to write this little list. Again, we have a band winning the great opener test. Highway Star kicks so much ass it just ain't fair. We get a great mix of songs from the first three albums of the great Mark II line-up (vocals -  Ian Gillan, guitars - Richie Blackmore, bass - Roger Glover, keyboards - Jon Lord, and drums - Ian Paice). I'd like to take this moment to say kudos to Deep Purple for having two Ians in the band. Anyway, out of those three albums (Deep Purple In Rock, Fireball, and Machine head) only seven songs are on Made In Japan. Although, the track listing is small the song lengths are not, ranging from six minutes to 20-minute long jams. And that's what a Deep Purple live show was all about, jamming. In each song, every member pounds through the structure of the original track and builds upon that. With this mindset, we get a six-minute head pounding drum solo from Ian Paice, the dirtiest organ solo ever before Lazy and pick and choose any guitar solo from Richie Blackmore. The guy makes stomping on his guitar sound musical, its madness. Also, how many frontmen today could hit those notes in Child of Time. Honestly, not many other albums even begin to match the rawness and explosiveness of this record. Take note young rockers, this is the definition of how it's done. If you feel like giving up on your day job and starting a Deep Purple cover band or just having a great record to kick ass to during a long road trip, enjoy.

Favorite Tracks: Highway Star, Lazy, and Strange Kind Of Woman.

The Who - Live At Leeds (1970)

In the rockers starter kit, you should find a multitude of items including picks, handbooks on headbanging, and various of albums including The Who's Live At Leeds. This is a rock band of the most kick ass sort. John Entwistle's bass is thunderous and heart pounding. He even shows off his vocal skills in one of my favorite show openers Heaven And Hell. Kieth moon is at his most raw and, in my opinion, his best. Forget about any solos you'll find on Youtube and just listen to this album. When I listen to Keith's drumming on this album I feel what he's feeling because that's what he did, he felt the song. Pete Townshend shreds wonderfully giving any wannabe guitarist a lesson for a lifetime. Roger Daltrey kills it either screaming about the Young Man Blues  or stepping back to lay down the lower harmony in A Quick One, While He's Away. The Who play flawlessly through blues covers, singles, and the epic rock opera takes from Tommy. They all rip in and out of the songs and let each other have their moments to shine. They harmonize together and sing their own songs. We even get the bands humor in between tracks with Roger or Pete addressing the crowd while Kieth makes little jokes in the background. In the end, they were having fun and kicked ass while they had it. They were a rock band for the ages and we are all blessed to have this recording to remember them at this stage. If you feel like kicking ass tonight while getting drunk and air drumming then here's the album for you.

Favorite Tracks: Young Man Blues,  Amazing Journey/Sparks, and Shaking All Over.