10 More Rock Music Albums That Were Way Ahead Of Their Time
5. Live/Dead - The Grateful Dead
Live albums are usually just an excuse for record companies to sell worse versions of existing songs to hungry customers. They're not usually seen as milestone musical moments, unless they're 1969's Live/Dead by The Grateful Dead.
In fact, even this legendary record came about because the band needed to fulfil a section of their contract. Eventually though, what started out as a quick money-maker took on a life of its own.
The Grateful Dead were always at their best when playing live. Their loose, jam-band playing style made them a joy to watch, as fans were sure they were never going to get the same show two nights in a row.
The group wanted to capture this essence on this recording and so went out of their way to make it sound as good as possible. Using a 16-track recorder, a first for a live album, Live/Dead was able to transport a full concert experience into people's homes. As a result, this record remains The Dead's most popular, live or otherwise.
Live/Dead set the standard for all other live albums to come and changed the way they were recorded forever.