Do live albums still matter in an era of endless studio recordings, or is this format becoming a relic?

For me, live albums still have tremendous importance. With digital recording, you can have endless takes and splicing to "get it right," whereas when records were recorded and mastered on tape, it was tedious, so there was an importance on practice as a group before eating up precious and expensive studio time (and literally, tape!). Some of my favorite albums are live, because of the raw nature of the performance - no hiding behind editing. Similarly, the free form and sometimes improvisational nature of a live performance is magical.

@ryandotfox I really appreciate that perspective. There really is something magical about live performance, especially when artists go off script and create in the moment.

@ryandotfox @Jangles, thank you both for weighing in. Live albums can be hit or miss, but when they capture the true essence of an artist and really take us into the moment in time, it's magical. This particular one has always been special for me.