10. Rush - Clockwork Angels Tour (Anthem/Roadrunner)
A new Rush live album is always cause for celebration, especially when the current album they are touring behind is as strong as Clockwork Angels was. In addition to the current album material, there are some really well-chosen dips into the band's 80s catalog.
9. The Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania Live in NYC (Universal)
As much as the Pumpkins Mk II frustrates the living hell out of me, Oceania was a decent album and this live document was probably as good as we could hope for from the band at this point. The back half is, naturally, my favorite, as they dip back into the classic catalog, but the new stuff doesn't sound half bad on stage either.
8. Fuzz - Live in San Francisco (Castle Face)
Ty Segall's band, Fuzz, was, like pretty much everything else he does, another thrilling entry in an increasingly impressive catalog. Thankfully, someone was smart enough to capture a live set recorded on Ty's birthday, the results we have here. As fuzzed out, chaotic and thrilling as you'd expect from anything with Segall's name on it.
7. Iron Maiden - Maiden England '88 (EMI)
An archival live release from the band's Seventh Tour of a Seventh Tour back in, well, 1988, this captures a killer live band at one of their several killer live peaks. The tracklist is basically a 1980s greatest hits package, which basically means the greatest of the band's greatest, although there are a few surprising detours.
6. Anathema - Untouchable (Kscope)
Considering their genesis as a doom band signed to Peaceville records, this band's evolution into a top-notch prog rock band has been pretty fascinating to hear, even if it alienated many of their early fans. This set was recorded during the tour for 2012's excellent Weather Systems album, when they were backed during a one-off in an ancient Roman theater by the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra. It takes Weather Systems' already emotional rock to a whole new level.
5. Grateful Dead - Sunshine Daydream (Rhino)
This has always been a well regarded classic Dead performance, recorded on a sunny day in Oregon back in 1972, thanks to the bootleg tapes and the documentary film that was recorded of the day. But it's nice to have a nice and shiny official release to treasure, and what a day it must have been for Deadheads. The first set is a thrill, but it never gets better than the half hour "Dark Star" from the second set.
4. High On Fire - Spitting Fire Live Vol. 1 & 2 (E1)
Considering that I've been fortunate enough to catch them live twice, I can absolutely confirm that High On Fire slays live. For those that have never seen them on stage, or for those fans like me that want to relive the intensity, the band finally released two discs of amazing live material (though the band's decision to issue them as two full-price separate discs still irks me) to help fill the void. The two discs span their entire career, reinforcing the idea that they haven't slowed down a bit and only continue to grow as a band.
3. Neil Young - Live at the Cellar Door (Reprise)
Seeing as how it seems increasingly unlikely that we will ever see the next volume in the Archives series (at least, probably not on any format we'll ever actually use), us Neil Young fans will have to content ourselves with these sporadic live releases. This pulls from six 1970 performances that Neil gave at Washington D.C.'s Cellar Door. This is solo Neil, so expect his trademark acoustic work, but the surprise here is the time he spends at the piano, reinventing a few of his well-known tracks.
2. Miles Davis Quintet - Live in Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 2 (Legacy)
Much like Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series, the one recently begun for Mile Davis is giving fans a fantastic look at live performances that might have otherwise stayed out of the hands of the less intense collector. This set features Miles' third great quintet (the "lost" band - Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, Wayne Shorter) during a 1969 trip through Europe. It's a fascinating trip through a compelling period, as Miles was preparing to go even further in a rock fusion direction.
1. Goat - Live Ballroom Ritual (Rocket Recordings)
Fitting that my favorite record of 2012 would lead to my favorite live record of 2013. But, truth be told, I was always a little unsure about how well this Swedish experimental fusion band's sound would translate to the live stage, so it was great to hear that it worked even better than I could have imagined. This live ritual was captured on the eve of their Glastonbury performance in front of just over 1,000 rabid fans, understandably entranced by the sound whipped up by this intriguing group.
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