Live recorded CDs of J-pop concerts...

[Madara]

I bought a special edition of Ayumi Hamasaki's latest album, "Next Level," and it has a second CD in it of 16 tracks from her "Premium Countdown Live 2008-2009" concert. (A third disc is a DVD that offers 6 music videos.) I like the live recordings better than the songs in the main CD contained in the set. For one thing, they're older songs that I like more than the newer ones.



So it got me to wondering how often J-pop acts release CDs of their concerts. I have some Momoe Yamaguchi live CD sets that are absolutely amazing, but I don't think I have any others. And I would buy Ayu concert CDs, as well as H!P ones, whether "Wonderful Hearts" or "Elder Club" or even just MM concerts. Sometimes I'd rather listen to them than watch.



Who else does this?

[neshcom]

I know that you can sometimes get audio-rips from DVDs online, but in some cases (...BEST FICTION...), the audio recording isn't always the greatest. I haven't really seen a lot of contemporary j-pop artists releasing live albums. You may want to check out iTunes Japan; I know they have Live from Tokyo events that they record and sell.

[AquaChan]

^

Depending on the artist, the Apple Store Live are not that good. Well, it's recorded in a store, so maybe that's why it's not that good.

(I see a capsule live, well, it's almost the studio version XD.)

[Zoe]

Mr Children, SPEED, and DA PUMP have all released live albums.

[Madara]

Speed! Of course! I'd forgotten, but I have the one they did in 2003(?) for a "Save the Children" benefit or something. And it's probably the best album of theirs I have. (In fact, it makes me want to get the concert DVD.) That's why I wish there were more things like it.

[neshcom]

[quote name='AquaChan' post='70470' date='Oct 21 2009, 12:13 PM']^

Depending on the artist, the Apple Store Live are not that good. Well, it's recorded in a store, so maybe that's why it's not that good.

(I see a capsule live, well, it's almost the studio version XD.)[/quote]

The YN/capsule one is practically studio quality because he does digital works and they could probably just record from source, but the songs there have new live parts and arrangements.

[showraniy]

Some big name avex artists are the only ones I know of to do this, though like other people have mentioned, I'm sure there are more.



Koda Kumi and Ayumi do it most often. Kumi's TRICK album came with her one night only live in an extra DVD, but on other albums, I'm pretty sure she's got some live recordings too. I'll double check on it and update to make sure.



It's not quite the same thing, but some artists also do the "studio lives" and put those on their albums too. Olivia Lufkin's TRAPNEST album had three tracks like that.

[Vikitty]

Do As Infinity does as well and they put on a fucking AMAZING concert.

[koolmon]

AKB48 does it. They just don't count because they lipsync everything anyway.