Golden Earring-Live (1977)

Set against a backdrop of the band on stage, this was the first live album by the Dutch group Golden Earring. Released in late 1977, it featured some of their most rock-oriented, progressive, and psychedelic material. Recorded at London's Rainbow Theatre in early 1977, the lineup that night consisted of George Kooymans (guitar and vocals), Rinus Gerritsen (bass and keyboards), Barry Hay (vocals and flute), Eelco Gelling (guitar), and Cesar Zuiderwijk (drums). Featuring a number of extended versions compared to the original studio recordings, the setlist was primarily composed of tracks from their albums "Moontan" (1973), "Seven Tears" (1971), "To The Hill" (1975), and "Contraband" (1976). However, the inclusion of so many tracks exceeding nine minutes (seven in total) comes at the expense of other great classics from the band, omitted due to space constraints. Even so, the included songs are excellent examples of why Golden Earring were always considered a better live band than a studio band. This double album captures the immense intensity Golden Earring displayed on stage, from the extended "Radar Love" to The Byrds' psychedelic epic "Eight Miles High", passing through the powerful rock of "Candy's Going Bad", the magnificent tour de force "Mad Love's Comin' ", and the progressive hard rock of "Vanilla Queen". A brilliant repertoire performed with driving and powerful rhythms, where the dense sound of its two guitarists, along with the tight and precise rhythm section, propels the live music into grand instrumental passages, making this double album one of the most famous of the 1970s.