The band's concerts at the Lyceum Theatre, London, on 17 and 18 July 1975, were recorded by Island Records employee Danny Holloway, using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio.[1][2] The tracks selected were mostly from the 17 July performance, with "Lively Up Yourself" (not played on the 17th) from the 18th.[1]
"I wasn't prepared for what I saw that night," recalled Sounds photographer Kate Simon (who shot the cover of Marley's 1978 album Kaya). "It was like seeing someone who was as good-looking as Steve McQueen, playing with a group that was peerless – as tight as anything you'd ever heard. And not only did you hear this magnificent voice, but the message was one of faith, truth and doing the right thing… To see someone who sang about principles, and did it in such a way that made even me dance, that was quite something."[3]
At the concert on the 17th, Chris Blackwell noted the audience's reaction to "No Woman, No Cry".[4]
The album was released on 5 December 1975 by Island Records as a vinyl LP. In 2001 it was released on CD. In 2016 a three disc release called the "Live! Deluxe Edition", became available in vinyl and CD formats, with recordings of both the 17 July and 18 July performances.
Reviewing Live! in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies, Robert Christgau wrote, "The rushed tempos take their toll in aura: 'Trenchtown Rock' can be far more precise, painful, and ecstatic; like most live albums this relies on obvious material. But the material is also choice, unlike most live albums it's graced by distinct sound and economical arrangements, and the tempos force both singer and the band into moments of wild, unexpected intensity. I used to think Natty Dread's 'No Woman, No Cry' was definitive."[5]
