If Dear Boss is the label for post-punk and new wave live recordings, Expensive Woodland occupies the same territory for classic rock — documenting the great live performances of the late 1960s and 1970s on vinyl and CD, with a focus on the artists who defined the era. Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Black Sabbath, The Who, Bruce Springsteen — the Expensive Woodland catalogue reads like a roll call of classic rock royalty.
We stock over 170 Expensive Woodland titles across vinyl, CD, and cassette. This piece is an introduction to the label and some of the highlights from the range.
What Expensive Woodland Does
Like the best live recording labels, Expensive Woodland is built around specificity. These are not generic 'live album' releases — each title documents a named performance at a named venue on a named date. Pink Floyd: Live 1969. Led Zeppelin: Live in the USA 1969. Black Sabbath: Paris 1970. The precision is part of the appeal: these are historical documents of specific moments in rock history, many of which have never been officially released.
The label covers multiple formats — vinyl LP and double LP, CD, CD box sets, and cassette — which makes the catalogue accessible to collectors across different preferences and budgets. The vinyl releases often appear in both standard black and limited coloured variants, adding a visual dimension for those who want it.
The Artists: Classic Rock's Greatest Names
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are the most extensively documented artist in the Expensive Woodland catalogue, and with good reason — their live performances of the late 1960s and early 1970s were extraordinary events, and relatively few have been officially released. Standout titles include:
- Live 1969 — available as a standard double LP and a limited red vinyl double album. 1969 was a pivotal year for Floyd, between A Saucerful of Secrets and Atom Heart Mother, and these recordings capture the band at their most exploratory.
- Transmissions / Transmission 1967 — Early Syd Barrett-era material, available in standard, clear vinyl, and limited blue vinyl editions. Historically fascinating documents of the band's psychedelic origins.
- On the Air 1967–1968 — BBC sessions and broadcasts from the Barrett era, available on 2CD. Essential for serious Floyd collectors.
- Montreux 1970: Live — A 2CD set capturing the band at the Montreux Jazz Festival, a remarkable document of Floyd in transition.
David Bowie
Bowie's Expensive Woodland releases focus on his early career — a period that is less extensively documented than his mid-1970s peak. Key titles include:
- Rarities 1966–1968 — Available as a standard LP, a CD, and a striking 12-inch picture disc. Early Bowie material from before his breakthrough, invaluable for serious collectors.
- Live & Sessions 1970 — Available as a CD, a standard double LP, and a limited clear vinyl double album. 1970 was the year of The Man Who Sold the World and one of the most creatively fertile periods of Bowie's career.
Led Zeppelin
Zeppelin's live catalogue is one of the most actively collected in rock, and Expensive Woodland's releases fill genuine gaps in the official documentation. Live in the USA 1969 and Live — Europe 1969 (both available as 2CD sets) capture the band in their earliest touring incarnation — raw, powerful, and still finding the full scope of what they would become.
Black Sabbath
Two Sabbath titles in the catalogue: Paris 1970 on CD and On Air 1970 on both CD and cassette. The cassette edition of On Air 1970 is a particularly interesting format choice — a nod to the cassette revival that has made physical music formats across the board more appealing to younger collectors. Early Sabbath live recordings are among the heaviest things ever committed to tape, and these releases do them justice.
The Who
Two outstanding Who titles: Live on Air 1965–1967 and Live in Holland 1969, both available as 2CD sets. The 1965–1967 recordings capture the band at their most mod and explosive; the 1969 Holland recording documents the Tommy-era Who at full throttle. Essential for any serious Who collection.
Bruce Springsteen
The Broadcast Collection — a 4CD box set covering multiple Springsteen broadcasts. Box sets of this kind are among the most generous releases in the Expensive Woodland catalogue, offering substantial value for serious collectors of an artist's live work.
Further Highlights
The catalogue also includes titles by The Doors (The Broadcast Collection, 3CD box set), The Ramones (Live Broadcast NY, 20th July 1982, 2CD), and Dead Kennedys (Live at the Old Waldorf 1979, CD) — extending the label's reach from classic rock into punk and beyond.
Formats: Something for Every Collector
One of the things that distinguishes Expensive Woodland from many live recording labels is the breadth of formats available:
- Vinyl LP and double LP — Standard black and limited coloured variants. The red vinyl Pink Floyd Live 1969 and clear vinyl Bowie Live & Sessions 1970 are among the most visually striking titles in the range.
- Picture disc — The Bowie Rarities 1966–1968 picture disc is a standout — a beautiful object that works as a display piece as well as a record.
- CD and 2CD — The most accessible format for many of the titles, and often the best value for extended live recordings.
- CD box sets — The Springsteen and Doors box sets offer the most comprehensive coverage of an artist's broadcast history in a single package.
- Cassette — A nod to the cassette revival. The Black Sabbath On Air 1970 cassette is a genuinely appealing object for collectors who appreciate the format.
Collecting Expensive Woodland: What to Know
- Coloured vinyl variants are limited — The red vinyl Pink Floyd and clear vinyl Bowie editions in particular move quickly. Act fast if you see a variant you want.
- Sound quality varies by source — As with all live recording labels, the quality of the source material varies. Broadcast recordings tend to sound excellent; the label is generally transparent about sources.
- Multiple formats for most titles — Check what formats are available before buying. Many titles exist as both vinyl and CD, giving you options depending on your preference and budget.
- Stock is updated regularly — We add new Expensive Woodland titles as they're released and source earlier pressings where we can.
Browse our full Expensive Woodland stock — search expensive woodland on our site to see everything currently available.