Friday grooves from Jimi Hendrix.

I tend to lean toward live albums, especially older recordings, because they capture a moment in time. I am not a trained musician. My ear can't tell when an instrument isn't perfectly in tune. But I can feel the vibe of the band. The vibe, or attitude, or stage presence, whatever you want to call it, combined with the groove of the music is where the magic happens. For me, live albums tend to capture the essence of that.

The Band of Gypsys album starts off with a soft rhythmic groove as the band is introduced over the PA system and gradually builds as the band joins in with the guitar. That rhythm lifts my mood every time I hear it.