Deep Purple - Live At Montreux And In Concert (2007)

FEW BANDS CAN BOAST OF A CAREER OF MORE THAN 35 YEARS AND FEWER STILL CAN BE SEEN AS INFLUENTIAL AND RELEVANT TODAY, BUT DEEP PURPLE, "COME HELL OR HIGH WATER" HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REINVENT THEMSELVES TIME AND AGAIN SO THAT THEY ARE NOW TRULY WONDERFUL TO WITNESS IN CONCERT. The Deep Purple saga has taken many twists and turns over the years, and thankfully, since 1994 it appears to have taken a permanent turn for the better. This 2 CD set is a stunning document of the band getting to grips with their heritage and embracing the future with an energy that you would be more likely to see coming from a band who have been around for 35 weeks. As always, the musicianship is spectacular, but now you can listen to a live album that is a worthy successor to Made In Japan, and re-acquaint yourself to a band that you might recently have overlooked.

The initial solution was to find a replacement guitarist for touring commitments. Temporarily, this came by way of virtuoso guitarist Joe Satriani, but it was not until the following year that a permanent replacement was found in the form of Steve Morse and it is he, who in this seventh line-up of Deep Purple, has set the spark to the flame. and enabled the band to create dynamic new rock music and enliven their vast catalogue.
Whether it ever occurred to the band when introducing Steve Morse to the (loyal to Blackmore) UK audience on their 1996 tour, that twenty years earlier, the similar introduction of Blackmore's then replacement (the highly talented yet very nervous Tommy Bolin) to English audiences had gone so badly that at the time they decided to split the band for good, might happen again is not known, but what was obvious, as with both of these live sets, was that the minute that they hit the stage they meant business. As with this Montreux show opener. Fireball exploded with the ferocity that had been missing for some years from Purple's performances.
Montreux "on the Lake Geneva shoreline", is a very special venue in Deep Purple's history. It proved not only to be the inspiration to the anthemic Smoke On The Water and the classic Machine Head album but also for many live performances. This first disc is taken from shows in 1996 and 2000. Throughout, you will be dazzled by the power of the classic tracks and the individual virtuosity of Messrs Gillan, Glover, Lord, Morse and Paice. Moreover, whilst playing the better known tracks such as Black Night, Woman From Tokyo and Speed King, the band were confident enough to introduce a blend of newer material such as Ted The Mechanic and Hey Cisco with more obscure items such as When A Blind Man Cries and No One Came with justifiable confidence.

The Royal Albert Hall is also a very special vende in the history of the band in that it proved to be the springboard for early Mark II repertoire and their early forays into the world of rock and classical music. Disc two comes from two very special evenings in 1999 to which the band invited guest artists including Ronnie James Dio. Miller Anderson. Sam Brown and The London Symphony Orchestra to augment their standard show with the classical symphony. rarities and tracks that are seldom played Five, and in the case of Pictures Of Home of which there are versions on both discs. to demonstrate their virtuosity and the impact of a different venue and approach to their repertoire.
Jon Lord has since. "retired" from the band so that the band that now tour and record are the eighth incarnation (with former Rainbow and Colosseum member Don Airey on keyboards). Thankfully, the energy and enthusiasm of the band has not waned. Long may they continue to rock!

Ziggy Rokita

Tracklist
Live At Montreux
1-1 Fireball
Written-By – Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, Ritchie Blackmore, David Glover*
3:50
1-2 Ted The Mechanic
Written-By – Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, David Glover*, Steve Morse
4:27
1-3 Pictures Of Home
Written-By – Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, Ritchie Blackmore, David Glover*
5:41
1-4 Black Night
Written-By – Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, Ritchie Blackmore, David Glover*
6:43
1-5 Woman From Tokyo
Written-By – Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, Ritchie Blackmore, David Glover*
5:22
1-6 No One Came
Written-By – Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, Ritchie Blackmore, David Glover*
5:06
1-7 When A Blind Man Cries
Written-By – Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, Ritchie Blackmore, David Glover*
7:30
1-8 Hey Cisco
Written-By – Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, David Glover*, Steve Morse
5:48
1-9 Speed King
Written-By – Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, Ritchie Blackmore, David Glover*
5:10
1-10 Smoke On The Water
Written-By – Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, Ritchie Blackmore, David Glover*
8:15
1-11 Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming
Written-By – Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, David Glover*, Steve Morse
6:46
1-12 Fools
Written-By – Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, Ritchie Blackmore, David Glover*
9:42

In Concert With The London Symphony Orchestra
2-1 Pictured Within
Vocals – Miller Anderson
Written-By – Jon Lord
8:37
2-2 Wait A While
Vocals – Sam Brown
Written-By – Jon Lord, Sam Brown
6:54
2-3 Sitting In A Dream
Acoustic Guitar – Miller Anderson
Backing Vocals – Sam Brown
Vocals – Ronnie James Dio
Written-By – Roger Glover
3:52
2-4 Love Is All
Acoustic Guitar – Miller Anderson
Backing Vocals – Sam Brown
Piano – Eddie Hardin
Violin – Graham Preskett
Vocals – Ronnie James Dio
Written-By – Eddie Harding*, Roger Glover
4:40
2-5 Via Miami
Written-By – Ian Gillan, Roger Glover
5:08
2-6 That's Why God Is Singing The Blues
Guitar – Steve Morris (2)
Written-By – Dave Corbett
3:49
2-7 Take It Off The Top
Written-By – Steve Morse
4:40
2-8 Wring That Neck
Violin – Graham Preskett
Written-By – Paice*, Lord*, Simper*, Blackmore*
4:46
2-9 Pictures Of Home
Arranged By – Sally Herbert
Written-By – Gillan*, Paice*, Lord*, Blackmore*, Glover*
8:41
2-10 Concerto For Group And Orchestra - Movement I
Written-By – Jon Lord
16:38