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Deep Purple - Globe and Mail review of DP show Nov. 20, 1996, Toronto
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Deep Purple outlives nostalgia
Globe and Mail review of DP show Nov. 20, 1996, Toronto. by Alan Niester
While the onslaught of recently regrouped bands from the sixties and
seventies countinues unabated, it would be unfair and incorrect to add Deep
Purple to that list. For unlike Styx, Steely Dan, Lighthouse, Journey, The
Eagles and about a thousand others, this influential heavy metal outfit from
England has been reformed for so long it seems like it has never been away.
Oh sure, there have been numerous comings and goings over the years, but
ever since mainstays Jon Lord and Roger Glover decided to reform the band in
1985, there has been a version of Deep Purple sligging it out ojn stages
from Tokyo to Newcastle and all points between.
And, in fact, the version of the band that entertained a remarkably large
and well-lubricated audience of about 2000 at the Warehouse in Toronto on
Wednesday was probably about as close to the definitive lineup as anyone is
going to see in this lifetime. Although guitarist Ritchie Blackmore is still
AWOL ( having been replaced by ex-Dixie Dregs wunderkind Steve Morse ) Ian
Gillan, Ian Paice, Jon Lord and Glover, all veterans of the bands most
popular early seventies lineup, were on hand.
The result was, naturally enough, something that resembled a 1973 hockey
arena stomp. From the opening chords of Hush, the bands first real hit, it
was obvious that time had diminished the bands considerable skills. While
physical sgins of aging were evident (Lords hair and beard are completely
grey), musically the band are together as ever.
The evening was split between classics and material from the bands current
album release Purpendicular. Certainly, it was the list of classics that
most energized the crowd. Riff-laden versions of Lady From Tokyo (sic),
Smoke on the Water, and the less well known ( but equally riff-laden ) No
One Came led to frenzied fist pumping from the ( and we're speaking
relatively here ) younger members of the audience, and satisfied, dreamy
smiles from the older.
For his part, the well respected axeman Morse was more than capable of
rehashing Blackmores old lines. He proved himself a skilled mimic, dropping
note perfect Blackmore echoes into the mix wherever necessary.
But it was in the newer material that Morse proved his worth. Having now
been reformed for a dozen years, Deep Purple obviously considers itself
more than just a nostalgia band. The band continues to write and record new
material of considerable worth, and, for the most part it is a step forward
from the simple but effective riff-rock of the early days.
Morse is a guitarist of immense ability, and much of the newer material
presented Wednesday ( and some might argue the show was, if anything, too
heavily weighted on the side of the newer and less well known numbers )
displayed jazz and jazz/rock tendencies. Rosa's Cantina found Morse working
in a Joe Satriani styled jazz-rock vein, while Cascades: I'm Not Your Lover
allowed him to move in a more free form heavy metal style.
While much of the evening had an overly nostalgic feel, it had the
electrified feel of a major event. Scalpers were anxiously prowling for
extra tickets. A long line of taxis snaked past the front door, and area
parking lots were jammed. Inside, there hasn't been such a collection of
rock n' roll painted ladies in one place since Rock n' Roll Heaven closed it
's doors a few years ago. But whether it was for the nostalgia or simply for
the rare opportunity to bask in the electric growl of one of the worlds
great old rock bands, Wednesday night's performance proved that Deep Purple
was one of the great bands of its era.
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