I can't believe the US finally got something first...
First the packaging details:
Deep Purple "Live at California Jam"
Mausoleum Classix (BMG) 71278-60025-2
Get this (!) P & C '96 King Biscuit Entertainment Group
Cover: Picture of Purple on stage in front of rainbow just after
sunset.
Back: Picture of Ritchie and Strat from right side, during
what may be a "guitar flash" moment.
Inside: 8 pages of text and picture including Tony Edwards' version of what happened.
Total: 73:38
First the sound, very dry and the organ and guitar mush together, but using a stereo graphic equalizer (mainly to boost the upper mids on the right side (Ritchie)) and using a short reverb from my surround- sound amp, the sound is very listenable.
Next the performance, I am very biased because I saw the ABC show twice when I was 15, and I was blown away, however... Burn is tight and it burns. Might Just Take Your Life was my favorite song at the time, and this performance is very good. At the time I considered Mistreated a good slow song until I saw Ronnie sing it on the Rising tour. Since then, I have loved it, and Ritchie nails the final section. Smoke on the Water is standard SotW. You Fool No One is better than the album, but that is not saying much, and The Mule seque is IP's drum solo.
Last is the infamous Spacetruckin'. The first sections of the solo are not the usual as compared to MiJ. Ritchie pushes Jon into some frenetic passages for about 18 minutes, and then he goes into his patented Strat abuse. From the sound I cannot tell when Ritchie smashes the camera or burns his amps, however I think the 60-cycle buzzes come during the fire.
From what I remember of the show, I would guess all the bands were filmed completely. I would love to get the ELP portion, and during their show Keith elevates with his piano high enough that he can spin it end over end.
Timothy Ronald Volk