Deep Purple: MKIII - The Final Concerts By: Ed Janx
I've been a MKIII “maniac" since I discovered Deepest Purple back in 1980. Granted, MKII has always been my favorite….. until Purpendicular. (Now I have a dilemma!:-> ) Still, MKIII produced Burn, an all-time Purple classic. Plus, Deep Purple's live talent didn't suffer from their personnel changes. In fact, Blackmore, Lord and Paice only got better as the 70's rolled on.
Now comes MKIII - The Final Concerts. This double CD was recorded during MKIII's last shows, the very same dates that brought us Made In Europe (MIE). All tracks are previously unissued performances, digitally remixed and remastered. (Yes!) The sound is amazing - right on par with Live In Japan. Good soundstage and imaging, for those audiophiles amongst us. The liner notes are very thorough - packed with pictures and an insightful MKIII history, with signs of Ritchie's impending departure scattered throughout. Good stuff indeed!
Burn - Nice doodling from Ritchie at the beginning - he totally nails the riff. Classic Blackmore throughout, with a tight band performance. Overall, an excellent version, on par with Live In London's (LIL).
Stormbringer - Definitely as good as the MIE version. Rock solid. My personal favorite of the two, with nice playing from Jon. The credits state it was never offered live before. Well, nobody's perfect. ;-)
Gypsy - Very happy to see this included! David & Glenn's vocals could be incredible when they checked their ego's at the door. This is a shining example. Nice interplay between all the musicians. Good soloing from TMIB before Glenn and David help close things out nicely. Another case of Purple's live rendition outshining the studio version.
Lady Double Dealer - A slight fluff from Ritchie launches the strongest version I've heard. Nice work from Ritchie and Jon again, with solid performances by all.
Mistreated - Always interesting to see how Ritchie will open this song, and this one is classic. Fine vocals from David, before Ritchie launches a tasteful solo, backed by Glenn and Ian. Good screaming at the end before “interpolating" a solid Rock Me Baby.
Smoke On the Water - Begins with spirited playing from Ritchie, then they launch into a smokin' Lazy. I was never a big fan of MKIII's lyrical treatment of MKII's songs. This is no exception, but in all fairness, this is a much better version than on California Jam and LIL. The triumvirate tear up their parts nicely and truly make this version very listenable. Glenn does some soulful vocals near the end, and the band breaks into a cool rendition of With a Little Help from My Friends. David doesn't kill us too long with his “I said SLIDE!" section, and they close things out nicely.
You Fool No One - I couldn't wait for this track, as the LIL & MIE versions of this song have always been my favorite MKIII numbers. The into was fresh and includes the obligatory classical snippet from Lord. Jon ignites the “rocking organ" and launches an awesome opening. To me, that's what makes Purple, well… Purple! The song is tightly paced and very solid. Only 12 minutes long though. Where is Ritchie's usual solo?!? Paice takes his turn before they culminate with a great Mule. BTW, did I mentioned that Ian is awesome throughout? In any case, this should always be assumed! End, Disc 1
Disc 2
Space Truckin' - Opens with Glenn over-indulging himself vocally, then he, Jon, & Ian lay down some excellent classical grooves. Everything's swinging until the MKII vocals, but again it's tolerable. The jam starts rolling with Ritchie, Glenn and Ian. Soon Ritchie inspires Jon to “answer and call". Good Fun! Everything gets quiet for a moment, and Ritchie breaks into Child In Time. Jon and Ian join in. Sweet! Nice impromptu lyrics by David after that. Glenn finally gets his spotlight, but I'm not sure this styling fits in Purple. It is interesting, though. Jon's up next with some synthesizer experimentation. Looking back, it's obvious he's a true rock pioneer. They break into the Wring That Neck call, then back to Space Truckin' for the finale. A very hot version!
Goin' Down / Highway Star - They set this one up beautifully, with Jon, Ian & David in synch. An incredible intro. Good vocals from both David and Glenn. Ritchie comes out firing, Jon jams, and they bring it down to HS. There's that MKII vocal thing again. Ritchie lays down his classic solo before loosing himself somewhere. It is now apparent that he is performing his last Purple shows. It would be fascinating to be in his mind in times like these. ;-) The rest of the band take it out to an insightful goodnight from David, “We'd like to thank you for welcoming us to Paris. We hope to see you again sometime…in some shape, or form." One last forgetful verse, and that's Paris!
Mistreated - The first bonus track opens with nice fingering from Ritchie. A fast Lazy, a classical snippet, and a classic riff. Hastily done, but very nice! The song is strong, with good singing from David. Ritchie solos, and they close out solidly, especially on Rock Me Baby. A definite keeper.
You Fool No One - Jon pulls off another patented solo before the proceedings kick in with Ian's classic drum riff. I'd love to see them do an instrumental medley of this and Burn on the current tour. Back to reality: Ritchie cuts his solo much shorter than usual, but it was still Ritchie. They edit into the Mule. Space constraints? Too many Ian solos? You be the judge. ;-)
Summary: A must have for any Purple fanatic. In my book, 5/5 is reserved for the top five DP albums. I give it a 4/5. I will enjoy this one again and again! I await your comments, flames, and additional reviews for the website.
[ rosas ]