I love Deep Purple, in a "Best of..." kind of way, based on my experience. I've never had access to proper albums, just compilations or live stuff. Anyone I knew with classic Purple vinyl didn't have a needle, and once CD's were around all anyone ever bought was Greatest Hits packages. To this day I've never ventured out of this myself except to buy a live album.The very first Deep Purple anything I bought was Come Hell Or High Water. I picked this up through BMG, one of those mail order clubs. I don't remember if it was part of my 12 for 1 cent introduction offer, or one of those mandatory CDs to finish my obligation.
This album was recorded in two seperate locations, on two different dates, both in 1993. The line-up for this album was Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillian, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice, and to be honest you can tell that they are feeling their age in the face of being forced out by Grunge and Alternative bands.
Most of the album is made up of Deep Purple standards, and a couple others I don't really know except for being on this album. I should mention that Deep Purple is one of those bands that Detroit Radio really liked when I was a kid, and they weren't afraid to play a variety.
The album opens with Highway Star. A song that I always thought was over rated, and on here it's really lack luster. It does nothing for me at all. In fact it sounds more like it was recorded during a soundcheck than in front of an audience.
Black Night, is good song normally on it's own. Not even close to one of my favourites, but a good song all the same. On here it suffers from the same piss poor production that hurt the opener.
A Twist In The Tail was the first song on this album I didn't know. It really sounds N.W.O.B.H.M., or what directly inspired it. I was happy to hear the song, is was a nice fresh breath of air. Sadly the production really hurt it too. But when I relisten to the song as i write this it inspires me to go search out the original and see if it blows my mind.
Deep Purple was, and still might be, the loudest band on Earth. When I say that, I mean they at one time held that actual distinctive world record. That being said, I will no longer mention the shitty ass production of this album, because it was a real bring-me-down. It is the reason I only listen to this album maybe once every half decade.
The next track up is Perfect Strangers. Another song I didn't really know from Purple. I've heard it before, maybe once or twice, but only enough to know that this version didn't sound very good.
I also don't know Anyone's Daughter. I don't want to know this song either. It's more humourous sounding than I like from a band that is so damn amazingly gifted. I also don't think Deep Purple should do country/folky sounding stuff like this either. I don't even want to look for the original.
Child In Time left me feeling a bit let down too. The keyboards, while sounding close to the original, were not close enough to be enjoyable. In fact they sounded dumbed down. I swear all the production value went into this song. The band finally opens up and explodes in just the right spot, and then slowly moves into a slightly disjointed exploritory rediscovery of a classic song.
I think at this point it switched from one show to the next, just due to the sound production changing. It actually get's much better on the second half.
The next track is really pretty and a sign of things to come from Blackmore. That is right up until Anya becomes big, brash and something more atuned to Rainbow than Deep Purple. Another song that I didn't know before hearing it here, but I don't know if I'd look up the original.
I would have to say that of all the songs on this album Speed King is another one I wish they wouldn't have used from the older days. I don't mind the song, but it isn't the Purple I like. It's one of those ones I don't understand why it's as popular as it is. I could also do without the extra goofy jam in the middle of the song. We didn't need to go there, or anywhere else extra that it went.
Okay, you know it has to be on the album. You can't have a live Deep Purple album without it. So here it is, 10:09 of Smoke On The Water. It's the last song on the album. The big encore that get's everyone moving and shaking and leaves you wanting more. It gets a really big build up. This has an exploration that I can understand. They work the crowd really well, something that only really shows up on this song, and go somewhere worth going, before getting where they need. When they do, they do it with a sledge hammer.
This is the only song on the entire album that clearly sounds like the original band is performing it. It's also the only song that really sounds like a live album. The way the crowd is worked and the music is played, has that great live feel and energy. Basically the production on this album sucks. It's complete and total rubbish. It's also easy to tell this is the end of the Blackmore era of Deep Purple. The band just doesn't sound together at all. Using today's technology, I would describe it as listening to a good tribute band that recorded a live performance for Youtube.
4/10 - content
3/10 - production
4/10 - personal bias
No comments:
Post a Comment