Live in London

Alright folks, this is it: after almost 6 months of agonizing wait, I finally got my hands on this CD, and I must say that I'm enjoying every second of it (I'm listening to it as I write this review). When most people think of Deep Purple, they automatically think of the Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Paice and Jon Lord Mk II lineup. Other lineups are often overlooked regardless of the fact that they have produced some great music. Did it have the same impact as the Mk II output? Maybe not, but music should not be judged by record sales, or even airplay on classic rock radio.Why do I bring this up? Because there are quite a few people out there who believe that there is an excess of live albums by Deep Purple, and more specifically, from the Mk III lineup that included David Coverdale (lead vocals) and Glenn Hughes (bass, vocals) replacing Gillan and Glover respectively. So, I've heard and seen quite a few comments saying that releases such as this one are "redundant" or "pointless". I disagree: first, `cos live albums are a different entity, totally different from studio albums re-releases and/or compilations; second, because no 2 concerts from Deep Purple were EVER alike; and third `cos while it might be true that there are several Mk III live releases already available, none of them managed to fully capture the fire of one of their shows. For the sake of thoroughness, lets briefly examine each and every one of those releases, shall we?- Live at the California Jam: probably the most (in)famous of them all, in no small part due to the almost legendary status of that show, which saw the band co-headline the event with EL&P, playing in front of a few hundred thousand people and being televised to a few million more (just a few...). And of course, let us not forget Blackmore's antics (TV camera trashing, guitar bashing, amp blowing, etc...). The show was killer, yes, but what of the resulting album? It was lackluster, maybe because it is not quite the same to hear a guitar being ripped as it is to see it, but mostly because of its sound: the show suffered technical difficulties with the mixing of the band's sound, the guitar being almost imperceptible during opening number "Burn" and then gradually gaining volume. Successive re-releases of the same recording with different names (Live at the Ontario Speedway '74, California Jamming, etc) have attempted to improve sound quality, but since the problem is in the source tape, not much can actually be done. And in addition to that, most releases were missing a full song, "Lay Down, Stay Down" due to time constraints.- Perks and Tit/ Live in San Diego '74: a great quality soundboard recording (meaning that it was made by the band's sound engineers as part of their tasks, in order to create and "sound log" to fine tune settings while on tour) taken from a show just a few days after the aforementioned Cal Jam. Many fans in attendance to both shows feel that this one is the better show of the 2. Problem is, it wasn't recorded in full: the tape stopped rolling during Jon Lord's solo, and therefore left 2 songs, namely "You Fool No One" and "Space Truckin" out.- Made in Europe: recorded during the final shows Blackmore did with the band (before jumping ship to Rainbow) at the end of the European tour in support of "Stormbringer" in early 1975 and released after the final split of the band in 1976, after the Tommy Bolin experiment had gone wrong. Four shows were taped, and yet the bulk of the album was taken from a single show, which was greatly edited to include songs by this lineup only, leaving out roughly half of the band's set. And while no one had ever gone on record to publicly admit it, many fans suspected that the album featured extensive studio doctoring, if not flat out re-recording. Another disappointment.- Mk III The Final Concerts/Live in Paris 1975: after almost 30 years, the tapes from the last concerts of that last Mk III tour were dusted off and released. The bulk of the material came from the very final show in Paris on April 7, 1975. Throughout the show, the inner band tension is evident, with mistakes frequently popping up. The band was on the verge of breakup, relationships strained at best by Blackmore's detachment. Most definitely, not the best of times to record a live album.And so, once again, the good folks at the DPAS (Deep Purple Appreciation Society) took it upon themselves to right those wrongs, and up they went to track down the tapes of a concert recorded by the BBC at the Gaumont State in Kilburn, London on May 22, 1974 during the band's sole British tour. The show had in fact been available for years in bootlegging circles, and Purple's Japanese label even released it over there, but once again editing out closing number "Space Truckin". A few years ago they re-released it, this time including an edited version of "Space Truckin", and one could fetch that release by parting of some fifty odd dollars or so. Until the DPAS came to the rescue! And thankfully so, `cos this is, without a doubt, the best live document available of this lineup of the band. It ain't perfect, but what TRUE concert album is, anyway?So yeah, you have to pay more `cos it's an import CD, but it is really worth it. This release features the show in full on 2 CD's, unedited, with a clear sound. I personally think that it could have (should have?) been mastered a little louder, but...it's ok, I guess, might as well give my neighbors a little respite. The show is awesome from beginning to end, and a treat for Mk III diehards such as myself. Disc one starts with the classic "Burn", and this has got to be the best live version I've heard of this song yet: fast, furious, with LOTS of great soloing and a punchy sound; "Might Just take you life" is a somewhat odd number to follow such an auspicious start, but the band manages to make it work brilliantly; next comes one of my favorites from the Burn album, "Lay Down, Stay Down", in a fast version that allows great interplay between David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes on vocals, great drumming by Ian Paice and more terrific soloing from Blackmore.Epic "Mistreated" is pure genius, but I must warn you, it suffers from some sound problems: after the solo, David seems to have had some problem with his mike `cos he sounds very low, and then, for some reason, during the outro of the song, the volume of the guitar gradually lowers, which is a shame `cos there's some great work being done by Ritchie; still, all that being said, the song is great, especially `cos the band as a whole really invests itself as a whole to make the most of the tune. That's especially true for Glenn bass playing: at this point he really stays true to the original arrangement from the studio version, as opposed to later embellishments that he would add to the song on subsequent tours, funky slaps and such. Now, don't get me wrong: I love Glenn's funky playing, but I also believe that there is a right time and a right place for everything, and a classic such as "Mistreated" is DEFINITELY not the right place for funky bass slaps as far as I'm concerned...but I'm sure many of you will disagree with me...it's a matter of taste, really.And although I love this live version, it is still a notch below their Cal Jam performance, which is the best ever live version of the tune as far as I'm concerned.After a short introduction of the band members by Jon Lord we're back into familiar territory with the band's take on their earlier classic "Smoke on the Water"; now, I know many of you are purist who feel that this is a Gillan song and that no one else but him should sing it; I hear you, and in a small way I sorta go along with that, but to be honest, I really like the arrangement that the band came up with, although I'll never understand why is it that they replaced the lyrics of the third verse with those of the first...oh well...We're off to CD number 2, which oddly enough contains only 2 tracks, but what 2 tracks those are: the extended versions of "You Fool No One" and "Space Truckin", which amount to an insignificant 50 minutes of total madness. The former is perfect, another one of the great tracks from "Burn" and live, it was used as a showcase number for Ian Paice and Ritchie Blackmore, who freely indulge into lengthy solos where they really raise hell; additionally, the tune also features some more of the exuberance of the Coverdale/Hughes vocal tandem. Awesome! This is my favorite feature of the Mk III, and I still believe that, after all has been said and done, no other Purple lineup could equal this one in sheer musical potential, live or in the studio.Jon Lord enthusiasts fear not: he gets plenty of room to shine on final number "Space Truckin", which all in all, is a bit of a let down for me: very similar in length and performance to the version available on the Cal Jam release, it is one of the songs that, at least for me, has never quite done it for me in the live context. See, the studio version is one of my favorite Purple songs, and that's because it is fast, heavy and to the point. Jon Lord's distorted organ riff is such an integral part of that equation, and when trying to translate that to the live context, without the distortion...I don't know, it just doesn't do it for me...that being said, there is really a lot of great interplay between the band members here, as they get to jam extensively, connecting with bits and pieces of other songs that pop up here and there, such as "Mandrake Root", "Child in Time" and believe it or not...even a bit of "Still am Sad"!!! Echoes of things to come...?Under normal conditions, the band would have encored with either a cover of "Going Down" or their earlier hit "Highway Star". For years, it was assumed that the BBC simple didn't record or lost the encore number, but through interviews with fans in attendance and some research, it was confirmed that, unfortunately for all of us, there was no encore at the show, the band being slightly miffed by the fact that the audience seemed a bit unresponsive...but what could you expect, when they were forced to remain seated on their chairs by the venue's bouncers? Anyway...Bottom Line: my actual rating for this release would be no less than 4 ½ stars, mostly because of the relatively low volume of the mastering, the lack of encore, the sound problems during "Mistreated" and the lack of real punch during "Space Truckin". If you're a Mk III aficionado, you need to get this, plain and simple. And if you're not...maybe this is the CD you need to make you change your mind. Casual fans be warned: only 2 songs from the Mk II era are included here, one of them in a "super-duper-mega" extended ½ hour version that is not suited for everyone...but if you're sure you can stomach it, then please, do yourself a favor and get this double release. It is the definitive Mk III live document, and no fan of this configuration of the band should do without it.

I have been looking at this live in London 1974 2 disc set for a while and had it on my wish list.i have to say its a great live album from the 70s.i went to the California jam in 1974 and have the dvd and cd box set of the 1974 concert.it was the tour of there new album BURN. it was a great concert..the London concert was the same line up as the California jam and both sounds great.i love the 30 minutes space truckin on the London cd.this is a cd I will listen to often. if you like deep purple this is a cd you got to have.

A fine effort by the Mark III lineup, although a little too much emphasis on the new album, Burn, and not much attention paid to some of the previous classics. Same observation as on the Live in Copenhagen '72 disc (Mark II)-way too much soloing, which cuts down on the number of songs in a set, but that is a long-standing Purple signature.

Thank you the seller, Carlos K for a great. The packaging was excellent. The record arrived in excellent condition. Knowledgeable seller. It arrived sooner than expected. Thank you so much. The music speaks for itself.

Very nice snapshot of Deep Purple live during the Burn tour. This was recorded for and broadcast on the BBC back in the day.

This is a great live album. In many ways I prefer it over Made In Japan. The MK III line ups shines on this album. I really liked the setlist. Very heavy on the Burn album. Sound quality is excellent. If you're a fan of all eras of the band like me, this is a must own.

Enjoyable live CD by deep purple Mark III all are in good form in my opinion standout track for me was You Fool No One

to pick this one up. I've listened to this show (minus the half-hour long Space Truckin') for nearly 25 years now, it's incredible! Don't think too much about it or read overly-long reviews about it, the sound is fantastic and the playing is fantastic, just buy it and you will not be disappointed.