Now if I only knew about this at the time Ian Gillan and I spoke last month… well, there'd be about another 4 hours worth of spent tape!

So what's new in the world of Deep Purple?

For starters the latest in a lengthy and well produced series of Purple reissues, with the latest crashing to earth, here, "Fireball," their 1971 classic that filled out that triumphant trio of Purple records that effectively defined their sound and took them to grand new levels to become the highly regarded heavy rock pioneers they are today.

Featuring the classic lineup of Gillan, Glover, Lord, Blackmore and Paice, this latest installment is a collector's dream!

With a full sixteen tracks and a historically written booklet full with rare photos, colorful commentary and band member thoughts, one could conceivably take longer to thumb through the twenty-five or so pages before the music concludes!

The original "Fireball" tracks appear first, including a stellar remix of "Strange Kind of Woman" that sounds as though they could be playing it live right in your living room… very expansive and vibrant!

Something else to look out for amongst the original set, there's the very electric original B-side to the "Fireball" single and "Demon's Eye" that finds its way onto the mix here-an authentic cruncher that by all counts should've been on the original album replacing something like "Anyone's Daughter" and it's Zeppelin-like folk/boogie style.

To see the early black and white images and studio shots from back in the day, not to compare them to the band now, but it's amazing as to just how long they've been at this and still no end in sight!

Several studio outtakes and very rare footage engulfs the latter half of the disc, starting with the particularly groovy "I'm Alone" which ironically seemed to be pegged for a role reversal with "Anyone's Daughter," with the former fitting more into the scheme of what "Fireball" was to represent.

"Freedom," the first among the studio outtake variety, as well possessed the strength for original album inclusion but was curiously left out… though they decided to shelve the song in favor of "Strange Kind of Woman" as the then new single-and it's pretty difficult to argue with their logic over that one.

But another terrific aspect here is that songs like "Freedom" and the "Slow Train" pacing it in the distance, definitely not your average filler thrown into add density to fancy packaging, can now be heard and enjoyed.

Finally, the complete set to what would turn out to be one of the central issues within the band's musical growth!

Released by Rhino Entertainment Co.

Review By Vinnie Apicella

It would be best to start out this one with noting a few things that this release is not.

First off, it is not a collection of previously unreleased material. It is not material from a single live performance.

For all of its brilliance this is definitely not the best that DEEP PURPLE has ever sounded live and finally this release is not to be missed by even the most transient fans of either DEEP PURPLE or Tommy Bolin.

The largest bulk of material here was originally released in 1977 under the title “LAST CONCERT IN JAPAN” with that release actually only being in Japan ostensibly because DEEP PURPLE was a dead issue everywhere else in the world.

For years the hard core DEEP PURPLE fan waited for the disc to be released on CD which it was, again only in Japan, sometime in the mid nineties and for as much as there was want for the disc it was a disappointment.

The sound quality was none too improved from the vinyl release and there was nothing in the way of any “bonus” material that CD re-issues usually featured. The release was slammed by the professional DEEP PURPLE critics, (yes they do exist), and attention was focused on the current goings on in the world of PURPLE.

Now, years later and with a full 180 degree turn by the critics turned re-issue experts an expanded version is available featuring nearly twice the material from the period on two discs along with extensive liner notes.

The package was re-titled “THIS TIME AROUND” and issued to an audience of PURPLE people deserving of a genuine bargain after years of buying two or three discs at high import prices that contained the exact same material, (check the “SCANDINAVIAN NIGHTS/LIVE AND RARE” scam for reference here) and all rejoiced.

As a package what you get is DEEP PURPLE in their very last days, well their very last days with the seventies version of the group. Tommy Bolin has replaced Ritchie Blackmore on guitar and the sound is DEEP PURPLE with a funky twist which itself is further warped by the fact that Bolin was playing these gigs injured, some say with a paralyzed fretting arm, leaving the keyboard heavy final result as unique as anything that has ever been issued under the PURPLE banner.

I mean, Jon Lord did so much more than pick up the slack on numbers like “Getting Tighter” and the show opener “Burn,” he made them live again and not only live but
scream, this was Lord at his best and it is an honor just to listen to the man torch his Hammond organ.

Where the “LAST CONCERT IN JAPAN” version credits a drum and keyboard solo as “Woman from Tokyo” this new package gives a truer set list though there have been some additions, properly credited, from other shows on the tour.

Honesty in packaging and advertising, who would have thought?

In any case this two disc, liner notes heavy, refined sound, expanded version of ‘LAST CONCERT IN JAPAN” is a brilliant time piece worthy of many afternoons of play while you go about what you do but don’t be surprised if you catch yourself trying to sing along to the screaming Glenn Hughes or air keyboarding to the master strokes of Jon Lord.

Released by CMC International

Review by David Lee

DEEP PURPLE with Steve Morse on guitar is a band reborn and no better proof of this fact exists than this live presentation of the group in Australia during the “ABANDON” tour of ’99.

In actual fact this DVD was first issued early in 2000 but since that time it has proven extremely popular, especially down under, and has been awarded various gold certificates including one from the Australian Record Industry Association.

In celebration of such acclaim the packaging has been slightly redone and a full color booklet added to the mix giving those who have not yet bought the disc that much more reason to make it a priority.

As far as music, this is all live as it happened and includes most of the group’s early hits as well as the best from the Steve Morse era.

“Ted the Mechanic,” Almost Human,” “Watching the Sky” and “Sometimes I
feel like Screaming” blend with “Highway Star,” “Smoke on the Water” and
“Strange kind of Woman” like they had always been in the legendary group’s repertoire. Morse is particularly fiery during his solo and nearly erases all memories of that “other guy” who used to wield his axe for PURPLE.

For the music and performance alone this nifty little package is worth every penny of its purchase price but, as the snake oil salesman says, “But that’s not all!”

One of the discs special features is a collection of bits and bobs that alone would constitute hurried purchase. In all, eleven tracks of bonus footage taken from interviews, commercials, home movies and previously unreleased live concert footage.

The interviews are the best, I mean, when you have been doing this for thirty years you
kind of learn how to handle the press and boy does this group stand their own against any that would challenge them.

By the end of 200 minutes you have been Rocked, Rolled and Baked into a PURPLE haze from which you wouldn’t want to escape. Great fun and a great bargain on great music!

Released by Thames

Review by David Lee

1. Vavoom: Ted the Mechanic
2. Loosen My Strings
3. Soon Forgotten
4. Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming
5.Cascades: I'm not your Lover
6. The Aviator
7. Rosa's Cantina
8. A Castle Full of Rascals
9. A Touch Away
10. Hey Cisco
11. Somebody Stole My Guitar
12. The Purpendicular Waltz

Deep Purple's 1996 release 'Purpendicular' is the first studio effort to contain the guitar magic of Dixie Dregs/Kansas guitarist Steve Morse. Blackmore's departure and Morse's joining have had an obvious rejuvenating effect for the metal veterans. This album is a breath of fresh air after the stagnation of the band under Blackmore's control, easily their best effort in many years.

On this record Purple have kept the heavy sound from previous works like 'The Battle Rages On' and 'Anya', and added to it a more dynamic and textured feel.

'Ted the Mechanic' has an awesome groove that will have you subconsciously nodding up and down and tapping your feet every time it comes on, it's up tempo beat and heavy groove have made it the perfect show opener on following tours.

'Loosen my Strings' is a more dynamic offering, opening with a delicate harmonic arpeggio from Morse's guitar and into a catchy verse/chorus structure with a distorted guitar and a very cool bass riff.

'Soon Forgotten' is one of my favorites and is the heaviest song on the record. A medium pace rocker with a heavily distorted guitar progression that mixes in with Jon Lord's distorted organ sound.

'Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming' is on every Purple fans top 5 list, often number one or two. It starts with the clean guitar sound and a very melancholic verse, a little later on the pace picks up a bit with some more of Morse's trademark harmonics, a beautiful song and a highly recommended listen.

'The Aviator' and 'A Touch Away' are the remaining "nice" songs. Clean guitars and nice keyboard sounds, each has its own distinctive mood and separate the faster tracks nicely. 'The Aviator' in particular has a fantastic drum beat, one of my favorites from Paicey in years.

'Cascades' is a faster song, taking a step towards the classic mark two sound with a modern rock n roll feel. A brilliant guitar/keyboard duel, very fast and not unlike the infamous microtonal runs of 'Highway Star', one of the bands most popular songs.

'Rosa's Cantina', 'A Castle Full of Rascals' and 'Hey Cisco' are faster songs with a great heavy rock feel, Roger Glover's bass line for 'Rosa's Cantina' is very catchy, this record is one of his brightest efforts since 'The Butterfly Ball' in the mid seventies.

'Somebody Stole my Guitar' opens up with a nice chunky guitar riff and has a nice heavy feel throughout. 'The Purpendicular Waltz' closes the album with a slower feel, with heavy guitars and a nice guitar/vocal melody line. Ian Gillan can still deliver the goods after all these years.

Purpendicular is possibly my favourite Purple record to date, including their 1971 hit 'Machine Head'. Overall a very fresh sound with some of the best guitar work I've ever heard. All the band members put in a good effort, this record will go down in history as a fan favourite. If you're a Deep Purple fan and haven't got this one yet, go and get it. You won't be disappointed.

Rhys Brown
jack_the_stripper@mail.com

These three albums represent the last of the DEEP PURPLE back catalogue standards to be properly remastered and re-released and lord knows it is about time!

For the kiddy's benefit, these are the three pre-Ian Gillan/Roger Glover albums that first brought DEEP PURPLE to the world's attention back in the sixties.

They sold in respectable amounts on their first run, mostly due to the radio hits "Hush" and "Kentucky Woman."

These were the days when DEEP PURPLE was primarily a pop band lead more by Jon Lord's keyboards than by Ritchie Blackmore's guitar as would be the case for later versions of the band. It's a bit hippie-dippy but if you listen
closely you will hear the foundation for the entire genre of Heavy Metal.

These three discs are the embryo of a subculture and sit with particular distinction on my shelf, as they should any true metal heads.

Cutting straight to the meat of the matter, these cleaned up versions are far superior to the other versions that are available in discount bins at your local super market for several reasons.

(1) They sound better. I don't know the source of the music, if it was original tapes or computer cleansed copies but whatever the reason these versions sound alive where the others sound dated and worn.

(2) There are bonus tracks involved with each disc. Five extra tracks available no where else are included with each disc and constitute a full albums worth of rare and live material had they been compiled as such.

(3) The artwork and liner notes for each disc are excellently done and I must say it pains me to no end to say this because the guy who did them is one insufferable prick of a Deep Purple know it all but when credit is due for a fine job even I will give it.

(4) The price has purposefully been kept low on these versions and therefore is without a doubt one of the greatest rock and roll bargains you are likely to be handed for some time.

It would be pointless to actually critique the music as we are talking about tunes that have become part of the greater musical lexicon and hell, others have done it for thirty-two years so who would care what I think anyway? I will say this, I bought these copies and I can'' think of another thing that I would have rather spent my ducats on.

Released by Spitfire Records.
Website: http://www.SpifireRecords.com

Review By David Lee
DAVID LEE WILSON
IAN SCOTT ENTERTAINMENT
69080 N. FOREST
RICHMOND, MI USA 48062
810-727-4897