Top of feature

Stathis N. Panagiotopoulos

Daniel Bengtsson

John Garmland

Hans van der Meiden

Hein Bierman

Fabio Fickle

RicardO

Jerome Niquille in French

Garry Smith saw the show

Horns?! Roger Glover explains

Highlights in Realaudio 3.0

Live at the Olympia '96 review

Got my grubby hands on it this morning. I haven't seen Purple live since March 96, so with all the dodgy bootlegs I'd forgotten just how good they are. This set fair crackles with energy. It's a double, full concert, very satisfactory (and don't try telling me size isn't everything-this is for the Bee Gees to say ;-) and it also happens to be one of the best nights of the tour. The star of the show is Paicey, a human powerhouse if there ever was one, blending in very nicely with Glover's bass playing, which once more is free to breathe and be heard clearly. Jon's hammond has that growl that was so much present at the 96 gigs I saw, Gillan is in fine form, both voice-wise and Gillanisms-wise (there's some prize banter in here!). Steve Morse is also stunning, he's weaving sonic tapestries from hell (to borrow a phrase) both in his solo, and in most of the songs. Listen to Black Night, for instance, for an amazing guitar-crowd interplay.

The horn section I think is mixed a bit low but clearly audible, and right before Highway Star Jon introduces them in textbook-perfect French! One of the many highlights is No One Came : this song used to be a hoary old chestnut-album track, and now it's revitalized, it's a monster of a song, and the horns make it sound ever so funky. If I made decisions, I'd make them record it again in the studio with horn section, and release it as a single with remixes-a monster hit! And let it be said that after a two hour show, they steam into Highway Star with such power and energy- where on earth do they find it?

Amazing... To really know how much of a vital proposition Deep Purple with Steve Morse is nowadays, one has to hear Live At The Olympia 96. Still the band to put most of today's young guns to shame, Deep Purple are in fine shape. Long may they continue to reign!

Track listing

CD 1: Fireball/ Leo/ Ted/ Pictures Of Home/ Black Night/ Cascades/ Steve solo/ Sometimes I feel.../ Woman From Tokyo/ No One Came/ Waltz
CD 2: Rosa's/ Smoke/ Jon solo/ Blindman/ Speed King/ Perfect Strangers/ Cisco/ Highway Star.

(The advance tapes don't have any credits, timings or any other information, just the EMI logo and they are titled Deep Purple Live CD1-CD2)

P.S. Is there really a pub called "The Witch's Leg"?

Stathis N. Panagiotopoulos
Deep Purple Appreciation Society, Greece
P.O. Box 50322,
Thessaloniki 54013,
Greece