Posted by Nick on Wednesday, October 13th, 2021,
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Well in 1968 they made a huge hit from covering the song HUSH. This is a fantastic rendition of this song and should be pushed. I am so digging this track… Got my mouth waterin’ for the rest now.
WOW JUST WOW, This could easily pass as a track from “In Rock” or “Fireball” but wait this is twenty first century!! Purple just have not aged. Gillans voice superb, Paice’s Drumming,has it ever been better?, Rogers Cool as Ice Bass, Dons Eclectic but as always Classy Solo, as for Steve Morse, this is as good if not better than ANY Solo he has done. This rendition is just WONDERFUL! I cant wait to hear the whole album. Turning to crime NOO
More like “Heist of the Century” BRILLIANT
They are amazing musicians, so talents (all line) .Litlle Ian plays drums like Keith Moon in his best days,Big Ian and his voice !? 76 years and such a rock voice, no more screams, no high registers …. but rock energy is present in your voice. Colleague Coverdale should learn lessons.
Thank you guys ! No surrender !
Wow what a driving force. Ian Gillan never sounded better. The muscianship is incredible. Deep Purple are and will always be the greatest band ever in the music industry. I hope they never stop playing.
Sadly, I now just buy Deep Purple albums out of habit. Ian Gillan doesn’t sing anymore, he just ‘talks’ the lyrics in a vaguely (and I mean VERY vaguely) melodic way.
The big difference to other Songs on the last CDs for the last 30 years might be Ian’s drums. So vital and full of action. He rocks a lot more than playing basic (and groovy) rhythm.
The more I listen to it the more I like it more.
It’s great that they put all their heart and soul into this project.
True professional
Well done DP
Peace
It’s a shame you feel like that. I personally think that IG still delivers on vocals. Many comments here are also complimenting his performance on 7 and 7 Is, so he must be doing something right.
I don’t really get the “talking” criticism – there were spoken word sections in Time for Bedlam and Man Alive, but those were artistic choices, not unwillingness to sing.
If by “talking lyrics” you mean songs with less busy vocal lines, such as All the Time in the World, then what’s to say about Black Night, Strange Kind of Woman and Mary Long?
Outstanding track, and the musicianship has seldom, if ever, been higher. I absolutely love it. That said, I would disagree a bit with Greg Furlong @ #4 when he says this number would be at home in either “In Rock” or “Fireball.” Purple’s sound at the time was very distinctive (I didn’t say better or worse), and this track, while terrific, is slightly different. A key reason to this for me is that Jon focused like a laser on the Hammond back in the day, while in this instance, Don graces us with a synth solo. So when I hear this track, I hear Paicey ripping it up, Don and Steve dueling brilliantly, and big Ian and Roger pulling everything together, and overall, its far superior to almost anything else out there right now. I don’t particularly hear MKII, however. That’s not a bad thing – I love how they have refused to stay static and pushed themselves into new directions, while still remaining Deep Purple. That, in itself, is quite remarkable and not easy. But it is clear that these guys can still cook – I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album.
@14 & 21: Big Ian has always done both: sing AND talk over songs, that’s part of his personal style and charm. There are countless examples throughout his career: Anyone’s Daughter, No One Came, Mary Long, Place In Line, No Laughing In Heaven, Demon Driver, Disturbing The Priest, Born Again, Hungry Daze, Spanish Archer, Mitzi Dupree, Ted The Mechanic – to name just a few. Whenever he has one of his little stories to tell, he’s prone to switch to talking mode, just like Bob Dylan does. I like that, very few hard rock singers have the guts (or the lyrics!) to do that. Just imagine if Robert Pl… had spoken some of his lyrics, people might have understood them and realized what nonsense they are!
I also find Big Ian’s talking voice really pleasant and unaffected – in contrast to David Coverdale laying it on too thick and sounding a bit like Shere Khan in the Jungle Book!
Poor Coverdale can’t even manage some decent “talking singing”, on the contrary Gillan is magnificient on that song.
Very impressed by how powerful and “young” his voice sounds and by how much intentions he can put in a relatively poor vocal line (listen to the original version, good song but quite boring vocals).
I do like their version of “7 and 7 is”. It conveys love of music and brilliant craftmanship. To be honest, however, the video is a bit dull, and you can hardly call it original. When I think of “The Surprising”…
Speaking of Robert Plant, he’s covered this song many times, and it’s the same type of “spoken” lyrics as in the original song, I think Gillan does a great job of it!
LOL, I had no idea, Plant had sung the LOVE number too! Thanks for posting. And it is telling that – as usual – when Percy sings it I hardly understand a word. That is something I always found appealing with the Purple vocalists: As a non-native speaker/listener you could actually audibly understand their lyrics, whether it was Rod, Ian or David, even Joe Lynn, blighted as he is with an accent from one of your many former colonies. With Zep that was incredibly hard, the vocals there were not so much employed to transmit lyrics but as something like a second lead guitar. Which is an art of its own, I know. Just not very good to get a meaning across.
BTW, I much prefer how Percy sings today to his banshee wailing with Zep. I also think that he has handled his solo career artistically well with lots of credibility. He certainly is his own man.
@ 33- Yes we are awaiting with baited breath as to the DP version of Dazed & Confused, all be it in a medley. The tension is palpable indeed. how will the Purps handle that, can they pull it off, will they stumble at the final hurdle?
It is all too much, time for a lie down & a cup of something. That should be the other way around. On a much more serious note, has the Earth just tilted on it’s axis? Uwe praising Percy? A time of wonderment indeed. Nice to see, he, he, he! I really like that Plant version with the SS, experimental, avant-garde, psychedelic etc. The best live version of that song covered by another artist to my ears. Cheers.
I’m not sure that Dazed and Confused is a good idea. Zeppelin would stretch that number out for close to 30 minuts, and unlike Purple, Cream, ELP, playing really long numbers was not their forte. I watched The Song Remains the Same About a Year ago with the new additional footage, but was bored as hell less than halfway into the movie because Zep was stretching out almost every song, and they are not a good jam band.
sidroman 35 – the lengthy jamming out of original studio shorter songs is a fine line indeed to the listener. I like Zeppelin as a jamming live band in many ways. Well it depends on what mood or state of mind I am in. Purple’s extended Space Truckin from MIJ is great also, however I am not sure they did many others like that. They did do others of course but not to the 20 minute mark. The progressive bands are the masters at it, however they usually composed longer songs on their original albums & then played it live, so to speak.. If we liked the original studio versions the chances are we would like seeing it performed live in concert & would be aware of what we were in for.
I haven’t listened to Zeppelin or Purple playing live extended songs for a very long time. My memory of it is that is was wonderful. I have not heard or seen that ‘new’ additional footage of The Song Remains the Same at all. Is it extra songs not on the original film, I will have a look for it online. Cheers.
For some odd reason, my posts are not landing. Anyone? Bueller?
I’ll try again, and to paraphrase myself, wondering if Steve arranged Shapes of Things covered on the Dixie Dregs Full Circle album. That would mean minus The Dreg’s virtuosos and plus Purple virtuosos.
MacGregor 36- I only watched it once, off the top of my head, Over the Hills and Far Away was in the movie, which I don’t think was in the original. It’s not one of my favorite rock and roll films. My favorite part is in the very begining with Peter Grant and Richard Cole as gangsters, driving to and shooting up their rivals place.
Zep live were always hampered by lacking either a keyboard player or a proper bass player. John Paul Jones could only do one thing live, either play keyboards or bass. When he did the former, his accompanying foot pedal bass playing was rudimentary to say the least (or most). When he played bass, Page’s solo outings lacked a harmonic background.
It took me years to realize that the “bass” on some Zep live recordings sounded so boring, lifeless and not throbbing with the music BECAUSE THERE WAS NO BASS, Jones was playing keyboards on these tracks, his feet doing the bass work. You can go to sleep over that keyboard bass he plays during Stairway to you know where. The guy is a great musician, no two ways about it, but like most of us he only has two hands and two feet.
And another Zep disadvantage in a live setting was that there was no second soloist – no Jon Lord. Jones created atmosphere with his keyboard sounds, he wasn’t (and did not attempt to be) a soloist like Jon. The mutual inspiration and competition between Ritchie and Jon, Zep could never have that. Their improvisation was mostly Page’s do and to some extent Percy’s. And Herr Page is not the most consistent soloist if I may say so.
Back in the day, I don’t remember a single person (Zep fans included) that was not disappointed by their belated live release The Song Remains The Same. Everyone said “they sure sound better in the studio”. Compare that to how Made in Japan was received: Everyone said Purple sound better live than in the studio (including the band!). Purple live was a well-oiled juggernaut of a machine, Zep’s live performance otoh fluttered like a wounded bird. There would be moments of brilliance followed by the plain mundane and disparate.
Of course, now MacGregor, that ole burrowing Zep mole and shameless insurgent in our Purple haven, will disagree with me! ; – )
@ 39 – yes indeed I will offer some perspective that will be different in some way to what you have said. It is a known fact that the Song Remains The Same film recordings are not all from the same night, if you know what I mean. Every artist has their better performances & not so good performances & I am not trying to cover for Jimmy Page’s rough playing in any way. I know what you mean regarding JPJ, but that is what makes an artist unique & individual, they are different, like apples & oranges etc. Now in regards to Made in Japan, that is also taken from 3 different performances isn’t it? The best performances chosen to enhance the reputation. Many artists do that. I am not saying Purple are not a smooth machine at times but hey, how many suss performances over time?. Zeppelin have their charm & certain lineups of DP have theirs. How many acts have their recordings taken on an off night or an on night? It is the luck of the draw as it is when you attend a concert. A good night or a not so good night. As I have said before, for me & others I know, Zeppelin painted a much more broader picture than Purple, live or studio. It is also worth noting that trying to play live compositions exactly the same as the original studio recordings is not what it is about, well for some it isn’t. It would be too boring wouldn’t it? Some artists improvise more than others. some artists have an ‘attitude’ at certain times that affects their performance! A bit like Jimi Hendrix as an example, his live performances may be rough around the edges at times, but isn’t that what makes it special in many ways? Regarding the ‘second’ soloist, yes It makes for more diversity & I really enjoy it in many bands, but how many great bands didn’t have another soloist to bounce off?. Cheers.
Uwe-39
I’m the same way about The Doors. I love their studio albums, but live Ray Manzareks keyboard bass never seemed to cut it, or Jim Morrison’s drunken behavior.
sidroman @ 38 – thanks for the info re TSRTS, it has been a very long time since I have watched the original, used to own it on VHS but I have not bought it on dvd as yet & may never do. My memory of it is I always enjoyed it, sure it has some quirky footage etc, many rock clips & films do, especially from that era. I have read some information about the re-release, many are not happy how it was undertaken, some like it. The gist seems to be most like the original release, fond memories no doubt as well as the mix of the concert. Some say the new mix is messed about with too much, trying to clean it up etc. It has been a long time since I rock & rolled. Talking of Peter Grant, that footage of him hassling the con man trying to sell memorabilia is a classic. They say he wasn’t a man to be messed with & the joker getting drilled certainly looks & sounds worried, as he should be! Cheers.
“It is also worth noting that trying to play live compositions exactly the same as the original studio recordings is not what it is about, well for some it isn’t. It would be too boring wouldn’t it?”
I’m with you on that all the way, Clansman. Live reproduction of studio work as close as you can get bores me too.
All bands have off nights. On TSRTS nothing sounded inspired, at times Zep seemed to be going through the motions. But then you listen to How The West Was Won and that puts Zep’s performance standard into perspective. The tracks for TSRTS were perhaps pulled from gigs too late in their career, they had become a little jaded by then, all those endless US tours merging into a blur.
As for MIJ (most of it Osaka IIRC), Purple played inspiredly on all three nights with almost frantic energy, the sound quality at the various locations being the greatest difference. That first tour in Japan must have really impressed them. There were bum notes and fluffed intros (hey Ritchie!), but that doesn’t make a performance bad, only human.
“… but how many great bands didn’t have another soloist to bounce off?”
A lot, you’re right!
That is why it was one of Purple’s unique selling points, and their instrumental prowess coupled with the slight, healthy antagonism on stage between their two lead instruments set them apart as a live band, it gave their concerts an edgy atmosphere. You generally only have that in bands with two lead guitarists, the Allmans with Duane and Dickey or Wishbone Ash with Andy and Ted (or Laurie) come to mind. And it’s nice how that “playing against and off each other” has been passed on from the classic Blackmore/Lord duo to the new generation of Morse/Airey. DP are obviously aware that it is something that makes them very special. Purple without that guitar and organ call & response thing going on is nothing.(And while both Rainbow and Gillan tried to emulate it to some extent, they both failed. Whitesnake didn’t even try.)
@ 45- I do really enjoy the call & response thing in Purple, classic Yes & The Dixie Dregs etc. I just watched that Montreux dvd from 1978 of the Dregs, wonderful interplay between Steve Morse & the violinist Allen Sloan & also later violinists in that band. Regarding live Zeppelin, I dug out my dvd’s yesterday & had a Zeppelin day, well a few hours here & there, not too much as Percy does get rather annoying at times. I bought that official release about 15 years ago for the Earles Court & Knebworth gigs. It also has that early Albert Hall concert 1970 on it, however that real early Zep I am not into that much, not enough quality songs for me. Regarding being exhausted or wasted or whatever from incessant touring etc, there is another Earles Court gig on the tube & Plant’s vocals are appalling. He is suffering big time, they must have done a run of gigs. Maybe he is not well, I don’t know but it is not what is on that dvd, which is actually a rather good live performance from them. Each night is different indeed in many instances. Back to MIJ & Purple had a decent run then as to nailing it. Well recorded also helps to enhance the performance, still the best genuine live sounding album to my ears. Purple being a ‘clean’ band at that time also may have helped them keeping it together, as some bands from that era really didn’t help themselves with the substance abuse at all. That & being on the road consistently ruined many of them. Cheers.
@ 45 – forgot to reply regarding Wishbone Ash. That early to mid 70’s Ash is wonderful & I was only playing some of it a few weeks ago. The Pilgrimage album has some of that ‘interlocking’ guitar thing happening & it reminds me of what Robert Fripp & Adrian Belew were doing later on in the 80’s King Crimson. Two guitarists can work wonders together at times. Cheers.
I just made the mistake of looking at Zeppelin’s over the top self indulged 34 minute live version of Dazed & Confused from one of the Earls Court 1975 concerts. Probably what sidroman @ 35 was talking about recently. That song should have been retired back in the early 70’s, I didn’t mind the live version on TSRTS double album, about 22 minutes from memory & in a certain state of mind back then the electric guitar & bow section was quite ‘enlightening’, so to speak! These days however, perhaps not! Youtube Earl’s Court version today of course & thankfully not on the dvd I own, which is only 49 minutes total for about 6 songs. I couldn’t keep watching & that was including fast forwarding quite a lot through it. Sheesh & the critics blamed the progressive bands of that era for all the pomposity & extravagance of hedonism. Although ELP were just that by the mid to late 70’s also. I don’t know why Percy always stood around on stage while Page noodled & carried on. He should have done what Ian Gillan said he did when Blackmore was ‘improvising’ & go down to the local pub! Ha Ha. Not to worry, it was the 70’s after all. Cheers.
![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/paice2.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/gillan2.jpg)
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Well in 1968 they made a huge hit from covering the song HUSH. This is a fantastic rendition of this song and should be pushed. I am so digging this track… Got my mouth waterin’ for the rest now.
October 13th, 2021 at 18:10Read all about it; tell me
Have you heard the news?……sometimes I feel like screaming !!!
I LOVE IT !!!!
October 13th, 2021 at 18:48How is it possible they get better as they get older?
October 13th, 2021 at 22:44WOW JUST WOW, This could easily pass as a track from “In Rock” or “Fireball” but wait this is twenty first century!! Purple just have not aged. Gillans voice superb, Paice’s Drumming,has it ever been better?, Rogers Cool as Ice Bass, Dons Eclectic but as always Classy Solo, as for Steve Morse, this is as good if not better than ANY Solo he has done. This rendition is just WONDERFUL! I cant wait to hear the whole album. Turning to crime NOO
October 13th, 2021 at 23:39More like “Heist of the Century” BRILLIANT
Great sound, fab solos and very impressive Gillan, congrats !
October 14th, 2021 at 07:30They are amazing musicians, so talents (all line) .Litlle Ian plays drums like Keith Moon in his best days,Big Ian and his voice !? 76 years and such a rock voice, no more screams, no high registers …. but rock energy is present in your voice. Colleague Coverdale should learn lessons.
October 14th, 2021 at 08:41Thank you guys ! No surrender !
Love it!!!
October 14th, 2021 at 09:39Had a good time, but it ended much too soon…
October 14th, 2021 at 10:23Have a nice Day!
This is really, really good. Much better than expected and a lot of energy.
October 14th, 2021 at 12:18@ All,
All great sentiments. These cats remain Freaks of Nature! This is as busy as anything done by Purple, original or covered.
Vavoom!!!!
Peace,
October 14th, 2021 at 12:46Ted :>
Don, the ole keyboard shredder! Finally, Steve Morse has someone to play “Catch me if you can!” with him. Too cute. ; – )
October 14th, 2021 at 13:13Wow what a driving force. Ian Gillan never sounded better. The muscianship is incredible. Deep Purple are and will always be the greatest band ever in the music industry. I hope they never stop playing.
October 14th, 2021 at 14:18Great first number from the thugs… like it!
October 14th, 2021 at 15:03Sadly, I now just buy Deep Purple albums out of habit. Ian Gillan doesn’t sing anymore, he just ‘talks’ the lyrics in a vaguely (and I mean VERY vaguely) melodic way.
October 14th, 2021 at 18:55The big difference to other Songs on the last CDs for the last 30 years might be Ian’s drums. So vital and full of action. He rocks a lot more than playing basic (and groovy) rhythm.
October 14th, 2021 at 19:41@ 12
October 14th, 2021 at 20:34I couldn’t agree more and I couldn’t have said it better!
Wow…. Paice is killing it.
October 14th, 2021 at 23:45That’s a good roocker! This is going to be a fun album.
October 15th, 2021 at 02:28@12 & 16 : absolutely… The extracts of Oh Well also show Gillan in fantastic shape.
October 15th, 2021 at 09:50The more I listen to it the more I like it more.
October 15th, 2021 at 10:11It’s great that they put all their heart and soul into this project.
True professional
Well done DP
Peace
@14
It’s a shame you feel like that. I personally think that IG still delivers on vocals. Many comments here are also complimenting his performance on 7 and 7 Is, so he must be doing something right.
I don’t really get the “talking” criticism – there were spoken word sections in Time for Bedlam and Man Alive, but those were artistic choices, not unwillingness to sing.
If by “talking lyrics” you mean songs with less busy vocal lines, such as All the Time in the World, then what’s to say about Black Night, Strange Kind of Woman and Mary Long?
October 15th, 2021 at 14:20Outstanding track, and the musicianship has seldom, if ever, been higher. I absolutely love it. That said, I would disagree a bit with Greg Furlong @ #4 when he says this number would be at home in either “In Rock” or “Fireball.” Purple’s sound at the time was very distinctive (I didn’t say better or worse), and this track, while terrific, is slightly different. A key reason to this for me is that Jon focused like a laser on the Hammond back in the day, while in this instance, Don graces us with a synth solo. So when I hear this track, I hear Paicey ripping it up, Don and Steve dueling brilliantly, and big Ian and Roger pulling everything together, and overall, its far superior to almost anything else out there right now. I don’t particularly hear MKII, however. That’s not a bad thing – I love how they have refused to stay static and pushed themselves into new directions, while still remaining Deep Purple. That, in itself, is quite remarkable and not easy. But it is clear that these guys can still cook – I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album.
October 15th, 2021 at 16:27bonjour c’est peut etre de la bonne musique mais en aucun cas cela ressemble au deep purple que j’ai aimé….un peu trop style “pompier”. cordialement
October 15th, 2021 at 16:41@14 & 21: Big Ian has always done both: sing AND talk over songs, that’s part of his personal style and charm. There are countless examples throughout his career: Anyone’s Daughter, No One Came, Mary Long, Place In Line, No Laughing In Heaven, Demon Driver, Disturbing The Priest, Born Again, Hungry Daze, Spanish Archer, Mitzi Dupree, Ted The Mechanic – to name just a few. Whenever he has one of his little stories to tell, he’s prone to switch to talking mode, just like Bob Dylan does. I like that, very few hard rock singers have the guts (or the lyrics!) to do that. Just imagine if Robert Pl… had spoken some of his lyrics, people might have understood them and realized what nonsense they are!
I also find Big Ian’s talking voice really pleasant and unaffected – in contrast to David Coverdale laying it on too thick and sounding a bit like Shere Khan in the Jungle Book!
October 15th, 2021 at 20:06Can only say-wow!!
October 15th, 2021 at 20:49like everything they do, pure magic
October 16th, 2021 at 14:50@ 24 : absolutely right…
Poor Coverdale can’t even manage some decent “talking singing”, on the contrary Gillan is magnificient on that song.
Very impressed by how powerful and “young” his voice sounds and by how much intentions he can put in a relatively poor vocal line (listen to the original version, good song but quite boring vocals).
October 16th, 2021 at 15:36Just this song alone already convinced me to buy the whole album!
October 16th, 2021 at 16:11Long live Deep Purple!
I do like their version of “7 and 7 is”. It conveys love of music and brilliant craftmanship. To be honest, however, the video is a bit dull, and you can hardly call it original. When I think of “The Surprising”…
October 16th, 2021 at 20:17Had my doubts about this but it sounds brilliant.Will definitely get the album.
October 16th, 2021 at 21:37All hail Purple.
Love the energy but when we are going to get a new album?! Lol
October 17th, 2021 at 17:19Speaking of Robert Plant, he’s covered this song many times, and it’s the same type of “spoken” lyrics as in the original song, I think Gillan does a great job of it!
https://youtu.be/zKyiJj-ZYXI
October 17th, 2021 at 21:28LOL, I had no idea, Plant had sung the LOVE number too! Thanks for posting. And it is telling that – as usual – when Percy sings it I hardly understand a word. That is something I always found appealing with the Purple vocalists: As a non-native speaker/listener you could actually audibly understand their lyrics, whether it was Rod, Ian or David, even Joe Lynn, blighted as he is with an accent from one of your many former colonies. With Zep that was incredibly hard, the vocals there were not so much employed to transmit lyrics but as something like a second lead guitar. Which is an art of its own, I know. Just not very good to get a meaning across.
BTW, I much prefer how Percy sings today to his banshee wailing with Zep. I also think that he has handled his solo career artistically well with lots of credibility. He certainly is his own man.
October 18th, 2021 at 13:03@ 33- Yes we are awaiting with baited breath as to the DP version of Dazed & Confused, all be it in a medley. The tension is palpable indeed. how will the Purps handle that, can they pull it off, will they stumble at the final hurdle?
October 18th, 2021 at 20:12It is all too much, time for a lie down & a cup of something. That should be the other way around. On a much more serious note, has the Earth just tilted on it’s axis? Uwe praising Percy? A time of wonderment indeed. Nice to see, he, he, he! I really like that Plant version with the SS, experimental, avant-garde, psychedelic etc. The best live version of that song covered by another artist to my ears. Cheers.
I’m not sure that Dazed and Confused is a good idea. Zeppelin would stretch that number out for close to 30 minuts, and unlike Purple, Cream, ELP, playing really long numbers was not their forte. I watched The Song Remains the Same About a Year ago with the new additional footage, but was bored as hell less than halfway into the movie because Zep was stretching out almost every song, and they are not a good jam band.
October 18th, 2021 at 23:09sidroman 35 – the lengthy jamming out of original studio shorter songs is a fine line indeed to the listener. I like Zeppelin as a jamming live band in many ways. Well it depends on what mood or state of mind I am in. Purple’s extended Space Truckin from MIJ is great also, however I am not sure they did many others like that. They did do others of course but not to the 20 minute mark. The progressive bands are the masters at it, however they usually composed longer songs on their original albums & then played it live, so to speak.. If we liked the original studio versions the chances are we would like seeing it performed live in concert & would be aware of what we were in for.
October 19th, 2021 at 07:39I haven’t listened to Zeppelin or Purple playing live extended songs for a very long time. My memory of it is that is was wonderful. I have not heard or seen that ‘new’ additional footage of The Song Remains the Same at all. Is it extra songs not on the original film, I will have a look for it online. Cheers.
For some odd reason, my posts are not landing. Anyone? Bueller?
I’ll try again, and to paraphrase myself, wondering if Steve arranged Shapes of Things covered on the Dixie Dregs Full Circle album. That would mean minus The Dreg’s virtuosos and plus Purple virtuosos.
Check it out on YouTube….
Peace,
October 19th, 2021 at 18:53Ted
MacGregor 36- I only watched it once, off the top of my head, Over the Hills and Far Away was in the movie, which I don’t think was in the original. It’s not one of my favorite rock and roll films. My favorite part is in the very begining with Peter Grant and Richard Cole as gangsters, driving to and shooting up their rivals place.
October 19th, 2021 at 22:34Zep live were always hampered by lacking either a keyboard player or a proper bass player. John Paul Jones could only do one thing live, either play keyboards or bass. When he did the former, his accompanying foot pedal bass playing was rudimentary to say the least (or most). When he played bass, Page’s solo outings lacked a harmonic background.
It took me years to realize that the “bass” on some Zep live recordings sounded so boring, lifeless and not throbbing with the music BECAUSE THERE WAS NO BASS, Jones was playing keyboards on these tracks, his feet doing the bass work. You can go to sleep over that keyboard bass he plays during Stairway to you know where. The guy is a great musician, no two ways about it, but like most of us he only has two hands and two feet.
And another Zep disadvantage in a live setting was that there was no second soloist – no Jon Lord. Jones created atmosphere with his keyboard sounds, he wasn’t (and did not attempt to be) a soloist like Jon. The mutual inspiration and competition between Ritchie and Jon, Zep could never have that. Their improvisation was mostly Page’s do and to some extent Percy’s. And Herr Page is not the most consistent soloist if I may say so.
Back in the day, I don’t remember a single person (Zep fans included) that was not disappointed by their belated live release The Song Remains The Same. Everyone said “they sure sound better in the studio”. Compare that to how Made in Japan was received: Everyone said Purple sound better live than in the studio (including the band!). Purple live was a well-oiled juggernaut of a machine, Zep’s live performance otoh fluttered like a wounded bird. There would be moments of brilliance followed by the plain mundane and disparate.
Of course, now MacGregor, that ole burrowing Zep mole and shameless insurgent in our Purple haven, will disagree with me! ; – )
Does anybody remember laughter?!
October 20th, 2021 at 00:59I just received an email from the Mahaffey Theatre in St. Petersburg, Florida that Deep Purple are coming to town on Saturday, February 12th, 2022.
I guess they are coming back Stateside.
Can’t wait for the new album with covers to come out and see them live for a fifth time!
October 20th, 2021 at 15:06@ 39 – yes indeed I will offer some perspective that will be different in some way to what you have said. It is a known fact that the Song Remains The Same film recordings are not all from the same night, if you know what I mean. Every artist has their better performances & not so good performances & I am not trying to cover for Jimmy Page’s rough playing in any way. I know what you mean regarding JPJ, but that is what makes an artist unique & individual, they are different, like apples & oranges etc. Now in regards to Made in Japan, that is also taken from 3 different performances isn’t it? The best performances chosen to enhance the reputation. Many artists do that. I am not saying Purple are not a smooth machine at times but hey, how many suss performances over time?. Zeppelin have their charm & certain lineups of DP have theirs. How many acts have their recordings taken on an off night or an on night? It is the luck of the draw as it is when you attend a concert. A good night or a not so good night. As I have said before, for me & others I know, Zeppelin painted a much more broader picture than Purple, live or studio. It is also worth noting that trying to play live compositions exactly the same as the original studio recordings is not what it is about, well for some it isn’t. It would be too boring wouldn’t it? Some artists improvise more than others. some artists have an ‘attitude’ at certain times that affects their performance! A bit like Jimi Hendrix as an example, his live performances may be rough around the edges at times, but isn’t that what makes it special in many ways? Regarding the ‘second’ soloist, yes It makes for more diversity & I really enjoy it in many bands, but how many great bands didn’t have another soloist to bounce off?. Cheers.
October 20th, 2021 at 23:02Uwe-39
October 20th, 2021 at 23:38I’m the same way about The Doors. I love their studio albums, but live Ray Manzareks keyboard bass never seemed to cut it, or Jim Morrison’s drunken behavior.
sidroman @ 38 – thanks for the info re TSRTS, it has been a very long time since I have watched the original, used to own it on VHS but I have not bought it on dvd as yet & may never do. My memory of it is I always enjoyed it, sure it has some quirky footage etc, many rock clips & films do, especially from that era. I have read some information about the re-release, many are not happy how it was undertaken, some like it. The gist seems to be most like the original release, fond memories no doubt as well as the mix of the concert. Some say the new mix is messed about with too much, trying to clean it up etc. It has been a long time since I rock & rolled. Talking of Peter Grant, that footage of him hassling the con man trying to sell memorabilia is a classic. They say he wasn’t a man to be messed with & the joker getting drilled certainly looks & sounds worried, as he should be! Cheers.
October 21st, 2021 at 00:13Ivan @40:
they are doing a cruise departing from port canaveral on the 14th, so this might be a one off warm-up gig after a long downtime.
October 21st, 2021 at 15:19“It is also worth noting that trying to play live compositions exactly the same as the original studio recordings is not what it is about, well for some it isn’t. It would be too boring wouldn’t it?”
I’m with you on that all the way, Clansman. Live reproduction of studio work as close as you can get bores me too.
All bands have off nights. On TSRTS nothing sounded inspired, at times Zep seemed to be going through the motions. But then you listen to How The West Was Won and that puts Zep’s performance standard into perspective. The tracks for TSRTS were perhaps pulled from gigs too late in their career, they had become a little jaded by then, all those endless US tours merging into a blur.
As for MIJ (most of it Osaka IIRC), Purple played inspiredly on all three nights with almost frantic energy, the sound quality at the various locations being the greatest difference. That first tour in Japan must have really impressed them. There were bum notes and fluffed intros (hey Ritchie!), but that doesn’t make a performance bad, only human.
“… but how many great bands didn’t have another soloist to bounce off?”
A lot, you’re right!
That is why it was one of Purple’s unique selling points, and their instrumental prowess coupled with the slight, healthy antagonism on stage between their two lead instruments set them apart as a live band, it gave their concerts an edgy atmosphere. You generally only have that in bands with two lead guitarists, the Allmans with Duane and Dickey or Wishbone Ash with Andy and Ted (or Laurie) come to mind. And it’s nice how that “playing against and off each other” has been passed on from the classic Blackmore/Lord duo to the new generation of Morse/Airey. DP are obviously aware that it is something that makes them very special. Purple without that guitar and organ call & response thing going on is nothing.(And while both Rainbow and Gillan tried to emulate it to some extent, they both failed. Whitesnake didn’t even try.)
October 21st, 2021 at 18:48@ 45- I do really enjoy the call & response thing in Purple, classic Yes & The Dixie Dregs etc. I just watched that Montreux dvd from 1978 of the Dregs, wonderful interplay between Steve Morse & the violinist Allen Sloan & also later violinists in that band. Regarding live Zeppelin, I dug out my dvd’s yesterday & had a Zeppelin day, well a few hours here & there, not too much as Percy does get rather annoying at times. I bought that official release about 15 years ago for the Earles Court & Knebworth gigs. It also has that early Albert Hall concert 1970 on it, however that real early Zep I am not into that much, not enough quality songs for me. Regarding being exhausted or wasted or whatever from incessant touring etc, there is another Earles Court gig on the tube & Plant’s vocals are appalling. He is suffering big time, they must have done a run of gigs. Maybe he is not well, I don’t know but it is not what is on that dvd, which is actually a rather good live performance from them. Each night is different indeed in many instances. Back to MIJ & Purple had a decent run then as to nailing it. Well recorded also helps to enhance the performance, still the best genuine live sounding album to my ears. Purple being a ‘clean’ band at that time also may have helped them keeping it together, as some bands from that era really didn’t help themselves with the substance abuse at all. That & being on the road consistently ruined many of them. Cheers.
October 22nd, 2021 at 21:34@ 45 – forgot to reply regarding Wishbone Ash. That early to mid 70’s Ash is wonderful & I was only playing some of it a few weeks ago. The Pilgrimage album has some of that ‘interlocking’ guitar thing happening & it reminds me of what Robert Fripp & Adrian Belew were doing later on in the 80’s King Crimson. Two guitarists can work wonders together at times. Cheers.
October 22nd, 2021 at 21:47I just made the mistake of looking at Zeppelin’s over the top self indulged 34 minute live version of Dazed & Confused from one of the Earls Court 1975 concerts. Probably what sidroman @ 35 was talking about recently. That song should have been retired back in the early 70’s, I didn’t mind the live version on TSRTS double album, about 22 minutes from memory & in a certain state of mind back then the electric guitar & bow section was quite ‘enlightening’, so to speak! These days however, perhaps not! Youtube Earl’s Court version today of course & thankfully not on the dvd I own, which is only 49 minutes total for about 6 songs. I couldn’t keep watching & that was including fast forwarding quite a lot through it. Sheesh & the critics blamed the progressive bands of that era for all the pomposity & extravagance of hedonism. Although ELP were just that by the mid to late 70’s also. I don’t know why Percy always stood around on stage while Page noodled & carried on. He should have done what Ian Gillan said he did when Blackmore was ‘improvising’ & go down to the local pub! Ha Ha. Not to worry, it was the 70’s after all. Cheers.
October 23rd, 2021 at 01:10It’s criminal that this isn’t topping the charts.
Great rendition by the boys, really whetted my appetite for the new album!
October 24th, 2021 at 13:33