...and so, Deep Purple progress.
Deep Purple at the Royal Albert Hall, Sept. 25-26, 1999
How does one describe the best nights of his life? Well, if one is a music journalist by trade, one has to do one's best and try and encapsulate in a few (or more!) words what went down so that anyone who wasn't present may get a fair idea of what they missed.
I have always been very fond of the Concerto ever since I was first confused by it in 1974 (well, I'd just bought "Burn" and I thought that the strange album with that classical music auditorium on the cover was just a live LP - and why were there just the 3 songs, all called "movement" at that? But I digress ;-).
So the thought of listening to it performed live at the very same place where it first happened had me thrilled to bits. What I never imagined was that it would exceed every expectation I had in such a big way. It was a couple of evenings of sheer music brilliance, exuberance, emotion and enjoyment. This was not one of those star-studded, phoney charity gala performances. This was a celebration of music played by simply peerless musicians. They all excelled themselves. I was thinking, "if I never see another concert, I can die a happy man", and it was a sentiment echoed by many people I spoke with after the concerts.
I thought the second night was a wee bit superior to the first, as nerves were slightly evident on the Saturday, but they were both so good as to be more or less indistinguishable. It all started out with the Orchestra performing Sir Malcolm Arnold's Four "Scottish Dances", and then Jon Lord with Miller Anderson took the stage, introduced by the conductor, Paul Mann. Incidentally, when Mann asked "were you here 30 years ago?", a distinct cheer rose up from the stalls, and in the balcony a banner inscribed "Good Lord" flew, exactly as is familiar to viewers of the 1969 performance. Jon performed the title track from "Pictured Within", and it was as hauntingly beautiful as on the record, even more so backed by the LSO. Sam Brown sang "Wait a While", and then Purple were on stage, minus their singer, plus a singer who'd never repeated his performance on Roger Glover's "Butterfly Ball" in a live setting before - Ronnie Dio (as always in very fine voice). Eddie Hardin was on piano and Graham Preskett on violin, for "Sitting in a Dream" and "Love is All". Then, Roger introduced "the original superstar", Ian Gillan, augmented by Steve Morris and Mickey Lee Soule, to perform "Via Miami" off the "Accidentally on Purpose" LP, and "That's Why God is Singing the Blues" off "Dreamcatcher". The Steve Morse Band followed with two instrumental tracks, of which "Night Meets Light" (to be found on the "What If" LP) was a wonder of musicianship, melody and complexity, showcasing their incredible talents without being show-offish.
The first part ended with Ian Paice and "his impromptu jazz band" (Purple plus the Kick Horns) romping through "Wring That Neck".
After a short interval, it was time for the main course. The Concerto itself was magnificent. A piece of music written 30 years ago, a contradiction in terms in being a symphonic work written for a rock band and a classical orchestra, written (shock horror!) by a "pop musician", did it work? With a vengeance. It was vibrant, richly textured, absorbing, melodious, and I was enthralled for its duration. In parts, tears were streaming down my cheeks as I stood there watching a favourite piece of music being created again, reaching out to the audience of the late 1990's and being relevant. It seemed as if it needed those 30 intervening years to mature and grow into a work of art worthy of being considered along with the classics of yesteryear.
Those oh-so-poignant vocal parts were sung masterfully by that man, who must surely be the best vocalist rock music has produced - ever. Steve Morse stuck to the written parts but flew off as only he knows how during the solos, adding a fresh, vibrant dimension to the music. And the LSO! What a difference to the often gloomy faces visible in the 1969 video! They were obviously enjoying the performance not just reproducing the tablature, egged on by the only rock fan/conductor I've had the pleasure to watch.
The end of each movement was greeted by standing ovations, and by the end of the Concerto everyone was stood up, cheering wildly. I'd never seen an English audience (let's face it, reserved at the best of times) react this way, beaming appreciation, love and affection towards the stage. I shall never forget those two nights as long as I live. Please Purple, do it again!
The evening was rounded off by 5 Purple songs, played like never before: "Ted the Mechanic", "Watching the Sky" (a song about laundry, indeed!), "Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming", "Pictures of Home" and "Smoke on the Water". All with the accompaniment of the LSO, the Kick Horns and five backing singers, including Sam Brown. Special mention must be made to SIFLS, which benefitted more from the orchestral/choral embellishmnets, and to "Pictures of Home", where Steve Morse's work was nothing short of stunning. For the finale of "Smoke..." the whole cast was on stage, with Gillan and Dio sharing lead vocals, and the two Steves trading solos.
All in all, a very enjoyable couple of evenings, and something that to me embodies the spirit of Purple: that of experimenting, transcending musical boundaries, in effect progressing. Let's hope the trend continues through to the new studio opus and beyond. Long may they reign.
[ reviews | the highway star ]