Spirit of freedom
Olso, Norway, November 15, 1993. The days of Mk2 in existence are already counted. All the nasty words have been said, water poured, spaghetti thrown and visas torn. There was only one thing left to do: play music. And they did.
![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/gillan3.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/paice.jpg)
Olso, Norway, November 15, 1993. The days of Mk2 in existence are already counted. All the nasty words have been said, water poured, spaghetti thrown and visas torn. There was only one thing left to do: play music. And they did.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
This is in fine contrast with the previous Cascades video.
Ritchie’s style is much more percussive–raw energy. I have heard several versions of the great “Anya” and they’re all different. I’m not sure Ritchie knew where he was going, which gives his solo a much less contrived sound. I’ve always liked the use of the Byzantine scales giving a Middle-Eastern flavor to his work, which is especially characteristic of “Anya.”
The strumming in the middle reminds me of what Ritchie used to do in Rainbow during “Tearing Out My Heart”. It’s almost as if he’s drumming. Very percussive. The EQ is almost void of bass. It’s very trebly–almost metallic sounding.
Steve plays with a much lighter touch and is quite smoother. His style is one of polish and is more sophisticated–and more consistant. Blackmore’s sound is scratchy; Steve’s is refined.
What they have in common is a strong sense of dynamics. The bit in the middle is reminiscent of the central part of “Cascades” during which Steve uses the delay loop–something Steve is quite good at.
Nice contrast in videos.
It’s not my intent to start the Blackmore vs. Morse debate again. It’s just interesting to compare the two in a subjective way. The similarities certainly exist between the Cascades clip and this one. In many ways the torch was passed and the philosophy remains.
Amazing what this band accomplished under the most trying of circumstances.
September 20th, 2007 at 02:39I mean to say “compare the two in an *objective* way”. First mistake I ever made! ;p
September 20th, 2007 at 02:49I’ve never especially liked the song Anya for some reason, but I think that those last Mk II performances are awesome. It seems like the inner-tension made them go beyond what they normally would have given and that’s great. Although the team spirit was lost, the individual aspect took over for the best. Even if it’s the end of an era.
September 20th, 2007 at 07:45Why DP never play on stage any track from THE HOUSE OF BL? in these last years,since 2 or 3 ago,I’ve been revaluing this work.
Balck&White,the unwritten law,Strangeways,Mad Dog (!!),Bad Attitude are good tracks really! and mainly on stage (I suppose).
They have delayed this Album from their life…
I don’t like Anya song…( from THE BATTLE RAGES ON I appreciate the titletrack only..)
September 20th, 2007 at 09:05surely Ritchie must miss doing this??fab
September 20th, 2007 at 11:08I have recently found myself listening to Perfect Strangers, House of Blue light and the battle rages on. There are some really good songs there.
September 20th, 2007 at 15:44Awesome track from the awesome 93′ tour… Blackmore is unreal at times.
September 20th, 2007 at 16:30Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh……………..
September 20th, 2007 at 16:40Sigggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…………….
I do not intend to start a debate either, it would make no sense…….NO CONTEST……..
REAL Deep Purple…….
Good songs on those reunion albums with RB? Is the Pope a Catholic? Do men like sex? Are wMOST women materialistic animals? Well…………..
‘Anya’ and ‘Time to Kill’ are my two favorite tracks off ‘The Battle Rages On.’ Lord is fantastic on the organ. Blackmore didn’t like Gillan’s lyrics on ‘Time to Kill’, but I think they’re great.
September 20th, 2007 at 18:00Fabulous, Purple as they should be!
September 20th, 2007 at 21:12A fine video, a fine song and a great group, gotta love DP no matter what MK!
September 20th, 2007 at 23:09reply to T
those are actually pure turkish scales, and even modes, FYI 🙂
September 20th, 2007 at 23:17i swear id give my right arm to see these guys 🙁
i just cant wait till october 12 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 20th, 2007 at 23:53Great video!
I agree Peter, Perfect Strangers, House of Blue light and The Battle Rages On have many, many really good songs. Love the lyrics to “Time To Kill.” it’s Heavy Metal Byrds.
September 21st, 2007 at 01:16Interesting analogy “T”, but you are misleading with your comparisons between Steve and Ritchie…your conclusions are far to simplistic…to suggest that Steve has a lighter touch than Ritchie is misleading, Ritchie simply has a much more complex set of emotional tools than Steve. His sensitivity on songs like “Blind Man” and “Soldier of fortune” exemplify this. Contrast that with his explosiveness on “Speed King” Burn etc. and all of the melodies and tones in between and you have part of what makes him great!! Steve on the other hand is an incredibly intuitive musician and extraordinary player..More technically accomplished than Ritchie. The two are incomparable because of there differences!!
September 21st, 2007 at 09:25In my humble opinion the last great MK 2 effort was Perfect Strangers. Every album/cd after that had maybe one or two memorable songs at best. As far as comparing SM to RB it’s like comparing Ian Paice to Neil Peart. Two extremely talented drummers, each having their own unique style. In terms of song writing ability however RB wins easily hands down.
September 21st, 2007 at 11:54YES – THIS IS DEEP PURPLE.
THE SOUND – THE POWER – THE SONGS
I do safaris in Africa. We have a saying “The Big five” on safari – elephants, lion, leopards, rhinos and buffalos. The animals everyone wants to see.
Here you see the BIG FIVE in R&R music. I has never been better than MrkII and will never be better. Golden days – and I miss it BIG time.
Still DP today is the best, but as good as this. Please find more and out on a DVD
September 21st, 2007 at 16:59Byzantium = Turkey. The difference between “mode” and “scale” is really irrelevant. The “blues scale” isn’t a scale either, but is referred to as such. I stand corrected nevertheless.
Scratchplate1: I was being literal, referring to attack with the plectrum or the fingertips but I see your point. You are right that Morse is more *technically* accomplished than Blackmore. Blackmore has the je ne sais quoi that makes him great.
September 21st, 2007 at 19:52Lets see. Lord would be the elephant?, Blackmore the leopard?, Gillan the lion?, Glover the rhino?, and Paice the buffalo???????Now I get it!
September 21st, 2007 at 23:31Date correct: Olso, Norway, November 15, 1993.
September 22nd, 2007 at 07:35Great stuff, Anya was surely one of the really good tracks from that era. Why, my friends, do you spend so much time and energy comparing these two great guitarists? I find myself surrounded by friends and relations who have no interest in, or appreciation of, DP in any way, and when I go to my favourite website, I read on…and on…. and on… about this (sorry) sterile debate. Bring on the next album!
September 22nd, 2007 at 07:55When Blckmore is in the right mood nothing comes near him. This was a far better version than on Come hell and…
September 22nd, 2007 at 09:01I wish he gave up Blackmores Nighy and started play pure heavy rock again.
The Battle Rages On is unrated album.
Marcin: thank you for the correction. Of course, Nov 13 was in Stockholm. And there’s another great bootleg video from that show too.
September 22nd, 2007 at 17:52Great clip. I disagree with some of the comments on here as I think you can compare Blackmore and Morse. I would sum them up by saying Morse is a superb guitarist technically but then again there are loads of these around these days. Blackmore on the other hand was a pioneer of rock guitar and sounds like no other. He’s instantly recognisable whereas I don’t think Morse has that individuality. Not meant to be a criticism of him at all though. Bottom line for me is if you could put the two bands on a stage and only go see the one then it’s not even close to a contest. Blackmore has a presence that only Hendrix, Townsend and Van Halen have ever matched in the rock world in my opinion.
September 22nd, 2007 at 20:27Captain, while I never intend to create a debate on Blackmore vs. Morse, it is interesting to *compare* them in this forum setting–that is, to discuss them intelligently from a musical perspective. I appreciate everyone’s point of view, and I don’t expect to “convert” anyone to my way of thinking. That’s when the name calling starts. It’s just enjoyable to maintain a conversation on these two remarkable guitarists.
I do not think it was an accident that the webmasters put a live Morse followed by a live Blackmore. I suspect a discussion was intended.
I commend DP for not getting a Blackmore clone and going for something totally different. It works. It’s different. It’s interesting.
You’re right about a next album! I guess that’s why you’re “Captain Sensible”!
September 23rd, 2007 at 03:34I think it should be anatolian, instead of Turkish, Eastern or Byzantine……
(purpelaar licking his wounds…….again.)
September 23rd, 2007 at 13:52hi, i have uploaded my edit version of “Drinkin’, Smokin’ And Messin’ Around With Wimmin'”, from the extras of Ian Gillan’s Dvd “Highway Star – A Journey In Rock”…
this is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF3oeDljW08
enjoy and… thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaank you! 😀
September 23rd, 2007 at 15:02Some of us think it’s “truck” and not “lorry” but I wouldn’t presume to correct anyone because it doesn’t make any difference. Some people say “pop” others say “soda”. In the south, anything with a fizz is a “Coke”–even if it’s a Seven-Up! A scale (or mode) by any other name would sound as sweet.
The point was that the Turkish/Eastern/Byzantine/anatolian/insert your favorite here–or as my brother says, “Arabian”–sound is an integral part of the Blackmore style.
September 23rd, 2007 at 21:41I was there that night!
It was Ritchie’s second to last gig with the band, but that didn’t affect his performance in a bad way. In fact, the Oslo gig is considered to be one of the bands best performances from that tour, and Ritchie was really on fire. All I can say is that I’ve been to MANY gigs, but no one have reached the standard of this one. The current line up may be good, but they’re no MKII…
I was told earlier that day, 15th of November 1993, that Ritchie was about to leave, so I felt really lucky that I did get the chance to see the legendary MKII line up. Hey, I even met all except Lord. Stayed at the same hotel.
Btw, if you think you’ve seen Deep Purple after seeing MKMorse… HAH!!!!!
September 24th, 2007 at 06:48T……………
September 24th, 2007 at 23:18Rethink again…
Turks are not Arabs……
Etc…….
Sighhhhhhhhhhhhh……….
T, I stand corrected: the level of debate in this particular forum was decent – it’s just I was having an allergic reaction after some of the stuff I have read over the past months. DP was the best band in the world “before” and is the best band in the world “now”. As you say, it’s just a bit different. Cheers
September 26th, 2007 at 21:29There is no such thing as a best band……….
“Taste is an opinion”(RB/1984)
Captain Sensible says : Wottt???!!!!
September 26th, 2007 at 23:13hehehe
You old new wave /punk……..
Purplepriest, I think you need to go back and re-read what I said.
I never said Turks were Arabs. I said Byzantium and Turkey are related in reference to modes that Blackmore employs. The nomenclature is irrelevant. My point remains.
Surely if I said that the aggressive use of the tremolo arm is a key component to Blackmore’s style, someone would correct me and say it was a “whammy bar” and then someone else accuse me of calling Ritchie an Arab. Or whatever.
I appreciate the serious commentary on the various subjects proposed in these forums. Others I don’t appreciate as much.
Geez. Sigghhhhhhh.
Etc.
Captain: They were the best…they are the best…another shade of Purple. Absolutely. Good call.
Taste *is* an opinion. It just so happens we have good taste. Or we wouldn’t be here.
September 28th, 2007 at 03:09Purplepriest, I think you need to go back and re-read what I said.
I NEVER said Turks were Arabs. What I said was Byzantium and Turkey are related in reference to modes that Blackmore employs. The nomenclature is irrelevant. My point remains.
Surely if I said that the aggressive use of the tremolo arm is a key component to Blackmore’s style, someone would correct me and say it was a “whammy bar” and then someone else accuse me of calling Ritchie an Arab. Or whatever.
I appreciate the serious commentary on the various subjects proposed in these forums. Others I don’t appreciate as much.
Geez. Sigghhhhhhh.
Etc.
Captain: They were the best…they are the best…another shade of Purple. Absolutely. Good call.
Taste *is* an opinion. It just so happens we have good taste. Or we wouldn’t be here.
September 28th, 2007 at 03:15Those were the days…………………Blackmore doing his stuff on stage, and ripping the band apart backstage.
We are all entitled to our ‘tastes’ and ‘opinions’.
Im of the opinion that ‘Priest’ is an ‘ASS’………………………..thats just my opinion you understand.
October 1st, 2007 at 15:26Hey Rascal………..
What did I do to hurt you?
October 1st, 2007 at 21:51You havent hurt me……………………Im just giving my opinion
October 2nd, 2007 at 08:14Fortunately that is YOUR problem………and not a fact.
October 3rd, 2007 at 00:54I dont have a problem………………thats a fact
October 3rd, 2007 at 07:55Friends whos Anya, does anybody some idea??. Thanks
March 24th, 2008 at 22:49