DEEP PURPLE: "Live in Paris 1975"

Rating: Live

Label: Edel/ear-music 2013
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

Adieu Deep Purple! Live In Paris - 1975 - 7 April- documents Ritchie Blackmore's very last live gig with the band, until the successful comeback tour of Perfect Strangers in 1984 of course, but that's hindsight for ya'. Edel/Ear-Music are now releasing the overseas live series (during the year of 2013), 10 albums of milestones and rarities of one of the greatest hard rock bands.

This particular album has previously been issued as the bootleg, "La Derniére Séance", and is now digitally remastered and remixed, plus there's a bonus near-half-hour audio interview from the year of 1975. Many and/or most die-hard fans are proclaiming this to be the Holy Graal of Purple's live efforts. In fact, snippets of this very concert were used on the hastily assembled, "Made In Europe", an awful cash in according to most folks.

This, the complete concert in original sequence, the last ever by the MK III line up. feat. David 'Whitesnake' Coverdale (vocals), Ritchie 'Rainbow' Blackmore (guitars), Glenn 'The Voice' Hughes (vocals/bass), Jon 'The Walrus' Lord (keyboards) and, Ian 'Steady' Paice (drums). It's been previously released by Purple Records, however, the new artcover, booklet, and the sound, what a nice sound! This is my kind of live album and I'm not normally a big fan of this kind of releases. Everything is pretty much where it should be, the distinct notes and work of Blackmore, the roaring hammond, the slamming of Paice, everything is clearly audible and showing the band with warts and all.

The guitar/hammond interludes - world class and Lord's clearly not giving up the fight of man of the match. The opening five tracks (Burn, Stormbringer, The Gypsy, Lady Double Dealer, Mistreated) flawless, and DP hasn't played the last three songs ever since. "Smoke On Water", not quite as top notch due to Coverdale? His heart's not quite there in my opinion. Things get better during the second verse and onward with the introduction of Glenn Hughes as co-vocalist. The Voice gets into the 'Soul Preacher' mood, also heard on "Space Truckin". The Lord kicks off, "You Fool Noone", with the tickle of ebony and ivory. "Space Truckin" seem to go on forever and, "Highway Star", makes the perfect ending to the final concert of MK III. Highly Recommended.