Deep Purple: This Time Around: Live In Tokyo 1975 on 2 CDs

When founder member and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore walked out of Deep Purple in spring 1975, many fans and critics felt that the band were finished, but singer David Coverdale and bassist Glenn Hughes weren't about to throw in the towel so easily and their defiant attitude gave organist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice the enthusiasm to carry on. What really sealed it was the arrival of young American guitarist Tommy Bolin, who walked into the audition rooms and blew everyone away with his effortless talent. Fired by his energy and writing abilities Deep Purple Mk 4 laid down the powerful studio album "Come Taste The Band" in late 1975 and set off to conquer the world once more. Some nights they were so fired up the fans never looked back, David Coverdale. Tokyo 1975at other times Hughes and Bolin let offstage attitudes and habits interfere too much with the music. Yet the rollercoaster tour produced some incredible highs, none more so than when they arrived in Japan for a sold out tour in December 1975. It is from those shows that this CD is taken. The tapes were rolling on the final night in Tokyo. A poorly mixed and much edited single vinyl album was later issued only in Japan and the tapes were forgotten. In recent years the reels were rediscovered and it was decided to remix the show in full, bringing back (in stunning digital sound quality) some of the power and energy that had been lost on that original Japanese release.

For the first time this double CD contains the complete show, from the thundering opening chords of "Burn" to the closing mayhem of "Highway Star". A good two thirds of this set has never been available anywhere in the world before, while the remix means most fans won't even recognise the rest, such is the huge sonic overhaul. The double CD is attractively packaged with our usual care and attention, with detailed notes and rare pictures from the tour. Purple Records have also produced a special limited edition in a slipcase with a reproduction concert ticket, handbill and other goodies, available only via mail-order. The set also includes no less than five songs previously unavailable in live form on CD in the UK.

(purplerecords. net)