DEEP PURPLE – Live At Montreux 2011

At times it’s difficult to keep track of all the Deep Purple line-up variations throughout the years. Regardless, Deep Purple is one of the key founding fathers of Heavy Metal, and continues to forge a clear path to grand legend status. Their latest album, Live At Montreux 2011, may not be the new material Purple fans have been salivating for since their 2005 release Rapture Of The Deep, but it is enough to whet the appetite and at least give fans something to get excited about.

For those keeping score, this is the Deep Purple Mk. VIII line-up, which consists of Ian Gillan, Steve Morse, Roger Glover, Don Airey, and the only member to appear on EVERY Purple album, the great Ian Paice. In case fans might think they are experiencing a sense of déjà-vu, it was this same line-up that released a very similar live album in 2007 called They All Came Down To Montreux. Both albums were recorded during the annual Montreux Jazz Festival. However, what makes Live At Montreux 2011 unique is that Deep Purple performed the concert with a live orchestra. Of course, this isn’t the first live Purple album recorded with an orchestra; but Purple mainly uses the orchestral arrangements as background filling. The songs are for the most part intact with their traditional composition.

Regarding the song choice for this concert, Purple has decided to fortify with their classic Mk. II album line-up. Of the 19 songs appearing on the double live CD, only five are not from one of the Mk. II albums. Additionally, five songs alone are from the Machine Head album. This could be a testament to the legendary appeal of these songs, or simply due to the fact that Purple is afraid to step out of their “bread and butter” comfort zone.

From a performance perspective, Purple easily proves why they are so established. Each track is performed with meticulous precision. Gillan’s 66-year old voice still sounds fresh and vibrant, and Paice’s is not at all sluggish for a 63-year old drummer. There is even a fiery bass solo from 65-year old Roger Glover during their classic performance of “Hush”. The best treat comes from guitarist Steve Morse. Morse is not afraid to step out of the box during this performance, and shows off his vast knowledge of both Blues and Hard Rock. Just listening to some of his solos, you can tell he is truly a master of his craft, and even when playing the songs from the classic Mk. II line-up, he brings his own personality to the songs, and even leaves the listener saying Ritchie who?

This compilation is available on DVD/Blu-Ray as well, so the listener can obtain the complete Deep Purple experience. For fans wanting to see what their beloved Purple has been up to recently, they can be rest assured the band is alive and well. Although there is nothing new and exciting coming from this album, it’s only a matter of time before the band hopefully provides some new and fresh material.