Glenn Hughes-Live In Wolverhampton

earMusic/Armoury Records
2013

It was back in June 2009 that bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, who should need no introduction to classic rock fans and hard rock fans alike, played a two-night set in his English hometown of Bilston, Wolverhampton. a history. Over the course of those two nights he played material from throughout his career. The music covered a lot of ground from his time in Trapeze to his days fronting Deep Purple. All of those choice cuts were put onto this 2CD collection. Whether you were there in person or not doesn't really matter as it's easy enough to get caught up in all the excitement of the moment. These songs were enthusiastically embraced by his hometown audiences and there's one clear reason why. The music here, and the man himself, rocked! Whether your a fan of Glenn Hughes or not the mere energy of this live material is enough to catch you off guard and sweep you off your feet! This 2 CD set stands as both a history lesson in rock and a celebration of Glenn Hughe's impressive musical career. The first night saw Glenn Hughes play cuts from his time as lead vocalist of Deep Purple while on the second evening, dubbed "You Are The Music: An Evening Of Trapeze," (an obviously allusion to the Trapeze album "You Are the Music...We're Just the Band"), Hughes performed songs from his early days in Trapeze. It would have really been something if he would have dug even further back in time (as in the 60's) and covered material from his time in Finders Keepers! Sadly for die hard fanatics he doesn't, but this 2-CD collection is still magical and a must-have for fans of either Deep Purple and/or Trapeze. Cuts like "Mistreated" (Deep Purple) and "You Are The Music" (Trapeze) sound amazing and it's obvious how much Glenn loves both the music and those that who made the music-the fans. From the audience reaction to both nights it's obvious that the fans picked up on the love as well. It really is something to hear from fresh the material still sounds. While the Deep Purple material may have been played on night let's start with night number two. Hearing Hughes and company play Trapeze cuts like "Touch My Life", "Medusa", "Black Cloud" and "Good Love" is one thing, but it's the way in which these numbers sound so timeless that is the real clincher. There's a lot to be said about how damn good these tracks still sound after so many years! And the energy level of Glenn Hughes? Wow. Forget Beyoncé, and her artificial attempt at "music", as this album's immense electrical charge is for real!. For you see, as I sat down to listen to this two-night/two-CD collection of classics, with a glass of wine in my hands (and nothing but a pair of headphones separating me from some killer rock), the power ended up being knocked out cold!  It's more then just mere coincidence if you ask me! It just shows the power this bassist/vocalist has! I mean here's a guy who played with Trapeze, Deep Purple and even briefly fronted Black Sabbath! That speaks volumes about how good Glenn Hughes was and still is. If the Trapeze material is really good then the Deep Purple material would have to be considered great! Although it's so close it's hard to tell which one night/band covered here is better. Take a listen to the Deep Purple cut "Mistreated" and then listen to Glenn's cover of it on disc number one. If it was played with this much passion (and skill level) a track like "Mistreated" could easily fit into some young/hip band's set list and the younger generation, assuming they didn't have wonderful parents who schooled them on the greatness of Deep Purple, would just eat it up and never know that this track was older then they were. The material comes alive here and really does sound as fresh as ever! "Live In Wolverhampton" is packed with some amazing gems and the mix, which is rich and inviting, makes you feel like you were right there. So again, whether you're a fan of Glenn Hughes or the bands he was in (or even if you're just a fan of good classic rock/hard rock!) you simply cannot go wrong with this live album. Cheers to you Glenn! May you keep on rocking FOREVER!

Deep Purple-Live In Paris 1975

Eagle Rock Entertainment
2013

There's absolutely no need for a long-winded introduction when it comes to Deep Purple. Unless you've been living under a rock for the last forty-plus years you should know the name and know the legacy. Other then an eight-year hiatus (1976-1984) this English band has been a constant in the world of rock and roll since forming back in the late sixties. Listen to this live album and then consider the fact that the band is still at it and it's easy to see why Deep Purple are considered to be one of the hardest touring bands in the world. There's also a very good reason why this album is revered. While it could be debated whether or not this live recording is as good as "Made In Japan" it still sticks out as it was the last show played with legendary guitarist Richie Blackmore before he left the band. Of course his departure would lead to the legacy that of Rainbow. So, with Richie Blackmore on his way out the band recorded his last show with them in 1975 at the Palais des Sports, Paris With David Coverdale on lead vocals, Glenn Hughes on bass/vocals,  Jon Lord on keyboards and Ian Paice on drums this might not have been considered the classic line-up (indeed this was the Mark III line-up), but, man alive, could these fine gentlemen ever rock! With a new album on the horizon (due for release in April) it's good to hear that this is just the first of 10 classic Deep Purple albums that will be exhumed. This was originally issued on Purple Records and features the same original 9-tracks, but with a great interview with Coverdale, Hughes and Paice tacked on as a bonus. It's also been digitally re-mixed and re-mastered from the originally multi-track recordings. That right there is reason enough to pick up this 2-CD set. If you are new to this album and you're wondering just how you can stretch 9 songs over the course of 2 CDs the answer is simple enough: solos. Lots and lots of solos. That might sound like it would be a tedious affair, but when you have musicians of this caliber it's far from the case. All five of these guys were more then professional musicians as they breathed life into the music they played and believed in. This album might have been recorded live back in 1975 (when I was a mere 2 years old!), but it stands as a testament to the timeless nature that lies at the heart of Deep Purple's music. We've all heard tracks like "Burn", "Smoke On the Water" and "Highway Star" on the radio as these are a few of Deep Purple's contributions to the vaults of classic rock. Here they take on a life of their own and help to make the distinction between studio-Deep Purple and live-Deep Purple. Both verses were great in their own right as an album like "Live In Paris 1975" pays witness to. For the casual Deep Purple fan out there this is would make a nice addition to a collection. For the die hard Deep Purple fans out there I'd wager that this one is already in your collection. With it's enhanced sound and the bonus interview it's still worth picking up again though.


 

Top of the Heap-Deep Purple

Andy says-
Warner Bros. Records 1972 Released one year before I was born Machine Head would be album number six for Deep Purple. As everyone should already know it is also an album that is considered to be influential in the development of the genre that would come to be known as "heavy metal". It would also prove to be Deep Purple's most successful recording. Machine Head topped the charts in several countries following its release. The album would reach #1 in the UK.It stayed for 20 weeks in the top-40. It also reached #7 in the US at the time and remained on the Billboard 200 for 118 weeks. Everyone knows "Smoke On The Water" from the album as well as "Highway Star". "Highway Star" was even covered by Metal Church for their debut album. "Space Truckin'" has also become well known and highly praised. The album mixed in elements of classical music, blues and harder rock and made Deep Purple into household names. While I have no doubt that heavy metal would have evolved regardless of whether Deep Purple were around or not it's hard to ignore the influence that Rickie Blackmore and company had on young musicians. While I am sure it is easy to pick Machine Head as a top album because it is so well know I actually have many other Deep Purple albums in my collection. The fact is this album is just a classic and after this they experimented too much with other genres for my taste. Machine Head was and still is Deep Purple's crowning achievement.



Metal Mark says-

That's funny because my favorite Deep Purple album came out the year I was born. That is "In Rock" which was released upon everyone's unsuspecting senses and eardrums back in 1970. Opener "Speed King" lives up to it's name as it is a feverish burner. Next we get "Bloodsucker" which revolves around a killer main riff. "Child in time" is a haunting epic and one of my favorite Purple songs of all time. "Flight of the rat" is all over the place as it truly showcases every band member all at once. "Into the fire" frequently gets lost in the shuffle amidst all these great songs, but give it time and it holds it's own as a heavy hitting track. "Living wreck" might be the weakest track, but still good it's just there are so many great songs that one track was bound to be a little behind the pack. The closer "Hard Lovin' Man" is downright amazing, I mean stunning, jaw dropping display even now. Ian Gillan is just all over every song belting out every like it was his last and never stopping for a breath. Ritchie Blackmore just has you wondering how he came up with so many amazing riffs and he peels off with ease. Jon Lord just has the organ going all over the place. Ian Paice and Roger Glover keep the galloping beats going in fantastic form. Wow, still just a wonderful album that never fails to please me.

***What is your favorite Deep Purple album?

Top of the heap-Deep Purple

Clash of the album covers

It is...


Deep Purple-Who do we think we are

vs.


UFO-Phenomenon

***Which cover do you prefer?

Battle of the bands

Two long running acts in this contest. It is...


Deep Purple

vs.


Rush

***Which band do you prefer?

Clash of the album covers

Faces in funny places. The covers for this match-up are...


Deep Purple-Come taste the band

vs.


Grand Funk Railroad-E Pluribus Funk

***Which cover do you prefer?

Underrated and overrated 70's albums

I think I did one of these lists for 80's album so now maybe I'll tackle the 70's. Here are five albums that I overrated at one time and five that I underrated.




Underrated

1-Led Zeppelin-3
This one didn't click with me for years just because it was way more mellow than I was used to. It has grown on me and I glad that it is an album with it's own personality.

2-Rush-Caress of steel
Not everyone's favorite Rush album for sure. Odd around the edges and perhaps that's why it stands out for me.

3-Aerosmith-Get your wings
This one often gets left in the shadows of album like Rocks and Toys in the attic. It's more subtle, but the grooves are solid.

4-TKO-Let it roll
Known more for their 80's output, but this 1979 release was a solid Boston inspired album that didn't work for me in the mid-80's. In recent years I came around.

5-KISS-Hotter than hell
I used to skip past this one for most of their other mid-70's albums. Now I think it's one of their 4-5 best of their long career.

Overrated
1-Deep Purple-Who do we think we are
I always put this in with their fine string of early 70's albums, but really it's a mixed bag.

2-AC/DC-High Voltage (US version)
All their other 70's efforts rock and this one has some fine songs, but some snoozers too.

3-KISS-S/T
I used to like this one just as much as the five albums after it. There is some potential there, but it's clunky too.

4-Alice Cooper-From the inside
I got really into this one for a while mainly just because I liked the concept. Then I realized the songs were not quite as good as the ideas behind them.

5-Judas Priest-Rocka Rolla
Once I saw this one a small step away from Sad wings of destiny and sin after sin. Time and repeated plays has made me realize that the distance is wider than I thought it once was. Their are some sparks here, but it's a long ways from where they would go with their other 1970's efforts.

Clash of the album covers

Oh, look it's two covers with dragons in them and...

A-Ronnie James Dio is not in either band.
B-Neither band plays European power metal.

It is...


Deep Purple-The battle rages on

VS.


Thin Lizzy-China Town

***Which cover do you prefer?

Number six

Up to number six and it is...


Ritchie Blackmore

Blackmore's work with Deep Purple and early Rainbow were oftentimes a combination of simple and stellar. Blackmore could get off on some fantastic winding passages and then bring everything back to center. A true master at controlling at the pace.

***Number five is coming soon.

Clash of the album covers

It is....





Deep Purple-Fireball


VS.



Rainbow-Long live rock 'n' roll

***So which cover do you prefer?