It's been a really exciting time for loyal Deep Purple fans with all the great archival live material that's come out over the last couple of years. Live in Stockholm 1970 has popped up in various incarnations over the years (Scandinavian Nights and Live & Rare being the two you might already be familiar with), but here the entire recording has been digitally remastered as well as the original track sequence restored. It all comes housed on a digipack complete with rare photos and an essay from Geoff Barton. With enhanced sound quality and all the bonus material, Live in Stockholm 1970 will be a must have for any fan.
Featuring songs from the newly released classic In Rock as well as some earlier favorites, this was the era of Purple where the jams took on legendary proportions and their sound got heavier & louder. "Speed King" is 12-minutes of fury, Ian Gillan screaming up a storm over crushing guitar & organ courtesy of Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord. Blasting through "Into the Fire", one of the early proto-metal classics, the band are attacking with a vengeance, Gillan a man possessed alongside Blackmore's savage guitar riffs. The duo once again amaze on a near 20-minute rendition of "Child in Time", as Gillan's gentle crooning gives way to maniacal screaming, eventually giving way to an extended solo from Blackmore before Lord's tasty Hammond organ joins the party. The two virtuosos duel it out amid furious rhythms from Roger Glover & Ian Paice, until Gillan walks back in and lends his vocal magic, taking the tune to its bombastic conclusion. This version of "Child in Time" is arguably better than the one on Made in Japan, so don't miss it. If that isn't 'epic' enough for you, up next is a 32-minute "Wring That Neck", the blues/jazz instrumental that allows for plenty of soloing from Lord & Blackmore, which leads into the bands take on the Rolling Stones classic "Paint It, Black", which is basically a vehicle for an extended drum solo from Paice.
Over on CD2, the lengthy jams continue, starting off with a 30-minute "Mandrake Root" which sees Lord running amok with some insane sounds from his Hammond organ before Blackmore unleashes a blistering solo of his own. The song builds and builds to a chaotic finale, leading into the heavy rock classic "Black Night", here one of the better live versions available from that era. As a bonus, there are two tracks from their Paris show of that same year, more modest renditions of both "Wring That Neck" and "Mandrake Root", the latter quite heavy & funky, with Gillan delivering a deliciously maniacal vocal at the outset before the instrumental pyrotechnics settle in. It's amazing just how different the Paris & Stockholm versions of these songs are, giving proof to the statement that Deep Purple rarely played some of these songs the same from night to night. This disc also includes a bonus interview with Lord from 1971, talking about the beginnings of the band and specifically the recording of In Rock, which was basically recorded live in the studio with minimal takes.
And, if all that wasn't enough, there's a stunning DVD of a 1970 performance on Granada TV, previously available only on VHS. It displays the power of this line-up in all its glory. So, reason enough to buy Live in Stockholm 1970? Of course...you know you want to, or better yet, you know you need to.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
CD 1
1) Speed King
2) Into the Fire
3) Child in Time
4) Wring That Neck
5) Paint It Black
CD2
1) Mandrake Root
2) Black Night
3) Wring That Neck-bonus track, live Paris 1970
4) Mandrake Root-bonus track, live Paris 1970
5) 1971 Jon Lord Interview
DVD
Doing Their Thing-Live at Grenada TV 1970, the rare VHS tape now on DVD!
1) Speed King
2) Child in Time
3) Wring That Neck
4) Mandrake Root
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