Deep Purple Live In Bangkok 2010

[maipenrai2010]

http://www.thaiticketmajor.com/concert/dee...ple2010_eng.php

Purple prose

Deep Purple has surrendered to the ‘Rapture’;

now it’s your turn

The first time I heard Deep Purple – or perhaps felt Deep Purple is a better way to describe the experience – it was the mid-70s. I was 8, and Ritchie Blackmore’s sinewy, sinister riffing on the “Made In Japan” version of “Child In Time,” coupled with Ian Gillan’s dramatic, gorgeous howling, Jon Lord’s ominous neo-classical Hammond organ, and the dynamic interplay of the Roger Glover-Ian Paice rhythm section, tore the top of my head off.

It was unlike anything else I’d ever heard. And it quite literally changed my life.

30 years later, I’m still hearing Deep Purple for the first time.

“Rapture of the Deep” is the spot-on moniker for the disc you hold in your hands, and I’ll stand on any classic rock radio programmer’s desk in my cowboy boots and scream it loud, proud and Gillan-esque; “This is the best Deep Purple album there is, dammit! Forget ‘Machine Head’ – that was then; this is most decidedly now!”

This is the fourth record created by the revamped and rejuvenated Purple following the umpteenth departure of the mercurial Mr. Blackmore. The guitarist – one of the most significant in British rock history - had ceased to be a contributing force and was in fact draining Purple of its collective spirit when his ship finally set sail for good, a bit over a decade back.

Blackmore's exit is, in a sense, where our story begins, for the surviving band members left to pick up the pieces in his violent wake – Gillan, Glover, Lord, Paice – agreed unanimously on only one six-stringer, the soon to be knighted Steve Morse. Hardly scraping the dregs from the bottom of the barrel with that choice, boys.

Morse accepted, writing commenced for what would become “Purpendicular,” on-stage work-outs were seized upon with relish, and the band breathed the heady air of rebirth. When “Purpendicular” was delivered, it astonished. Rather than going softly into the long goodnight of “classic rock” middle-age, Deep Purple had reinvented itself. It took no more than a cursory listen to the likes of “Ted the Mechanic,” Loosen My Strings” and “Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming” to drive this point straight into the skull.

Morse brought a funkiness, a depth as guitarist and writer, an unparalleled fluidity as a soloist, a startling aptitude as foil to Lord, and an arsenal of influences – country, folk, jazz, what they’ve sadly labeled “fusion,” and an inherent understanding of blues-based riffs – that meshed effortlessly with the immaculate Glover-Paice sense of swing and Gillan’s seeming capacity to go anywhere at any time, full-throated and eyes ablaze.

”Purpendicular” was a celebration of both remembrance and reinvention. It at once acknowledged Purple’s estimable history and tradition, and a musical wanderlust not content to repeat the past. As such, it laid the template for a new Purple. And it all, it seems, was paving the way for the mighty metamorphosis that is “Rapture of the Deep.”

With Morse, Purple toured the world to accolades from the cognoscente. “Abandon” cemented the band’s on-stage prowess on record, and reminded us that Purple was, yes indeed, the heaviest of heavy rock bands. “Bananas,” the first record following Lord’s retirement from touring and his replacement by exquisite ivory-tinkler Don Airey, brought elements of pop to the table, grafted on some of “Purpendicular’s” ambition, and encapsulated the ensemble-riff power of “Abandon.” Tours behind both of these albums revealed this still-young band’s continued growth as a performing unit. By the end of the "Bananas marathon, Airey had marked his apotheosis, from "replacement" to fully-integrated band-member.

”Rapture of the Deep” marks yet another new beginning, however. And it, more than any other record this side of “Perfect Strangers” and “Purpendicular,” offers a snapshot of the band transitioning into bold, uncharted territory. It’s as if all the pieces fit, not for the first time, of course, but in a manner that reveals a more pure portrait of just what this band is capable of. The whole transcends the sum of its parts, which is fitting for a record that seems to be, in a very real sense, about transcendence.

”As we all know, it’s hard to breathe/When something spiritual has taken place/We don’t know how, we don’t know why/We’ve been transported to a state of grace,” sings Gillan during the album’s title track, and this verse can be seen as indicative of the over-arching ethos behind “Rapture of the Deep.” Lyrically, it speaks of a spirit not content with the status quo in terms of interpersonal, social and political relationships, and this irreverent yearning is matched by the searching nature of the music itself, which also refuses to be ordinary.

The album opens with “Money Talks,” a hook-heavy rocker with several twists in its tale, most notably Gillan’s harmony vocals during the chorus, his uber-hip sing-speak during the verses – recalling both “Fireball’s” “No One Came” and his own “No Laughing In Heaven” – and the manner in which the tune flirts with an Eastern modality before erupting into a searing Morse solo. “Wrong Man” slaps the listener in the face straight out of the gate with a strutting riff that can’t miss, as Glover and Paice exploit the pocket for all it’s worth, and Gillan kicks against the pricks in the voice of a character whose greatest crime seems to be having been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Both of these – like their siblings on “Rapture,” elegant and refined rockers steeped in blues and chomping at the bit, with names like “Back To Back,” “Girls Like That” and the hit single in waiting “Don’t Let Go” – are brilliant Purple tunes, estuaries from a river that never seems to run to dry. Ah, but the surprises… they’re many and varied here, and they elevate “Rapture” toward the rapturous upper echelons of the Purple canon.

“Before Time Began” takes the form of a threatening march, an abscess dying to burst. Paice offers a dark subterranean shuffle, as the band lays down a series of melancholic chords, and Gillan, in a voice drenched in pathos, bemoans a world in which “Every day of my life I discover/Someone murdering my sisters and brothers/In the name of some god or another.” No mere political polemic, this, however; Gillan’s touch is too light, and he’s a master of “leaving things out,” so that his lyric is suggestive, rather than mere vitriol. “All of those bad ideas became the law/And we’ve forgotten what we’re looking for.” Indeed.

And again, the Purple engine room is in full overdrive mode here, as an expansive call-and-response between Morse and Airey - who has made replacing Lord look easy, when we all know it is in fact far from it; Airey has made his mark on Purple, to be sure, by respecting what came before him and having the fortitude and chops to take it all somewhere new and exciting - leaves one feeling breathless and vulnerable. This is “progressive rock” in the most positive sense of that much-maligned term.

The centerpiece of “Rapture” also happens to be one of the finest tunes in the band’s history – no small claim, that. “Clearly Quite Absurd” is clearly quite sublime; a piece with a melody that simply hurts to listen to, in the way that first love is painful because it’s ephemeral and fleeting. Thankfully, your disc player has a “repeat” button, so this is a love that will never abandon you.

Gillan sings of escaping the snares of the mundane and commonplace, the accepted reality which deadens us to the potential one above and beyond it. Again, harmony vocals – Beatle-esque ones, in this instance – help set the mood, and an ascending chord progression led by Morse spreads its arms heavenward, eventually settling into a circular pattern that becomes one of the more moving codas not just in Purple history, but, yep, in the history of heavy rock itself.

This is Deep Purple, 2005 version. Intense, fearless, full of fire, and wit, and passion. Marked by serious virtuosity, but never a slave to it. Still finding new meaning in a medium they all but single-handedly created. Grab ahold of this, and don’t let go.

[bkkjames]

Now that's cool!

My woman from Tokyo, Smoke on the Water - fire in the sky!

Sorry showing my age.

[lazygourmet]

Waow... great news!

I just hope that they are still playing "Lazy"

[raro]

saw them in 2002 (?) in Bangkok and I was pleasantly surprised how good they still were!

[bkkjames]

saw them in 2002 (?) in Bangkok and I was pleasantly surprised how good they still were!

Bands like this have the benefit of knowing that although they can't reach the same octaves that they once did, their audience is generally (like me) somewhat hearing challenged. Rock On!!

[raro]

...how true!

[Phil Conners]

^^ I'm not old enough for Deep Purple, my hearing still works fine....

[bkkjames]

^^ I'm not old enough for Deep Purple, my hearing still works fine....

Who asked you Jack?

Anyways, can they bring along BTO to play as the warm-up.

[Phil Conners]

BTO, now there's a band I might go for.

[connel707]

Waow... great news!

I just hope that they are still playing "Lazy"

maybe they will play Black Knight and dedicate it to a certain Mr T.......

[Ulysses G.]

Maybe when they were young, but now who is going to waste time and money to see a bunch of third rate fossils play songs that were popular 40 years ago?

[mmushr00m]

I thought they were dead!!!

love "child in time" and "highway star"

Edited February 13, 2010 by mmushr00m

[jkinbkk]

Absolutely worth a look.

I , due to the positive impression made submitted the following to the DP website back in 2001.

I doubt much has changed..

Malaysia: KLIA, 18th March 2001

My exposure to Deep Purple I confess is embarrassingly recent (at the rip old age of forty, this may seem absurd, but true!). After living in Asia (Thailand/Malaysia/Singapore) for the past five years I have been exposed to pub singers flogging to death the 'air guitar classics' of the 70's. Needless to say therefore, "Highway Star", "Smoke On The Water" & '"Woman From Tokyo" are by now pretty familiar to me.

So, as a conclusion to a day spent at the Malaysian leg of the 2001 F1 Championship, I thought it wise to check out these veteran rockers!

How impressed was I? Thoroughly impressed!

These guys are the definitive master of their craft/generation, and the reason for their longevity is profoundly obvious once experienced live. Tight, blues laced chunks of rock came pounding across the arena with the energy that has obviously been the main stay of Deep Purple live.

Ian Gillan strutted around relaxed, confident and obviously on top of things, including those trademark high notes his. Ian Paice and Roger Glover kept it pounding non-stop, which set a frantic pace (no pun indented!) for most of a blistering two hour set. Being a Jazz fan (hence my limited exposure to Deep Purple as mentioned above) I always get a major buzz from a Hammond organ being given a good work-out. Jon Lord therefore managed to raise the hairs on the back of my neck with his dexterity in the keyboard department. Finally, Steve Morse, does what he does! And you Purple fans do not need reminding of those mightily impressive virtues.

Even if you're not aware of Deep Purple's track record, but you can appreciate genuine talent amongst the pre-package <deleted> that's generally available today, check'm out!

They've still got the minerals, I can vouch for that!

Edited February 13, 2010 by jkinbkk

[chiang mai]

They were great in the Albert Hall in 1970, not sure I'd want to see them again forty years on, it'd be a bit like dating my first girlfriend again after forty years, not quite the same thing!

[Ulysses G.]

Exactly!

[MSingh]

Now that's cool!

My woman from Tokyo, Smoke on the Water - fire in the sky!

Sorry showing my age.

Might come up for it Jimbo, will buy you a Beer if you fancy the Gig...

[bkkjames]

Now that's cool!

My woman from Tokyo, Smoke on the Water - fire in the sky!

Sorry showing my age.

Might come up for it Jimbo, will buy you a Beer if you fancy the Gig...

Sounds good Singer, as my b-day kicks in a few hours after the concert, I'll buy the first and you kind by alllllll the rest mate.

[camerata]

[Groongthep]

Maybe when they were young, but now who is going to waste time and money to see a bunch of third rate fossils play songs that were popular 40 years ago?

HA! Maybe they will rebuild the Santika Club for the return of these dinosaurs where they can aptly play Smoke on the Water.

[bkkjames]

Maybe when they were young, but now who is going to waste time and money to see a bunch of third rate fossils play songs that were popular 40 years ago?

HA! Maybe they will rebuild the Santika Club for the return of these dinosaurs where they can aptly play Smoke on the Water.

poor attempt at humor GT, leave it to the professionals please.

[Groongthep]

Maybe when they were young, but now who is going to waste time and money to see a bunch of third rate fossils play songs that were popular 40 years ago?

HA! Maybe they will rebuild the Santika Club for the return of these dinosaurs where they can aptly play Smoke on the Water.

poor attempt at humor GT, leave it to the professionals please.

Yeah, you're right. Comedy never was my strong point. Can you tell I'm bored and need to get away from this computer? I'll be signing off now. (Please hold your applause.)

[dingdongrb]

Deep Purple.... My first concert.... Dayton Ohio 1973............ Ahhh the days of windowpane........ (what I remember)

[jackh]

dam_n amazing they are alive anywhere. Let's see...it was '68 at the Texas International Rock Festival last time I (think) I saw em.

[mrdome]

Steve Morse is great, although I know him more from his work with Kansas around the "Power" and "In The Spirit of Things" albums. I listened to some of the Purple songs from "Bananas" on Youtube but they didn't really sweep me off my feet.

[sabaijai]

I remember Steve from Dixie Dregs, great band.

[Spee]

Deep Purple without Ritchie Blackmore is like Led Zepplin without Jimmy Page, Pink Floyd without David Gilmore, Santana without .......... Santana.

RIP Tommy Bolin.

Edited May 1, 2010 by Spee

[Ulysses G.]

Tommy Bolin died in the hotel that I was working in, in Miami and the rumor was another bellboy sold him the drugs that killed him. Miami had Coke everywhere at that time.

[powderpuff]

Met Tommy Bolin when Zephyr played a rock festival in my home town - Denver.

[camerata]

I once dated Dave Coverdale's ex-girlfriend.

[Old Man River]

saw them in 2002 (?) in Bangkok and I was pleasantly surprised how good they still were!

Bands like this have the benefit of knowing that although they can't reach the same octaves that they once did, their audience is generally (like me) somewhat hearing challenged. Rock On!!

This is one concert I really look forward to. I will have my hearing aid on full blast.