THIS TIME AROUND: LIVE IN TOKYO '75

So this is a first review for a the second time I am posting for Purple work (first one being for "Days May Come And Days May Go "). I understand nobody reviewed them before. They do not belong at all to the best of their repertoire, but since I am a die-hard Purple fan (you might have noticed this already), here we are.

This was the last Mark IV concert in Japan. There are two versions for this live album. A short version called " Last Concert In Japan" and an extended one called "This Time Around". The concert was recorded at the mytical Budo-Kan hall in Tokyo (on December 15th, 1975). The difference being that "This Time Around" will feature the entire Tokyo concert while "Last Concert In Japan" will only render half of the performance. Needless to say that the love story between Purple and the Japaneese audience was at its peak after the glorious and memorable MIJ. Coverdale saluting the audience with some Japaneese words which is always nice and a proof of respect.

The opener is still "Burn". Don't get confused : although the timing shows 8'38" for the track, the band fine tunes his equipment for more than two minutes, so the live version has the same lenght as the studio one. This version is excellent. Tommy being really good. Out of the seventeen tracks, seven come from "Come Taste The Band".

This is just normal since it was their last studio album at the time. However, there are some very lenghtly renditions like "Gettin' Tighter" which will last for about seventeen minutes (FYI, the original is 3'35" long) and quite boring actually. "Smoke" version is one of the best ever recorded by the Purple (at least during the offical track). The last four minutes though are a cover for "Georgia Of My Mind" and I have never understood why they needed to append a blues song to "Smoke" (we all know of course that Glenn is a great blues singer but still...).

Next track is a Tommy Bolin song from his solo album "Wild Dogs". Not bad, not great. The Tribute to Bolin goes on, but this time with a very good song of his within the Purple configuration : "I Need Love".

You'd better skip the next track "Soldier Of Fortune" and go straight to "Lazy". This bluesy track has never reached such power. Although it was a Jon's highlight during the Made In Japan tour (I saw them live in March 1973 in Belgium), we get here an Ian drum solo (not on par with his great ones from the MIJ era, but still good). The traditional drum solo switching from numbers according the Marks : "The Mule" for Mark II, "You Fool No One" for Mark III, and "Lazy" for Mark IV. The mini suite "This Time Around / Owed to G" was a weak track from "Come Taste The Band" and could have been skipped from this tour. Next one is a Bolin guitar solo like Purple's audience wanted to hear. Again, it might be great if you are in the audience, but if you are not they are quite boring and useless (IMO).

After those seven solo minutes, the band comes together for "Drifter" : a quite decent blues song from Hughes/Coverdale. Another highlight of these concerts was of course "You Keep On Moving". The best track from the Mark IV era (as far as I am concerned). In the spoken intro, David thanks the audience about the way Japaneese people has received them. This version is great. Next track is "Stormbringer" with a live rendition of more than ten minutes (the original being just over four). This is not at all a highlight.

"Highway Star" closes the album. During Mark II & III it was the opener. From Mark IV onwards it will be the closer for most of their concerts, and this for the decades to come. As I have previously said, one of the best Purple song, EVER. But his version is far from being a good one. This album is too jam and too "Come Taste The Band" oriented (but again, since it is Mark IV's sole studio album I understand. It is just that this is not the one I prefer). Two stars for this rather weak live album.