NOBODY'S PERFECT

Because of its title one could think that it is the supporting tour of "Perfect Strangers", but no : the Purple will start this tour just after the release of "The House Of Blue Light" in January 1987. This record is a collection of songs recorded during several concerts in Europe and the US between May and September 1987. Therefore it lacks in continuity.

Several outputs exist for this work making it difficult (or expensive) for the fan. One example : all versions feature "Child In Time". But its lenght will vary from 6'10 to 10'35" ! The inclusion or not of "Bad Attitude", "Dead Or Alive" and "Space Truckin".

The traditional opener of Mark II is there again : "Highway Star" : shorter than the original version, it seems to be accelerated (as if it was necessary) ! This is an OK version but surely not the best available (specially the intro, which I just adore normally). "Strange Kind Of Woman" seems to get the same treatment. On top of that, was it necessary to include the theme "Jesus-Christ Supertar" in the middle of the "dialogue" Gillan - Blackmore we all know ? My answer is : NO.

"Perfect Strangers" is fabulously rendered. It's the best track so far.

Next track is introduced that way : there's nothing personal; It has nothing to do with sex or anything like that but...no, I'm not that kind of guy... great tits... this one is about this unmanageable woman, it's called "Hard Lovin' Woman". Still, the lyrics are quite explicit :"She didnt wear nothing but a smile, Upon her face, Licking her lips but I had the taste, Her temperature was rising, I was coming to the boil, Her fires were burning, She was pouring on the oil" This is a great track which does not have the recognition it deserves. A highlight here.

"Knocking At Your Back Door" is quite extended : after a smooth piano intro, we get some Tchaïkovsky notes to relax. Jon start a little jazz jam on his own (like he was used in "Lazy") and after four minutes, the song finally starts. "Child In Time" is good but nothing from the other world here.

"Lazy" starts with a heavy jam (quite unusual). It was always Jon's moment to render some classic work. Weird. It takes 1'30" for the true "Lazy" to begin. It last a total of just over five little minutes. On top of that, the band seems really in a hurry (it is the third song they speeded up with no reason). The whole song is reduced by half. Wrong idea.

With this version of "Black Night", we'll have to get used to the "Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho,Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho,Ho, Ho" from the crowd. I REALLY do not like this (hearing it of attending one of their concert). The track as such is superbly rendered.

The Purple brings us back to emasculation with "Woman From Tokyo" : an intro that has little to do with the original (fifty seconds), a portion of the track (1'30") and a "finale" combining traditional numbers (as Mark III did with "Smoke" or "Highway") and a Gillan's talk about Buddy Holy which ends in a total indifference. This is completely useless.

Since "Smoke" has never been a fave of mine (you can read what I thought about it in my "Machine Head" review) and that it seems impossible from those days onwards (I am suffering every time I see the Purple live - next time on my agenda will be in May 2007 in Antwerp) to avoid the audience participation I just skip it regularly. The final part of it is a thanks message to the audience (I could identify the source of this recording thanks to it : it was recorded in Oslo (May 23rd) because Gillan is referring to people having made such a long way to come to the concert (even from Trondheim, he says). As you have understood, it is not a highlight for me.

"Hush" closes the list but it is a studio recording... This review refers to the original CD release (1988). The extended version contains "Dead Or Alive", "Space Truckin" and "Bad Attitude".

With this live album, it seems that the Purple wanted to leave the stage as soon as possible. Some numbers are shortened excessively (altough they have always extend some of them on stage - too much at times) or performed too fast. There is of course no trace from some great songs from the Mark III or IV era (Burn", "Mistreated" or "You Keep On Moving"). I have never understood Gillan's reluctance in singing those ones. Since he sings "Hush" from Mark I, he could have done it for some other great Mark's ones... Two stars.