ON STAGE

This live album is mainly made of songs from their debut album which I find completely overrated. This fact being taken into account, these numbers sound better live than in the studio. This album is also made of tracks recorded during different concerts. Which means no unity as far as the atmosphere.

The so-called reason for Ritchie to leave "Purple" was their new bluesy orientation. Great. So please tell me why he needed to add a bluesy guitar solo (completely useless) in the medley "Man on the Silver Mountain, Blues, Starstruck" ? But that's not all. There will be a cover version for "Mistreated". The most blues-rock song and also one of the best with "Burn" from the Purple Mark III era.

I'm not even complaining about the lenght of this version (almost double the original) since "Purple Mark III" did the same during their "Burn" and "Stormbringer" tours. A trace of this can be heard on "Live In London" which was released in 2002 but recorded in 1974 as well as on "Made in Europe" (1975).

Only that a part of Ritchie guitar solo here is just a waste of time. Apart from that, Dio does a great vocal performance.

I can only agree with some other fellow reviewers as of the ridiculous lenght of this album. Just over one hour for a double vinyl album ! This is even more a shame that only one song from their great album "Rising" is featured here. No "Tarot Woman, "Stargazer" nor "Light in the Black" which are three of their best songs ever written ! superb hard-rock ones. Only "Starstruck" will be included in a medley. Fans will need to wait for about twenty years to be able to listen to a live version of "Stargazer". It is featured on "Live In Germany 76" (released in ...1994).

On the other hand, one song from their third album will be featured as a preview "Kill The King". A great rendition of this excellent track.

This live album holds every aspect of a hard-rock concert in the late mid-seventies : lenghty improvisations (just look how much "Still I'm Sad" is extended (still being very good but almost tripled in lenght) to fill the concerts. This is again a pity since "Rainbow" would have been inspired to include some "Rising" songs. FYI, this live album was recorded during the "Rising" promo tour so it's difficult to believe that almost none of the album was played. It is a deliberate choice from dear Rtchie I guess. But why the hell did he do this ???

Noneteless, it is a good hard-rock live album. It is not yet with this album that we'll to discover the prog side of the band, I guess that we'll have to wait for later releases.

Three stars.