KING BISCUIT FLOWER HOUR PRESENTS DEEP PURPLE IN CONCERT

Confusion again with this live album. Two titles for an identical work : "Live in California 1976: On the Wings of a Russian Foxbat" and "King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents : Deep Purple In Concert". Since, "Live In California" received a rating of five stars (which means that this album is a masterpiece !), but with no comments (that should not be allowed in my opinion). So, here we go for the first review for "King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents : Deep Purple In Concert".

The King Biscuit Flower Hour is a US radio show. The project was to record a live concert with Purple. They first did so in Springfield on January 26th, 1976. However, this was considered unsuitable for release. Another concert was recorded a month later (on February 27th, 1976) in Long Beach. The latter concert was released, with a couple of bonus tracks added from the first date. It was recorded two months later than "This Time Around - Live In Tokyo". Tracklists are almost identical. This live album, released almost thirty years after the concerts is just to make use of the cash machine. There are two bands that have used extensively the fans'addiction : Deep Purple and Yes. They put so many live acts, compilations with rare / unreleased tracks (?) and DVD's on the market that it is really a costly stuff if you want to get hold of these "original" works. From time to time, it is well worth the money though.

For this specific case, it is not. These concerts do not add anything great to the Purple live renditions released so far. Extremely long and useless version for "Gettin' Tighter" (almost forteen minutes while the original reaches about 3'30"), inpredictable medleys combining classic Purple tracks with some standards of the music industry ("Smoke On The Water" with "Georgia On My Mind", or "Highway Star" with "Not Fade Away").

The Purple classics are poorly rendered (specially "Smoke"), "Lazy" is toooooooooo much extended. The track called "The Grind" is a jam of the whole band (actually it is an instrumental from Bolin's studio album "Teaser" called "Homeward Strut". Then Coverdale will announce : "We will leave you in the capable hands of Mister Tommy Bolin, and bang ! Another ten minutes guitar solo which is also quite boring (on "This Time around it "only" lasted for seven minutes) . A classic like "Stormbringer" will also be combined with a cover of the funky track "Thank You" (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again" from Sly & The Family Stone. This one will also be covered later by the new wave band "Magazine" (a great band by the way).

There are a couple of "bonus" tracks from the first concert in Springfield : "I'm Going Down", "Highway Star" (traditional version) and "Smoke+ Georgia On My Mind". On this release, we escape from the suite "This Time Around - Owed To G". A good track from "Come Taste The Band": "Drifter" is missing and there are no performance of "You Keep In Moving" which is quite strange since it is by far the best song of Mark IV !

If you find this one for 5 ?, you might consider to buy it. Otherwise, keep your money for better live stuff (and believe me, the Purple has produced quite a lot of them). The announcements, comments after the songs are also a bit "too much" : bands should be aware that most of the audience do not care about religion; so, please stop with your "God Bless You", "Love" etc. (I refer here to Purple, but Yes and Santana did (do) the same). Two stars.

Definitely a radical change: Funk, Soul, Moog, Instrumentals, what else?

Deep Purple MK 4 is one of the most underrated line-ups that this incredible Heavy Rock band has had. Come Taste the Band was even more controversial than Stormbringer, bringing more funky solos, less hammond solos, more moog, but still they were Heavy as hell and Clever! If you don't believe me, check This Time Around.

This album contains most of the songs from Come Taste the Band, in a higher quality of power and composition. While you still have the weak representation of the songs from MK 2, Highway Star and Smoke on the Water. Just in case you don't know, Lazy is really just a hammond solo by Jon Lord featuring just the intro from Lazy, after Jon stunning presence, you have The Grind a song from Tommy Bolin's album Teaser, just that this time it's instrumental with some great moog work as well as from the drums.

The version of Getting Tighter is Amazing! You got an amazing guitar work as well as from Glenn's bass, but Glenn is shining here actually with his extremely high-pitch voice which is outstanding. The song also includes Dance to the Rock n' Roll, which is was released on 'Days May Come Days May Go', which is a compilation of long jams from the band before releasing Come Taste the Band. On this short song you have a stunning hammond solo, and then you get back with Getting Tighter till it ends. The Tommy Bolin guitar solo song, is quite boring actually, it has some heavy interesting parts but overall it's an aimless long solo. That's a pitty, they could have added You Keep on Moving or Comin' Home or Dealer, anyways...

...You also got classic songs from MK 3 such as the always stunning opener, Burn. Also Stormbringer in an extended length with some kind of jamming in the middle.

Overall, the material from the new line-up is amazing and well crafted and extended, while you got the weak spots as the aimless guitar solo of 10 minutes as well as the mediocre versions of songs from MK 2. I highly recomend you this album if you enjoy MK 3 and 4, and expecting to listen to long versions from the originals in a much powerful way than in the studio. 3.5 stars actually, rounded up to 4. Excellent addition to any Hard Rock collection.