CONCERTO FOR GROUP AND ORCHESTRA

As a fan of Deep Purple, I really enjoy a whole lot of their works, especially their output from 1969 through 1974, crafting some very excellent hard rock movements that dip to all sorts of genres. From the still young heavy metal, to psychedelic rock, to blues, and even sometimes a bit of prog rock. They certainly created a big name for themselves in the rock mythos, especially their late keyboardist Jon Lord, who composed for their very first live record, Concerto For Group And Orchestra.

This is a live album released in the states in 1969, and soon released in Europe in 1970. It was recorded live in the Royal Albert Hall, accompaniment with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Malcolm Arnold. In this point of the band's careers, they certainly were quite big, though not big enough to be known for such songs like Child In Time or Smoke On The Water yet. In fact, next to groups like Moody Blues, The Mothers, and Procol Harum, they were considered as an early prog group, before they diverted to a more hard rock sound that was gaining popularity within the 70s. This record will be known as the last of Deep Purple's overtly progressive days, as the album after this, Deep Purple In Rock, will mark the band going away from prog for a good amount of time.

As one of the last of these prog days, I believe Concerto is a very underappreciated album in the genre, and certainly one that shouldn't be overlooked. It contains all the right beats for an amazing symphonic prog record, featuring amazing orchestration courtesy of Jon Lord, and some of the best guitar melodies I think you could possibly ask for. For its time, symphonic prog was a lot more tranquil, with albums such as Days Of Future Passed having more mellow symphonies entwined with the rock music. While those types of symphonics are good, I believe Concerto marked when symphonic prog could truly become more than just soft music, creating these bombastic scores, with each song being epics in their own right. You can possibly hear certain elements that'd be utilized for future prog albums here, namely those by ELP, Renaissance, and Focus.

Speaking of symphonics, Jon Lord has a very great ear for the classical side of things, as each movement comprises these very wonderful orchestrations that are very fit and focused, none leaving me feeling as if there is something missing. Though, I will say the conducting barely gives the band themselves time to really play to their fullest. I don't quite mind as I like classical music, but keep in mind this is more of a Jon Lord album, rather than a full Deep Purple album.

However when Deep Purple does show up, it is very magical. They have a real knack when it comes to playing with more classical elements, with one of their best moments on display in the second part of the second movement, near the middle half, creating for this almost Disney-like music, featuring a very wonderful guitar passage from Blackmore.

Now, I will say that I think a big reason why many might not fully enjoy this record is simply due to the audio quality. The quality of the audio isn't bad, in fact for a live album recorded in the 60s it is fantastic, but it definitely shows weakness from time to time. Since the music on here is quite long, and this was put on vinyl before any other medium, they would have to accommodate space on the vinyl for more music, and as we all know: less space on vinyl = not so stellar sound quality. I can actually hear when the audio gets a bit more rough around the edges with the second tracks on each side, as they are oddly a lot more bassy, with some quality of the original recordings having a bit of loss. You can hear it in the first part of the second movement towards the end with Ian Gillan's vocals, and especially in the first half of the third movement. I am not too worried about sound quality, as I still think for what it is it's a very good recording, but I cannot deny the scars on this album are rather noticeable.

I think this is one of the more underappreciated live experiences, and certainly one that deserves a bit more love. I think you should check this one out if the whole prospect of symphonics merged with rock fancies you in any way, and I also implore those who weren't satisfied with this record to give it another shot. Definitely an album to seek out if you wish for some very nice symphonic prog from a much harder band.

Best tracks: First Movement: Moderato - Allegro, Second Movement: Andante (Conclusion)

Worst tracks: Second Movement: Andante Part 1, Third Movement: Vivace - Presto