LIVE IN PARIS 1975: LA DERNIÈRE SEANCE

There seems to be a lot of confusion with this live release. First it was originally called "Mk III - The Final Concert", then "Live In Paris - La Dernière Séance" which seems to be later release. The first title (released in 1996) is more relevant and I will tell you why.

All numbers were recorded during their final gigs for Mark III in April 1975. While "Made In Europe" was taken from three concerts, this one will be a patchwork of two of them : Graz (April 4th) and Paris (April 7th). Three tracks come from Graz : "Burn", "Stormbringer" and "Space Truckin". All the other tracks comes from the last concert for Mark III at the Palais Des Sports in Paris (although that during the intro for "Smoke", Coverdale will introduce "Herr" Blackmore which might indicate they might be in Graz (or even Saarbrücken, but I have never found a confirmation for this).

The band sounds heavier (Hughes can probably be credited for this). Some quite extended versions of original tracks (even "The Gipsy" gets another 50%) : but this is of course their habit in those days. Unless you are in the audience this might be OK, but if you listen to this in your living room it is quite different...

"Mistreated" includes a short passage from "The Mule", and "Smoke on The Water" can be divided into three pieces : a lenghty intro in which they will play some parts from "Lazy" (about 2'30"), the usual track (that's the least they could do, right ? About 5'45"), and the final part with a vocal blues section combined with a few notes from Joe Cocker' s wonderful cover for "With A Little Help From My Friends" around 9'10" (for about thirty seconds). Timing of both tracks have almost doubled in time in comparison with the studio album. Needless to mention that "Space Truckin' " is over twenty minutes including a short edit of the "Space Odissey" soundtrack in a very good intro section. Around the eighth minute, the "Child In Time" intro will be played for a few seconds. We'll get then some notes from "Gimme Some Lovin". This version is interesting for these side moments but still, it is quite long one (the last five minutes are boring to death).

"You Fool No One" will almost equal this in time (over 19 minutes): it will even feature some notes from "La Marseillaise" in the keyboard intro. We get a good drums solo as well.. The annoucements are a bit exaggerated (god bless you, we have a song for ya etc.) and quite typical for some heavy groups (to which Purple does not belong to, IMO). "Going down" from Don Nix is not a highlight of this album (it definitely shows the blues orientation of Mark III). Last track is "Highway Star (11'33") : great rendition of this emblematic song. Great and longer keys / guitar solo than usual. The last three minutes is a thank you session combined with a reprise of the last part of the song. Each of the song is well played, but I prefer "Live in London" which is more dynamic and less "performance" oriented.

Blackmore knew already that he would leave the band after this tour (but nobody knew this), so he is not really concerned any longer. This will lead to some mistakes in the performances (in "Lady Double Dealer" where he seems to be surprised with the "improvised" key solo from Jon as well as in "Mistreated"). A final, final, final version of this live album will even include an alternate version for "The Mule" (with no drum solo and therefore "shorter") and "Mistreated" (clocking at over fourteen minutes). But I have never heard them. Both tracks were recorded in Graz. Three stars.