LIVE AT THE OLYMPIA 96

Another in a long line of live outings from Deep Purple, this time featuring the Mk 5 version of the band (Mk 2 with Steve Morse on guitar instead of Ritchie Blackmore). It was recorded on the Purpendicular tour at the Olympia in Paris.

There is a great mixture of the older classic songs with selections from Perpendicular. Things start off magnificently with Fireball a great driving version of the song. By the time we get to Ted the Mechanic they are firing on all cyclinders. Pictures of Home is truly majestic and Morse sets up good audience interaction with a sing-along section on Black Night (this section is superb). The extended workout on Cascades is also mind blowing, Morse again showing his mastery on guitar. A brass section is also featured on some tracks and this works very well on some but not so good on others, Woman from Tokyo and No One Came are brilliant, but Highway Star is a bit of a disappointment. Lord also noodles on at the end of Smoke on the Water and this spoils their signature track - pity.

Morse stamps his authority on all the classic era songs and this ensures that they are refreshingly different than the Mk 2 versions. Perfect strangers for example is so much more powerful than the studio version, and When a Blind Man Cries is also is greatly enhanced by Morse's emotional playing.

All in all this is an exceptional release and a good companion to any live album featuring Mk2 Purple.