THE BEST OF VANILLA FUDGE: LIVE

When I bought this album I immediately compared to Deep Purple's albums. True or not true, the real differences are in the fact that Vanilla Fudge s a mix between Deep Purple and Yes but without copy, due to the fact that Purple and Yes start in the same years of Vanilla Fudge. Today "The Best Of Vanilla Fudge: Live" or "Alive" (castle version, that have only another title) in my mind not sound different. A sort of Symphonic POP/ Proto Heavy Metal(!) is the correct genre of Vanilla Fudge but this album is arid and with little magic. This is the real problem. Because the music is OK, with good covers (great are "You Keep Me Hangin' On", "Eleanor Rigby" and "Ticket to Ride", the only songs with magic and feelings). The sound is aggressive because pasty and without compromises.

I am not in position to judge if this album is or not a masterpiece. But sure is interesting. Not only in Proto Prog field.