DEEP PURPLE IN CONCERT

Featuring two complete BBC shows from the Mark II era, it shows the depth, talent and unrelenting energy of the band's live performances in a better manner than any other live recording of their's I've heard, even (dare I say it) "Made In Japan".

The second show, from 1972, features a setlist that includes most of the songs from "Machine Head" and therefore has a strong overlap with "Made In Japan". "Highway Star" and "Strange Kind of Woman" are both roughly comparable to the Japanese versions. It's with the next two tracks that the perks of owning this album become apparent. "Maybe I'm A Leo" and "Never Before" are both Machine Head numbers that were seldom included in live sets and the versions here do them both great justice, with strong jamming on both. Another upside for "Never Before" is the radio announcer's funny introduction to "Lazy", "Here's another track from Machine Head, this is called Lazy, which might mean it's a slow one...probably isn't...it's not...".

"Lazy" then promptly kicks off and from the get-go it already proves itself superior to the "Made In Japan" version with Jon Lord's organ intro alone. His playing is much more in accordance with the beauty, atmosphere and depth of the studio recording, unlike the Made In Japan version which sounds much more like R2-D2 having a seizure. My only complaint about this rendition is that the harmonica being played over Ritchie Blackmore's soloing is quite distracting but it's still a great song. The show carries on with "Space Truckin'" and "Smoke On The Water", which are both similar to their Japanese counterparts. This version of "Space Truckin'" has a slight edge for me just because of Jon Lord's funky organ intro before the main riff starts as opposed to Ian Paice's hi- hat solo from Japan, however both versions lose out on their length, with the lengthy jam section wearing out its welcome prematurely. The set ends with an energetic cover of Little Richard's "Lucille", a fun, strong end to an overall great show.

The first disc strays away into less explored territory. Taken from 1970, it opens with two numbers from "In Rock": "Speed King", which is fast and loud in classic Deep Purple fashion, and one of the group's more progressive pieces, "Child In Time". As with many of the other "Made In Japan" tracks, this version of the song is just as strong, powerful and thrilling to listen to. The band then ends with two extended jam songs from the Mark I days, the instrumental "Wring That Neck" and "Mandrake Root". "Wring That Neck" is probably the masterpiece of both shows. A hard rocking minor key blues, it shows off some of both Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord's finest neoclassical, blues and hard rock jamming abilities. It stretches on for 19 minutes, which is the ideal length for the song as it allows enough time to fully expand on all the musical ideas its template allows for while not stretching on too long as with some other versions I've heard. "Mandrake Root" finishes off the show with some jamming that's not unlike that in "Space Truckin'", though some jazz elements protrude.

The production of both shows is good for live recordings of the time, just slightly under par of "Made In Japan" as the drums can be a bit loud in the mix. In short, "In Concert" offers all of the excitement, talent and spectacle that has made "Made In Japan" one of the premiere live albums of all time, plus a little more. An excellent addition to a heavy prog collection.

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