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Posts tagged Jon Lord
Deep Purple – Concerto for Group and Orchestra (1969) (@256)
05 Jul 2011
Request of OzOz.
(Review from allmusic, wikipedia)
Back in the early 70s, it seemed as though any British group that could was starting to utilize classical elements in their work — for some, like ELP, that meant quoting from the classics as often and loudly as possible, while for others, like Yes, it meant incorporating classical structures into their albums and songs.
In 1969, Deep Purple fell briefly into the camp of this offshoot of early progressive rock with the concerto Jon Lord composed: “Concerto for Group and Orchestra”.
It was performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on September 24th. The release was the first Deep Purple album to feature Ian Gillan on vocals and Roger Glover on bass.
For most fans, the album represented the nadir of the classic line-up of the band: minutes of orchestral meandering lead into some perfectly good hard rock jamming by the band. Ritchie Blackmore sounds great and plays his heart out, and you can tell this band is going to go somewhere, just by virtue of the energy that they put into these extended pieces.
The classical influences mostly seem drawn from movie music composers Dimitri Tiomkin and Franz Waxman (and Elmer Bernstein), with some nods to Rachmaninoff, Sibelius, and Mahler.
As a bonus, there are a pair of hard rock numbers by the group alone, “Wring That Neck” and “Child in Time” that were played at the same concert.
Line-up:
- Jon Lord / keyboards
- Ritchie Blackmore / guitar
- Ian Gillan / vocals
- Roger Glover / bass
- Ian Paice / drums
with
- Royal Philarmonic Orchestra
Track List:
01. Wring That Neck (Bonus) – 12:50
02. Child In Time (Bonus) – 12:27
03. First Movement: Moderato – Allegro – 19:05
04. Second Movement: Andante – 19:00
05. Third Movement: Vivace – Presto – 15:24
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Alvin Lee – Zoom (1992) (@256)
04 Mar 2010
(Review from allmusic)
Alvin Lee’s first solo album after the Ten Years After reunion was released in 1992.
“Real Life Blues” became a hit in spots around the US. The track featured the unmistakable sound of George Harrison on slide guitar and Deep Purple keyboard player Jon Lord. This is a wiser, slower, more methodical sentiment than we once heard Lee make on “I’d Love to Change the World.”
“A Little Bit of Love” is Ten Years After meets Power Station with thunderous drums and very smooth production. Steve Gould and Deena Payne’s backing vocals chirp over Alan Young’s boom-boom drumbeat on “The Price of Love,” a bonafide dance tune that cries for the kind of production that the band Chic made famous — dance blues.
“Moving the Blues” is a fun, Delaney & Bonnie type rocker with Clarence Clemons on tenor sax. Clemons appears on four tracks, including “Use That Power,” “Jenny, Jenny” — a Little Richard meets Mitch Ryder by way of Chuck Berry fun stomper — and the funky “Wake Up Moma” which has that trademark Jon Lord keyboard filling in nicely. The instrumental “Lost in Love” is very tasteful.
Track List:
01. A Little Bit Of Love – 3:58
02. Jenny Jenny – 4:26
03. Remember Me – 4:38
04. Anything For You – 5:00
05. The Price Of This Love – 4:08
06. Real Life Blues – 4:36
07. It Don’t Come Easy – 5:07
08. Lost In Love – 4:08
09. Wake Up Moma – 3:58
10. Moving The Blues – 4:06
11. Use That Power – 4:21
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Alvin Lee – Detroit Diesel (1986) (@256)
02 Mar 2010
(Review from allmusic, amazon)
In 1986′s Detroit Diesel, Alvin Lee opens his blues jams into funky grooves.
Highlights include the title track with its nasty guitar solo, “Just Another Night” and “Ordinary Man”. George Harrison adds some great slide guitar to the heavy, slow “Talk Don’t Bother Me”.
This is no-frills rock and roll, good guitar work and Alvin Lee singing his guts out.
Line-up:
- Alvin Lee / Guitar, Vocals
with
- Joe Brown / Violin
- Vicki Brown / Vocals
- Boz Burrell / Bass
- Mickey Feat / Bass, Vocals
- Steve Gould / Guitar, Vocals
- Bryson Graham / Drums
- George Harrison / Guitar (4)
- Tim Hinkley / Keyboards
- David Hubbard / Keyboards
- Jon Lord / Keyboards
- Leo Lyons / Bass
- Alan Young / Drums
Track List:
01. Detroit Diesel – 4:38
02. Shot In The Dark – 4:04
03. Too Late To Run Foe Cover – 3:47
04. Talk Don’t Bother Me – 3:37
05. Ordinary Man – 4:00
06. Heart Of Stone – 4:05
07. She’s So Cute – 3:17
08. Back In My Arms Again – 3:48
09. Don’t Want To Fight – 4:25
10. Let’s Go – 3:24
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Tony Ashton & Friends – Live At Abbey Road (2000) (@256)
27 Dec 2009
(Review from allmusic)
Coming together to honour and celebrate the career of Tony Ashton, musical guests from all eras of his work perform a blistering set of classics from Tony Ashton’s career, Whitesnake and Paice-Ashton-Lord.
Sound quality is top notch and energy levels are high. ‘Hey, this is live,’ comments Bernie Marsden after a slightly wobbly break, and this album really is vibrant with real live musical excellence.
The concert begins with the band Mash, followed by Johnny Johnson and Dave Williams. A Hardin and York (Eddie Hardin, Pete York) reunion follows which includes Geoff Whitehorn, Chris Barber, Jaz Lochrie. Zoot Money, and Eddie’s daughter Emma is up next. They are followed by Angel. Wrapping up the first half of the event is a short set of Rock (and Who) classics performed by John Entwistle, Zak Starkey, John Rabbit Bundrick and Gary Nuttall.
The second half opens with Tony Ashton himself, followed by a short acoustic set by Mickey Moody and Bernie Marsden. Afterward, Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Neil Murray and Robert Hart joins them for a short set of Whitesnake songs. The finale is a mini Paice-Ashton-Lord reunion set, which includes Bernie Marsden and Howie Casey.
Line-up:
- Tony Ashton / Keyboards, Vocals
with
- Chris Barber / Trombone
- John “Rabbit” Bundrick / Keyboards
- Howie Casey / Saxophone
- John Entwistle / Bass
- Robert Hart / Vocals
- Jon Lord / Organ, Saxophone
- Bernie Marsden / Guitar, Saxophone, Vocals
- Micky Moody / Guitar
- Neil Murray / Bass, Saxophone
- Gary Nuttall / Guitar, Vocals
- Ian Paice / Drums, Saxophone
- Nigel Portman Smith / Bass
- Zak Starkey / Drums
- Geoff Whitehorn / Guitar
- Laurie Wisefield / Guitar
- Pete York / Drums
- Jeanette McKinley / Back Vocals
- Sheila McKinley / Back Vocals
Track List:
01. Introduction – 1:52
02. One Room Country Shack – 8:11
03. Mercy Mercy – 5:07
04. No Money Down – 6:35
05. Shake Rattle and Roll – 3:22
06. Ain’t Gonna Cry No More – 5:04
07. Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues – 4:56
08. Ready An Willing (Sweet Satisfaction) – 4:48
09. Ain’t No Love (In The Heart Of The City) – 7:56
10. Here I Go Again – 5:51
11. Ghost Story – 5:36
12. Sneaky Private Lee – 8:32
13. Resurrection Shuffle – 9:50
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Deep Purple – Nobody's Perfect (Live 1987-88) (@256)
11 Jul 2008
(Review from progarchives.com, wikipedia)
Deep Purple’s 80s live album was recorded on their “House of Blue Light” tour during 1987/88. Recorded live on 6th September 1987 in Verona Italy, 22nd August 1987 in Oslo Norway, 23rd May 1987 in Irvine Meadows, 30th May 1987 in Phoenix and 26th February 1988 at Hook End Manor in England.
“Nobody’s Perfect” features the classic line-up with all the energy and virtuosity, not to mention personality clashes, all back in full form.
The track list borrows heavily from the legendary “Made in Japan”. “Strange kind of woman” here is adapted to include a call and response duet between Gillan and Blackmore, which leads to a burst of “Superstar” from Rice/Lloyd-Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar”. The performances of the other tracks are faithful, perhaps with hints that this line up has played them so often that they do not now require any real effort, “Lazy” being a little too close to the truth. For some reason, Blackmore’s guitar solo on “Child in time” lacks the impact of the original, sounding rather ordinary here.
The new songs are introduced by a spirited rendition of the title track from “Perfect strangers”. This wonderful Zeppelinesque song which transfers well to a live environment, concludes with a blink and you’ll miss it coda of “Gethsemene” from the aforementioned “Jesus Christ Superstar”. “Knocking At Your Back Door” had made the “Perfect Strangers” album such a pleasing return to form. The extended intro to the song here, includes some classical and ragtime piano.
It’s good to hear “Woman from Tokyo”, getting an airing, although it does end with a rather strange Buddy Holly interlude. The album concludes with a “live jam” in the studio of Joe South’s Hush, a cover of which appeared on Deep Purple’s first album. The rendition of the verses here sounds surprisingly like Aerosmith’s “Walk this way” until the familiar “Na na na” chorus cuts in.
Unfortunately the track transitions in this live album are marked by fades, much to the annoyance of many fans. Nevertheless this is an accurate live album reflecting the 80s Deep Purple. It may have its shortcomings in terms of both the tracks performed and sometimes in the performances themselves, but hey, “nobody’s perfect”.
Line-up:
- Ritchie Blackmore / Guitars
- Jon Lord / Keyboards
- Ian Paice / Drums
- Roger Glover / Bass
- Ian Gillan / Vocals, Congas, Harmonica
Track List:
01. Highway Star – 6:10
02. Strange Kind Of Woman – 7:35
03. Perfect Strangers – 6:25
04. Hard Lovin’ Woman – 5:04
05. Knocking At Your Back Door – 11:24
06. Child In Time – 10:36
07. Lazy – 5:15
08. Black Night – 6:07
09. Woman From Tokyo – 4:00
10. Smoke On The Water – 7:46
11. Hush – 3:32
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Bernie Marsden – Look At Me Now (1981) (@256)
10 Jun 2008
(Review from purplerecords.net)
By 1981 three quarters of Whitesnake’s material was emanating from guitarist Bernie Marsden, and in the same year he finally managed to find time to record his second solo album.
Aside from Marsden on guitar and vocals, fellow Whitesnake members Ian Paice, Neil Murray and Jon Lord were the backbone of the band for the sessions, with Simon Phillips depping as the second drummer (Marsden even persuaded Micheal Schenker to come in and supply hand-claps to the end of one song!).
The album isn’t much different in style, it is the pretty ho-hum bluesy hard rock, we’ve come to know Marsden for.
There were plans for some live shows but Whitesnake were so busy these couldn’t be sorted out. Marsden did manage to get the musicians together again in August 1981 for a radio session, two of them are included in this edition of the album as bonus tracks.
Line-up:
- Bernie Marsden / Lead Vocals, Guitars
with
- Neil Murray / Bass
- Jon Lord / Keyboards
- John Cook / Keyboards
- Don Airey / Keyboards
- Ian Paice / Drums
- Simon Philips / Drums
- Cozy Powell / Drums
Track List:
01. Look At Me Now – 3:58
02. So Far Away – 3:39
03. Who’s Fooling Who – 3:54
04. Shakey Ground – 4:04
05. Behind your Dark Eyes – 4:42
06. Bylbos Shack Pt 1 & 2 – 4:03
07. Thunder & Lightning – 4:21
08. Can You Do It? (Rock City Blues) – 4:18
09. After All the Madness – 4:04
10. Always Love You So (Bonus B-Side) – 3:41
11. Look At Me Now (Bonus Radio Live) – 4:21
12. Bylbos Shack (Bonus Radio Live) – 4:36
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Whitesnake – Slide It In (1984) (@256)
16 May 2008
(Review from allmusic, wikipedia)
Following up the splendid “Saints & Sinners” album was no easy task, but 1984′s Slide It In turned out to be an even greater triumph for Whitesnake.
From the boisterous machismo of “Spit It Out” and “All or Nothing” to the resigned despair of “Gambler” and “Standing in the Shadow” and the embarrassingly silly title track, everything seems to click. For hit singles, look no further than the twin guitar attack of “Guilty of Love” and the sheer poetry and emotion of “Love Ain’t No Stranger”, a great power ballad. Not to be outdone, “Slow an’ Easy” is a masterpiece of sexual tension and the kind of power-blues which no one does as well as Whitesnake.
This edition is the album’s original version. It features a stronger presence of keyboards by Jon Lord, and the bass is more noticeable.
Later on, a more slickly produced, radio-friendly version of the album was released in the US. Neil Murray was brought back and the bass parts were re-recorded with him and with the addition of John Sykes as a third guitarist, his sound was layered on top of the original guitar parts.
Line-up:
* David Coverdale – lead vocals, percussion, piano
* Micky Moody – guitars
* Mel Galley – guitars, backing vocals
* Colin Hodgkinson – bass
* Jon Lord – keyboards
* Cozy Powell – drums
Track List:
01. Gambler – 3:57
02. Slide It In – 3:20
03. Standing in the Shadow – 3:32
04. Give Me More Time – 3:41
05. Love Ain’t no Stranger – 4:13
06. Slow an’ Easy – 6:09
07. Spit It Out – 4:11
08. All or Nothing – 3:34
09. Hungry for Love – 3:57
10. Guilty of Love – 3:18
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Whitesnake – Saints and Sinners (1982) (@256)
15 May 2008
(Review from allmusic, hardrockheavymetal.wordpress.com)
David Coverdale returned to music the next year, reforming Whitesnake and the band rushed to studio for their next album.
Their 1982 album, “Saints and Sinners” features a blend of solid instrumentation: great dual guitar lines, solid backline, and Lord’s organ all blended with Coverdale’s gritty vocals. Rowdy bursts of bluesy aggression are all over the album like in “Rough an’ Ready”, “Bloody Luxury” and the downright nasty “Young Blood.” David Coverdale also reached new heights with the astounding heavy blues of “Crying in the Rain” and the timeless power ballad “Here I Go Again”. More boogie woogie rock comes out on “Love An’ Affection” and “Rock An’ Roll Angels” with the piano prominent again in both songs.
This proved to be the last album of the “classic” line-up as Bernie Marsden, Neil Murray and Ian Paice left. Whitesnake’s line-up never stabilized ever since.
Line-up:
* David Coverdale – lead vocals
* Bernie Marsden – guitars
* Mel Galley – guitars
* Micky Moody – guitars, backing vocals
* Jon Lord – keyboards
* Neil Murray – bass
* Ian Paice – drums
Track List:
01. Young Blood – 3:30
02. Rough An’ Ready – 2:52
03. Bloody Luxury – 3:23
04. Victim Of Love – 3:33
05. Crying In The Rain – 5:59
06. Here I Go Again – 5:08
07. Love An’ Affection – 3:09
08. Rock An’ Roll Angels – 4:07
09. Dancing Girls – 3:10
10. Saints An’ Sinners – 4:23
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Whitesnake – Come an Get It (1981) (@256)
14 May 2008
(Review from amazon)
Confident from the success of ‘Ready An’ Willing’, Whitesnake went into the studio, effortlessly knocking out vintage blues rock.
There are many highlights including ‘Child Of Babylon’, an epic song showing off Coverdale at his best, the grooving title track and the monolithic anthem ‘Don’t Break My Heart Again’ with its nod towards a more pop metal direction. The fun blues boogie numbers ‘Would I Lie To You’ and “Wine, Women An’ Song” were brilliantly humorous and even more fun when played live! ‘Till The Day I Die’ features a superb vocal performance from Coverdale.
As on their previous album, the Purple duo Jon Lord and Ian Paice, turns in solid professional performances. Also of note is the typically old-school guitar work from Moody/Marsden throughout the album, especially on the song ‘Hit An’ Run’ which given a bit more development in the chorus department could have been a classic. Neil Murray’s bubbling basslines can also be heard throughout to great effect.
After the release of this album, Coverdale took time off to look after his sick daughter. He decided to temporarily break up the band.
Line-up:
* David Coverdale – vocals
* Micky Moody – guitar
* Bernie Marsden – guitar
* Jon Lord – keyboards
* Neil Murray – bass guitar
* Ian Paice – drums
Track List:
01. Come An’ Get It – 3:57
02. Hot Stuff – 3:22
03. Don’t Break My Heart Again – 4:01
04. Lonely Days, Lonely Nights – 4:14
05. Wine, Women An’ Song – 3:43
06. Child Of Babylon – 4:50
07. Would I Lie To You – 4:30
08. Girl – 3:54
09. Hit An’ Run – 3:21
10. Till The Day I Die – 4:27
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Whitesnake – Trouble (1978) (@256)
13 May 2008
(Review from rockages, wikipedia)
Keyboardist Jon Lord (of Deep Purple) joined the band and Whitesnake’s first full-length studio album, “Trouble” came out in fall 1978. It is a blues rock/R&B styled album with some Led Zeppelin and Free influences. Coverdale steered away from any Deep Purple connotations during this time period.
Swirling effects then that scratchy guitar intro mark the opener “Take Me With You”. Slightly softer edged but not dissimilar to “Burn” in many ways its a decent heavy rock song. “Love To Keep You Warm” has much more in common with the funk tinged Deep Purple of “Come Taste The Band” vintage and despite being a plodding mid-tempo love song has a warm feel and is quite listenable. “Lie Down” however is a blues rock monster following much the same design as “Come On” off the Snakebite EP. A regular early live favourite that bounds along underscored by some great piano and topped off by an understated Micky Moody solo. With the cover of “Day Tripper” they take the unusual step of considerably reworking a Beatles classic. Turning into a slow-burner of a blues number with Coverdale producing a moody vocal and Marsden a fine, voicebox solo. “Nighthawk (Vampire Blues)” is another solid rocker that hints at the direction of the early 80s despite some distinctly 70s guitar licks in it but notably it does feature Coverdale singing about a ‘Gypsy woman’ not for the first or the last time!
Opening side two is the quite mid tempo love song “Time Is Right For Love” featuring some quite brilliant guitar touches down low in the mix adorning the versus. The title track “Trouble” is quite superb; effectively Whitesnake’s own smoking heavy blues number that didn’t replace but actually accompanied its close relative “Mistreated” in the live set. “Belgian Tom’s Hat-Trick” is a Micky Moody written instrumental that features a solo spot each for Moody, Lord then Marsden within the structure of a decent little boogie rocker. “Free Flight” is notable for Coverdale relinquishes lead vocal duties to Marsden for the whole track. Closing track “Don’t Mess With Me” has a thumping intro, fast paced versus, chant-able chorus and singalong breakdown. It’s a more than solid rocker that closes the album.
“Trouble” is a solid if fairly unspectular album that built upon the strengths of their EP and went some way toward establishing the band although it would be their next album, “Love Hunter” that really seals their ascension.
Line-up:
* David Coverdale – vocals
* Micky Moody – guitar
* Bernie Marsden – guitar
* Neil Murray – bass guitar
* Jon Lord – keyboards
* Dave Dowle – drums
Track List:
01. Take Me With You – 4:47
02. Love To Keep You Warm – 3:45
03. Lie Down (A Modern Love Song) – 3:15
04. Day Tripper – 3:48
05. Night Hawk (Vampire Blues) – 3:38
06. The Time Is Right For Love – 3:29
07. Trouble – 4:48
08. Belgian Tom’s Hat Trick – 3:26
09. Free Flight – 4:05
10. Don’t Mess With Me – 3:18
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Whitesnake – Live in the Heart of the City (1980) (@256)
28 Nov 2007
(Review from amazon, metal-observer.com, allmusic)
“Live In The Heart of the City” was recorded over two dates in 1980 and one date in 1978 and from the much missed Hammersmith Odeon. Although Whitesnake never achieved the sales figures of Coverdale’s previous band, Deep Purple, this is still a class live-album.
Featuring some quite excellent musicianship from guitarists Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody, interlocking guitar riffs and fiery solos; the rhythm section of Lord, Paice and bassist Neil Murray is rock-steady and the exceptional vocal talents of Coverdale every single song on this live-CD is a slab of good time rock ‘n’ roll with a whole load of boogie thrown in.
Whitesnake favorites such as “Walking in the Shadow of the Blues” “Ready an’ Willing” and “Fool for Your Loving” heat up the crowd, but it’s the extended version of “Lovehunter” that gets things boiling, thanks to Micky Moody’s extended slide guitar solo. The audience participation on “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City” provides another thrilling moment, but the band truly brings the house down with a last encore of Deep Purple’s “Mistreated” — a blues of monstrous proportions that becomes an 11-minute catharsis for Coverdale.
Line-up:
* David Coverdale – vocals
* Micky Moody – guitar
* Bernie Marsden – guitar
* Jon Lord – keyboards
* Neil Murray – bass guitar
* Ian Paice – drums
Track List:
01. Come On – 3:38
02. Sweet Talker – 4:14
03. Walking in the Shadow of the Blues – 4:49
04. Love Hunter – 11:00
05. Fool for Your Loving – 4:50
06. Ain’t Gonna Cry No More – 6:28
07. Ready An’ Willing – 4:46
08. Take Me With You – 6:44
09. Come On – 4:01
10. Might Just Take Your Life – 5:27
11. Lie Down – 4:27
12. Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City – 6:27
13. Trouble – 4:52
14. Mistreated – 10:50
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Deep Purple – Live in Japan (1972) (@256)
30 Oct 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
An unadulterated masterpiece, loud, proud and technically amazing, “Made in Japan” is the mother of all live albums. When it was recorded, Deep Purple were at their height of their musical form, stunning audiences into submission at every live performance. However, in their case it was no mere, dumb bludgeoning in the style of many later heavy metal bands, which thought sheer volume was the only answer. Each of the members of Deep Purple was a master of his instrument (even the underrated, but always reliable bassist Roger Glover), and Ian Gillan was the voice that launched a thousand screamers. Last but not least… they had the songwriting skills to back up their musical proficiency – something in which many modern-day bands are sadly lacking.
The songs are no simple renditions of the studio tracks, but rather an excuse for the band to flex their collective muscles and showcase their individual talents. Ritchie Blackmore plays like a demon, wringing all kind of weird noises and sublime sounds from his Fender Stratocaster. Jon Lord, the Hammond god, is his perfect foil, sometimes providing a solid background for Blackmore’s improvisations, sometimes pulling out all the stops and showing that he was more than a match for the Emersons and Wakemans of this world. Ian Paice’s drumming is metronomical in its precision, and his spot on “The Mule” is a good example of a drum solo that avoids being boring. Glover pounds his bass stoically in the background: no Chris Squire- style “lead bassist”, but a perfect partner for the impeccable Paice. Then we have Ian Gillan, handsome and wild, competing with Blackmore’s guitar for the highest note on “Strange Kind of Woman”, screaming his heart out on the legendary, dramatic “Child in Time”.
All of the tracks are extended, dilated, chock-full of improvisation and creativity. The closing “Space Truckin’” clocks in at almost 20 minutes, a lengthy jam session including pieces of other tracks, underpinned by Jon Lord’s trademark buzzsaw Hammond.
This boxed set includes the full 3 concerts played on that 3 consecutive nights in the Japan tour from which the tracks on “Made in Japan” were selected. Not only do you get the tracks which constituted “Made In Japan” but you get alternative (and equally brilliant) takes of those tracks from the other nights they performed on that tour with the addition of “Black Night” and “Speed King” which weren’t in the original selection set.
Line-up:
* Ian Gillan – vocals, harmonica, percussion
* Ritchie Blackmore – guitar
* Roger Glover – bass
* Jon Lord – organ, keyboards
* Ian Paice – drums, percussion
Track List:
CD1 (Osaka, 1972-08-15)
01. Highway Star (7:37)
02. Child In Time (11:51)
03. Mule (9:36)
04. Strange Kind Of Woman (8:50)
05. Lazy (10:26)
06. Space Truckin’ (21:35)
07. Black Night (6:25)
CD2 (Osaka, 1972-08-16)
01. Highway Star (7:08)
02. Smoke On The Water (7:25)
03. Child In Time (12:30)
04. Mule (10:21)
05. Strange Kind Of Woman (10:35)
06. Lazy (10:21)
07. Space Truckin’ (20:13)
CD3 (Tokyo, 1972-08-17)
01. Highway Star (7:15)
02. Smoke On The Water (7:06)
03. Child In Time (11:32)
04. Strange Kind Of Woman (11:26)
05. Lazy (11:16)
06. Space Truckin’ (19:19)
07. Speed King (7:55)
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Jon Lord – Sarabande (1976) (@256)
23 Sep 2007
(Review from purplerecords.net, progarchives.com)
Founder member of Deep Purple, keyboard player Jon Lord needs little introduction to rock audiences. Yet classical music had been a huge part of his musical education, and echoes of his love for the genre imbued the early Deep Purple albums. His interest was then channeled into a series of classical/rock experiments which lasted throughout the seventies.
Jon Lord based his material on a set of dance suites, interpreted with a string orchestra and modern rock instrumentation. His own keyboard playing was stunning, ranging from gentle piano work to heavy Hammond organ riffs. The guitar was played by Andy Summers, just prior to his joining The Police.
A crash of orchestra and cymbals opens this huge work. The title piece is strong, with a cool bass line and Lord’s infectious synth, built up with masses of horns, strings, and percussion shifting from Latin moves and sweeping winds to jazzy and romantic encounters. This is *orchestral* rock more than it is *symphonic*, and the record is bold even for 1976.
In the 11-minute ‘Guige’ we hear remnants of Dave Brubeck’s proto-fusion and even Bo Hansson’s distant impact, as instruments talk to each other in spirited conversation. The second half grooves smoothly into hip street rhythms, Arabian sand storms, Eastern treasure and T.E. Lawrence. ‘Caprice’ is first-rate syn-phonic rock sewn into a fascinating quilt of opera, pomp and circumstance and is benefitted by Eberhard Schoener’s firm conducting.
Unfortunately, at the time it was released, the album went mostly unnoticed in the storm of Deep Purple’s 1976 tour and their split.
Line-up:
- Philharmonica Hungarica Orchestra / Eberhard Schoener, conductor
- Jon Lord / Hammond organ, RMI piano, Steinway and Yamaha Grand pianos, Clavinet, ARP Odyssey, Pro soloist, String ensamble synthesisers
- Paul Karass / bass
- Andy Summers / guitar
- Mark Nauseef / percussion
- Pete York / drums, gong, sleigh bells, shaker
Track List:
01. Fantasia (3:32)
02. Sarabande (7:25)
03. Aria (3:48)
04. Gigue (11:10)
05. Bouree (11:07)
06. Pavane (7:45)
07. Caprice (3:13)
08. Finale (2:04)
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Deep Purple – Book of Taliesyn (1968) (@256)
27 Apr 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
It was 1968, Deep Purple was far from the success they would achieve in the early seventies. Deep Purple´s first line included Rod Evans and Nick Simper, who would participate in the great Captain Beyond and Warhorse, respectively. The band was trying to pursue a career as a psychedelic/progressive rock band. Led by the classical arrangements made by Jon Lord and Blackmore’s psychedelic guitar, besides the Evans’ lyrics, they made one of the finest progressive rock works from the late sixties, being “Book of Taliesyn” their masterpiece.
The first song is Listen, Learn, Read On, with great guitar and organ riff, along with good drumming by Paice and some spoken lyrics by Evans and a commom psychedelic chorus. There is a cosmic organ interlude and then a great distorted guitar solo. The song is very psychedelic. Some chorus in the vocals and distorted guitar noises.
The second song is Wring That Neck, which has a great organ arrangement, along with good percussion, and bass. There are different organ solos and then an extense and good slow guitar solo. Then alternates guitar and organ solos until the end of this great instrumental.
Next song is a good rocker version to Kentucky Woman, with a very psychedelic feel. Good guitar, organ riff and bass riff, along with a tambourine and good drums, mainly the combination of organ and drums in the chorus. Then a sequence of psychedelic solos, first of the guitar, then of the organ, which is the highlight of the song, a frenetic organ solo with percussion. Then the verse and chorus and some short solos in the end.
The next song is a medley: First part is Exposition, with pompous organ, drum, guitar and bass arrangement. The song is an instrumental with some classical structure. A sequence of variations over a theme, mainly in the organ. The drum orchestra-percussion-like is only impaired by B. J. Thomas from Procol Harum. The second part is a great psychedelic version to the Beatles´ We can Work it Out. This version is very good, with good guitar solo and bass riff in the main verses and a very inspired interpretation in the part “Life is very short” with organ and good singing. There is a short organ solo.
The second side of the original album is much more progressive, while the first one was more psychedelic. The psychedelic influences are evident in this side as the progressive ones are in the first side, but it is almost like a division (not on purpose).
The Shield is has a dark mood, with a great piano and bass riff, and the highlight of the song is the percussive work, including a good percussive solo after a guitar solo, that returns in the middle of the percussive solo. After some soloes, returns the main verse and chorus, and the percussive solo at the end, along with guitar and then another percussive solo with bass.
The next song is the most progressive, Anthem, which is my favourite Deep Purple´s song. The organ intro is very beautiful, along with the acoustic guitar riff and bass riff. Rod Evans singing is very beautiful. The lyrics are sad. In the bridge and chorus there are great drumming and organ chords. Then in the second verse there is a great string arrangement along with the other instruments, which is as beautiful as Beatles orchestral arrangements. After the second chorus, there is an exceptional instrumental interlude, that starts with a very beautiful organ solo, then followed by a single violin solo, then joined by others, progressively. Then the organ starts again with the strings, which accompains the guitar solo. Then returns the song with a great riff and doubled slow guitar solo connecting to the bridge and chorus again, along with the strings. In the end there is a great organ outro like the organ intro until the end.
The last song is Deep Purple´s 10-minute-version to River Deep, Mountain High. The intro is the fantastic to every symphonic progressive rock fan, with beautiful organ and orchestral-like percussion. Then a good bass and organ riff that starts slow and increases the speed, along with the drums and end with a distorted guitar solo that turns to a eastern-like solo with the bass and then the organ and orchestral-like percussion. Some organ solo until everything stops. Then Evans enters with a very pompous singing. Then the song turns to a more psychedelic rocker, with great bass and drums in the verses and a psychedelic chorus, with backing vocal chorus, organ and strong drums. Then alternates verses, chorus and there is a psychedelic guitar solo in the middle. Then the songs continues with chorus till the end.
This album, along with their first (Shades of), the next (eponymous) and the Concert for Group and Orchestra were clearly progressive rock outputs of the best quality from the late sixties.
Line-up:
* Jon Lord – organ, keyboards, vocals
* Ritchie Blackmore – lead guitar
* Ian Paice – drums
* Rod Evans – vocals
* Nick Simper – bass guitar, vocals
Track List:
01. Listen, Learn, Read On – 04:04
02. Wring That Neck – 05:13
03. Kentucky Woman – 04:44
04. Exposition / We Can Work It Out – 07:07
05. Shield – 06:06
06. Anthem – 06:31
07. River Deep, Mountain High – 10:12
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Artwoods – Art Gallery (1966) (@256)
08 Apr 2007
(Review from wikipedia)
The Artwoods were formed in 1963, and over the next two years became an extremely popular live attraction, rivaling groups such as the Animals, although, despite releasing a clutch of singles and an album, their record sales never reflected this popularity. Singer Arthur Wood, from whom the band took their name, was the elder brother of The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood. He had been a vocalist with Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated for a short period during 1962, simultaneously fronting his own group, the Art Wood Combo..
When keyboardist Jon Lord and guitarist Derek Griffiths joined from Red Bludd’s Bluesicians they re-christened themselves the Artwoods. Keef Hartley, formerly with Rory Storm & The Hurricanes, joined on drums in ’64 and the band turned professional, secured a residency at London’s 100 Club and gained a recording contract with Decca Records. The Artwoods’ only album was an enjoyable mixture of club-oriented soul, R&B, and jazz with a strong organ spice.
Their early records today stand up well against the work of more successful groups such as the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds or ironically, the Birds, who included Art’s younger brother Ron. But at the time they came out, despite appearances on programs like Ready, Steady, Go! their singles never seemed to connect with the record-buying public. In live performance, on the other hand, it was a different matter. They had a virtuoso lineup, Lord’s piano and organ sound was a great complement to Wood’s singing, Griffith’s guitar work was tastefully flashy, and Keef Hartley was animated as well as powerful, with a big sound on the drums. Club audiences always knew they were good for a great show and the band loved playing live. Ultimately, in fact, the group’s success in touring and their love of playing live may have hurt them.
The group broke up in mid ’67 with Hartley going on to play with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers,Malcolm Pool played with Colosseum and Lord becoming a founder member of Deep Purple.
Line-up:
* Art Wood – vocals
* Derek Griffiths – guitar
* Jon Lord – keyboards
* Malcolm Pool – bass guitar
* Keef Hartley – drums
Track List:
01. Can You Hear Me?
02. Down in the Valley
03. Things Get Better
04. Walk on the Wild Side
05. I Keep Forgettin’
06. I Keep Lookin’
07. One More Heartache
08. Work, Work, Work
09. Be My Lady
10. If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody
11. Stop and Think It Over
12. Don’t Cry No More
13. Sweet Mary (Bonus)
14. If I Ever Get My Hands on You (Bonus)
15. Goodbye Sisters (Bonus)
16. She Knows What to Do (Bonus)
17. I Take What I Want (Bonus)
18. I Feel Good (Bonus)
19. What Shall I Do (Bonus)
20. In the Deep End (Bonus)
21. These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ (Bonus)
22. Taste of Honey (Bonus)
23. Our Man Flint (Bonus)
24. Routine (Bonus)
25. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? (Bonus)
26. Al’s Party (Bonus)
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Whitesnake – Ready an' Willing (1980) (@256)
06 Apr 2007
(Review from allmusic.com, amazon.com)
Back in 1980, Whitesnake guitarists Bernie Marsden and Mick Moody played big, bluesy guitar riffs and short, sparse solos, Coverdale didn’t yet dye his hair, and the music was raw and powerful.
David Coverdale and company were growing increasingly more consistent and self-assured with each record, and this album’s first half shows great progress over the previous year’s Lovehunter. Opener “Fool for Your Lovin’” was their best single yet, as well as their highest charting; with its clever combination of hit-savy chorus and authentic bluesy resignation, it set the template for subsequent triumphs. Further highlights include the live favorite “Sweet Talker” (given extra bite by Micky Moody’s expert slide guitar), the groove monster of a title track, and a set of memorable ballads in “Blindman” and “Ain’t Gonna Cry No More.”
Line-up:
* David Coverdale – vocals
* Micky Moody – guitars
* Bernie Marsden – guitars
* Jon Lord – keyboards
* Neil Murray – bass
* Ian Paice – drums
Track List:
01. Fool for Your Loving
02. Sweet Talker
03. Ready an’ Willing
04. Carry Your Load
05. Blindman
06. Ain’t Gonna Cry No More
07. Love Man
08. Black and Blue
09. She’s a Woman
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Whitesnake – Lovehunter (1979) (@256)
26 Feb 2007
(Review from wikipedia, amazon.co.uk)
Whitesnake was the band formed by vocalist David Coverdale after his acrimonious departure from Deep Purple. During the band’s early years, its music was primarily blues rock (although, Coverdale himself described Whitesnake’s early style as, “progressive R&B”). At this time, the band was made up of; Coverdale himself, Bernie Marsden, Micky Moody and Neil Murray. The drummer and keyboard slot changed a few times.
Intended as a vehicle for his own brand of bluesy vox-heavy rock (the first album was a set of ballads), the project quickly grew to include the gargantuan keyboards and pyrotechnic percussion of Deep Purple’s Jon Lord and Ian Paice, the sound becoming fuller, the lyrics more overtly predatory. Love Hunter, recorded before Paice’s arrival, was immediately notorious for a sleeve featuring a buxom woman sitting lasciviously astride an enormous snake. Lovehunter’s lurid cover art featuring a naked white female straddling a large snake was created by famed fantasy artist Chris Achilleos. Achilleos’ original Lovehunter artwork was stolen in the 1980s and has yet to be recovered.
The album revealed Coverdale, who was often dismissed as a mere sexist rocker, to be a master of various forms–dirty, dark-hearted rock (“Mean Business”), incorrigibly sensual R&B (“Rock’n'Roll Women”), and slow, impassioned and soulful anthems (“Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues”). Leading to 10 years of unremitting success, Love Hunter was Whitesnake’s purest offering.
Line-up:
* David Coverdale – vocals
* Micky Moody – guitars
* Bernie Marsden – guitars
* Jon Lord – keyboards
* Neil Murray – bass
* Dave Dowle – drums
Track List:
01. Long Way From Home – 4:56
02. Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues – 4:24
03. Help Me Thro’ The Day – 4:39
04. Medicine Man – 3:59
05. You ‘N’ Me – 3:30
06. Mean Business – 3:48
07. Love Hunter – 5:39
08. Outlaw – 4:03
09. Rock ‘N’ Roll Women – 4:45
10. We Wish You Well – 1:34
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Paice Ashton Lord – Malice in Wonderland (1976) (@256)
08 Feb 2007
(Info from purplerecords.net)
Ashton and Lord first met in 1970, and ended up writing and playing together on a number of projects over the next few years, including the “First Of The Big Bands” album released in 1974; in many ways a prototype for the PAL project. Following Purple Mk 4’s demised in March 1976, Paice Ashton Lord emerged amidst much fanfare.
Mysterious adverts in the music papers gave some hint of what was going on: “British Band Requires British Bass Player and Lead Guitarist for formation of new rock band by three established musicians.” Paul Martinez, then in Stretch, got the bass player’s job, guitarist Bernie Marsden (then with Babe Ruth) completed the band. The line-up was made official on August 21st 1976 and by September they were in the Musicland studios, Munich, recording.
By now, Howie Casey was part of the band on saxophone, having previously played with Wings, along with a brass quartet. The horns helped give the band their unique sound. The line-up was completed by two girl singers. The band stayed at an Arabella Hotel in Munich, home to the drunken American who, in trying to pronounce Alice In Wonderland, gave Jon the idea for the album title, to which Tony provided the lyrics. There was a lot more freedom within the band for Jon, with the guitar used more as a rhythm instrument. With Martin Birch (who had been producing Purple for many years) at the helm, the album took just ten days to lay down. Ian Paice feels they’d cut a good album, “PAL was trying to do something ahead of its time, the sort of thing Level 42 became, a cross between jazz and rock”.
The post-recording period saw the construction of a large stage set at Pinewood put together by the guy who had done the stages for the “Spy Who Loved Me” movie. They also announced that a film about the band was being produced. The album release was eventually put back to March 4th 1977. “One of those rare combinations of musicians which catches fire and becomes something really exciting”, wrote Beat Instrumental. A tour of selected cities across Europe was dropped leaving just the UK dates intact.
The group made their debut on the BBC TV show “Sight & Sound In Concert” on Saturday March 19th. A week later they opened their tour at the Birmingham Odeon supported by Bandit. Musically the band were at times a force to be reckoned with, turning out some ferocious r’n b flavoured rock, with a great duel keyboard style which was very adventurous. What it needed was something to build on top of this, Tony wasn’t at all happy fronting such a large band. Once the tour was over, the group returned to Germany to begin work on their second album. This was 75% completed, when sometime in early 1978 they came to a decision to fold the band. Bernie Marsden joined David Coverdale in Whitesnake. Tony Ashton returned to his role as a producer. Paice, Lord and Martinez went off to back Maggie Bell, formerly of Stone The Crows but the project didn’t last long and the following month Jon Lord also joined Whitesnake.
Paice Ashton Lord were undoubtably overambitious but the album is one that grows on the listener. Ian Paice looks back on the band without regrets. “PAL was a brave experiment! It was an experiment that cost Jon and I a fortune but I’m glad we did it”.
Track List:
01. Ghost Story
02. Remember the Good Times
03. Arabella [Oh Tell Me]
04. Silas and Jerome
05. Dance With Me Baby
06. On the Road Again, Again
07. Sneaky Private Lee
08. I’m Gonna Stop Drinking Again
09. Malice in Wonderland
10. Ghost Story (Live) (Bonus)
11. Streamroller Blues (Live) (Bonus)
12. Ballad of Mr Giver (Live) (Bonus)
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