Deep Purple
Live In Stuttgart 1993

THE REVIEW

Introduction: why, dear Deep-Frenk, do you insist on reviewing the most unknown live performances of Deep Purple? I mean, why should we care about the concert played in Frattaminore in 1971? We don't think it went down in history. Nonsense! Let me reply with the standard phrase all Deep Purple fans use: "Every live makes history! Every live is an independent story!" End of introduction

In 1993, things weren't that rosy (quote) for the British group. Not a moment went by without Gillan and Blackmore fighting: "How dare you use the same toilet I used five minutes ago, huh, shabby singer!"; "This man claims he can drain pasta when he can't even hold a guitar properly!" and things like that. In short, the idyll had ended a while ago, since around 1973, but the passion for music, as we know (ahahahahah), warms hearts and closes the gap, and thus here are Deep Purple once again riding the stages across Europe.
The album reviewed here was released just three years ago and is the testimony of the tour of the last album recorded by the so-called Mark II: "The Battle Rages On..."
Overall, the concerts went well, despite Blackmore sometimes enjoying pulling pranks on his bandmates, such as getting stuck in the dressing room for half the concert, or leaving the group during the tour. Apart from these playful antics, though, the musical result was always of great quality.

In "Live in Stuttgart", however, Ritchie doesn't get into any trouble, on the contrary, he plays divinely. Leaving behind the cacophonous sounds of the '80s (proof that decade was so awful it even made him play badly), the English guitarist returns to playing with mastery, bringing together all the various musical styles expressed during his career into a unique synthesis.
The setlist is well-provided for a concert that exceeds two hours in duration. The majority of the "classics" are present, starting with the opener track Highway Star, going through Black Night and Lazy, up to Speed King and Smoke On The Water (which closes the concert). Songs like Anyone's Daughter (directly from "Fireball") and Hush (re-adapted in "Nobody's Perfect") are dusted off. The performances are always signature, despite the age and Child In Time is the proof: Ian Gillan still manages to surprise and interpret the song magically with his famous screams (even if age shows through). Blackmore and Lord pass the baton of improvisation several times, accompanied by the relentless speed of Ian Paice. There is also time for a tasty medley of Space Truckin' (with an intro of The Hall Of The Mountain King by Edvard Grieg, Ritchie's idea)-Woman From Tokyo and Paint It Black by the Rolling Stones (complete with Lord's solo).

Directly from the '80s come Perfect Strangers and Knocking At Your Backdoor, and Blackmore borrows from Rainbow Difficult To Cure, well interpreted on the drumming front by Ian Paice, then leaving the stage to the usual Jon Lord who offers a lesson in Music applied to the Hammond.
Tracks from "The Battle Rages On..." are also present: Twist In The Tale, Talk About Love, Anya, and the title track. The album was supposed to be interpreted by Joe Lynn Turner, but he didn't have time to record it before he was booted by all the Deep Purple members (except Blackmore) and replaced by yet another return of Gillan, whose voice does not suit AOR and Epic sounds. However, the result is excellent regarding Anya and The Battle Rages On...: the first performance is full of passion and Blackmore's improvisation is divine; the second, on the other hand, is more powerful and impressive than ever, and despite the worn vocal cords, Gillan gives us a beautiful performance, showing that he can still hold his own (but not for much longer).

Perhaps Stuttgart and the Teutonic atmosphere are good for Ritchie (who had a son in Germany in 1964, Jurgen, also a guitarist), the fact is that this concert goes as smooth as silk. A precious testimony of one of the last great performances of the English group.