It’s THE WEEK OF SINGLES! Each day this week I’ll be bringing you reviews and images of a recent CD or vinyl single acquisition. Today’s is fresh hot off the presses! I received this single on Saturday (the 16th).
Yesterday: Van Halen – “Best of Both Worlds” 7″ single
DEEP PURPLE – “Above and Beyond” (CD and 7″ singles, Edel)
This has been a banner year for Deep Purple singles! We’ve had “All the Time in the World”, “Hell To Pay”, “Vincent Price” and now “Above and Beyond” from the excellent new album NOW What?! There’s a “gold” edition of NOW What?! coming soon, and I believe most of the B-sides from these singles will be on it. Most, but not all…
“Above and Beyond” is one of two songs on the new album dedicated to Jon Lord. It’s probably the most progressive sounding of the new songs. It’s certainly one of the most epic. I think Jon would have loved it. Canadian producer extraordinaire Bob Ezrin adds his shine on “Above and Beyond”, you can really hear it in the arrangement.
The second track on the CD version is “Things I Never Said” from some editions of Rapture of the Deep. It was originally from the Japanese CD, and then the “special edition”. It’s one of the better songs from Rapture, and I’ve always liked Steve Morse’s guitar riff. I just didn’t need to buy it again on a single…
Brand new live recordings are the real bait on this single. The CD has two; I don’t believe either is going to be on the “gold” edition of NOW What?!. “Space Truckin'” (Rome, Italy 07/22/2013) doesn’t seem as peppy as other live versions I’ve heard. I suppose that’s why some versions are destined for B-sides, right? A pair of covers close the CD: Booker T. and the M.G.’s classic Hammond organ instrumental “Green Onions” and Joe South’s “Hush”. “Green Onions” serves as an intro to “Hush” essentially. It’s a great song for a band like Purple to do anyway. These come from Sweden, 08/10/2013. Gillan’s struggling a little bit on “Hush”, but Airey and Morse get playful during the solo section, and it’s very reminiscent of how Blackmore and Lord used to interact.
The exclusive bonus track on the 7″ vinyl single is a different recording of “Space Truckin'”. This one is from Majano, Italy, two days after the other version. I actually prefer this version to the one from Rome. I’m not sure why; maybe it’s just that audio illusion of warm vinyl. Maybe Morse just sounds dirtier. This single is absolutely beautiful, on purple clear vinyl complete with limited numbered stamp. Mine? #1934 of 2000. I’ll consider myself lucky. It’s kind of mind blowing to think that there’s an exclusive Deep Purple live recording out there, only 2000 copies made, and I have one of them.
4.5/5 stars
More Purple at mikeladano.com:
Live at Inglewood 1968, Deep Purple (1969), Machine Head (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition + vinyl + In Concert ’72 vinyl), Perks and Tit (Live in San Diego 1974), Stormbringer (35th Anniversary Edition), Come Taste the Band (35th Anniversary edition), Power House (1977), The Battle Rages On… (1993), Shades 1968-1998, Collector’s Edition: The Bootleg Series 1984-2000 (12 CD), Listen, Learn, Read On (6 CD), Rapture of the Deep (2 CD Special Edition), “All the Time in the World” (2013 CD single), NOW What?! (2013) Record Store Tales Part 32: Live In Japan, STEVE MORSE BAND – StressFest (1996), ROCK AID ARMENIA – Smoke on the Water: The Metropolis Sessions.
mikeladano.com 
They played Kingston a few years ago, I foolishly didn’t get tickets. I’d agree with the psychological enhancement of listening on purple clear vinyl – very limited edition at that, sounds like a great item!
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Oh man. I have to tell you to try to see Deep Purple while they are still around. I only saw them the one time with Jon Lord but I can tell you, as a Purple connoisseur, they have been consistently great. My dad used to make fun of me for listening to rock stars that were just “old men” to him, but come on, this is impressive stuff!
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The consistency is especially impressive considering the line up changes – I appreciated the timeline someone posted on wikipedia to help make sense of it all!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Deep_Purple_band_members
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I LOVE the Wikipedia lineup information. I use it for a lot of my research. I created the Helix page myself, but their history is so confusing and convoluted (lineups changing from show to show at one point) that I couldn’t do it to the detail of the Purple wikipedia article. Still pretty good though (and more complete than the one on their official website).
People always are shocked to learn that Deep Purple has only one original member – the drummer. But most of the guys from the classic period are still there, which wasn’t always the case. In 76 only two members from the classic period were in the lineup, and the band ended up breaking up for about 8 years.
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Just checked out the Helix page – very thorough, well done! That former members section is huge, looks like another group with only the one original member.
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Yes sir that’s correct. But in this case he’s been the only original member for almost their entire career, so there’s validity in that.
Quiet Riot are currently touring with no original members (2 are dead), playing old songs, no new material, changing singers regularly. That’s ridiculous. Call it something else.
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That’s almost like a Quiet Riot tribute band!
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Exactly! Which is how they should market it.
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You’re an addict Mike!
I do really respect the way they’re not content to chug along playing all the old hits and they’re out there making and playing out their new stuff.
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Absolutely man. They’ve been that way pretty much the whole time. The fact that their new music is so good helps though. If Purpendicular had sucked, I don’t know if we’d be having this conversation right now.
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We’d probably just be joking about Rob Ford, apparently he’s just told the press, ‘I’m not perfect’. You couldn’t write comedy like that.
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Nobody could have written ANY of the Rob Ford comedy from the last month. (Not to downplay the seriousness of it of course, I’m simply talking about the absurdity factor).
PLEASE tell me you saw the Saturday Night Live sketch.
“I goofed up, eh?”
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Nope, is it on YouTube ?
I do know how serious it is, especially for anyone living there. But it’s just his ego and mind blowing lack of dignity/sensitivity, it’s just floored me.
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Only highlights available on youtube I guess. Too bad. But the best part is in here. (WOAH! That’s a LOTTA CRACK!)
Today he was stripped of essentially all Mayoral powers.
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After or before shoulder-charging the lady?
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During and after. It was a several-day long process of votes. But basically they transferred his budget and his staff to the deputy mayor. Ford equated it with “the invasion of Kuwait”.
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It’s Tony Soprano without the charm and/or restraint.
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He does have the sweat and red face though.
I wouldn’t be shocked if he went from this to being a talking head on Fox News or something. That’s where failed politicians go to die.
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http://www.torontosun.com/2013/11/19/rob-ford-provides-more-fodder-for-late-night-comedians
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I just love Shame-Resistant! Perfect.
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Truly awesome, Dude. That kind of exclusivity makes this a very important piece of your collection. You’re a big fan, and you deserve it. Way to go!
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Thanks man! I also deserve it because these were not cheap to import! Woah!
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That’s a great rarity. I don’t see the Hush or Green Onions on the tour edition either. Think those might be unique to this too?
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Yes I do sir. I think these singles were winners all the way around. Now I need to get that damned gold edition.
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Of course you do!
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