DEEP PURPLE – Long Beach 1976 (2016 Remastered Edition)

“Long Beach 1976” is part of earMusic’s DEEP PURPLE / DP Overseas remastered reissue series that, over the last couple of years, has seen the release of rare live material from the band. The show at the Long Beach Arena, California was originally recorded on February 27th for a radio broadcast in the US. The rare recording is completed with three additional live tracks taken from a different concert recording from the same tour (Springfield, January 1976).

One of the more intriguing Deep Purple eras from over the years was their “Mark IV” lineup, which was comprised of David Coverdale (vocals), Glenn Hughes (vocals, bass), Tommy Bolin (guitar), Jon Lord (keyboards), and Ian Paice (drums).
The reason being that there was no Ritchie Blackmore in their ranks, and this lineup only managed a single studio album, the oft-overlooked Come Taste the Band, and a year after disbanding in 1976, a subpar live album, Last Concert in Japan. Due to an arm injury to Bolin, his guitar playing is not even close to what he would sound like at full-strength on the aforementioned Last Concert in Japan.

But this problem was justified once and for all with the arrival of this “Live at Long Beach 76”. Originally recorded for the King Biscuit Flower Hour radio show, this double-disc set by far surpasses the aforementioned Last Concert in Japan.
The most obvious reason for the “improvement” being Bolin’s improved playing, and a far lengthier set list. Reflecting the era when arena rock was at its most bombastic, it is intriguing to finally hear Bolin’s interpretation of Blackmore’s earlier work like ‘Smoke On the Water’ or ‘Highway Star’.

And while this non-Ritchie Blackmore lineup was able to pull off the expected nuggets admirably, it’s the renditions of the rarely performed Come Taste the Band material that will be of interest to longtime fans, including ‘Lady Luck, ‘Love Child’, ‘This Time Around’ and ‘Gettin’ Tighter’.
Additionally, there’s 3 bonus tracks from an earlier show in Springfield on the same leg of the tour, all, as the entire record, with a superb sound quality.

Behind Made in Japan (considered one of hard rock’s finest live albums of all time), ‘Live at Long Beach 76’ is certainly one of Purple’s finest live sets, in my opinion, one of greatest line up of the band ever.
Excellent material.

CD 1:
01 – Intro
02 – Burn
03 – Lady Luck
04 – Gettin` Tighter
05 – Love Child
06 – Smoke On The Water / Georgia On My Mind
07 – Lazy
08 – Homeward Strut

CD 2:
01 – This Time Around
02 – Owed To G
03 – Guitar Solo Tommy Bolin
04 – Stormbringer
05 – Highway Star
BONUS TRACKS (Live in Springfield 1976):
06 – Smoke On The Water / Georgia On My Mind
07 – Going Down
08 – Highway Star

David Coverdale (vocals)
Glenn Hughes (vocals, bass)
Tommy Bolin (guitars)
Jon Lord (keyboards)
Ian Paice (drums)

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