Published on Oct 26, 2001
Among fans of Deep Purple, there appears to be what I would call
the “cult of Bolin”. This includes anyone who believes the Mark IV
lineup of Deep Purple (which featured Tommy Bolin on guitar… and
lasted for all of one studio album) was tops. I guess this could
include anyone who believes that Bolin was a stellar guitarist.
I am not in the cult of Bolin. To my old ears, his playing never
came close to some of the classic ’70s guitarists (though I still
have yet to listen to any of his solo albums), and by the time he
shuffled into Deep Purple, that band was in serious disarray. To
lay all of the fault that Deep Purple had at this time at Bolin’s
feet would not be correct, though his own lifestyle didn’t help
matters much. Also, to be fair, anyone who stepped immediately into
the spot vacated by Ritchie Blackmore was going to have a difficult
time adjusting.
This Time Around – Live In Tokyo is a new release capturing
Deep Purple about three months before their self-implosion (and
about a year before Bolin’s death). But this 1975 show hardly does
Deep Purple justice, and in fact suggests the band might have done
well to have packed it in after the departures of Blackmore and
bassist Roger Glover.
Where to start with this one? I admit that I never was a big fan
of David Coverdale as the lead throat for Deep Purple, but by the
time the band took the stage in Tokyo, the rigors of the road were
showing on Coverdale’s vocals. At times, he tries to do his best
Ian Gillan imitation, at other times it seems like he’s unable to
hit the high notes he had sung on the studio versions of some
songs. Bassist Glenn Hughes isn’t really able to pick up any of the
slack with his vocals; sometimes, they don’t even feel like they
fit in the context of the band. (I do admit, though, that knowing
both Coverdale and Hughes were sharing – or was that fighting over?
– lead vocals makes me understand a little more of where the Mark
III and Mark IV Deep Purple albums were coming from.)
Material-wise, Deep Purple was in a creative slump. It’s been
years since I listened to
Come Taste The Band, the only studio album from the Mark IV
lineup, but I remember thinking it left a real crater in the band’s
legacy. Featuring a good chunk of the album in this concert doesn’t
help matters – in fact, it speaks volumes when the best song is
“Wild Dogs,” a track from Bolin’s solo effort
Teaser. Coverdale and Hughes might have been wanting to take
Deep Purple into a funkier direction, but the fact is that Deep
Purple is at its best when it is a guitar-oriented act. (No offense
meant to keyboardist Jon Lord, whose signature style is just as
essential to the band’s sound.)
Even the classics take a drubbing. Whether Coverdale and Hughes
dropped the third verse in “Smoke On The Water” or they just
flubbed it, this rendition makes me want to crawl into the Pierce
Memorial Archives and dig out my well-worn vinyl copy of
Machine Head. “Highway Star” also suffers in the translation
from classic to at-the-time present lineup, though Bolin’s
pedestrian attempt at a solo is where I’d start to put the blame on
his performance. Part of the charm of this song has always been the
machine-gun guitar lines; hell, even Steve Morse does this in the
present Deep Purple lineup. Was Bolin not willing to follow the
song’s pattern – or was he unable to?
The second option is a possibility. The liner notes say that
Bolin (who had been fighting drug and alcohol problems) started to
suffer from arm paralysis after overdosing in Japan at the start of
the tour. It is possible that Bolin’s playing was suffering due to
this – though the same liner notes quickly make it clear that the
absence of guitar at the start of “Burn” is due to mechanical
failure at the gig, not from Bolin’s inability to play. Whatever;
all I know is that Lord had to work some serious overtime as a
result, as did drummer Ian Paice.
This Time Around – Live In Tokyo ends up showcasing a band
which was running on empty in many regards, and can occasionally be
rather difficult to listen to. Of course, if you’re in the cult of
Bolin, you will probably debate this review until the cows come
home. If that’s what floats your boat, fine – though you tend to be
in the minority. If you absolutely must know what the fourth
incarnation of Deep Purple sounded like, then pick this set up.
Otherwise, you’d be better off picking up one of the many other
live sets that Deep Purple has on the market.