Deep Purple / CA, USA 05.24.1987 Complete

1987 was the last golden age for the two legendary figures, Ritchie Blackmore and Ian Gillan. Two live albums capturing that miraculous moment are set to be released simultaneously. This is the first of two albums released together. It’s a superb audience recording of the Mountain View concert on May 24, 1987. At the time, they were in the midst of “THE HOUSE OF BLUE LIGHT Tour,” but a certain event caused a deterioration in relationships within the band, leading them down the path to collapse. What was that event that drastically changed their fate? Let’s explore this, including the position of this album, by looking at their activities at the time. 1987 (January 12: “THE HOUSE OF BLUE LIGHT” released) – January 26 – February 28: Europe #1 (22 shows) – March 3 – March 8: UK (5 shows) ← *UK trilogy – April 15 – May 30: North America #1 (28 shows) ← ★HERE★ (May 30: Ritchie injures his left hand) – August 19 – September 7: Europe #2 (12 shows) ← *Official NOBODY’S PERFECT 1988 (June: “NOBODY’S PERFECT” released) – July 31: Appearance at MONSTERS OF ROCK ITALY – August 11 + 16: North America #2 (2 shows) – September 9 – 29: Europe #3 (14 shows) Three sister albums that allow you to fully experience the last brilliance of their golden age. This is DEEP PURPLE in 1987/1988. The incident in question was Ritchie’s fracture accident at the Phoenix concert on May 30th. He broke his finger during a guitar crash, forcing the tour to be suspended. The tour resumed after less than three months, but by then (for reasons unknown) the relationship between Ritchie and Gillan had deteriorated, and the glorious reunited Deep Purple began its demise. Of course, as is widely known, it is said that the relationship between the two had been strained since the production of “The House of Blue Light,” but before the accident, it did not affect their stage performances, and their guitar phrases and shouts were full of enthusiasm. However, after their return, in “Europe #2,” that brilliance disappeared. For these reasons, “North America #1” is considered the “last golden age” and has attracted keen attention from collectors, and in response, many masterpieces have been produced. To organize that collection, let’s focus on the dates here. Details of “North America #1” – April 15: Quebec performance * April 16: ‘PORTLAND 1987’ * April 17: ‘HARTFORD 1987’ – April 18 – May 22: North America (21 performances) * May 23: Irvine performance ← *Official * May 24: Mountain View performance ← ★This release★ * May 27: ‘SACRAMENTO 1987’ * May 29: ‘SAN DIEGO 1987’ * May 30: Phoenix performance ← *Official 《May 30: Ritchie injures his left hand》…and so on. “Official” refers to ‘NOBODY’S PERFECT’. This release and ‘SACRAMENTO 1987’, released simultaneously, are the final stages of “North America #1”. Together with ‘SAN DIEGO 1987′, which was a hot topic last year, this is a series that allows you to fully experience their final brilliance with three consecutive performances. This release, showcasing a newly unearthed, surviving best-of-its-kind 1st generation sound show, is an upgraded master of a well-regarded recording. While the 2nd generation was previously considered the best, this release is digitized from a 1st generation cassette owned by the original taper. The newly unearthed sound is incredibly clear. The atmosphere is crystal transparent, and even the slightest nuances are vividly and vividly reproduced. While the audience is the type that readily absorbs the band’s immense popularity, the performance cuts through that enthusiasm with incredibly beautiful sound, and the atmosphere never feels distant. This super-clear 1st generation sound captures a full show that also includes some delicious new songs from “THE HOUSE OF BLUE LIGHT.” “North America #1” is not only a fantastic performance, but also an important point because you can enjoy the “THE HOUSE OF BLUE LIGHT” numbers with their brilliant ensemble. Let’s take a look at the setlist here. Reorganized setlist (2 songs + 4 songs) – Perfect Strangers: Perfect Strangers / Knocking At Your Back Door – House of Blue Light: The Unwritten Law (★) / Dead Or Alive / Hard Lovin’ Woman / Bad Attitude Classics (8 songs + α) – Machine Head: Highway Star / Lazy / Space Truckin’ / Smoke On The Water – Others: Strange Kind Of Woman / Child In Time / Difficult To Cure (★) / Woman From Tokyo *Note: Songs marked with “★” cannot be heard on the official “NOBODY’S PERFECT”. A fulfilling set with plenty of “THE HOUSE OF BLUE LIGHT” numbers. Even the classics are brilliantly performed, for example, the medley woven into “Woman From Tokyo” mixes “Knees Up Mother Brown”, “Running Bear”, and “Rambling On”. This playful spirit shows that the band is truly enjoying being on stage. This newly unearthed 1st generation cassette, previously only possessed by the original recorder, captures the final moments of Mountain View’s golden age. The transparency and sense of presence, only achievable with this best master, makes you feel as if you were truly “there, on that day, in that place.” Along with the simultaneously released ‘SACRAMENTO 1987’ and last year’s ‘SAN DIEGO 1987′, this is a three-part live album series that allows you to relive the brilliance of the eve of their downfall. This is a superb audience recording of the “Mountain View performance on May 24, 1987.” While the 2nd generation was previously considered the best version, this release is the best existing master, digitized from the 1st generation cassette owned by the original taper. The atmosphere is incredibly clear, and even the slightest nuances are rendered with unparalleled clarity. This new masterpiece captures the last brilliance of the golden age, a full show that took place just before Ritchie’s fracture caused a deterioration in the band’s relationships. Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA, USA 24th May 1987 Disc:1 (49:07) 1. Intro. 2. Highway Star 3. Strange Kind of Woman 4. The Unwritten Law 5. Blues 6. Dead or Alive 7. Perfect Strangers 8. Hard Lovin’ Woman 9. Bad Attitude ★3:40 Pause – Fade Disc:2 (69:08) 1. Child in Time 2. Difficult to Cure 3. Keyboard Solo 4. Knocking at Your Back Door 5. Lazy 6. Space Truckin’ ★7:23 Tape Change 7. Woman From Tokyo incl. Medley: Knees Up Mother Brown / Running Bear / Rambling On 8. Smoke on the Water