Customer Reviews

Live on the BBC (Hybr)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I tried to get a track listing for this disc from various internet merchants, but to no avail. So I ordered the disc and was disappointed to find that the material is not new. It is currently available in another, preferable context: "Deep Purple In Concert" ("two complete 1970 - 1972 recordings"), a 2 CD set released on Spitfire in 2001. "Live on the BBC" is a single CD "produced under license from Spitfire Records" in 2004.

Audio Fidelity seems to have licensed the music on the second disc of "Deep Purple In Concert," had it remastered by Steve Hoffman and Lon Neumann, and added two also-previously-released tracks, 'Hush' and 'River Deep Mountain High' (also remastered from the already remastered--and readily available--early Deep Purple albums on Spitfire).

As "Deep Purple In Concert" was digitally remastered (by Joe Lambert) in 2001, the need for an SACD remaster is less than compelling to me (unlike the Dylan remasters). The additional tracks seem remarkably inappropriate to me because the main material is a live Paris Theatre (London) performance on March 9, 1972, of "Machine Head" material, the "new" album at the time, whereas the additional tracks were performed in the studio by a different, earlier lineup (Deep Purple MK I). Deep Purple released four albums in between, and the additional tracks don't seem to have any particular relevance to the later songs and performances.

The purpose of the original and still available "Deep Purple In Concert" was to present two complete Deep Purple concerts by the same lineup featuring significantly different material. It succeeded, in my opinion. I'm not sure what the purpose of "Live on the BBC" was, but I am sure it doesn't succeed for my purposes. To make matters even more awkward, "Deep Purple In Concert" costs about the same.

Oh yeah, the track listing on "Live on the BBC" is wrong: every track is off by one due to a live-concert-type introduction that is given a track listing (1) of its own. So, 'Highway Star' is actually track 2, not 1, and so on.

The stated track listing to "Live on the BBC" is as follows:

1. Highway Star
2. Strange Kind of Woman
3. Maybe I'm a Leo
4. Never Before
5. Lazy
6. Space Truckin'
7. Smoke on the Water
8. Lucille (Special track for SACD only)
9. Hush
10. River Deep Mountain High

Been waiting for this one to come out since the 70s, when I recorded the broadcast off the radio. The performance was made about 2 months prior to Machinehead's release. Easily the best live Deep Purple performance I've heard. The sound is CRISP and the whole band is on fire, tight as heck and groovin throughout. Blackmore in particular is brutal...especially on Highway Star and Space Truckin (both better versions than on Made in Japan). IMHO, this is the definitive Deep Purple recording. A special bonus is the treatment of some songs from Machinehead I'd not heard live before. If you like Deep Purple, buy this one...I can guarentee you that you will not be disapointed...it will be more like OMG!!!! OMG!!! OMG!!! This recording sums up the essence of the band as I will always know them and love them..

I have the DCC version of Made in Japan and this dosent come close for qaulity of sound.Both remastered by Steve Hoffman so what went wrong. I think it has to be the master tapes.Live at the BBC is only for die hard fans like myself who just want to hear the different interpretations of songs done live. Being an SACD I was hopeing for a lot more even from Made in Japan. Unfortunately SACD dosent help. Lets now hope they bring Made in Japan out on SACD. Now thats a master tape well worth the SACD improvement. I give it 65% for sound and 90% for music.

I've been a Deep Purple fan for years and someone turned me on to this new title. The sound quality is absolutely fantastic. Machine Head is one of my favorite albums and what this company has done is taken the live BBC concert and added two studio bonus tracks. Great idea, great sound. If you love Deep Purple, you have to get this album. Wow!!!! (I don't own a SACD player so I've been playing this on my CD player). Because of this SACD, I am now considering going out and buying a SACD player.

Some of the previous reviewers say this is disc 2 of an old vinyl live album with a couple of extra singles thrown in. Maybe so - I didn't own the record, but this is a hybrid SACD, and the DSD mastered CD layer sounds great. This is to be expected since it is from Audio Fidelity; Everything they do is as good as todays technology allows. If you'd like a primo sounding '72 Deep Purple concert CD, this is the ticket.

Deep purple was the band that got me through High School. I thought the "Live in Japan" CD was the ultimate experience. I still have the original 2 LP album & yes I am that old. After reading all the reviews here I ordered the BBC version of Machine Head live. Well, I have to say, if you are a true DP fan, you owe yourself a listen. I had goosebumps on the opening track. I felt as if I was transformed to my high school days. The energy is there & the quality of the recordings are incredible for a concert so many years ago.
A comparison of the 2 live concerts is unavoidable so In my opinion, the Japan concert holds its place for the highest energy even though the recording quality is not that great. This BBC version is like an intimate affair with much better mic placement. Kind of like a MTV unplugged but with full amplification.
If you are a true DP fan, you owe it to yourself to relive a piece of history. I give this CD 5 stars.

I'm a big fan of Deep Purple, since the end of the 70's! I collected all of their albums! so do not get me wrong that I give this SACD only 3 stars! because the cd is a new reissue of LIVE In CONCERT 1970 - 1972 which had been released on vinyl for 18 years ago. And there is one thing you have to pay your attention is, that all Deep Purple reissue CD's are the marketing money maker strategy that the fans should really hate!
The songs are digital remastered, but not different than the old Vinyl release in 1981.