Many people might think that the big bands exaggerate when they constantly release live albums. We were used to live albums being released after three to five studio albums and being representative of each current tour. During the last decade music companies have gone too far with that matter as they bank on the mood or even on the addiction of the diehard fans of each band to buy any release they come across.
The album “…To The Rising Sun – in Tokyo” is a case which combines both of the above. Recorded (and filmed) on April 12th 2014 at Deep Purple’s “holiday resort” in Japan, Nippon Budokan Hall of Tokyo, is a typical concert of the British legends for “Now What” but not so typical of the band’s wider repertoire. It contains five songs from their latest album, “The Well – Dressed Guitar” from the tour edition of “Rapture of The Deep” as well as the instrumental “Contact Lost” from “Bananas”. Jewels like ‘Highway Star”, “Fireball”, “Woman From Tokyo” and “Child In Time” from their classic period are missing. The reason why I mention the last one is for the non-insiders as it hasn’t been played live for decades.
Deep Purple sound really well, Ian Gillian is taking it easy with his screaming in order to sound as decent as possible and I must say that the result is satisfying in general. Songs such as “Strange Kind Of Woman”, “Perfect Strangers”, “Space Truckin”, “Smoke On The Water” and “Black Night” verify it as well as the….fresh ones “Apres Vous” , “Vincent Price” and “Hell To Pay”.
This release is like a supplement to “From the Setting Sun… (In Wacken)” which was recorded almost a year before. They are both out in double c.d/ DVD and in beautiful editions of a triple vinyl which I strongly recommend.
