Deep Purple's "Last Concert In Japan" and "This Time Around - Live In Tokyo"

Hi. Thank you in advance for reading.

I've just received my copy of the "This Time Around - Live In Tokyo" CD by Deep Purple (how I wish this was released on vinyl!). This is the complete concert that was released in a heavily edited version in 1977 as the "Last Concert In Japan" LP. This was the first Deep Purple LP I bought in my life, on November 21, 1980. My introduction to "Smoke On The Water", a song which intro I heard lots of times on a TV commercial without knowing its name and performer. And it was exactly the version on this album, which is easily recognizable because of Coverdale's scream right after the guitar enters.

Because of that, and because I barely knew anything about Deep Purple at the time, I enjoyed this record a lot. But when I got to know the band more deeply, I developed a huge distaste toward this record. This was clearly Deep Purple at its worst (actually, from the very beginning I found Coverdale's screeching screams between songs really annoying, and maybe that's one of the reasons why I've never cared about him).

But since I knew that "Last Concert In Japan" was a heavily edited release, I found it interesting when I heard about the release of the complete concert in CD format. And just now I decided to add it to my collection.

And let me tell you: It's definitely NOT Deep Purple at its best but wow! What a difference! I guess the truly muddy sound of my LP influenced my perception (don't know if the original UK / Japan / US sounded like that or if it was a result of the "terrific" quality of Colombian LPs), but this CD has a truly open, "breathy" sound. I feel it like a totally different band altogether. It sounds fresh and energetic to me, as opposed to the uninspired band I heard on the LP.

I'm a big fan of vinyl, but this is a case in which the CD version of this album definitely smokes the original LP. If you, like me, are one of those that has thought all these years that "Last Concert In Japan" is Deep Purple at its worst, do yourself a favor and give a listening to "This Time Around". Still below "Made In Japan" and "Made In Europe", but not as awful as I used to think. Actually a really enjoyable performance with a terrific sound (although still hate Coverdale's screams between songs).

 

Wasn't that the concert in which Tommy Bolin played mostly single-handed guitar (open-tuned) because of a problem with his arm?

 

Yes, it is.

 

I never heard the vinyl edition, but heard horror stories about the mix. That said, even in its CD configuration, this concert is mediocre at best. It is shame that Tommy Bolin was dealing with partial numbness issues with this left arm because it was rare for Bolin to be recorded live via multi-track. Of the professionally recorded Deep Purple MKIV tapes, the 1976 Long Beach recording is still the best.

 

That was a day or two before the Tokyo show. His playing on this one is not great, but it's ok. Ian Paice and Lord are on top-form.

 

I agree. The Long Beach recording is far better. But the Tokyo show as a whole is not bad in my opinion.

 

That is correct as far as I can remember; Bolin's arm was regaining its strength by the time Tokyo came around, but apparently he wasn't 100%. That said, he clearly was feeling okay based on his inspired playing on Wild Dogs.

 

I always felt that "Last Concert In Japan" was 'nice' but nothing to write home about.
I was really pleasantly surprised when I heard "This Time Around - Live In Tokyo" as it shows Deep Purple were actually pretty good even when they were bad.
I think it is a pretty good show and I am very happy for my 2CD set.
And Ian Paice and Jon Lord are not just on op-form - they save the show!

 

this is unjustly maligned. bolin plays great on the "come taste the band material. on the older DP stuff he sounds like he never even heard the songs before. it makes me question the arm story.... i think he was just not interested in playing those songs.

 

I still have a copy of Last Concert in Japan that I got in the late 70's. Haven't listened to it in years. All I remember was that the mix is very keyboard-heavy. I really like the strange cover photo - it really looks like Deep Purple grinding to a halt!

 

Those have been my thoughts as well. The difference in his playing between his own material and the classic DP stuff is definitely noticeable.

 

I guess the reason why people still believe that Bolin played the Tokyo show with an open tuning, is because he was mixed very low on Last Concert in Japan. It's just a silly rock 'n' legend. I would like to see a guitarist who could possiby play Tommy Bolin's Tokyo performance with one finger and an open-tuning.

 

Bolin plays great on the tracks from "Come Taste The Band" but he wasn't interested in the older material.
Things started off fine when he joined the band and they recorded the album.
If one listen to the remastered 2CD version of "Come Taste The Band" one will hear a band on fire!
However, it did not take long before things began to turn sour.
When they rehearsed for the tour the others told him that he should play the old songs 'note by note'.
Bolin got annoyed and as some silent protest he wrote a note saying 'note by note' and put it on his mic stand.
He didn't like the idea and from then on things began to get off the track....

 

I'll third that opinion based on the Long Beach show (only heard the tracks included on The Ultimate box set from LCIJ).

 

The ONLY thing I like about Last Cocert in Japan is Tommy's Wild Dogs killer killer tune!!!

 

Interesting. For the older tunes, I always thought he just couldn't play them correctly vs Ritchie's versions. (IOW, I thought that he sucked as a guitarist.) So he just didn't care to play them well.

 

Tomy Bolin was an excellent guitarist and even Blackmore praised him in an interview once.
Bolin could with no doubt have played the older tunes correctly had he wanted to.
But he did not - because he did not care.
When the live recordings we have were made he had already fond out that Deep Purple was not a band for him.
A crying shame because things started out so well.

 

when weren't they

 

I gotta get this!

 

Imo-LCIJ on vinyl from Japan, beats any CD version of TTA.
Clearly, the OP's Colombian vinyl is compromised. I'm not saying I prefer LCIJ to This Time Around in terms of content, but had LCIJ been issued as a double LP, it would be a great sounding mix, as it is clearly better, sonically speaking.

 

I think 2 things then:

a) He knew he was stepping into Ritchie's shoes. I agree that he shouldn't have played all the old stuff note for note. But why not try to improve on them, or at the very least, put his own unique take on them. But really, I think it's like you say, he just didn't care. I don't get that. Look at how Steve Morse integrated himself into Purple. I think Steve Morse is just an OK guitarist, he has technical chops, but I don't think he can write as well as what Mk II did, but I certainly think he "cared more" about presenting the old stuff to audiences more than Tommy Bolin did. And that's a shame, really.

b) I will have to get some good Tommy Bolin someday. Seriously, based on how he played the old Purple stuff on Last Concert in Japan, and some of it he does a half decent job on actually, I just thought he wasn't a good guitarist!

I still have the early vinyl for LCiJ, and I agree that it sounds pretty good.

 

You and half the planet. The truth is very different. There's a reason why Jeff Beck and Prince both play Stratus live and it has a lot to do with Tommy Bolin. When he is on (like in the studio) he is on fire. Live, not so much. Jon Lord said he was nervous of large crowds "so he would tank up on heroin beforehand and this shambling, grinning thing would walk on stage" Bolin turned Jeff Beck's head around musically, and for giants Like Prince and Beck to be playing his tunes, well you can't get a better tribute to a great artist, than that. Tommy's tragedy is that he had it all, everything from the tone, the chops to the good looks and talent, but drugs got the better of him.

We were chatting on facebook last week and a guy there who saw Purple at Wembley simply said "poor Tommy..they didn't know how good he was" and I think that is exactly right.

 

I guess all of you interested in this subject matter know this video:

 

My Australian LCIJ LP sounds great and is dead silent. I like this record. I've come to really love Come Taste The Band. I agree with the previous poster who said Wild Dogs on LCIJ is killer!

 

That flanger on Tommy's guitar sounds like crap.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and offer that it seems that Tommy just didn't like being in Purple too much, judging from the reports that say that his playing on his own songs was ace and his performance on Purple's classics wasn't. And judging from Bolin's solo on Burn in this clip, that was not his best playing by any means. He doesn't see physically impaired, he just seems uninterested in putting himself out.