Total Abandon: Australia ‘99
Deep Purple
Label: Eagle Records
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Review Date: April 22, 2012
Hey, guys! Remember back when we were teens in the seventies and we’d play air guitar to Deep Purple’s Smoke on the Water? You didn’t? Uh, yeah, me, either.
Moving right along.
As a teenage boy in the seventies – while all my friends were playing air guitar to Smoke on the Water – I was delving into the finer nuances of Deep Purple’s Made In Japan album that the iconic tune came off of. Whether it was that song, Highway Star or Woman From Tokyo, that album commanded my attention every time it was played.
Well, those boys from Deep Purple are set to release for the first time (at least in the U.S.) another live album that is sure to be a classic. Entitled Total Abandon: Australia ’99, this CD was originally only available in DVD format in the 2008 box set, Around the World Live. The band line-up at the time was Ian Gillan on vocals, Steve Morse on guitar, Roger Glover on bass, the great Ian Paice on drums and Jon Lord on keyboards.
It goes without saying that, included in the Boomerocity favorites are the tunes that I – I mean, my friends – played air guitar to. I don’t want to spoil the surprise for you but I will say that you’re going to absolutely LOVE the very cool and creative guitar lead in to Smoke on the Water. It’s one for the record books.
Another Boomerocity favorite is album opener, Ted the Mechanic. The word that comes to mind to describe this version of the tune is “fun”. It’s the perfect song to start a concert with and is just about guaranteed to have the crowds on their happy feet in right at a nanosecond.
Worthy of infinite slaps of the repeat button is the jam-happy version of Pictures of Home. Morse just flat outdoes himself on the guitar work on this tune. Exhilarating and majestic in its delivery, it bombards the audio senses in the most pleasant of ways.
Classic and prog rock fans alike will want this CD both for the memories it conjures up as well as the incredible musicianship demonstrated by these guys. You’re really gonna love this album!
Written by Randy Patterson
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