Deep Purple "Phoenix Rising"
Eagle Vision
All Access Review: A -
All was not well with Deep Purple when version Mark IV
accepted a lucrative offer to jet off to Jakarta, Thailand, to play before a
people hungry for just a little taste of big-time, arena-sized, hard rock. For
starters, Mark IV had in its stable not one, but two, drug-crazed toxic twins
in bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes and guitar wunderkind Tommy Bolin, both of
whom were being dragged to their own personal hells by severe addictions and
free-for-all excess. That factor alone should have spelled doom for Mark IV,
but there were other divisive issues, like the fact that keyboardist Jon Lord
wasn’t completely onboard with the soulful, more groove-oriented direction of
the newly constituted lineup, now down to two original members, Lord and
drummer Ian Paice. The old guard was, somewhat reluctantly, ceding authority to
the new one, and into the void of leadership stepped Hughes, Bolin and hairy
vocal god David Coverdale, who had replaced Ian Gillan.
Their styles inevitably clashed. And Lord will tell anybody
who cares to listen that 1975’s Come
Taste the Band was really not a Deep Purple album. It was a
Hughes-Coverdale-Bolin project, backed by two longtime Deep Purple veterans, as
Lord explains in “Getting Tighter,” a frank and revealing 90-minute documentary
packaged with the new DVD, “Phoenix Rising,” that delves, often uncomfortably,
into Deep Purple’s troubled transition from the Ritchie Blackmore years into
its short-lived, turmoil-filled Mark IV phase. It is accompanied by a true
treasure, the lost, but incredibly well-filmed 30-minute “Rises Over Japan”
concert footage that is now finally seeing the light of day. An electric performance
sees Coverdale and company roaring through “Burn,” giving a smoldering
rendition of “You Keep on Moving,” slinking around the funky “Love Child” and
blazing through “Smoke on the Water” and the scorching closer “Highway Star,”
which drives the audience nuts – after all Japan always has been, historically,
a Deep Purple stronghold. It’s one of the very rare pieces of film that shows
Bolin playing with Deep Purple, and for that, it is absolutely essential. The
playing is muscular, Coverdale’s vocals are masculine and sexy, and the band
seems invigorated, even if they know the end is near. But, then there’s that
documentary, as strangely gripping as a car wreck.
Through gritted teeth, and trying to be as diplomatic as
possible, Lord recounts those days of ruin in his own words in “Getting
Tighter,” just as Hughes presents another perspective, one of a repentant wild
man who has come to grips with the fact that his lurid appetites probably
contributed to the fall of one of rock’s greatest groups. It’s a fascinating
account of a period in Deep Purple’s existence that has, in some ways, been
sort of brushed under the rug … with good reason. For all involved, it’s not a
particularly pleasant episode – Coverdale would not even consent to take part
in the film. These were, after all, the last days of Deep Purple – yes,
different versions of the band would later reunite, but for all intents and
purposes, this was it. And for Hughes, especially, that brief time he was with
Deep Purple, as artistically gratifying as it may have been, was when his
addiction took hold.
Then, there was Jakarta, a tragic piece of history that
would rank right up there with Altamont had it not happened in a place ignored
by most of the world, like Thailand. Not pulling any punches, Lord and Hughes, the only Deep
Purple members interviewed here, explain in detail what happened to Purple.
From the notorious California Jam gig, where Blackmore memorably destroyed a TV
camera in a complete onstage meltdown, on through Hughes’ recruitment, Mark
III’s Stormbringer and Blackmore’s
subsequent departure, and then trumpeting Bolin’s flamboyant arrival, the drugs
and the Jakarta incident, followed by the almost anticlimactic breakup.
For those unfamiliar with the Jakarta story, it’s a murky
tale to be sure. Invited to play Jakarta as the first rock band from the U.K.
or America to play Thailand, Deep Purple gladly accepted a big cash offer to do
it. Met with incredible fanfare – oddly way-over-the-top as Hughes recalls
riding with tanks and soldiers on a convoy through town, as the people lavished
the band with an outpouring of affection – Deep Purple experienced corrupt
promoters who tried to stiff them on their payment and stuff over 100,000
people into a 50,000-seat stadium. Then, there was the murder of one of the
minders hired to care for Hughes and Bolin. Hughes was arrested for the crime,
and the band was forced to play a second show while grieving terribly for its
loss. Hughes openly describes the duress he was under and recounts how thuggish
security guards turned the dogs loose on the crowd, as all hell broke loose and
fans were mauled by the animals.
Not a pretty picture, is it? Well, neither is the guitar
case of cocaine Lord says he saw. This is as ugly a story of rock ‘n’ roll
excess as has ever been told, though there are bright spots. The amount of rare
vintage concert footage, from various phases of Deep Purple’s life, is
astounding, as are the interview pieces from yesterday with Bolin and Paice and
the film of Deep Purple, and its entourage, actually in Jakarta, getting off
the plane and setting up for those doomed shows. And for all of Lord’s
reservations about Come Taste the Band,
he does extol the virtues of Bolin’s thrilling musicianship and the album’s
strengths as a rock record. For his part, through the self-flagellation, Hughes
also seems to sincerely view the work on that record as one of the most
artistically rewarding times of his life.
And so, what’s here is an amazing tale, one that’s far more
than just a tawdry, sensationalized “Behind the Music” stumble into the gutter.
But, questions remain, such as why no Coverdale? Why is he not a part of this?
And why are Hughes and Lord the only ones talking? Couldn’t the filmmakers
bring a broader perspective to the documentary? If “Phoenix Rising” – and its
centerpiece “Getting Tighter” – comes up a bit a short, this is the reason.
Ultimately, however, there is so much to love about this collection. The
electronic press kit for Come Taste the
Band in “Phoenix Rising” is a wonderfully detailed look at the record,
complete with a track-by-track assessment by Hughes and Lord. And that’s not
all. There is also a great reproduction of an old Record World magazine section devoted to Deep Purple that includes
a wide array of interviews with band members and their associates,
advertisements, photos … if the documentary wasn’t enough for you, this should
seal the deal. Furthermore, there is a special two-disc DVD/CD package that
will include an audio version of “Rises Over Japan.” Run, don’t walk, to get
this.
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Peter Lindblad
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