Deep Purple - Live at Montreux 1996 (2006)
Deep Purple – Live at Montreux 1996 (2006)
A reborn Deep Purple finds its footing
Released in 2006, Live at Montreux 1996 captures Deep Purple during a crucial rebuilding phase. Recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival on July 15, 1996, this performance documents the band with Steve Morse fully integrated on guitar, several years after replacing Ritchie Blackmore.
This is not a farewell album, nor a crisis document like Live in Europe 1993. Instead, it presents Deep Purple as a revitalized, forward-looking band, proving they could survive — and thrive — without their most famous guitarist.
🎧 Mini Album Review
Live at Montreux 1996 is confident, relaxed, and musically adventurous.
Steve Morse brings fluid phrasing, extended harmonic ideas, and a lighter touch, which opens new spaces for Jon Lord’s Hammond organ. Ian Gillan sounds more comfortable than he had in the early ’90s, adjusting melodies intelligently rather than forcing range.
The performance doesn’t rely purely on nostalgia. Classics are reinterpreted, tempos breathe, and improvisation feels collaborative rather than combative.
Verdict:
A strong live statement that confirms the Steve Morse era was not a compromise — but a reinvention.
🎶 Tracklist
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Fireball
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Ted the Mechanic
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Pictures of Home
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Black Night
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Woman from Tokyo
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No One Came
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When a Blind Man Cries
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Speed King
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Smoke on the Water
The inclusion of Purpendicular material alongside classic tracks reflects a band looking ahead, not backward.
👥 Personnel – Mark VII Lineup
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Ian Gillan – Vocals
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Steve Morse – Guitar
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Jon Lord – Hammond organ, keyboards
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Roger Glover – Bass
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Ian Paice – Drums
This lineup would remain stable for over a decade, becoming one of the longest-running versions of Deep Purple.
🎼 Performance Highlights
🔥 Fireball
Reworked with new guitar textures, shedding some of its original brutality in favor of rhythmic complexity.
🎸 Ted the Mechanic
A showcase for Morse’s compositional mindset — melodic, technical, but deeply musical.
🎹 When a Blind Man Cries
One of the emotional peaks of the show, delivered with restraint and maturity.
🌫 Smoke on the Water
Played with subtle variations that avoid cliché, proving the song could evolve without losing its identity.
🎷 Montreux: A Sacred Ground
Montreux is inseparable from Deep Purple’s story, and by 1996, the band had a near-spiritual relationship with the festival. Unlike the chaotic early ’70s appearances, this show reflects comfort and respect — Deep Purple as seasoned professionals returning to a place that helped shape their myth.
📊 Release & Reception
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Released as part of Deep Purple’s official Montreux archive series
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Strongly welcomed by fans of the post-Blackmore era
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Praised for its sound quality and relaxed performance
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Particularly popular in Europe and Japan
The album reinforced the idea that the Morse-era lineup was artistically valid and creatively productive.
🎸 Fun Facts & Trivia
🎸 Morse’s comfort zone
By 1996, Steve Morse was no longer “the new guy” — this performance shows him fully confident.
🎹 Jon Lord’s adaptability
Lord adjusts his playing style to Morse’s harmonic approach, resulting in richer textures.
🎤 Gillan’s strategy
Gillan smartly modifies vocal lines, emphasizing phrasing and emotion over sheer power.
📀 Delayed release
Although recorded in 1996, the album was officially released ten years later.
🤔 Did You Know?
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Purpendicular (1996) is often considered Deep Purple’s strongest post-1970s studio album.
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Steve Morse never attempted to imitate Ritchie Blackmore’s style, deliberately reshaping classic songs.
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Jon Lord would continue performing at Montreux regularly, both with Deep Purple and solo.
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Montreux concerts are among the best-recorded performances in Deep Purple’s archive.
🎼 Album Credits
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Recorded: July 15, 1996
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Venue: Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland
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Released: 2006
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Label: EMI / Purple Records
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Producer: Roger Glover
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Format: CD, DVD (select editions), digital
🧠 Legacy & Final Thoughts
Live at Montreux 1996 documents rebirth rather than nostalgia. It shows Deep Purple letting go of old battles and embracing a new musical identity — one based on cooperation, flexibility, and forward momentum.
For listeners skeptical of the post-Blackmore era, this album offers clear proof that Deep Purple were still a creative force. For longtime fans, it’s a reminder that reinvention can be just as powerful as tradition.