Deep Purple - This Time Around: Live in Tokyo (2001)
Deep Purple – This Time Around: Live in Tokyo (2001)
A mature band, a respectful audience, and a powerful Mk VII statement
Released in 2001, This Time Around: Live in Tokyo captures Deep Purple during their 1995 Japanese tour, a period when the band had fully settled into the Steve Morse era and rediscovered long-term stability after decades of lineup turbulence. Recorded at the Nippon Budokan and other Tokyo venues, the album documents a confident, disciplined, and musically rich Deep Purple — less chaotic than their 1970s peak, but no less powerful.
Unlike explosive classics such as Made in Japan, this album is about control, experience, and chemistry. It shows Deep Purple as seasoned masters of their craft, delivering authoritative performances to one of the most loyal fanbases in rock history.
🎌 Context: Deep Purple in the Mid-1990s
By 1995, Deep Purple had entered a new chapter. Ritchie Blackmore had permanently left the band in 1993, and Steve Morse — formerly of Dixie Dregs and Kansas — had taken over guitar duties. What initially felt like a risky move soon proved to be a creative reset.
The band lineup at the time:
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Ian Gillan – vocals
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Steve Morse – guitar
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Jon Lord – keyboards
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Roger Glover – bass
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Ian Paice – drums
This lineup (often referred to as Mk VII) would become one of the longest-lasting in Deep Purple’s history. This Time Around: Live in Tokyo captures the band early in that era, when Morse had fully earned his place and the group sounded rejuvenated rather than nostalgic.
Japan, long known for its respectful audiences and excellent recording conditions, was the ideal setting to document this rebirth.
🎧 Mini Album Review
This is Deep Purple playing with clarity and authority.
The performances are tight without being stiff, energetic without being reckless. Steve Morse brings a clean, fluid guitar style that reshapes classic songs without rewriting them, while Jon Lord’s Hammond organ remains the band’s spiritual center. Ian Paice, as always, plays with precision and swing that younger drummers still chase.
Ian Gillan’s vocals are understandably more restrained than in the early 1970s, but he compensates with phrasing, experience, and control. Rather than forcing old high notes, he delivers songs with character and weight — particularly effective on darker material like “Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming.”
Sonically, the album is clear and well-balanced, with more audience presence than soundboard releases but less crowd dominance than Made in Japan. It feels professional, warm, and immersive — a true concert experience without artificial hype.
Verdict:
A mature, confident live album that proves Deep Purple were still a formidable live band well into their third decade.
🎶 Tracklist – This Time Around: Live in Tokyo
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Ted the Mechanic
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Pictures of Home
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Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming
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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
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Highway Star
The setlist balances modern-era material (“Ted the Mechanic,” “Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming”) with reworked classics, showing a band that refused to live entirely in the past.
🎸 Performance Highlights
🔥 “Ted the Mechanic”
A strong opener that emphasizes the band’s post-Blackmore identity. Morse’s phrasing is precise and melodic, while the rhythm section sounds locked in.
🎹 “Pictures of Home”
One of the album’s standout performances. Jon Lord’s organ lines soar, and Morse respectfully reinterprets Blackmore’s iconic parts without imitation.
💔 “When a Blind Man Cries”
Emotionally restrained and deeply effective. Gillan’s delivery is mature and sincere, making this one of the most powerful moments on the album.
🚀 “Highway Star”
Still fast, still dangerous — but played with surgical precision rather than youthful recklessness.
📊 Commercial Performance & Release Strategy
This Time Around: Live in Tokyo was released primarily for:
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Dedicated fans
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The Japanese and European markets
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Listeners interested in the modern Deep Purple era
It did not aim for major chart impact, but like many Purple live releases, it performed solidly as a catalog title, particularly in Japan and Germany. Exact sales figures were never heavily publicized, but the album’s continued availability and positive reception indicate steady long-term demand.
👥 Personnel – Mk VII Lineup
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Ian Gillan – Lead 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 intact for several years and is often praised for its professionalism, stability, and musical depth.
🎸 Fun Facts & Trivia
🎌 Japan connection:
Deep Purple have always enjoyed exceptional popularity in Japan, where audiences are known for listening attentively and responding enthusiastically — ideal for live recordings.
🎸 Morse’s philosophy:
Steve Morse consciously avoided copying Blackmore’s solos note-for-note, opting instead to reinterpret songs with respect and originality.
🎹 Jon Lord’s late-era peak:
Many fans consider Lord’s 1990s live performances among his most refined, blending classical discipline with rock power.
📀 Title meaning:
“This Time Around” subtly reflects the band’s renewed sense of permanence after years of instability.
🤔 Did You Know?
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This album documents one of the earliest fully confident tours with Steve Morse.
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Several songs were subtly rearranged to suit Gillan’s evolving vocal range.
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The Japanese recordings benefited from exceptionally high recording standards, contributing to the album’s clarity.
🧠 Legacy & Final Thoughts
This Time Around: Live in Tokyo doesn’t try to compete with Made in Japan — and that’s its strength. Instead of chaos and shock, it offers craft, confidence, and cohesion.
It proves that Deep Purple weren’t just surviving in the 1990s — they were thriving in a different way, adapting without surrendering their identity.
For newcomers, it’s a great introduction to modern Deep Purple.
For longtime fans, it’s reassurance that the band’s fire never truly went out — it simply learned control.
