LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

Deep Purple was the first band to note that heavy metal and classical music share a certain deluded grandeur and attempted to combine the two. While what resulted--specifically, their Concerto for Group and Orchestra--was pretty fearful stuff, it did, for better or for worse, pave the way for a generation of classically influenced heavy-rock bands: King Crimson, Yes, and Queen, among others. The concerto on this live CD appears alongside a bunch of the Purple's more genteel songs they played at the Royal Albert Hall, a show that celebrated their 30th anniversary of their first appearance there. Ian Gillan, who can still do a creditable impression of a bomber revving for takeoff, shares vocals with Ronnie James Dio and Sam Brown.