This is a strange set. For one thing, it screams "unauthorized." The opening tracks are almost certainly bootleg recordings. Rather than focusing on the beginning of the band, as the title suggests, this has material from various periods of the group. There is no indication of when or where these live tracks were recorded, or even who is in the band on each song. Given the list of incarnations of Deep Purple, that's somewhat important information to have. The two people I can confidently say are on all these performances are the two Ians - Gillan and Paice. All that said, there are some very strong performances here, and I really enjoy a lot of it quite a bit. Sure, some of the tracks leave a lot to be desired in terms of recording quality, especially on the first CD, but there is plenty of stuff here, and some interesting live showings.

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This live recording sounds very much like a bootleg audience tape. It suffers from audio issues, but the performance is on fire. The instrumental break on this drops the intensity and allows some space for jamming. This killer track runs nearly 11 minutes long. They rock it out and yet manage stretch out mid-song for that extended jam.

This rocker sounds like it comes from the same recording as the first song was. It's another solid rocker that is classic Deep Purple. This eventually works out to a jam featuring some killer guitar work.

A pretty trademark styled Deep Purple jam is on the menu here. At less than two-and-a-half minutes long, this is the shortest track on this first CD.

I love this song, and this live recording of it is a little over 17-and-a-half minutes long. It feels like it might be from the same tape, but the quality seems a little better. They put in some pretty killer jamming on the number, taking it in a lot of directions. This piece has always been both psychedelic and progressive rock leaning, but that prog angle really gets accentuated in this recording.

This riff driven Deep Purple classic gets a strong live performance. It does suffer some due to the recording quality.

This old time rock and roller gets the Deep Purple treatment here. The organ is a big feature. The recording really gets in the way of this because the quality here seems worse.

Running more than 18 minutes long, this jam is cool, and the recording quality seems better. This covers so much ground. There are classically based movements. It gets into more of a blues rocking sound at other times. The keyboards are in the driver's seat for parts of this. The guitar takes that position for others. Even the bass gets to solo.

This is obviously a different recording, feeling more like something from the soundboard, but it does have some tape issues. The performance of this early classic is absolutely on fire.

This fierce rocker works pretty well, but the recording gets in the way again. The performance is strong, though.

Another vintage Deep Purple classic, the sound on this seems better. It's a real powerhouse performance, too. This is one of my favorites on this set.

More classic Deep Purple is on the menu here. I love the riffing on this thing, and the whole tune rocks with style. While the recording isn't quite as good as the last track, it's a step up from much of the stuff here. There is a smoking hot guitar work out built into this thing.

I've never been a big fan of this song. I think it tends to be over-rated. This live take is solid, though. The recording quality is on the better end, too. The mellower movement takes on a bit of a prog-rock angle that I think serves it well.

More of a bluesy rocker, this features some exceptional guitar work. The sound quality is much better here. It's an intriguing cut and a strong performance of it. We get some harmonica wailing later in the track, and the number is quite dynamic. It fades out to end abruptly, though.

This gets some great guitar work at the beginning of the track. It even includes some nods to some other songs. I dig this version of the song quite a bit. It has some interesting jamming built into it along with a short audience participation section.

I think I prefer this version of the song. The jam mid-track is positively on fire. The whole tune has a bit more of a driving energy, and the recording quality is much improved. They throw in a little bit of "Silent Night" later in the track. There is also an extended vocal and guitar call-and-response section included here.

I'm a big fan of this song, and this live rendition of the rocker works really well. I think this is another highlight.

They start this with an almost proggy introduction. The cut drives out from there into the familiar territory. This is a literally screaming hot rendition, and the sound is quite good. This set may have started a little wobbly, but they end it in style.