Live on the BBC is another one of those superb BBC recordings that got lost in the shuffle over the years. God knows why this material did not surface sooner in the SACD format. Originally recorded in 1972, the album was not released until 1980, yet another tragedy for the band and music as a whole. Well, let bygones be bygones and move on. Now we can enjoy it in all its blazing glory in full surround sound, and with two bonus tracks to sweeten the pie. Was it worth the wait? I think so.

What more can be said about the importance of Deep Purple and their fine contributions to heavy metal and blues-rock based music? Okay then, enough said. Per usual the sound is outstanding, as are all BBC recordings usually are, only this time out the sound is exceptionally enhanced. A relative newcomer, the Audio Fidelity label, is making their mark in the burgeoning SACD market. With powerful releases such as this, they will surely move up a few more notches to compete with everyone else doing the same thing. With the exception of not bringing out the guitar to the fullest in some instances, this is near perfect for an archived live recording.

Wait until you hear "Space Truckin'," it runs over 20 minutes and there are parts that hardly sound like the original track because of all the improvisation live, its absolutely wonderful actually, and it sounds like more of a progressive rock number than the original metal-rock song that you heard on AOR stations back in the '70s. It is all refreshing and innovative as hell to be honest and I think longtime fans will gobble this one up while new fans will certainly be garnered along the way. This one is a no brainer and a can't miss pick up for any rock fan worth his or her salt.