Photos by Andy Argyrakis

When Deep Purple wound its way through Tinley Park a half-dozen years ago, it was part of “The Long Goodbye,” but considering the English legends just came back to the Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre, that didn’t really wind up being the case.

Yet rather than the “= 1 More Time” Tour being merely a repeat of the supposed swan song, the hard rock/heavy metal forefathers are concurrently celebrating the 50th anniversary of the seminal “Smoke On The Water” single and released an entirely new album, simply titled “=1.”

It actually marks the first official project with newly acquired (and extraordinary) guitarist Simon McBride, who alongside main members Ian Gillan (vocals), Roger Glover (bass) and Ian Paice (drums), plus longtime keyboardist Don Airey, made sure to focus on more aggressive current cuts than any other album in an extensive discography.

There were also some but far from all the older treasures sprinkled in throughout 90 minutes, including the starter “Highway Star,” “Into The Fire,” “Lazy” and “Space Truckin’” to transport lifelong fans and the next generations alike back to the 1970s.

In either era, Deep Purple pummeled with the unrelenting aggression of its younger years, which considering the principals are rapidly approaching their 80s, was a testament to their well-preserved virtuoso talents, although Gillan’s voice is obviously showing signs of wear.

And no matter who was behind the riff that Ritchie Blackmore originated, “Smoke On The Water” came across as iconic as ever, continuing to be the band’s defining moment out of many major “Black Night(s).”

Speaking of master musicians, the latest line-up of Yes supported for 75 minutes, starring fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famer/guitarist Steve Howe, keyboardist Geoff Downes, singer Jon Davison, bassist Billy Sherwood and drummer Jay Schellen performing in front of a slide show of Roger Dean designs, through they were unfortunately not shown on the video screens.

Despite not having enough time or production to fully explore the vast annals of the prog gods who’ve been going for well over 50 years, “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Yours Is No Disgrace,” “Going For The One,” “Siberian Khatru,” “Roundabout” and “Starship Trooper” were amongst the satisfying sampling of some seriously “Classic Tales.”

For additional information on Deep Purple and Yes, visit DeepPurple.com and YesWorld.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre include Styx and Foreigner (Aug. 24); The Doobie Brothers (Aug. 25); Pitbull (Aug. 30); Fuerza Regida (Sept. 1); Megadeth (Sept. 3); Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and John Mellencamp (Sept. 7); Staind and Breaking Benjamin (Sept. 14); Junior H (Sept. 15) and Korn (Sept. 28). For additional details, visit LiveNation.com.

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