Why they waste away the achievements of the last decade?
Ok, here me out. IMO the Ezrin-era albums are some of the best DP albums ever made. I think people rank them low because of nostalgia they have towards older albums (and I get it, I was raised on In Rock and Machine Head) . But its clear that material-wise, production-wise and skills-wise they are in their 2nd golden era. Now, here's my point:
I am considering going to see DP in my country. But I worry about setlist. If it was material from last 4 records (+ the AWESOME new single) + Smoke on the Water (for fans to sing mostly) and maybe Lazy, then fine, I would pay even double. It would be an amazing show. But despite making this top-level material for over a decade now (since NOW What!?) for some reason when preparing for the tour they still say: "Hmm... how about we let Ian murder Highway Star another 500 times?". He should be banned from singing 70s and 80s songs (and 90s too actually). If it was the band that tours rarely I could understand the argument that "fans in such-and-such country never heard the classics" but at this point every country on earth heard Highway Star, Into the Fire, When a Blind Man Cries etc. about a milion times.
It bothers me. In 70s and 80s when they released a new album they would play half of it live at least. Now we get awesome records and the tour is still same old songs. That's a waste. I would pay DOUBLE if they played a set like:
Arrogant Boy
Bit on the Side
Pictures of You
Aprez Vous
The Power of the Moon
All the time in the world
Show Me
Time for Bedlam
Throw My Bones
One Night in Vegas or All I Got is You
The Surprising
Vincent Price
Lazy Sod
Lazy
Smoke On The Water
Space Truckin