The spirit of Iron Butterfly lives on into the 21st century with the 2009 DVD release of Iron Butterfly: Concert & Documentary Europe 1997. Released on ABC Entertainment and handled Stateside by Music Video Distributors, the nearly 2 hour concert performance is classic Butterfly highlighted by a 1997 version of their 18 minute 1968 rock epic “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.” Rock historians will note their original In A Gadda Da Vida album on Atlantic went on to sell upwards of 25 millions albums world wide. Interestingly, this DVD performance, caught live from Germany in 1997, features the original lineup with core members singer-keyboardist Doug Ingle, Ron Bushy (drums) and Lee Dorman (bass) along with guitarist Eric Barnett. Back in the late ‘60s, Iron Butterfly personified the spirit of heavy metal rock music with their fascinating mix of rock, blues and psychedelia and as such, were a huge influence on a number of English rock bands, especially Yes. Jon Anderson actually co-wrote a track with Ron Bushy for the ‘74 Scorching Beauty album. Highlighting the 104 minute in concert DVD is a fairly recent documentary featuring some cosmic remembrances from Ingle, Bushy and Dorman. The documentary part of the DVD also features an interview with Yes guitarist Steve Howe, who articulates the influence Iron Butterfly had on Yes during a six week 1971 concert tour that found Yes opening for Butterfly just months before they would conquer America with Fragile. Probably the coolest side long epic rock track of 1968, “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” has lost none of its psychedelic luster over the past 40 years and this version on the DVD stuns in its own way. With a 2009 lineup featuring Bushy and Dorman still touring, let’s hope Iron Butterfly regains some of their former glory and gets the chance to make their long awaited comeback. www.SeeOfSound.com

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