Deep Purple « Classic Rock Review

Deep Purple Stormbringer (1974)

From progarchives.com

Review by The Quiet One

Ahh, Stormbringer, my second studio album purchase from the masters of Hammond-Organ led Heavy Rock. After having listened to Come Taste the Band, I wanted more with the same singer: David Coverdale. I’ve heard a compilation of Deep Purple which featured Stormbringer, and gees, it rocked!! In the same vein as Burn or many rockers from the MK 2. Anyways, I was in for a surprise, the album as a whole ended up being a totally different thing.

Burn had showed the fans that even without Gillan and Glover that they could still ROCK! Classic tunes everywhere, stunning guitar solos, heavy riffs, flashy hammond solos, stunning vocal perfomances and like always a powerful drumming.

With Stormbringer, Glenn Hughes and David Coverdale decided to contribute with their own ideas rather than following orders from The Man in Black. Jon Lord and Ian Paice just followed instructions and, as always, doing a wonderful job in any of the styles commanded. This bringing Ritchie upset and finally deciding to leave the band after the tour from this album, and as a result making his own band, Rainbow, this one following the foot-steps of the hard rock songs from here, which are few, as well as new ideas.

Stormbringer besides the heavy title track, which is unfortunately a misleading opener due to making the listener think it will be another Burn album, the album in general features a soft, chilling mood, never heard before in any Deep Purple album. This is consequence of Glenn’s contribution to the band, introducing his funk roots from his first band, Trapeze. Still you got one more rocker, Lady Double Dealer, bringing back memories of their heavy rock days, though to be honest, it’s a quite weak one. And at the end of the album, you got Soldier of Fortune and The Gypsy, both in the vein of future Rainbow, led by Ritchie Blackmore, of course. Soldier of Fortune featuring a ballad style, still very interesting, being one of the few acoustic tunes ever made by Deep Purple; Ritchie would make a similar song with Rainbow called Catch the Rainbow, again, with excellent vocal perfomance, this time with Dio. Then The Gypsy, features the darker mood of the title track, more in the style of their previous album, Burn, while not heavy, you can definitely mix it in a compilation with songs from Burn. These 4 songs, Stormbringer, Lady Double Dealer, The Gypsy & Soldier of Fortune, resemble the ”classic” roots of Burn, no funk influences, just pure Ritchie & Co, rather than the ”real” MK 3/4, which really is Hughes, Coverdale(and Bolin) & Co.

The rest of the album, Love Don’t Mean a Thing, Holy Man, Hold On, You Can’t Do It Right and High Ball Shooter, is what made hardcore MK 2, hard rock and Deep Purple fans in general dissapointed. All these songs featuring the new ideas from Mr. Hughes, creating a totally chilled or groovy band, still with excellent song-writing and composition, as well as musicianship. The ones featuring a groovy style would be, You Can’t Do It Right and Hold On, with their addictive chorus’. The first one featuring further exploration of the Moog by Jon Lord, which would soon replace his classic Hammond-Organ in the following album, and later in Whitesnake, as well as having addictive riff. Then, Hold On, features addictive, catchy duo vocals, from Hughes and Coverdale, simply STUNNING! As well as a classic guitar solo, and a catchy hammond solo, pittily short. Previously, Love Don’t Mean a Thing and Holy Man, are featured in the album, presenting the chilling influences from Hughes. Both featuring a entertaining song-writing and composition, even if they’re chilling songs, Love Don’t Mean a Thing again features the beautiful duo of vocals, while Holy Man focuses on Glenn’s wide high-pitched variation vocals, simply wonderful. Finally High Ball Shooter, being the last song compromising the ”hate” songs from this album, while oddly enough, this one may boder-line with some hard rock roots, mainly because of it’s riff, which was created way back in Burn. Anyways, the song compromises a big funk/groovy influence also, mainly lead by Jon’s amazing Organ, which he decides in this song, to make a 1 minute Organ solo, while not as awesome as Lazy’s, it’s just incredible, and really makes this song excellent.

As you see, Stormbringer is a mixed bag of 4 songs compromising Deep Purple’s classic hard rock style, while the rest, are adventuring through new grounds as well as letting more song-writing freedom to the new members. I’m in the odd side here, simply loving the new influences incorporated to the 5 songs mentioned before, while pretty caring less about the 4 classic DP song-writing song, this is surely because these are not excellent written hard rock songs, which if I decide to listen to DP rocking, I take any album from In Rock up to Burn rather than listen to average at best rockers in an excellent groovy/chilling album. Stormbringer truly shows the real talents of Glenn and David as song-writers, as well as vocalists.

Pitty the album isn’t consistent, if it were, it would surely be a masterpiece like Come Taste the Band.

4 stars: those who expect another Burn, please don’t come here. Those who really want to know David’s and Glenn’s capabilities as song-writers and vocalists, this album is it. While of course, if you liked this because of the groovy side, then make sure to check the following, Come Taste the Band.

March 31, 2022 Posted by Jerry | Deep Purple Stormbringer | Deep Purple | 1 Comment

Deep Purple’s track-by-track guide to Burn (1974)

From loudersound.com

David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes and Ian Paice reveal the secrets of Burn, Deep Purple’s first album with the Mark III line-up

The first album made by Deep Purple’s Mark III line-up, Burn was album that catapulted David Coverdale from nowhere to an international star overnight. It also saw the introduction of Trapeze bassist and singer Glenn Hughes, lured into the band by the prospect of filthy lucre and the chance to sing alongside Paul Rodgers, who’d been first choice for the Coverdale role.

The arrival of the the men from Redcar and Cannock gave Purple new impetus, and while the world waited for them to crumble, the new line-up solidified. Burn sold by the bucketful.

Below, Coverdale, Hughes and drummer Ian Paice take us through the album, track-by-track.

Burn

David Coverdale: I wrote about half a dozen sets of lyrics for this song – I was that keen! The final words to Burn – and also the words to the Stormbringer song for the next album, for idle curiosity – came about because I was just trying to please Ritchie [Blackmore], I guess. These lyrics aren’t the stuff I would normally write; I looked upon them as science-fiction poems.

Glenn Hughes: Blackmore came up with that classic rock riff, but there’s a lot of talk about it being ripped from something that was written in the forties. [George Gershwin’s] Fascinating Rhythm, wasn’t it? I think it could be from that. Every artist borrows from other artists – but this is a classic example of where Ritchie may have taken something from the forties or fifties.

Ian Paice: It’s a pretty well-played track. It’s got a rapid pace about it. I’ve always said that playing fast is a lot easier than playing slow, because if you play something fast and you screw up, nobody really hears it. But if you play slow and you screw something up, then everybody hears it. I think that as an opening statement from the Mark III line-up, it’s pretty cool.

Might Just Take Your Life

DC: I think that came out of Jon [Lord]; it was one of Jon’s ideas. It was particularly difficult for Jon as a composer to work in a guitar-oriented rock scenario, but there was a perfect marriage [between keyboards and guitar] on Might Just Take Your Life as far as I was concerned.

GH: Pretty much introducing the dual lead vocals of Hughes and Coverdale. I don’t think this song could have been written for the Mark II line-up because it definitely had more of a bluesy-based feel, hence Lordy’s intro with the Hammond thing.

IP: That was really playing into David’s blues range – it was just to find that groove and let a fairly simple little rock’n’roll song take over.

Lay Down Stay Down

DC: I was a bit worried when I first heard the remastered version; it sounded really dorky and softer than it should have been. I think they’ve adjusted that; I would hope so. But it was wonderful to hear it again after so many years because I don’t really go back that far and listen to old songs – I just enjoy the memories.

GH: It’s another fresh-sounding song and Paicey plays brilliantly.

IP: It harkens back a little bit rhythmically to Mark II. It had some of that rock’n’roll fire in it, while some of the other tracks on Burn were slowly moving in a different direction. I think you could’ve heard Lay Down Stay Down – OK, with a different lyric – but it could just as easily have sat on In Rock as it did on Burn.

Sail Away

DC: That was one of my first, really forceful lyrics – but I still think it should have been either me or Glenn who sang the whole song; it throws the sentiment and the atmosphere of the song by having dual singers. Either one of us could’ve done it justice.

GH: I just love the sound of Blackers’ guitar. I really love this particular song.

IP: One of my favourite tracks – I just love the riff on it. It’s got a wonderful feel.

You Fool No One

DC: This highlights once again the dual-harmony style of Glenn and myself which kind of borrowed from Cream a little bit.

GH: Paicey loved Bonzo [John Bonham], and Bonzo was also a dear friend of mine, and I think we might’ve been listening to a little Led Zeppelin. I don’t think Paicey would mind me telling you this, because we were room-mates at the time. So Paicey actually came up with that drum groove… he came up with this amazing drum track and it was one of the first takes we did.

IP: I was messing around with a rudiment involving the cowbell and the bass drum, and as I was playing Ritchie came in with his riff and they just went together. Basically it’s a drum paradiddle between the cowbell and the bass drum and the snare drum, but it’s a wonderful four-four meter that you can play this rudiment in.

What’s Goin’ On Here

DC: That’s just a bit of fun. It was actually based around a Jimi Hendrix song – it might have been Highway Chile. It gave Jon a great opportunity to stretch out a little.

GH: David and I had fun singing it. It’s just a twelve-bar blues song, very simple, very live.

IP: Just a nice, simple little blues, really. Fun to play, but an album track, you know.

Mistreated

DC: This track kind of sums up what I brought to Purple, in terms of establishing a separate identity away from the Mark III line-up. This song and Sail Away, of course. That’s what I brought to the mix. Mistreated still has legs, it still has life, and it still means a lot to people.

GH: When Ritchie first played me the riff I knew immediately how at home I would be in Purple.

IP: It’s a great vehicle for David’s voice. It’s a very, very clever little riff because it’s so simple. And the simplicity is enhanced by a great sound from the guitar. It creates a mood – not just the vocal parts but the solo parts, the way they bring you back down. It’s a little nugget.

A200

DC: That was always an instrumental; I had nothing to do with it. I was probably down the pub.

GH: Ritchie wanted to give Jon a piece to play on the record. Listening back to it, it sounds pretty good. Those synth sounds I hated immensely first time around are coming back into vogue.

IP: It was an idea that came out of jamming. Just a nice instrumental thing, you know.

March 30, 2022 Posted by Jerry | Deep Purple Burn | Deep Purple | Leave a comment

Deep Purple Days May Come and Days May Go: The 1975 California Rehearsals (2000)

From progarchives.com

Review by ZowieZiggy

Mark IV lasted for a very short period of time (a year or so). They recorded some studio tracks / jamming numbers in addition to “Come Taste The Band” under the form of this album in May 1975.

The album opens with “Owed To G” which is an intrumental written by Bolin. It is quite repetitive. The theme is used in the in the mini-suite track “This Time Around” / “Owed To G”. This version sounds pretty much similar to the studio version from “Come”.

There are two versions of “The Drifter” featured on “Come” as well. The first one is really a demo : a spoken intro, interrupted a few times : it is really not worth anything. The second is much closer to the finall version. It sounds rawer of course but is already good as such. “The Orange Juice Song” is a quiet rock ballad, with nice and soft vocals. Keyboard playing is very melodious and subtle. Very emotional. IMO, it is the best track of this work.

There are four long jam-session tracks : “If You Love Me Woman” : just over ten minutes of funky guitar riffs, with good background keys and a solid drumming set from Ian. Vocals sound sometimes like Plant. “I Got Nothing For You” (12’52”) : the intro vocal part is OK, but after 3’30” it converts into a boring bluesy session. From time to time this jam returns to interesting parts (the vocal ones) but in general it is rather poor. “Dance To The Rock & Roll” (just over eleven minutes) : rythm is definitely funky oriented like in “If You Love Me…”. Jon Lord’s impro are quite good all the way through. Paice sets the … pace and sounds really great (as always, I must say). Bolin shows his sklills and one can really figure out how great a guitar player he was. “The Last Of The Long Jams” (over nine minutes) : it is a pure intrumental one. During very short sections, this jam is even melodious. It is very guitar-oriented and at times Ritchie seems to be around the corner (again it shows how accomplished Tommy is although he was only twenty-four at the time of this recording.

There is a cover from a blues song “Statesboro’ Blues” written by Blind Willie Mc Tell in … 1928. Keys and bass playing is on par with the Hughes vocals (sounding always really good on bluesy songs). A good blues track. The closing track is a cover of the Sonny & Cher Song “I Got You Babe” : quite shortened though (just over a minute). I guess that Coverdale is singing (but I am not sure). He sounds as if he is completely drunk (but he is probably acting like this). I would have preferred the Purple to extend it and be a bit more serious about this one instead of producing this “joke”. This could have reminded their Mark I era during which they produced quite good cover songs : “Help” from the Beatles, “Hey Joe” popularized by Hendrix but written by an unknown artist (although it is sometimes – wrongly – credited to Billy Roberts who will only be the first one to sing it in 1962) or “River Deep, Mountain High” performed by Ike & Tina Turner – but co-written by Phil Spector). Too bad they didn’t.

One has to remember that the essence of Mark II in their live performances were very jam-oriented long breaks. Two tracks will symbolized this from end of 1969 through 1971. “Mandrake Root” and “Wring That Neck”. So, I guess that the exercise of recording these type of numbers is not too bad an idea.

As you may have understood, this album which cannot be considered as a compilation is highly dispensable. Even die-hard fans like I am can’t really be over enthusisastic about this. Only an historic document to get a few more tracks featuring Tommy Bolin (RIP). Since they were studio sessions, the sound is very good.

Mark IV lasted for a very short period of time (a year or so). They recorded some studio tracks / jamming numbers in addition to “Come Taste The Band” under the form of this album in May 1975.

There is a cover from a blues song “Statesboro’ Blues” written by Blind Willie Mc Tell in … 1928. Keys and bass playing is on par with the Hughes vocals (sounding always really good on bluesy songs). A good blues track. The closing track is a cover of the Sonny & Cher Song “I Got You Babe” : quite shortened though (just over a minute). I guess that Coverdale is signing (but I am not sure). He sounds as if he is completely drunk (but he is probably acting like this). I would have preferred the Purple to extend it and be a bit more serious about this one instead of producing this “joke”. This could have reminded their Mark I era during which they produced quite good cover songs : “Help” from the Beatles, “Hey Joe” popularized by Hendrix but written by an unknown artist (although it is sometimes – wrongly – credited to Billy Roberts who will only be the first one to sing it in 1962) or “River Deep, Mountain High” performed by Ike & Tina Turner – but co-written by Phil Spector). Too bad they didn’t.

Mark IV lasted for a very short period of time (a year or so). They recorded some studio tracks / jamming numbers in addition to “Come Taste The Band” under the form of this album in May 1975.

There is a cover from a blues song “Statesboro’ Blues” written by Blind Willie Mc Tell in … 1928. Keys and bass playing is on par with the Hughes vocals (sounding always really good on bluesy songs). A good blues track. The closing track is a cover of the Sonny & Cher Song “I Got You Babe” : quite shortened though (just over a minute). I guess that Coverdale is signing (but I am not sure). He sounds as if he is completely drunk (but he is probably acting like this). I would have preferred the Purple to extend it and be a bit more serious about this one instead of producing this “joke”. This could have reminded their Mark I era during which they produced quite good cover songs : “Help” from the Beatles, “Hey Joe” popularized by Hendrix but written by an unknown artist (although it is sometimes – wrongly – credited to Billy Roberts who will only be the first one to sing it in 1962) or “River Deep, Mountain High” performed by Ike & Tina Turner – but co-written by Phil Spector). Too bad they didn’t.

February 12, 2022 Posted by Jerry | Deep Purple Days May Come and Days May Go: The 1975 California Rehearsals | Deep Purple | Leave a comment

Deep Purple Come Taste The Band (1975)

From classicrockhistory.com

Deep Purple Come Taste The Band was the only studio album recorded by the Mark IV line up of Deep Purple. It is arguably an often over looked album that should be regarded as a piece of classic rock.

The previous offering Stormbringer had generally been well received, though some Deep Purple fans did not want listen to anything that the group recorded without Ian Gillan on vocals. However lead guitarist and founding member Ritchie Blackmore was unhappy with the musical direction the band was going in and quit after the end of the Stormbringer tour in 1975. Blackmore went on to form Rainbow, and had started recording their debut album before leaving Deep Purple.

Perhaps Blackmore expected the band to break up instead of recruiting another guitarist. Instead, singer David Coverdale and bassist / singer Glen Hughes persuaded drummer Ian Paice and keyboard player John Lord to record another album with a new guitarist. Further more, Coverdale had even found a guitarist; young American Tommy Bolin. The rest of the band were impressed enough to start recording . However things would not go as smoothly as they had done for the recording of both Burn and Stormbringer.

While Coverdale, Lord, and Paice seemed as dedicated as ever, Hughes was having increasing problems with drugs. New recruit Bolin was also a heavy user of drugs, though it would have less of a detrimental impact on Bolin than Hughes while the album was being recorded.

Deep Purple Come Taste The Band continued the trend of giving Deep Purple a slightly more soulful, even funky sound begun with it’s two predecessors. Without a doubt Coverdale and Hughes found it easier to work with Tommy Bolin than Ritchie Blackmore. If the latter did not like Stormbringer then he would almost certainly have disapproved of Deep Purple Come Taste The Band. David Coverdale and Glen Hughes had a stronger influence on this record, and Bolan had similar ideas on the musical direction the band should go in.

The opening track “Comin’ Home did not strongly hint at the funk and soul influences that were stronger on other songs. It was a high tempo rock number with Bolin adding impetus to it. The vocals of Coverdale are crisp and strong, with heavy bass drumming from Paice, and a pounding bass line from Hughes. Lord provides some catchy notes from his Hammond organ to contrast with the guitar, bass, and drums.

The next track “Lady Luck” is another hard rock number, giving Bolin the opportunity to play a heavier riff. Coverdale’s vocals are again to the fore, with the rest of the band also providing strong performances. It is the kind of track that has the trademark Deep Purple sound for that era.

It is the third track where Deep Purple start to show their funkier side, with Bolin and Hughes especially having a strong say in how this song was recorded and later played live. “Gettin’ Tighter” demonstrates Hughes’ singing at his best, and his ability to write soul inspired tunes. The track shows how versatile Deep Purple were on this album, and their ability to play a variety of differing styles. Bolan played the guitar parts with a real feel for the greater amounts of soul in the track. Lord switches to piano while Paice drums in a subtle way to fit in with the mood of the song. The track “This Time (Owed To Gee),” has a similar structure and feel to it. The strength of the vocals from Hughes did not hint at the drug related problems he was having during the recording sessions for this record.

Tommy Bolin had been recruited to play guitar yet he would have to fill in on bass duties when Hughes was to ill to do so. Bolan played bass on the tracks “Dealer” and “Drifter”. He also provided the backing vocals on these songs as well as “Love Child”. Previously Coverdale and Hughes would take it in turns to sing lead vocals, with the other providing backing vocals.

Then there is the closing number, “You Keep On Moving,” this is a fine finale for the album. Everything fell into place perfectly for this song. The opening chords of the track are slow and quiet before the music gets quicker and the volume starts to rise. The guitar and the keyboard parts compete to dominate the song, showing the skills of both Bolin and Lord off to great affect. The bass and drum parts provide a great backing to the vocals, and the dueling guitar and keyboard. The vocals of Coverdale and Hughes combine excellently. Then there is the guitar solo right at the end of the song, simply stunning playing from Bolin.

In terms of sales the album Deep Purple Come Taste the Band fared well in comparison to Stormbringer, and tickets to the subsequent tour dates sold well. However the band had already decided to call it quits as soon as the tour finished during 1976. Bolin tragically died as a result of a drugs overdose later that same year.

After the split Hughes had severe problems with drugs, restricting the work he did. He worked closely with Gary Moore, and was a member of Black Sabbath. Coverdale went on to form Whitesnake, who Lord and Paice later joined. The Mark II line up of Deep Purple reformed in 1984. The band continues to this day without Blackmore who left in 1993, and Lord who retired and later died in 2012.

February 12, 2022 Posted by Jerry | Deep Purple Come Taste The Band | Deep Purple | Leave a comment

Deep Purple Turning to Crime (2021) is unexpected, audacious, sometimes great

From riffmagazine.com

One could ask whether the world needs another cover of “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu,” “See See Rider” (part of Mitch Ryder medley “Jenny Take a Ride”) or “Let the Good Times Roll.” You could ask that about any number of Chuck Berry songs, too, but you almost never hear complaints about the myriad versions of “Roll Over Beethoven” or “Johnny B. Goode” out there.

But Deep Purple, true rock believers with their legacy of lightning guitar runs, classically inspired organ fills and straight-ahead hits like “Smoke on the Water,” “Highway Star” and “Perfect Strangers,” come out of left field with Turning to Crime. The album is a set of 11 covers (plus a mostly instrumental medley) that, while not always reworked enough to justify their existence, usually offers, at the very least, an interesting (and rollicking) listen.

Some of these qualify as interesting if for no other reason than that it’s Deep Purple covering them. Looking at the almost bizarrely diverse song list on Turning to Crime, one would expect a few real curveballs. Take “The Battle of New Orleans”—yes, the 1959 Johnny Horton classic. Hearing these grizzled hard rock true believers (Ian Gillan, Roger Glover and drummer Ian Paice, along with not-so-newcomers” Don Airey and Steve Morse) tackle such a song may be disorienting. But they give it their best, and complete with fiddle and whistle, it’s a credible, fun listen.

Similarly, “Let the Good Times Roll,” popularized by B.B. King, Bobby “Blue” Bland and others, gets a somewhat tougher horn-fueled New-Orleans-style treatment than the original hit. It sounds like Deep Purple—sort of—and that’s the magic here. This is a band saying “Let the Good Times Roll” by taking a stab with something their fans are probably not used to hearing from them.

Indeed, the best performances on Turning to Crime are refreshing Deep-Purple-izations of often overfamiliar material. Bob Dylan’s “Watching the River Flow,” a sort of piano-based shuffle, gets a faster, more standard rock arrangement here. Longtime Deep Purple keyboardist Airey doesn’t really replicate Leon Russell’s piano style of the original, but instead breaks out a near classical flourish to finish the song.

Similarly, the Yardbirds’ “Shapes of Things” gets the Deep Purple treatment, this time slower and heavier than the original. Whether that’s an improvement on the Yardbirds’ take I up for debate, but if you’re a Deep Purple fan, the answer may well be “yes.” Same with the tough take on Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh Well,” a showcase for Morse, especially. And “White Room” is basically taking Cream’s game and upping the ante. This song is a natural for Deep Purple, covers album or not.

Not all of these songs improve on history. The cover of “7 And 7 Is,” a bizarre 1966 song by the psychedelic band Love, isn’t really different enough from the original to make it stand out (the Ramones’ version is faster, but similar, too). Little Feat’s “Dixie Chicken” gets a fairly faithful treatment, complete with the requisite syncopation, notable mostly for who’s performing it. But hearing these guys, who’ve been taking the same basic approach to hard rock for 50 years, tackle Little Feat or B.B. King is, if not a revelation, certainly interesting and at times captivating.

But whether these songs are new interpretations or fairly straightforward covers, most of the songs on Turning to Crime let these fairly straight-ahead veteran players shine in unfamiliar ways. Keyboardist Airey shows off his boogie-woogie chops on “Rockin’ Pneumonia” and the Mitch Ryder medley, and his organ fills on several of these numbers would make the departed Jon Lord proud. And Gillan, never the most versatile singer, does right by most of these wildly diverse songs.

February 8, 2022 Posted by Jerry | Deep Purple Turning to Crime | Deep Purple | Leave a comment

Deep Purple Abandon (1998)

From sputnikmusic.com

In 1994, Deep Purple had been fortified with guitarist Steve Morse’s broad platter of skills, and two years after the new formation was complete, Mark VII put out the daringly experimental (at least for the band’s standards) Purpendicular, which came to a surprisingly good end as far as quality is concerned. Following their demise in the 80’s and Blackmore’s final leave however, the foundations of Purple’s fan base had been shaken. Luckily for the more hardcore of followers, the band still proudly stood up, trying to provide quality releases. Their next attempt at this was Abandon, released in 1998. It was also to be the last release to be recorded with organist Jon Lord, who had been there since the band’s very humble beginnings, and had helped to shape a immense part of Purple’s sound. Choosing to focus on composing, he took the tough decision of departing and left drummer Ian Pace as only founding member. His eventual replacement would be Don Airey, who is still with the band as of today.

Deep Purple Mk. VII was:

– Ian Gillan ~ Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals
– Steven J. Morse ~ Lead Guitar
– Roger David Glover ~ Bass Guitar
– Jon Douglas Lord ~ Keyboards, Organ
– Ian Anderson Pace ~ Drums

Abandon has two sides to it. One of those sides shows the Deep Purple of Purpendicular; the refreshing sounding, revitalized band. The other and most dominant side, however, is less of a treat, and is rather new Deep Purple trying to be old Deep Purple again, with results that are mostly recycled and poorly executed.

Still, the boys recreate some of their original energy on a few occasions. The most notable of these are the catchy old-school rockers Almost Human and ’69, of which the former especially satisfies because of Morse’s excellent abilities. It is in too many tracks though, that there is so much lack of a powerful deliverance the album’s listener will quickly grow bored. The first half’s letdowns still have some interesting features, such as the loud-soft dynamics and guitar solo on Don’t Make Me Happy, the classic guitar-organ interplay of Mark II on Seventh Heaven and the dreamy sequences on Watching The Sky, but make for no more than decent tracks.

It is most of the second half then, where things truly go wrong. Jack Ruby and She Was are both a rather laughable event at the band recalling the funk energy of Burn, and by the time we’ve gotten to Evil Louie, which borders on decent, our listening attention has vanished into oblivion, which is too bad considering there is some rather good material to be found on Abandon. The track that feels most out of place is the closer Bludsucker, a re-recording of the excellent In Rock track Bloodsucker, recorded almost 30 years (!) earlier. The instrumentation doesn’t sound all that different despite that Morse now plays instead of Blackmore, and the vocals have logically only gotten worse. The purpose it serves remains completely unclear.

The moment where Abandon comes closest to touching the feel of Purpendicular is the ballad Fingers to the Bone, which is led by the most original guitar work on the entire album, a folkish tone that works tremendously well with the track. Once again, Morse shows his diversity. The only other track borrowing from the band’s previous album is opener Any Fule Kno That, which tries to be as good as Ted the Mechanic was. It gets on the repetitive side, but it’s still catchy.

Unfortunately, the feeling that ultimately dominates Abandon is a disappointing one. Unable to recapture the fresh approach of Purpendicular, it sees Deep Purple sinking into what may have been the inevitable. Most tracks are decent, that cannot be denied, but it is a lack of songs that go above that level that puts this effort down a notch. Sadly enough, Abandon is a rather average release.

December 28, 2021 Posted by Jerry | Deep Purple Abandon | Deep Purple | Leave a comment

Deep Purple Infinite (2017)

From darkerthanblue.wordpress.com

Having been playing this for a few days now it will be interesting to see what everyone else makes of it. Now What did mark a bit of a change in direction and experimentation and this one feels like it was recorded in much the same spirit. Overall it’s very solid musically; there are nods to Purple’s past which many will pick up on, but it’s often a grungier and denser sound than the last album, and were they to graft a large chunk of these tracks into the stage set this year (if!) it should make for a killer show.

In a way it is a shame they feel they can’t trial tracks so much on stage now for fear of pirating, as some of the material does sound like it comes from a standing start, whereas the one cut they have done live is quickly becoming a favourite. There are a couple too many good time late night bar stories from Ian Gillan lyrically for me, in these uncertain times there are more pressing matters which might have inspired another barbed lyric or two, and certainly the backings would take a heavier approach in this department from the front man. But when he does find the muse outside the tavern it all comes together and Birds Of Prey is a good example, sounding very grown up. I think this is the one Classic Rock sort of dismissed as a Zepp knock off (in fact I was more reminded of Yes at one point, maybe CR’s prog rock comments were more on the button than I realised); yes Steve gives it a real Pagey type rhythm, but takes it much further and to me CR missed the point rather; once you move on from the opening few bars it is very much a Purple track and it’ll be a proper humdinger on stage, believe me.

Time For Bedlam most have now heard and it makes a strong opener. I can hear the Pictures Of Home echoes which some have mentioned, reinforced mostly by Ian’s vocal melody line and Steve Morse’s work, but it’s hardly a distraction. I still can’t make my mind up about the chanted vocal section which top and tail this but otherwise it is infused with the spirit of Purple throughout.

The Surprising is one of the longer offerings, and they range far and wide over the course of a sometimes slower more laid back track. Lovely vocals from Ian, full of emotion at times. The band sort of go for epic, me I’d have been as happy to edit out the wandering middle section and tighten it all up, but it clearly gives them a kicking off point for a live take. There are nods back to Gates Of Babylon here, and even Clannad at one point for those old enough to remember them.

Hip Boots is one which has been around for a while and whilst it may not (though give it time) be a killer track, it has grown on me a lot and you can see why they gave it second place in the running order. I love the loose rambling feel to it and Steve’s playing (which it has to be said is stunning here) is absorbing, while Don likewise gives it just the right amount of Hammond. Worth the price of admission alone.
The band get dirtier on One Night In Vegas, which reminds me a little of Almost Human, one of my favourites from the SM era, and the same vibe runs through Get Me Outta Here although lyrically the latter doesn’t really stir the pot enough for me.

The riff to Johnny’s Band is bugging me, it’ll click eventually I’m sure. Ian has covered this sort of ground before on Purpendicular and places. It’s OK in a road house sort of way and Radio 2 apparently went for if big time the other week, so at least listeners there will know about the album.

Elsewhere people will love as I do Roger’s thumping bass through On Top Of The World which should sound great via some decent speakers. I’m less convinced by All I Got Is You, despite the care worn vox and often caustic lyrics, while for me the cover version which they inexplicably tag onto the end of the album is a box set bonus at best. Though Ann reckons it’s IG’s best singing on the album, so it’s already dividing opinion at DPAS towers. On first listen it just sounded like a studio warm up, and it has since been confirmed that’s exactly what it is. It might have worked better sequenced earlier in the album, but I won’t be rushing back.

Well, some good tracks to add to the now two decade long Steve Morse era output and I’m sure everyone who has stuck with the band thus far will find something here to enjoy in varying degrees. I should add I’ve been listening to fairly compressed official MP3s (with permission!) so it seems silly to try and comment on overall sound and production until I buy the CD. And buy it I will. Simon Robinson

I’m generally enjoying it more with each listen… Time for Bedlam – A solid opener, the vocoder effect seems fitting and natural after a few spins. A restrained vocal means that much can be conveyed with slight inflections – as seen with IG’s ‘We are never alone’ line towards the end. Rather wonderful.
Hip Boots – Sprightly, sweary, no nonsense – this is good stuff actually. Much better than the rather tentative limited run of live try-outs would suggest.

All I Got is You – The old put-down (‘You’ve got me, but all I’ve got is you’) is given a pleasing run-out in what initially seems to be a fairly standard Mk Morse/Airey type work-out. A space age solo from Don merges into a laidback one from Steve. Improves with repeated listening. More swearing from IG to finish!

One Night in Vegas – IG in storyteller mode, Don in bar room boogie mode. Good, if slightly cruise-controlly for this band.

Get Me Outta Here – Lovely Paicey intro and then a backing that initially brings ‘Nasty Piece of Work’ from ‘Battle Rage On’ to mind. Again, solid if lacking a little oomph… the brooding backing deserves better than the rather lazy lyric writing here.

The Surprising – Now we’re talking! Eerie keyboards give way to moody guitar (which sounds like Metallica according to my daughter) – which set up IG’s mournful almost Johnny Cash-like vocal – and he’s in storyteller mode again – to great effect! ‘There I was, wide awake and dreaming…’ – marvellous. Authoritative drumming from Paicey heralds the instrumental breaks with Don’s almost movie soundtrack like keyboard work suiting the mood perfectly. Steve almost blows it with a fairly standard Dregs/Classical Gassy type solo, before bringing it back down nicely before the coda. Extraordinary track.

Johnny’s Band – Radio-friendly Purple (Ken Bruce has already played it on BBC Radio 2). A sort of tamed-down ‘Junkyard Blues’ riff backs more IG story telling, this time about…well, a band obviously. A little lightweight maybe, but pleasant enough.

On Top of the World – Starts out as a fairly standard Airey/Morse backing track, but repeated listenings reveal a nice solid latter-day Purple track, with more storytelling in the vocals. Nice solos, and even the rather strange spoken section towards the end is starting to bed-in a bit now.

Birds of Prey – The battle for my favourite track is between this and ‘The Surprising’; here we have a great brooding rock track that builds and builds to a shattering finish. A display of controlled power and musical dynamics. Great stuff!

Roadhouse Blues – Somewhat disposable warm-up type treatment of The Doors song here. Comparable to ‘It’ll Be Me’ from NW?! Misplaced after the fitting crescendo of ‘Birds of Prey’, which would have made a suitable finale to the album. There probably is a place for this sort of Purple (a ‘Basement Tapes’ type album?) – but last song on this album isn’t it.

Overall a mixed bag then – repeated listenings are helping appreciate the ‘lesser’ tracks (well, most of them). A worthy effort all the same. Hopefully it won’t be the last studio album, but if it is, then it’s not a bad way to go out.

December 20, 2021 Posted by Jerry | Deep Purple Infinite | Deep Purple | 1 Comment

Deep Purple (BBC) In Concert (1970/72)

From starling.rinet.ru

Another archive release here, but now just don’t you start getting despaired all over – this one’s actually well worth your money and more than that. It contains recordings of two BBC shows by the band, one from 1970 and another one from 1972, so I’ve been all confused about where to fit it chronologically and finally just decided to file it under 1980, the year when it was actually released in its original double LP form (note that they had to cut the second show, omitting rare, extremely rare even, live performances of ‘Maybe I’m A Leo’ and ‘Never Before’ – fools! Fools they are! Fortunately, both have been restored for the regular CD re-issue). And it seriously vies with Made In Japan for the title of best Purple live album ever.

This one, of course, has the serious advantage of giving us slices of two seriously different periods of deeppurplism. We have the 1970 show – a young, still slightly insecure Deep Purple vieing for stardom, with no serious hits to their name (not counting “Hush”, of course) and still actually months ago from the release of the groundbreaking In Rock album. They’re still heavily into jam mode and just as heavily into showcasing their dynamics and playing skills. And then we have the 1972 show, with a more mature, more steady, and actually more hit-oriented Purple presenting their audiences with generally shorter, more compact, but just as tight, numbers from the upcoming Machine Head. It’s actually a nice idea to pick up this album first if you’re into live Purple at all, and then proceed to Made In Japan if the 1972 show is more appealing to you, or to Scandinavian Nights if it’s the 1970 one. Hey, maybe I should go into marketing.

Anyway, the 1970 BBC show is conducted by long-time Purple fan and soon-to-become long-time Purple hater John Peel, and it features just four numbers, but, of course, three of them go over the ten-minute marker, so it’s not like they left a lot of empty CD space out there. The sound quality is awesome, just as befits the BBC – which is an asset considering how so many DP recordings, even live ones, sound so chaotic. The performances are top notch as well; ‘Child In Time’ doesn’t get to be as long as on Scandinavian Nights, and at one point it looks like Gillan actually forgets to clean his throat before soaring on the refrain, so he has to cut out the wail and replace it with another extra ‘I wanna hear you sing’ exhortation, but it’s fun to see him coping pretty well with his own mistakes. Elsewhere, ‘Wring That Neck’ and ‘Mandrake Root’ all deliver the usual goods – without having to deliver them for half an hour each.

The second show dates from March 1972, again, some time before Machine Head was actually released, which is why, if you’re willing to compare, you’ll see there’s a bit more restraint exercised when they play all those “new” songs, just because they hadn’t yet performed enough of them to be able not to make any mistakes in their sleep. Like, for instance, Blackmore doesn’t do the “audience-teasing” with the ‘Smoke On The Water’ riff, and he’s also not quite daring yet to unleash the full force of his crazy arpeggios on the ‘Highway Star’ solo. However, if you’re afraid that makes the songs any less powerful, don’t be – they pack just as much energy and bombast as the Made In Japan versions, they’re just a bit more “calculated” than on that one. And besides, there are those two songs that I’ve mentioned above that they dropped pretty early off their setlist; for what reason, I’ll never know, because they sound pretty damn good on here. And Gillan’s vocal duelling with Blackmore’s guitar and his final crowning wails at the end of ‘Strange Kind Of Woman’ have never been better.

Also, as usual, there’s a twenty-minute “Space Truckin'” extravaganza (and when you’re actually having this particular live album it’s much easier to see how they just extracted the jam part from ‘Mandrake Root’ and transferred it onto “Space Truckin'” – which, if you ask me, makes a lot of sense because you can really picture that speedy jam as an actual soundtrack to your space voyage), and they close with their trademark heavy-metal-rearrangement of ‘Lucille’ which I in particular am glad about having because I don’t have that particular one-of-a-thousand edition of Made In Japan which has that song.

If there’s anything to complain about, it’s the DJ introducing the 1972 show; that flattering son of a bitch constantly sounds like he’s ready to just drop everything and provide each member of the band with a blowjob right on the spot. (Going like: ‘hmm, ‘Never Before’ seems to be shorter on the setlist than it is on the album, Ritchie must have cut out one of his excellent solos… what a shame…’). Fortunately, at some point Gillan (whose name the dork constantly pronounces as “Jillan”) just takes over the announcements. Ah well, guess I’m just being bitchy myself, it was the guy’s job, after all. Maybe they should have gotten John Peel on the 1972 show as well, despite all the hostility. Come to think of it, that’d be fun! (Peel: “Ah yes, now the next number is called ‘Lazy’, and from what I’ve heard, it’s going to be a long-winded pompous bluesy bore from everybody’s favourite bunch of sell-out lazybones here. Take it away Ritchie!”).

I guess what I’m simply trying to say is you really can’t go wrong with these classic archive releases. They’re all guaranteed niners or tenners. Keep ’em coming! And screw all those shitty Coverdale era shows!

September 22, 2021 Posted by Jerry | Deep Purple (BBC) In Concert | Deep Purple | Leave a comment

Deep Purple Made in Japan: Thoughts On The Many Editions (1972-2013)

From subjectivesounds.com

I have been interested in undertaking a review of Deep Purple’s Made In Japan (The Remastered Edition) CD from 1998 for quite a while. It is a live performance that captured Deep Purple at their peak and even if you’re not a fan of the band, this is one performance that you have to listen to. It set a standard for all rock and roll bands to follow and is as unique today, as the day it was recorded.

However, in 2014 a number of new editions were released that would go on to complicate my thoughts about the performance, album, and re-issues in general. While the performance had already been re-issued numerous times, this didn’t stop Universal remixing, remastering, and re-releasing the performance once again.

Rather than a linear performance, Made In Japan was initially comprised of the best takes from three different, concurrent, performances in Japan. Logically, this should be as complicated as it gets, but that isn’t the case as there are too many editions. Let me explain:

Single CD Edition

The single CD edition features the original 1972 mix, but it has been remastered during the 2013 mastering sessions.

If you want the album that was originally released in 1972, then this is the go-to release.

2CD Deluxe Edition

The Deluxe Edition features the 2013 Kevin Shirley remix, of the original 1972 album. It also includes all encores, from all three nights on the second disc.

The 2013 remaster/remix of this album uses the original 1972 analogue multitrack masters. While the original 1972 mix, found on the single CD edition, is remastered from the 1972 analogue stereo master.

Therefore, if you want a newly mixed edition of the performance, this one will service you well. It is true to the original but I am honestly torn as to the mix I prefer. The original 1972 mix is still solid, but Kevin Shirley’s 2013 mix somewhat modernises the performance without changing it. Although, I find Shirley’s edition to be a little boomy and muddy in the low end. This is most noticeable in the song Lazy.

It is also important to note that as both the single CD and double CD have been remastered, the overall dynamic range, compared to the 1998 remastered edition, is reduced. Remarkably, the ’98 remaster maintained the dynamic range of the original ’72 release. That said, none of the 2014 releases could be considered sonically poor performers.

If you’ve never heard this performance before, this 2CD edition will be a welcome edition to your collection. Although, I feel us old-timers might be best served sticking with the original 1972 mix that we know and love. Although, when it is all said and done, it really is subjective!

High Fidelity Pure Audio (HFPA) Blu-Ray

Of course, if you want both the original 1972 mix and Kevin Shirley’s 2013 mix, you can pick up the HFPA Blu-ray Edition. However, no encores are included.

While HFPA Blu-ray is a favoured format here at Subjective Sounds, it is important to note that the dynamic range of this release is no better than the before-mentioned CD releases, hence the benefits of High Fidelity (24bit/96kHz) are trivial at best.

Given the capacity of the HFPA format, you would think that the entire three nights of recordings could be included on a single disc, along with all the encores, the 1972 mix, and Kevin Shirley’s 2013 mix. After all, The Rolling Stones Grrr… 50-song (>3 hour) epic is on a single HFPA disc and only consumes 20.02GB of the possible 50GB capacity. Yes, I acknowledge that this release is on a BD-25 disc and therefore limited to 25GB, but to my knowledge the HFPA specification does not exclude the BD-50 (50GB) option. Yes, the HFPA format didn’t last long, but as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I still don’t understand why the music industry simply didn’t move to hybrid SACD releases for every album. Those who don’t care about the ‘ultimate’ in audio reproduction can enjoy the discs in a standard CD player, while audiophiles can use their dedicated SACD players to get the most out of the disc and their system. It was a win-win format!

The music industry is full of missed opportunities and putting low dynamic range masters onto an audiophile format is almost a guarantee of failure.

4CD Edition

This edition features the complete performances from each night in a linear manner. You also get the encores, on a separate disc, a making-of DVD, and a Japanese 7” promo. Also included is a hardcover book and a download code for the MP3 and HD files.

Let’s just say it is a pretty impressive CD collection that gives you everything, except the original 1972 mix and the 2013 Kevin Shirley remix; although from what I understand each performance, in this collection, is from the Kevin Shirley 2013 remix/mastering sessions.

All of a sudden things got awfully complicated for this completist collector!

It is clear that each edition has been purposely designed to have something that is not available on another edition. Therefore, those wanting to purchase the complete recordings of this iconic performance will need to dig deep and hide the expenditure from their significant other.

That said, let’s take a look and see how the analogue formats fit into this equation.

Double Vinyl

According to the production notes, this edition was cut at Abbey Road Studios from the original 1972 stereo analogue master. It is, however, the 2013 remastering and hence the dynamic range would be on par with the digital releases.

That said, the track listing mimics that of the original 1972 mix, so purists looking for a new copy of the original compiled performance will be pleased with this version. However, this edition includes no encore performances and therefore it is the analogue equivalent of the 2014 single CD edition.

9LP Collection

This monolithic collection should have everything, shouldn’t it? Well, not exactly!

Just like the 4CD edition, the 9LP includes all three performances in their linear 2013 mix. However, the making of DVD, original 1972 mix, Kevin Shirley 2013 mix (of the original track-listing), encore performances, and Japanese 7” promo aren’t included. From what I understand, the DVD that is included in the 4CD edition is the same as the standalone DVD that was released at the same time. It is important to note that while the DVD has the same cover art as the album releases, it is a documentary and not a live recording of the performance. A quick view at some of the feedback on Amazon, for the standalone DVD, shows that it caused significant confusion amongst fans.

If you’re interested in watching the documentary, it is available for streaming on TIDAL. It isn’t bad, but it isn’t worth owing.

The 9LP collection also includes the hardcover book and album download code with both MP3 and HD download options. That said, there have been inconsistencies reported regarding the availability of HD files in some regions, therefore you should take that into consideration prior to purchasing.

It is also important to mention this 9LP collection features a number of significant typos such as Oaska instead of Osaka and Somoke instead of Smoke. Perhaps one could forgive the misspelling of Osaka, but how could they possibly release a Deep Purple album with the misspelling of Smoke On The Water?

It doesn’t exactly generate consumer confidence, does it?

Personally, I would stay clear of this release and hope Universal have the good sense to re-issue this set with relevant corrections. Although, I wouldn’t hold my breath as Universal’s atrocious pressing of Abba’s Live At Wembley Arena (pressed and released in 2014) was never rectified. Interestingly, both this album and Deep Purple’s Made In Japan were pressed at GZ vinyl and their reputation isn’t the greatest.

Now, most normal people are probably rolling their eyes by now and truthfully I can’t blame them. The problem is, there are just too many different editions. While I have wanted to purchase one of the 2014 releases, to go with my 1998 remastered edition, the variety has been too daunting to even consider and therefore I have not made a single purchase.

For the moment, the single and double CD editions are available on TIDAL Hi-Fi, hence I feel no need to pick those up. Plus, besides the 2013 remix on the double CD, they mimic the 1998 remastered edition exactly. It is important to note that the full linear concert performances, as found on the 4CD and 9 vinyl box set are not replicated on any digital music stores or streaming services. Subsequently, if you’re interested in the full performances, you will need to purchase the physical releases. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it offers fans a value-added proposition; it is just a shame that the options are so convoluted.

…and with that, I have decided that the best approach for me would be to ignore my completist mind and simply pick up the HFPA Blu-ray release as it contains the original tracking and mix of 1972 stereo master, as well as the 2013 mix. Yes, I remember my earlier comments regarding the reduced dynamic range, but every time I look at my HFPA Blu-ray collection, this album is one that is sorely missed.

September 22, 2021 Posted by Jerry | Deep Purple Made In Japan | Deep Purple | 1 Comment

Jon Lord: The Last Interview (2012)

From loudersound.com Aug 2012

As a member of Purple, Whitesnake, solo classical composer and king of the Hammond organ, Jon Lord took the most remarkable musical journey, in 2012 he spoke about his life for the last time

“Helloo old son,” he said – finally – when he picked up the phone on Monday night. “How the devil are you?”

It had taken what seemed like an age to get to this point. Dates had been arranged and then cancelled. Phone calls made, calls gone unanswered. It was excruciating. Yet this was Jon Lord. And he was suffering from cancer. So what do you do? I tell you what you do. You swallow your indignation and you hang on.

“Sorry about all that,” he said, when it eventually came together. “When you rang the other afternoon, I was asleep.” A tough day after another tough day. There’d been a few of those, he said.

He apologised again and hoped I understood. I did. I felt bad for nearly waking him up. It would be fanciful to pretend we were buddies, but I’d interviewed him a few times over the years and I liked him. I liked interviewing him. He was smart. He was funny. He was honest. And he could tell a story.

We had a long old chat which lead to this long old piece before you. I sent it over a week later – Monday morning, July 16. Four hours later, he was dead.

There have all been all sorts of discussions about what we should do with this piece. Some of it, you could argue, looks slightly incongruous now.

But when he said he would beat it, I believed him.

“If you take one thing from this piece,” he said, “be positive.” That’s how he was. We could have taken that out but, frankly, that seemed worse than leaving it in. It would have been a betrayal of who he was and how he fought the disease.

So here it is. All of it.

“God bless you,” he said when the interview ended. “I’m sure we will speak again.” I was sure we would, too.

God bless you, Jon Lord. We will all miss you x.

A summer’s day, 2011, and Jon Lord is on stage at the De Montfort Hall in his home town of Leicester. He is not playing. He is not perched, stage left, hammering away behind a tilting column of Hammond organs. He is receiving an Honorary Doctorate in Music from the University of Leicester. If there is a prouder man in the East Midlands on this day, you’d be hard pressed to find him.

He stands – in his royal red gown, holding his mortar board – addressing the audience, recounting what it means, what this place means and how utterly humbled he is by it. Several times, he looks close to tears. He used to watch his dad, Reg, play saxophone here in this very hall. He saw Buddy Holly here when he was 17. He played here, in this lovely Edwardian-era venue, with Deep Purple and Whitesnake, more times than he cares to remember.

His voice quivers slightly when he pays tribute to his parents who would be “dancing in the street if they could see this now. I only hope they are dancing somewhere far more pleasant. Thank you. God bless. And good luck.” He leaves the stage to the familiar sound of applause.

He’s just turned 70, Jon Lord, but he looks well. He’s lost a bit of weight, he says, probably because he’s been so relentlessly busy: playing, touring, even though he’s supposed to be touring less and slowing down, and he’s just re-recorded his Concerto For Group And Orchestra, his baby, to be released some time in 2012. He wondered what life would be like when he left Purple in 2002. Ten years on, he never dared dream it would be this good.

We sit in a cafe in Leicester on the afternoon of his homecoming, drinking coffee and chatting, about anything and everything: home, away, rock, roll, playing, retiring. He is, as he always is, intelligent but easy company.

What he doesn’t mention is the dull ache he’s feeling in his stomach. He noticed it a few weeks ago. It’s nothing, really. He knows that. Inconvenient, rather than worrying. It’s hard to ignore it, though, because it’s there all the time.

He knows it’s nothing because his doctor told him it was nothing. He saw his GP a few weeks earlier. He had an ultrasound scan and it was clear. If there was something wrong, anything, then surely the scan would have picked it up. Wouldn’t it? Of course it would. No need to worry.

In the days after he receives his honorary degree, the pains continue. They’re not any worse. They are, though, more insistent. “I wouldn’t say it was a pain,” says Lord today, looking back, “it was a kind of low level discomfort, that’s all. But just enough for you to notice it.”

Shortly after the graduation ceremony, he sees his doctor again. Still, they find nothing. The doc is concerned enough, however, to refer him higher up the medical chain. Another specialist. More tests.

And still nothing. That day, by chance, there’s a cancellation in the CAT scan clinic. “We may as well have a quick look,” says the specialist, unaware he is about to save the life of rock’s most famous keyboard player. They did the scan. It took 20 minutes. Jon Lord sat in a waiting room, flicking through a magazine waiting for the results. He wasn’t nervous. He was expecting good news. “I was utterly unprepared for what happened next,” he says.

“The doctor appeared and said: ‘You’d better come with me’. He didn’t look happy, which was a surprise. A little bit worrying. I followed him to his office and he said: ‘Please, sit down… I’m afraid it’s not good news’.”

And that’s when the specialist told Jon Lord he had cancer.

Jon Douglas Lord became a different man that day. Everything changed, he says. “I realised, as I walked out of the hospital and down the street to my car that something mighty had happened. That my life, as I knew it, would never be the same again. It was a heck of a blow.”

He’d reached the age of 70 without any significant health problems or scares. He’d been in rock and roll for nearly 50 years – not always, it should be said, living an archetypal rock and roll lifestyle – and the worst thing that had happened was a bout of appendicitis in 1975. “That was it. Nothing any worse than that.

“So I wasn’t expecting it at all. There wasn’t even a fleeting thought it might be cancer, that it might be something that serious. I’d felt… blessed, I suppose. The life I had lived, this working class kid from Leicester, a wonderful career, Purple, Whitesnake, Purple again, family, friends.

“And then all this kind of slightly off-centre stuff I’d been doing since I left Purple, which I know, from a promotional point of view, is awkward. It’s not an easy sell and yet it had been selling. We were filling seats. Selling out concert halls. I was a lucky man.”

He sat in his car, started the engine and put the vehicle in first gear. He remembers thinking that he shouldn’t be driving, as he pulled away, first into second, third to fourth, reeling from the shock, struggling with his emotions.

And yet it felt good, driving, something he didn’t have to think about as the real world flashed by outside, the grey tarmac, the green fields, this strange new world he would now face as a man with cancer.

“I had a surprising equanimity, really, as I drove back,” he says. “In fact, I remember laughing to myself at one point.”

Laughing?

“Yes, laughing. I remember saying to myself: ‘Well, there’s a turn up for the books, lad’. Lad. My father used to call me ‘lad’. I catch myself, sometimes, in times of emotion saying things that sound just like my father. And I started to laugh. An incredulous laugh, really, but a laugh nonetheless. It was a strange thing.”

The laughter was short-lived. He arrived home, walked through the door, embraced his wife, Vicky, and cried. He wept, on and off, all night. The shock, the sorrow, the self-pity, the ‘what-ifs’, all those things he still wanted to do, left undone. He needed medication to sleep that night, he says. But the maudlin and sorrow lasted one day. He told his daughters, he told his friends – that wasn’t easy, he says – and his mind was set. He would beat it.

“All the advice I received, from friends who were doctors or in the medical profession, was essentially: be positive. You have to remain positive. Cancer thrives on pessimism. It loves despair.”

So that’s what he did, from that day on. He was a fairy cheery, good-natured, optimistic bloke anyway. A few minor tweeks to his character would help him tackle this disease head on. It made perfect sense, he says. And yet this wasn’t any old run-of-the-mill cancer. This was pancreatic cancer. Cancer of the pancreas has the highest fatality rates of all cancers. Survival rates over five years are poor.

A statement was released via Jon’s website later that summer. Jon had cancer, the short statement said. He would continue to write music but he would not be touring. See you soon. God bless.

It was deliberately vague, he says. “I’d got my head around it. I knew what it was. I knew I was going to be positive. I also knew from the advice I’d been given that pancreatic cancer is not the death sentence it once was, that some people still assumed it was. I didn’t want all these… moaning minnies and weeping willies. I needed positivity, people’s support.”

By and large, that’s what he got. Letters and emails and cards flooded in from around the world. The response, the kindness of perfect strangers, was overwhelming, he says. “I think I read every one, every message.” They made him cry when he was determined to cry no more.

“The stories people sent me – ‘My brother had this five years ago, Jon, and you should see him today. He’s still here, he’s still fighting, we’re all thinking of you, you can do it…’ It was tremendous. I remain and always will remain utterly astounded by and grateful for that level of support.

“It nourished my attitude. It is the biggest weapon you have in your armoury. The rest – the treatment, the advice – comes from outside. The attitude, the positivity, comes from within. I used to stand in front of my bathroom mirror every morning and I’d say: ‘I am going to beat this. I am going to beat this’.”

If you take one thing from this article, let it be that, he says. Be positive. It costs nothing. It means everything. Three weeks after diagnosis he started treatment; 12 weeks of chemotherapy at a specialist oncology centre in London. The chemo was as bad as people say it is.

“I came through it reasonably well. It didn’t make me sick, they controlled that, and I only lost a small amount of hair.” The loss of appetite and the obliteration of his digestive system were the worst parts. The hair went from the back of his head, not the front, persuading himo t part with something he’d possessed for the best part of 25 years: his ponytail.

“I’d had it, on and off, since I left Whitesnake in 84, and pretty much full- time since around 1990.”

It was less of a big deal than he expected. “It was actually quite liberating. I look a bit more like Donald Sutherland without it. So, no, I didn’t mind.”

Treatment curtailed the re-working of Purple’s Concerto For Group And Orchestra, the 1969 opus which had been re-recorded with the Liverpool Philharmonic in June 2011, featuring Lord and assorted friends. (More on this, later.)

The chemo ended, but the treatment continued. This time – Israel, four separate visits, two to three weeks at time. It’s a little known fact that Israel leads the world in its treatment of cancer.

He’d been to Israel only once before, during the ill-fated Joe Lynn Turner era of Purple for two shows; in Tel Aviv, and on the shores of Lake Galilee.

They injected him with the bird flu virus. In Britain, thanks to an almost annual media-fuelled panic, the words ‘bird’, ‘flu’ and ‘virus’ are enough to send even sane people into a sweaty panic. “The bird flu virus is only harmful to humans when it mutates,” explains Lord. “The virus itself is benign – and it also eats cancer cells.”

He doesn’t know why or how this happens, only that it does.

“They injected a small dose of this virus into me, which gave me a mild dose of the flu every time I had it, but, medically, it was so much better than chemotherapy.

“Then they gave me a tailor-made cancer vaccine, based specifically on my cancer, which they then deliberately mutated so it was slightly mis-matched to fight my cancer cells.”

His body, his beleaguered pancreas, became the proving ground for pioneering medical treatment. Rather than chemotherapy – a nuclear bomb-like approach, which obliterates every cell, good and bad, in the battle against cancer – this more targeted approach, with fewer side effects, seems to be a more effective and less unpleasant way of combating the disease.

The results were good. “When you get to my age, the cancer is very slow moving. It’s containable. My oncologist has had patients who were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer 15 or 16 years ago. They still have treatment and they still have cancer – but, crucially, they’re still here. They found my cancer early and the size of the tumour has reduced.”

The plan is to keep it that way. They might not be able to cure him – it would be nice if they did – but that’s an after-thought, almost. The aim is containment. So far, it’s working.

“I’d like to get to my father’s age. He was in his late 80s and he’d led a good life. I don’t want to limp to that milestone. I don’t want to drag myself over that line. I want to be active and well.”

Is he well today? “I am, yes. I have lost weight – I have lost too much weight, to be honest. I can get into trousers I last wore in Deep Purple Mk I.”

He is down to below 11 stone and a size 31” waist. He is 6ft 1ins tall. “I’ve not been that size, I don’t think, since 1967. I am like a beanpole.”

Eating is a challenge. Red meat is banned. Green-leafed vegetables are the dish of the day, every day. It’s a small price to pay, he says. “I can still eat fish. I can eat chicken. It’s not so bad.

“It’s a year now since I was diagnosed. Apart from the weight loss and a touch of sciatica, I’m pretty well. I’ve had three recent scans. The cancer is still there, but it’s smaller and it’s under control. There is every reason to feel optimistic. I am back at work, I am in a good space.”

The chemotherapy is over – for now. The trips to Israel are over – for now. “I may have to go back. I may have to have more chemotherapy. I don’t know. Right now, we are casting around for the best way forward from here.”

He has found a new spirituality, he says – not religion as such, but a sense that something, whatever it is, is looking after him and that there’s something else, something bigger than this which lies at the end of the journey here. It was a comforting thought, he says.

“It has changed me,” he says. “I am a better man for it.”

After a lengthy hiatus, he’s back at work. The Concerto For Group And Orchestra was performed and recorded by Lord and a stellar cast of very carefully chosen friends before he was diagnosed last summer. It will be released in September. It features Joe Bonamassa, Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson, Steve Morse, former Pink Floyd and one-time Page and Coverdale bassist Guy Pratt, and the massed ranks of the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Paul Mann. It sounds – finally – like he always wanted it to sound, as he lay on his bedroom floor in Parson’s Green, Fulham in 1968 when he first concocted it, when everyone said it was madness to try to fuse this loud, hairy-arsed rock band and a full-size orchestra.

“We recorded it over two days in June last year – orchestra, bass, drums, organ – and it produced the most wonderful results. I used different guitar players for different movements. I auditioned a few and, mentioning no names, I didn’t think some players were quite right. Steve Morse does the final movement. A brilliant player and he gets it, where some others didn’t.

“Joe Bonamassa is so good, with so much feel, and I also used an unknown guitar player called Darin Vasilez, from Bulgaria, who I have worked with a few times. He’s an astounding guitar player and he blows me away. I flew him in to London and got him in to Abbey Road. He did a fantastic job on the first movement.”

Dickinson and two singers he has been touring with – Steve Balsamo and Kasia Łaska – take care of all vocals. “It’s not quite finished. I have the final mastered copy and I’m listening to it now. It sounds tremendous. You can hear every note, every little nuance. Finally, we have that perfect balance between the instruments, which we didn’t really capture – we didn’t have the technology to capture – in 1969. I wrote it for a group of musicians that would all sound the same, but of course, it wasn’t like that. We lost the bloom of the orchestra. It gladdens my heart to hear it now. It is a beautiful, exciting, visceral recording.”

That’s it now, he says. No more tinkering. No more coming back to it. “It’s about as close to perfect as I think we will ever get it.”

He will perform it, all being well, at various venues in the months to come. Those details have yet to be arranged. “It will be tricky,” he says, “a logistical nightmare, there’s a lot to arrange there – but we will do it, I’m sure.” The deal, he says, is that everyone leaves their egos at the stage door. He left his behind, he says, somewhere in 1974.

The record company wanted him to fly across Europe to promote the album, sit through countless interviews and press conferences. He’s told them that’s not going to happen. “I’ll do a couple of interviews, but they’ll be phoners,” he says. “I think that’s best.”

One day he plans to return to the biography he was penning, which, inevitably, has taken something of a backseat in the past 12 months. He has a tale to tell there, he says, if not the time to tell it properly.

And somewhere, buried in the mountain of cards and emails and get-well messages, was one from a long-lost friend now living in Long Island, New York: a certain guitar player called Richard Blackmore.

“He sent me a very nice letter and it was lovely to hear from him.

“My life and Ritchie’s life have departed from each other so radically in the past 20 years. He’s gone his way and I’ve gone mine. But we went through a lot together. We will always have that.

“Would I like to play with him again? I’d love to – there’s a legion of people out there who want him to pull on that white Strat again – but I’m not holding my breath. Besides, I know more than most you should do what you want to do. Ritchie is doing that. Good luck to him.”

And Jon Lord laughs. “All of this and you finish with a question about Ritchie Blackmore. Ha, ha, ha. Bloody typical.”

September 16, 2021 Posted by Jerry | Jon Lord The Last Interview | Deep Purple, Jon Lord | Leave a comment

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