‘Rapture of the Deep’ is Deep Purple’s
eighteenth studio album in their long illustrious career which started
in 1968 when they changed their name from ‘Roundabout’ to ‘Deep
Purple’. The band did actually split up in 1976 before reforming in
1984, which, depending upon your view point, makes the band 29 years old
or 37 years old!
During this time Deep Purple have become a bit like
Triggers broom, always the same broom, but many different brushes and
shafts. In their career Deep Purple have only ever had one drummer, Ian
Paice, who has banged every drum on every album and every concert,
making Deep Purple the complete negative image of Spinal Tap (in the Tap
the drummer keeps on self combusting or dying in a nasty gardening
accident).
In comparison, Deep Purple have had two bass players
(although Roger Glover was fired once but came back), two keyboard
players, four guitar players (if you count Joe Satriani) and five
singers (if you count Glenn Hughes and take into account that Ian Gillan
has actually been fired twice and rejoined three times).
This line up that recorded ‘Rapture of the Deep’
have been the same for two albums: the previous ‘Bananas’ (2003) and
this magnificent album. In fact, apart from Don Airey replacing the
retiring John Lord on keyboards the band has been stable for the last
four studio albums, starting with ‘Purpendicular’ (1996) and
‘Abandon’ (1998).
‘Rapture of the Deep’ is probably the best album
to come out under the Deep Purple banner since ‘Machine Head’
(1972). A bold statement I know, but then we are dealing with an
extremely high quality album here played by a very fine bunch of
musicians at the height of their collective powers. They have all been
in the music business for forty years (apart from the young guitarist
who is rapidly reaching that mark).
Ian Gillan is recognized as the voice of both Deep
Purple and the hard rock genre. Apart from Deep Purple he has also lent
his throat to singing the original lead part in Tim Rice and Andrew
Lloyd Webbers ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’, led his own band
‘Gillan’, ‘Garth Rocket and the Moonshiners’ and for one album
was lead singer in ‘Black Sabbath’.
On bass is Roger Glover whose rhythm section with Ian
Paice is good enough reason to keep Deep Purple on the road. Apart from
his Purple bass lines Roger Glover has also played with ‘Rainbow’,
produced several fine solo albums, and taken a turn at production work
including such bands as ‘Nazareth’ and ‘Rory Gallagher’.
Guitarist Steve Morse, apart from winning guitarist
of the year five consecutive times in Guitar World magazine, has
produced many fine instrumental albums with his own band ‘The Steve
Morse Band’ as well as holding down axe duties with ‘Dixie Dreggs’
and ‘Kansas’.
Behind the drums Ian Paice, whilst unemployed during
Purple’s eight year sabbatical, played drums for ‘Whitesnake’ and
‘Gary Moore’.
Keyboard player Don Airey had previously played with
‘Colosseum 2’ and ‘Rainbow’. Mott the Dog is well impressed by
their pedigree.
The first album by this combination, ‘Bananas’,
was a fine rock album, but had a slight bedding down feeling. Now after
the band has been together for two years you get the real deal.
The album opens up with some sinister Star Wars type
effects from Don Airey’s keyboards, before the rest of the band come
rumbling in as only Deep Purple can. It is not so much heavy metal as in
music that is being held very tightly.
‘Money Talks’ is a perfect opener, as it has a
rock solid rhythm section, good solos from Airey and Morse, and Ian
Gillan is in fine voice. Ian Gillan is always at his best singing about
the things he likes, and on this album he gets plenty of opportunity to
sing about money, girls, drinking, and the absurdities of the world at
large. One cannot help but smile as Ian Gillan opens up with:
“I was young and healthy,
Extremely wealthy, I swung in the trees,
And did as I pleased,
I thought I was rich,
Money talks to me,
Whispers in my ear,
Gives me everything I want,
Everything I want”
Well Mr Gillan I am glad for you that money talks to you, it always just
sneers at Mott as it passes him by and goes onto Mrs Mott and the pups.
The album carries on in fine style without a filler
track in sight. ‘Girls Like That’ expounds the virtues of the fairer
sex, whilst Ian Gillan protests his innocence during ‘Wrong Man’,
giving plenty of room for some fine instrumental jousting between the
keyboards of Don Airey and the six strings of Steve Morse, the like of
which has not been heard on Purple albums since the days of Lord and
Blackmore on ‘Speed King’ from ‘In Rock ‘ (1970). The next time
a Deep Purple greatest track album is put out, one of the tracks from
this album that definitely has to go on is the title track ‘Rapture of
the Deep’, an absolute Purple classic.
‘Clearly Quite Absurd’ is a thought provoking
ballad with Ian Gillan speaking the words as only he can over a very
fulfilling Purple backing which builds throughout the song, bringing
things to a rousing conclusion. This is followed by three excellent
Purple rockers that would get the most uptight foot tapping, including
more jousting between Morse and Airey, whilst Ian Gillan lets go with
some classic rock screams.
‘MTV’ is the sound of musicians venting their
fury at ignorant journalists (the same way that Pink Floyd did with
‘Have A Cigar’ and Nazareth with ‘Telegram’). Ian Gillan plays
this journalist rapping to a funky rock beat.
“Mr Grover ‘n’ Mr Gillian
You musta made a million since Frank Zappa caught fire
Could you tell us about it,
Keep it short and use my version,
Or everyone out there will think I am a liar,
We can speak about bananas for one second, just because I understand,
You have to get them off your chest,
But in the meantime while you are talking,
Could you do some more of these here ID’s,
And then the station might maintain some interest.”
‘Junkyard Blues’ is a good knock about rock song
for the Purple boys to show off their wares where Steve Morse and Don
Airey are invited off their group leashes, and allowed to solo at
leisure, which is a perfect way to bring the rockin’ face of this
album to a close before we are gently led off into the purple sunset by
the lilting ballad ‘Before Time Began’, a fine way for a fine album
to draw to a close.
The artwork for the album by Tom Swick is excellent,
much better than the rather naff Bananas cover, and the album comes in a
nice digi-pack case with a booklet. The music has been excellently
produced in the studio by Michael Bradford, and it is nice to see that
after all these years Bruce Payne is still at the reigns of the
management. Keep on rockin’ Purple.
I
would imagine that around 99 percent of the readers drink alcohol, so this
week’s book should have a wide audience appeal. However, author Frank
Kelly Rich is appealing to those who more than just sip. As one of my
friends, known to enjoy a tipple, once said, “I gave up drinking when they
invented gulping!” This book is for the gulpers.
Mott’s CD review: Deep Purple
Pressed
into rapture by Mott the Dog