Search - Deep Purple :: Burn: Stormbringer

The Mk3 Studio Albums in One Bargain Package

Bud | Seminole, Texas, USA | 11/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"(Contrary to the previous review and the Amazon tracklisting, this import item made in England actually contains two discs, not one, housed in a double jewelcase. It is a bargain find, especially for those not interested in the recent expanded re-issue of "Burn." For just over twenty dollars, a buyer can get the "Burn" and "Stormbringer" CDs in one buy, complete with the original artwork inside the deluxe case.)

After daggers were drawn in 1973, the most successful line-up of Deep Purple (the "MkII" version) was disrupted by the departures of powerlung vocalist Ian Gillan and imaginative bassist Roger Glover. This famed version hit the jackpot with their "Machine Head" and "Made in Japan" albums, which made the pressure to find suitable replacements even more strenuous. But future Whitesnake singer David Coverdale and talented bassist Glenn Hughes would add yet another dimension to the sounds Deep Purple had created in the past, as evident on the two albums the MkIII line-up recorded, "Burn" and "Stormbringer," both released in 1974. Worth noting is Ritchie Blackmore's guitar playing, which seems to have set aside the fever-paced solos of `Highway Star' for a more atmospheric approach at least in terms of solos, resulting in a sound that echoes another guitar hero, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour. The most apparent sign that Blackmore was yearning for a different direction was when he left to form the successful Rainbow, but there are signs in these two albums as well; it's as if he were stuck in the original DP line-up again, aching to turn the music into a more hard rock approach, and here the guitarist is obviously yearning for yet another musical change.

"Burn" kicked things off with one of the strongest singles ever released by Deep Purple, the title track, a lyrically dark and musically fiery rock and roll tale that set up a vocal strategy used heavily by MkIII; Coverdale and Hughes shared lead vocal duties on almost every song, a brilliant combination, but it would become a dividing factor among the ranks when guitar legend Tommy Bolin arrived to replace Blackmore who left in 1975 (Bolin possessed equally engaging pipes which he didn't plan on keeping secret, especially in live performances). Listeners would often catch hints of blues here and there in the "Burn" album, with organ genius Jon Lord even adding jangly bar-room piano at one point. 'What's Goin' On Here' (similar in message to other DP tracks like 'Lazy' or 'Not Responsible') and the 7-minute 'Mistreated' are the most prominent examples. But as always, when these rock legends did the blues, it always came with its own unique shade of purple, here with Coverdale's vocals and Blackmore's guitar giving the song its edge. Drummer Ian Paice shines with his ever-evolving percussion work on `You Fool No One,' while `Might Just Take Your Life' brings out the same don't-mess-with-me characters as those created by Ian Gillan, and `Sail Away' is an honest rock n' roll lament. Speaking of laments, for a record with such a menacing title and sinister album cover artwork, the best songs on "Stormbringer" are ironically the more melancholic tracks. There are of course exemplary blistering rockers like the ominous title track, `Lady Double Dealer,' and `High Ball Shooter' but the three best songs on "Stormbringer" are each deep and lonely either lyrically or musically or both, as is the case with the album's highlight `Soldier of Fortune,' possibly the best ballad any line-up of Deep Purple ever created, while the melodic philosophy of `Holy Man' features Glenn Hughes flexing creative muscles that would be even more apparent on DP's next album, and `The Gypsy' features a strong hard-rock guitar hook set against some gloomy solo lines.

"Burn" and "Stormbringer" were fine and logical extensions to Deep Purple's catalog. Both reached the Top 10, some might speculate because the group was hot off the heels of the MkII success, but others firmly believe it was because of the impetus of the two records. The two records obviously reached more listeners than its sadly under-appreciated successor "Come Taste the Band," which would find Deep Purple's tight hard rock sound evolving even more, thanks to the addition of Tommy Bolin.

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Purple Rainbows (Part I)

Erick Bertin | Santo Domingo, Heredia Costa Rica | 02/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In 1973, Deep Purple were THE quintessential hardrock band: having released the critically acclaimed "Machine Head" the previous year, and toured extensively to support it, they capped it all with the release of THE live album of the era (arguably, of all time): Made in Japan. As it turns out, the legendary Mk II was about to split: singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover exited the band by the middle of the year, amid much turmoil and inner fighting, especially with resident tyrant (guitarist and founding member) Ritchie Blackmore. (Like I said before: I love the guy's music, but he has serious issues...)



Instead of quitting, the band soon found their replacements in David Coverdale(a newcomer) and Glenn Hughes (of Trapeze fame) respectively. With this lineup, completed by original members Ian Paice on drums and Jon Lord on keyboards, the band wrote and recorded "Burn". A masterpiece! Some people say that the band went in a bluesier vein, but I don't agree with that. DP had defined itself by way of fast, guitar driven, classically inspired psychedelic tunes, always spiced with the distinctive sound of the Hammond B3 organ. All of those elements are present here, in songs such as the title track (a true hard rock classic, in the vein of "Highway Star"), "Lay down stay Down", "You Fool No One" and "Might Just Take Your Life". However, there are, indeed, some new elements: the tandem voices of Coverdale and Hughes with a deeper, more soulful approach, are an obvious contrast with Ian Gillan legendary "scream and yell", rawer approach. Who's to say any of the 2 is the better? They are both good in their own right! This tandem is especially effective in songs such as "Sail Away", "What's going on here". But above all Coverdale's solo vocal number, "Mistreated" is without a doubt one of the greatest blues/rock numbers of the era. Here, indeed, you can see the band adding some new elements, but without loosing any of their own distinctive personality. This record is a gem.



Why the "Purple Rainbows?" title then, you might ask yourself. The reason for that comes with the band's next effort,the criminally underrated "Stormbringer", released only 9 months after its predecesor: now THIS IS a departure! The guitar fury and urgency found in "Burn" gives way to a lot of groove ladden, R&B infuced, funky tunes, such as "Love don't mean a thing", "You can't do it right", "Hold on".This musical departure was in no small part the result of Hughes being heavily involved in the songwriting, as opposed to previous album (according to the songwriting credits on the CD's), were he didn't intervene. Glenn even gets to sing on his own in one tune, a first for the band (Holy Man) that further shows that funky soulful vein. There is still room for some serious hard rock riffage, nevertheless, with such guitar heavy tunes as the title track (another classic!), "Lady Double Dealer", "High Ball Shooter" and "Gypsy", but apparently, this wasn't enough for Blackmore, who would leave the band soon after to form Rainbow. The album closes with the beautiful ballad "Soldier of Fortune" (one of my favorite Purple songs), which fortells some of the work Coverdale would do in Whitesnake, and even some of the softer numbers Blackmore would do for the first 3 Rainbow albums. In the end, I think that the record's greatest strenght, its variety, ended up being its greatest weakness. I guess a little more consistency wouldn't have hurt, but still, I personally enjoy this record a great deal.



But the funny thing is that, years later, Blackmore, with nth lineup of Rainbow, would release "Down to Earth", a record that sounds horrendously similar to Stormbringer. Listen to "No time to Loose", and then listen to "Highball shooter" and tell me if i'm too far off! But even funnier: Rainbow was HIS band, he could do whatever he wanted, and yet he chose to do that type of music,and when Rainbow started to sound more commercial, like DP, he dissolved Rainbow to go back to...Deep Purple! Anyway, twisted family tales aside, this is an excellent 2-pack. I can't recommend either album more than the other, I love them both, it would be like choosing your favorite child! If you like good music, you WILL enjoy this, and it's especially appealing for american fans, since Stormbringer is currently out of print in the U.S. However, be warned, as this situation could change in the mid term: "Burn" is already available in the U.S in a remastered format with extra tracks, while Stormbringer is slated to follow suit sometime in 2007. Let's hope and pray that "Come Taste the Band" (the one and only release from Mk IV) enjoys the same fate shortly. In the meantime, this set is highly recommended for Deep Purple fans and hard rock aficionados alike. You can't miss and for the price, you can't really ask for more bang for the buck.

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