DEEP PURPLE “Slaves And Masters” /CD/

Embroidered bordered woven patch.

95x30mm 

Compilation album by legendary British Hard Rock band.
Rare unofficial Soviet compilation.
Picture sleeve with text in Russian and English.
Melodiya, 1990 (C60 26033 007). Unofficial release. Made in USSR. Used (cover/disc): EX+/EX+.
 

Tracklist:

Side 1
1. Black Night 03:25
2. Fireball 03:21
3. Space Truckin' 04:29
4. Child In Time 10:14

Side 2
5. Strange Kind Of Woman 03:47
6. Speed King 04:57
7. Highway Star 06:04
8. Smoke On Water 05:37
Total playing time: 41:54 min.
 

Russian edition of the twelfth full-length studio album by the legendary British Hard Rock band.
It’s the second recording by the re-formed Mark II line-up, considered as classic: Ian Gillan - vocals, congas, harmonica; Ritchie Blackmore - guitar; Roger Glover - bass, synthesizer; Jon Lord - organ, keyboards; Ian Paice - drums.
Though it was considered a disappointment upon its release (indeed, its production was much too sleek at times, and it lacked the creative daring of "Perfect Strangers"), 1987's "House Of Blue Light" has actually stood the test of time just as well, if not better, than its predecessor. This album showed Deep Purple searching for an 80s-flavored hit single, and by doing so, sounding similar to guitarist Ritchie Blackmore's other band, Rainbow.
Of the seventies Hard Rock dinosaurs that still roam the Earth, Deep Purple is one of the few with any credibility left in its crunch. "The House of Blue Light" is certainly a marked improvement over their lukewarm '84 comeback, "Perfect Strangers", and is as good as this band has ever been since its "Smoke On The Water" salad days.
"Bad Attitude" opens the album with five minutes of vintage "Machine Head" sludge - Ian Paice's thunder sticks calling the proceedings to order with a rigid goose-step beat, Ian Gillan raping his tonsils with the vigor of yesteryear. And "Mad Dog" is basically an '87-model "Highway Star," high-speed Metal fortified with Jon Lord's lusty Hammondorgan sound and the brass-knuckle guitar of Ritchie Blackmore.
The band has spiked its old hammer-and-anvil sound with a little future tech here and there: "The Unwritten Law" features subtly deployed electro-hand-claps and percolating sequencer amid its clenched-fist chorus and Blackmore's loco fretwork. But it's only when Purple turns on the retro-charm full blast that "The House Of Blue Light" really goes up in flames. "Hard Lovin' Woman" and "Dead or Alive" are both body-slam rockers in the old blitzkrieg spirit of "Speed King" and "Fireball", while Paice's sledgehammer-of-the-gods drumming and Blackmore's punch-your-lights-out chords keep "Call of the Wild", with its atypically Poppy hook, from turning into neo-Boston fluff.
"Strangeways" and a notable lack throughout the album of classic Blackmore psycho-chicken-scratch soloing, "The House Of Blue Light" is a surprisingly strong return from the tar pits. There's no "Smoke On The Water" here, but Deep Purple still has a pretty good fire going down below!!
Polydor International GmbH, Hamburg/Melodija, 1987/1988 (C60 27357 004). Made in USSR. Used.
 

Tracklist:

Side 1
1. Bad Attitude 04:43
2. The Unwritten Law 04:35
3. Call Of The Wild 04:40
4. Mad Dog 04:31
5. Black & White 03:44

Side 2
6. Hard Lovin' Woman 03:23
7. The Spanish Archer 04:57
8. Strangeways 05:55
9. Mitzi Dupree 05:02
10. Dead Or Alive 04:44

Total playing time: 50:33 min.

First re-release of the twelfth full-length studio album by the legendary British Hard Rock band.
It’s the second recording by the re-formed Mark II line-up, considered as classic: Ian Gillan - vocals, congas, harmonica; Ritchie Blackmore - guitar; Roger Glover - bass, synthesizer; Jon Lord - organ, keyboards; Ian Paice - drums.
Though it was considered a disappointment upon its release (indeed, its production was much too sleek at times, and it lacked the creative daring of "Perfect Strangers"), 1987's "House Of Blue Light" has actually stood the test of time just as well, if not better, than its predecessor. This album showed Deep Purple searching for an 80s-flavored hit single, and by doing so, sounding similar to guitarist Ritchie Blackmore's other band, Rainbow.
Of the seventies Hard Rock dinosaurs that still roam the Earth, Deep Purple is one of the few with any credibility left in its crunch. "The House of Blue Light" is certainly a marked improvement over their lukewarm '84 comeback, "Perfect Strangers", and is as good as this band has ever been since its "Smoke On The Water" salad days.
"Bad Attitude" opens the album with five minutes of vintage "Machine Head" sludge - Ian Paice's thunder sticks calling the proceedings to order with a rigid goose-step beat, Ian Gillan raping his tonsils with the vigor of yesteryear. And "Mad Dog" is basically an '87-model "Highway Star," high-speed Metal fortified with Jon Lord's lusty Hammondorgan sound and the brass-knuckle guitar of Ritchie Blackmore.
The band has spiked its old hammer-and-anvil sound with a little future tech here and there: "The Unwritten Law" features subtly deployed electro-hand-claps and percolating sequencer amid its clenched-fist chorus and Blackmore's loco fretwork. But it's only when Purple turns on the retro-charm full blast that "The House Of Blue Light" really goes up in flames. "Hard Lovin' Woman" and "Dead or Alive" are both body-slam rockers in the old blitzkrieg spirit of "Speed King" and "Fireball", while Paice's sledgehammer-of-the-gods drumming and Blackmore's punch-your-lights-out chords keep "Call of the Wild", with its atypically Poppy hook, from turning into neo-Boston fluff.
"Strangeways" and a notable lack throughout the album of classic Blackmore psycho-chicken-scratch soloing, "The House Of Blue Light" is a surprisingly strong return from the tar pits. There's no "Smoke On The Water" here, but Deep Purple still has a pretty good fire going down below!!
PolyGram Records, Inc. / Mercury, 1987/2013 (831 318-1 M-1). Made in USA.


Tracklist:

Side 1
1. Bad Attitude 4:43
2. The Unwritten Law 4:35
3. Call Of The Wild 4:40
4. Mad Dog 4:51
5. Black & White 3:44

Side 2
6. Hard Lovin' Woman 3:23
7. The Spanish Archer 4:57
8. Strangeways 5:55
9. Mitzi Dupree 5:02
10. Dead Or Alive 4:44

Total playing time: 46:34 min.

Limited Edition re-release of the fourth full-length studio album by legendary British Hard Rock band.
It was the first band's album with the classic Mk II line-up. Rod Evans (vocals) and Nick Simper (bass) had been fired in June 1969 and were replaced by Ian Gillan and Roger Glover, respectively.
The album was preceded by two Singles, the first studio recordings that Gillan made with Deep Purple. The first single, released in 1969, was a Greenaway-Cook composition called "Hallelujah", which flopped. The second single, "Black Night", fared much better as it rose all the way to #2 on the UK charts.
"Deep Purple In Rock" was their breakthrough album in Europe and peaked at #4 in the UK, remaining in the charts for months (the band's prior MK I albums had been much better received in North America than in their homeland). In 2005, the album won the "Classic Rock and Roll of Honour Award" (given by the British monthly magazine Classic Rock) in the category Classic Album.
2018 remastered from the original analogue tapes and cut to vinyl at half speed for optimum sound quality Strictly Limited Edition re-release on Purple Vinyl.
Purpletuity Ltd./HEC Enterprises Ltd./Parlophone Records Ltd., A Warner Music Group Company, 1970/2018 (SHVL 777 / 0190295565107). Made in Germany.


Tracklist:

Side 1
1. Speed King 5:52
2. Bloodsucker 4:16
3. Child In Time 10:18

Side 2
1. Flight Of The Rat 7:53
2. Into The Fire 3:30
3. Living Wreck 4:31
4. Hard Lovin' Man 7:11

Total playing time: 43:10 min.

Eighth re-release of the fifth full-length studio album by the legendary British Hard Rock band.
This is a second album with the classic Mark II lineup, and it was recorded at various times between September 1970 and June 1971.
One of Deep Purple's four indispensable albums (the others being "In Rock", "Machine Head", and "Burn"), 1971's "Fireball" saw the band broadening out from the no-holds-barred Hard Rock direction of the previous year's cacophonous "In Rock". Metal machine noises introduced the sizzling title track - an unusually compact but explosively tight group effort on which Jon Lord's organ truly shined. The somewhat tiring repetitions of "No No No" actually threatened to drop the ball next, but the fantastic single "Strange Kind of Woman" nimbly caught and set it rolling again, just in time for the innuendo-encrusted hilarity of "Anyone's Daughter", featuring one of singer Ian Gillan's first (and still best) humorous storylines to go with one of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore's most uncharacteristic, Bluesiest performances ever. "The Mule" opened the vinyl album's second side with what is perhaps Purple's finest instrumental, and on the hyper-extended "Fools", the band members proved they could flirt with Progressive Rock without plunging off its cliff (although the song could probably have done without its drawn-out middle section). And closing the album was the exceptional "No One Came", where intertwining instrumental lines locked together beautifully, Gillan wove another entertaining yarn that was part autobiography and part Monty Python, and the often underrated skills of drummer Ian Paice helped the song sound so unreservedly fresh and intuitive that one could almost be convinced the band had winged it on the spot. Sure, the following year's "Machine Head" would provide Deep Purple with their commercial peak, but on "Fireball", the formidable quintet was already firing on all cylinders.
The album would become the first of the band's three UK #1 albums. It was certified Gold on July 26, 2001 by the RIAA, selling 500000 copies in the US.
The original UK version had "Demon's Eye" as its third track, but did not include "Strange Kind of Woman," which was instead released as a single there. It was vice-versa on the American and Japanese releases.
Re-edition includes download code for MP3 version of the album.
HEC Enterprises Ltd./Parlophone Records Ltd., A Warner Music Group Company, 1971/2016 (0825646035052 / SHVL 793). Made in Germany for the world. 180 g vinyl in textured gatefold cover.


Tracklist:

Side A
1. Fireball 3:20
2. No, No, No 6:49
3. Demon's Eye 5:17
4. Anyone's Daughter 4:39

Side B
5. The Mule 5:15
6. Fools 8:13
7. No One Came 6:21

Total playing time: 39:54 min.

Remastered re-release of the eleventh full-length studio album by the legendary British Hard Rock band.
It represents the first album for eleven years recorded by the reunited, the most successful and popular 'Mark II' line-up (Ritchie Blackmore and Roger Glover arrived from Rainbow, Ian Gillan from Black Sabbath, Jon Lord from Whitesnake, and Ian Paice from Gary Moore's backing band), the last being "Who Do We Think We Are" in 1973. It was the first Deep Purple studio album in nine years. It is one of the better examples of a reunion album, although the band's uneasy camaraderie only lasted a few more years.
Long before reunions became big-money pursuits, the key members of Deep Purple put aside differences that caused them to split in 1973 and, bowing not to financial concerns but public demand, reformed for their first album in 11 years and a subsequent blockbuster tour. While the record’s title cleverly acknowledges the long time the musicians spent apart, everything about the album confirms the inimitable blend of creative chemistry, crafty songwriting, and trademark skills shared by the five players.
All the hallmark traits from Deep Purple’s golden era (1970-1973) are on display throughout this platinum comeback affair, which has aged much better than most mid-80s efforts in terms of sound, performance, and content. At times mystical, aggressive, and dramatic, "Perfect Strangers" leaves a lasting impression courtesy of Ian Gillan’s leather-lunged vocal range, Roger Glover’s self-assured bass lines, Ian Paice’s titanium-tough drumming, and the trade-off soloing between the wizard-like, vibrato-emboldened guitar playing of Ritchie Blackmore and voodoo-casting organ spells of Jon Lord.
Compositions such as the hit “Knocking at Your Back Door,” hook-laden title track, and racing “A Gypsy’s Kiss” could be deemed products of a supergroup. Yet calling them so shortchanges the artistry, as the posturing asides and attention-getting episodes common to such projects aren’t here. "Perfect Strangers" is hard, heavy purity, the last album Deep Purple crafted of its kind and one that stands right up to the ensemble’s classic “Fireball” and “Machine Head”!
180 gram heavyweight vinyl with printed inner sleeve. Includes a voucher to download MP3 version of the album.
Deep Purple Overseas Ltd./Universal Music B.V./Polydor, 1984/2016 (0600753635872). Made in EU. Re-press.


Tracklist:

Side One
1. Knocking At Your Back Door 7:00
2. Under The Gun 4:35
3. Nobody's Home 3:55
4. Mean Streak 4:20

Side Two
1. Perfect Strangers 5:23
2. A Gypsy's Kiss 4:40
3. Wasted Sunsets 3:55
4. Hungry Daze 4:44

Total playing time: 38:32 min.

AnTrop, 1992 (П91 00127). Made in Russia.

 
Tracklist:

Side A:
1. Stormbringer    4:07
2. Love Don't Mean A Thing    4:24
3. Holy Man    4:30
4. Hold On    5:06
    
Side B:   
5. Lady Double Dealer    3:22
6. You Can't Do It Right    3:24
7. Highball Shooter    4:27
8. The Gypsy    4:03
9. Soldier Of Fortune    3:13
    
Total playing time: 36:36 min.


​​​​​​​

The sixth full-length studio album by legendary British Hard Rock band.
Deep Purple simply were the finest musicians around in the early 70s. The bands stable line up for this whole period revolves around three of the biggest musicians ever namely: Ian Paice, Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore. These guys could simply out play anyone around at the time. Roger Glover, although one of the bands more modest members was a fantastic bassist who has some truly memorable moments on this album, including a bass solo. Ian Gillan is frankly the most fun you’ll ever have with Rock vocals. His range is phenomenal. For many people, it's the first Metal album ever (in terms of performing, sound, and production). For others, it's a simple hybrid attempt of trying to look different. Nonetheless, the influence of this album in the development of Metal music is gigantic!
“Machine Head” gives you everything: catchy songs between powerful tunes. A total machine, able to do whatever you expect from it. It's so Metal and so traditional at the same time. A necessary masterpiece in your collection, no doubt about it!
The Gramophone Company Of India Ltd., EMI Group/Stateside, 1972 (TPSA 7504). Made in India. First press. Used (cover/disc): EX/VG+.


Tracklist:

Side One:
1. Highway Star
2. Maybe I'm A Leo 
3. Pictures Of Home
4. Never Before

Side Two:
5. Smoke On The Water   
6. Lazy
7. Space Truckin

The fourth compilation album by the legendary British Hard Rock band.
"24 Carat Purple" is the first compilation album of Deep Purple released worldwide on their own record company. It was released in June 1975.
"24 Carat Purple" appropriately stands proud, among what is now a landslide of collections and hits packages, as a flawless representation of the band's Mark II identity at its very best.
The "Made In Japan" double live album consumes much of the single disc's body weight - the epic renditions of "Smoke on the Water", "Child in Time", and "Strange Kind of Woman" are, after all, among Deep Purple's most resonant moments, while "24 Carat Purple" also lures in collectors with a thunderous "Black Night", recorded at the same shows but omitted from the original album (it has since been appended to the "Made In Japan" CD remaster). With "Woman from Tokyo", "Fireball", and "Never Before" peeling off recent singles and "Speed King" excerpted from "Deep Purple In Rock", "24 Carat Purple" truly is a gold-plated depiction of the band at its all-time peak, before Ian Gillan and Roger Glover went their separate ways and an entire new journey kicked off with "Burn".
The album marked the debut of the live version of "Black Night", originally a B-side in Japan.
All songs written and composed by Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice.
Compilation got Silver status after 60000 copies sold.
EMI Records Holland B.V., 1975 (5C 038-96424). Made in Holland. Used (cover/disc): VG+/EX.


Tracklist:

SIDE ONE
1. Woman From Tokyo 5:44
2. Fireball 3:19
3. Strange Kind Of Woman 9:02
4. Never Before 3:56
5. Black Night 4:52
Running time: 26:53 min.

SIDE TWO
6. Speed King 5:48
7. Smoke On The Water 7:18
8. Child In Time 12:06
Running time: 25:12 min.

Total playing time: 52:05 min.

The seventh full-length studio album by legendary British Hard Rock band.
Deep Purple's last album with singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover until "Perfect Strangers" came out in 1984.
Musically, the record showed a move to a more Blues based sound, even featuring scat singing. Although its production and the band's behavior after its release showed the band in turmoil, with frontman Gillan remarking that "we'd all had major illnesses" and felt considerable fatigue, the album was a commercial success.
The album featured the energetic Hard Rock single "Woman from Tokyo" (is about touring Japan for the first time), which has been performed on several tours by the band over the years. Despite massive sales, the group disintegrated among much infighting between band members as well as conflicts with their managers. The album's line-up would end after a final concert in Osaka, Japan on 29 June 1973.
Deep Purple became the US's top selling artist of calendar year 1973. 
Fans bought the album in record numbers. In the US, for example, it sold half a million copies in its first three months, achieving a Gold record award faster than any Deep Purple album released up to that time. The album hit number 4 in the UK charts and number 15 in the US charts.
Warner Bros. Records Inc./WEA Music Of Canada, Ltd., 1973 (BS 2678). Made in Canada. First press. Used (cover/disc): EX/EX+.


Tracklist:

Side 1
1. Woman From Tokyo 5:50
2. Mary Long 4:25
3. Super Trouper 2:56
4. Smooth Dancer 4:10


Side 2
1. Rat Bat Blue 5:23
2. Place In Line 6:31
3. Our Lady 5:12

The thirteenth full-length studio album by legendary British Hard Rock band.
"Slaves And Masters" was the definitely one of the most controversial and criticized albums of all time in the history of Deep Purple. This formation is known as Mark V, one of the many changes in the band's formation, more than their share of personnel changes over the years. In 1990, their lineup consisted of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (who had returned to the Purple fold in 1984 after leaving the band to form Rainbow following the release of "Stormbringer" in November 1974), singer Joe Lynn Turner, keyboardist/organist Jon Lord, drummer Ian Paice, and bassist Roger Glover. This is the only Deep Purple album to feature former Rainbow lead vocalist Joe Lynn Turner, who had joined the previous year after the firing of Ian Gillan. Before hiring Turner, the band had considered singer Jimi Jamison of Survivor, but other obligations made him unavailable. Turner was still a member of the band when they began writing and recording their next album in 1992, but under duress from managers who were eyeing a 25th anniversary tour, Deep Purple ultimately decided to bring back Gillan to the line-up for their 1993 studio album "The Battle Rages On...". A handful of working tracks originally intended for the follow-up to "Slaves And Masters" would turn up on subsequent solo releases by Turner. "Too Much Is Not Enough" was re-recorded by Turner for his album "Hurry Up And Wait" (1998).
Longtime Purple followers continued to hope that Blackmore (who made promising contributions to the sound of 1984's reunion LP "Perfect Strangers") would help the band to reclaim the Metal throne, but "Slaves And Masters" was hardly the album to further the cause. The songwriting is weak and pedestrian, and most of the time, the once-mighty Purple (who were at least 16 years past their prime) sound like a generic Foreigner wannabe. The album dramatically sold below expectations, as compared to Deep Purple's previous album, "The House Of Blue Light" with Gillan, which charted at No. 34 in the US.VDespite underwhelming album sales, Deep Purple had a relatively successful tour in support of "Slaves And Masters" in 1991, especially for the band's European leg.
Technically the band stands together and makes a good performance but this album doesn't contain any of the elements that made Deep Purple famous throughout the world. Most tracks are about love with a mix of Whitesnake and 80's Rainbow, the only songs that are actually Hard Rock oriented are "Breakfast In Bed", "Fire In The Basement", and "Wicked Ways" which are the best on the album. Lyrically the album is good; Ritchie, Joe, Roger and the others are great songwriters and they kept their usual performance in this area. The best thing on the album is the production, thanks to Roger Glover - he works not only for bass but also for production, definitely he is one of the greatest artists in the music industry.
All in all, what puts this album in the bottom of the band's discography is the concept, the fact that they composed something that was so usual to hear in the 80's. Nowadays, none of the songs in this album are in the setlist of the band for live shows. It's definitely a consequence of the failure this album was, even the band knows the level this album is at compared with other classics. "Slaves And Masters" is not a a complete disaster, but it's definitely the worst album the band ever made. Although it had a relatively successful tour in 1991, it was way too melodic for the Hard Rock fans of Deep Purple.
Following its release, "Slaves And Masters" peaked at No. 87 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
RCA/Mega International Records/Balkanton, 1990 (BTA 12718 / PL90535). Made in Bulgaria. First press. Used (cover/disc): NM/EX-.


Tracklist:

Side A
1. King Of Dreams 5:30
2. The Cut Runs Deep 5:42
3. Fire In The Basement    4:43
4. Fortuneteller 5:45

Side B
5. Truth Hurts 5:14
6. Love Conquers All 3:47
7. Breakfast In Bed 5:16
8. Too Much Is Not Enough 4:19
9. Wicked Ways 6:35

Total playing time: 46:51 min.

The twelfth full-length studio album by the legendary British Hard Rock band.
It’s the second recording by the re-formed Mark II line-up, considered as classic: Ian Gillan - vocals, congas, harmonica; Ritchie Blackmore - guitar; Roger Glover - bass, synthesizer; Jon Lord - organ, keyboards; Ian Paice - drums.
Though it was considered a disappointment upon its release (indeed, its production was much too sleek at times, and it lacked the creative daring of "Perfect Strangers"), 1987's "House Of Blue Light" has actually stood the test of time just as well, if not better, than its predecessor. This album showed Deep Purple searching for an 80s-flavored hit single, and by doing so, sounding similar to guitarist Ritchie Blackmore's other band, Rainbow.
Of the seventies Hard Rock dinosaurs that still roam the Earth, Deep Purple is one of the few with any credibility left in its crunch. "The House of Blue Light" is certainly a marked improvement over their lukewarm '84 comeback, "Perfect Strangers", and is as good as this band has ever been since its "Smoke On The Water" salad days.
"Bad Attitude" opens the album with five minutes of vintage "Machine Head" sludge - Ian Paice's thunder sticks calling the proceedings to order with a rigid goose-step beat, Ian Gillan raping his tonsils with the vigor of yesteryear. And "Mad Dog" is basically an '87-model "Highway Star," high-speed Metal fortified with Jon Lord's lusty Hammondorgan sound and the brass-knuckle guitar of Ritchie Blackmore.
The band has spiked its old hammer-and-anvil sound with a little future tech here and there: "The Unwritten Law" features subtly deployed electro-hand-claps and percolating sequencer amid its clenched-fist chorus and Blackmore's loco fretwork. But it's only when Purple turns on the retro-charm full blast that "The House Of Blue Light" really goes up in flames. "Hard Lovin' Woman" and "Dead or Alive" are both body-slam rockers in the old blitzkrieg spirit of "Speed King" and "Fireball", while Paice's sledgehammer-of-the-gods drumming and Blackmore's punch-your-lights-out chords keep "Call of the Wild", with its atypically Poppy hook, from turning into neo-Boston fluff.
"Strangeways" and a notable lack throughout the album of classic Blackmore psycho-chicken-scratch soloing, "The House Of Blue Light" is a surprisingly strong return from the tar pits. There's no "Smoke On The Water" here, but Deep Purple still has a pretty good fire going down below!!
Polydor/PolyGram Records, Inc., 1987 (831 318-1). Made in Canada. First press. OIS. Used (cover/disc): EX+/EX.


Tracklist:

Side 1
1. Bad Attitude 4:43
2. The Unwritten Law 4:35
3. Call Of The Wild 4:40
4. Mad Dog 4:51
5. Black & White 3:44

Side 2
6. Hard Lovin' Woman 3:23
7. The Spanish Archer 4:57
8. Strangeways 5:55
9. Mitzi Dupree 5:02
10. Dead Or Alive 4:44

Total playing time: 46:34 min.

The twelfth full-length studio album by the legendary British Hard Rock band.
It’s the second recording by the re-formed Mark II line-up, considered as classic: Ian Gillan - vocals, congas, harmonica; Ritchie Blackmore - guitar; Roger Glover - bass, synthesizer; Jon Lord - organ, keyboards; Ian Paice - drums.
Though it was considered a disappointment upon its release (indeed, its production was much too sleek at times, and it lacked the creative daring of "Perfect Strangers"), 1987's "House Of Blue Light" has actually stood the test of time just as well, if not better, than its predecessor. This album showed Deep Purple searching for an 80s-flavored hit single, and by doing so, sounding similar to guitarist Ritchie Blackmore's other band, Rainbow.
Of the seventies Hard Rock dinosaurs that still roam the Earth, Deep Purple is one of the few with any credibility left in its crunch. "The House of Blue Light" is certainly a marked improvement over their lukewarm '84 comeback, "Perfect Strangers", and is as good as this band has ever been since its "Smoke On The Water" salad days.
"Bad Attitude" opens the album with five minutes of vintage "Machine Head" sludge - Ian Paice's thunder sticks calling the proceedings to order with a rigid goose-step beat, Ian Gillan raping his tonsils with the vigor of yesteryear. And "Mad Dog" is basically an '87-model "Highway Star," high-speed Metal fortified with Jon Lord's lusty Hammondorgan sound and the brass-knuckle guitar of Ritchie Blackmore.
The band has spiked its old hammer-and-anvil sound with a little future tech here and there: "The Unwritten Law" features subtly deployed electro-hand-claps and percolating sequencer amid its clenched-fist chorus and Blackmore's loco fretwork. But it's only when Purple turns on the retro-charm full blast that "The House Of Blue Light" really goes up in flames. "Hard Lovin' Woman" and "Dead or Alive" are both body-slam rockers in the old blitzkrieg spirit of "Speed King" and "Fireball", while Paice's sledgehammer-of-the-gods drumming and Blackmore's punch-your-lights-out chords keep "Call of the Wild", with its atypically Poppy hook, from turning into neo-Boston fluff.
"Strangeways" and a notable lack throughout the album of classic Blackmore psycho-chicken-scratch soloing, "The House Of Blue Light" is a surprisingly strong return from the tar pits. There's no "Smoke On The Water" here, but Deep Purple still has a pretty good fire going down below!!
Polydor/PolyGram Records, Inc., 1987 (831 318-1). Made in Germany. First press. OIS. Used (cover/disc): EX/EX+.


Tracklist:

Side 1
1. Bad Attitude 4:43
2. The Unwritten Law 4:35
3. Call Of The Wild 4:40
4. Mad Dog 4:31
5. Black & White 3:44

Side 2
6. Hard Lovin' Woman 3:23
7. The Spanish Archer 4:57
8. Strangeways 5:55
9. Mitzi Dupree 5:02
10. Dead Or Alive 4:44

Total playing time: 46:34 min.

The twelfth full-length studio album by the legendary British Hard Rock band.
It’s the second recording by the re-formed Mark II line-up, considered as classic: Ian Gillan - vocals, congas, harmonica; Ritchie Blackmore - guitar; Roger Glover - bass, synthesizer; Jon Lord - organ, keyboards; Ian Paice - drums.
Though it was considered a disappointment upon its release (indeed, its production was much too sleek at times, and it lacked the creative daring of "Perfect Strangers"), 1987's "House Of Blue Light" has actually stood the test of time just as well, if not better, than its predecessor. This album showed Deep Purple searching for an 80s-flavored hit single, and by doing so, sounding similar to guitarist Ritchie Blackmore's other band, Rainbow.
Of the seventies Hard Rock dinosaurs that still roam the Earth, Deep Purple is one of the few with any credibility left in its crunch. "The House of Blue Light" is certainly a marked improvement over their lukewarm '84 comeback, "Perfect Strangers", and is as good as this band has ever been since its "Smoke On The Water" salad days.
"Bad Attitude" opens the album with five minutes of vintage "Machine Head" sludge - Ian Paice's thunder sticks calling the proceedings to order with a rigid goose-step beat, Ian Gillan raping his tonsils with the vigor of yesteryear. And "Mad Dog" is basically an '87-model "Highway Star," high-speed Metal fortified with Jon Lord's lusty Hammondorgan sound and the brass-knuckle guitar of Ritchie Blackmore.
The band has spiked its old hammer-and-anvil sound with a little future tech here and there: "The Unwritten Law" features subtly deployed electro-hand-claps and percolating sequencer amid its clenched-fist chorus and Blackmore's loco fretwork. But it's only when Purple turns on the retro-charm full blast that "The House Of Blue Light" really goes up in flames. "Hard Lovin' Woman" and "Dead or Alive" are both body-slam rockers in the old blitzkrieg spirit of "Speed King" and "Fireball", while Paice's sledgehammer-of-the-gods drumming and Blackmore's punch-your-lights-out chords keep "Call of the Wild", with its atypically Poppy hook, from turning into neo-Boston fluff.
"Strangeways" and a notable lack throughout the album of classic Blackmore psycho-chicken-scratch soloing, "The House Of Blue Light" is a surprisingly strong return from the tar pits. There's no "Smoke On The Water" here, but Deep Purple still has a pretty good fire going down below!!
PolyGram Records, Inc. / Mercury, 1987 (831 318-1 M-1). Made in USA. First press. OIS. Used (cover/disc): NM/EX+.


Tracklist:

Side 1
1. Bad Attitude 4:43
2. The Unwritten Law 4:35
3. Call Of The Wild 4:40
4. Mad Dog 4:51
5. Black & White 3:44

Side 2
6. Hard Lovin' Woman 3:23
7. The Spanish Archer 4:57
8. Strangeways 5:55
9. Mitzi Dupree 5:02
10. Dead Or Alive 4:44

Total playing time: 46:34 min.

The eleventh full-length studio album by the legendary British Hard Rock band.
It represents the first album for eleven years recorded by the reunited, the most successful and popular 'Mark II' line-up (Ritchie Blackmore and Roger Glover arrived from Rainbow, Ian Gillan from Black Sabbath, Jon Lord from Whitesnake, and Ian Paice from Gary Moore's backing band), the last being "Who Do We Think We Are" in 1973. It was the first Deep Purple studio album in nine years. It is one of the better examples of a reunion album, although the band's uneasy camaraderie only lasted a few more years.
Long before reunions became big-money pursuits, the key members of Deep Purple put aside differences that caused them to split in 1973 and, bowing not to financial concerns but public demand, reformed for their first album in 11 years and a subsequent blockbuster tour. While the record’s title cleverly acknowledges the long time the musicians spent apart, everything about the album confirms the inimitable blend of creative chemistry, crafty songwriting, and trademark skills shared by the five players.
All the hallmark traits from Deep Purple’s golden era (1970-1973) are on display throughout this platinum comeback affair, which has aged much better than most mid-80s efforts in terms of sound, performance, and content. At times mystical, aggressive, and dramatic, "Perfect Strangers" leaves a lasting impression courtesy of Ian Gillan’s leather-lunged vocal range, Roger Glover’s self-assured bass lines, Ian Paice’s titanium-tough drumming, and the trade-off soloing between the wizard-like, vibrato-emboldened guitar playing of Ritchie Blackmore and voodoo-casting organ spells of Jon Lord.
Compositions such as the hit “Knocking at Your Back Door,” hook-laden title track, and racing “A Gypsy’s Kiss” could be deemed products of a supergroup. Yet calling them so shortchanges the artistry, as the posturing asides and attention-getting episodes common to such projects aren’t here. "Perfect Strangers" is hard, heavy purity, the last album Deep Purple crafted of its kind and one that stands right up to the ensemble’s classic “Fireball” and “Machine Head”!
Polygram Records, Inc./Thames Records, LTD, 1984 (823 777-1). Made in Holland. First press. Used (cover/disc): EX+/NM-.


Tracklist:

Side One
1. Knocking At Your Back Door 7:00
2. Under The Gun 4:35
3. Nobody's Home 3:55
4. Mean Streak 4:20

Side Two
1. Perfect Strangers 5:23
2. A Gypsy's Kiss 4:40
3. Wasted Sunsets 3:55
4. Hungry Daze 4:44

Total playing time: 38:32 min.

The eleventh full-length studio album by the legendary British Hard Rock band.
It represents the first album for eleven years recorded by the reunited, the most successful and popular 'Mark II' line-up (Ritchie Blackmore and Roger Glover arrived from Rainbow, Ian Gillan from Black Sabbath, Jon Lord from Whitesnake, and Ian Paice from Gary Moore's backing band), the last being "Who Do We Think We Are" in 1973. It was the first Deep Purple studio album in nine years. It is one of the better examples of a reunion album, although the band's uneasy camaraderie only lasted a few more years.
Long before reunions became big-money pursuits, the key members of Deep Purple put aside differences that caused them to split in 1973 and, bowing not to financial concerns but public demand, reformed for their first album in 11 years and a subsequent blockbuster tour. While the record’s title cleverly acknowledges the long time the musicians spent apart, everything about the album confirms the inimitable blend of creative chemistry, crafty songwriting, and trademark skills shared by the five players.
All the hallmark traits from Deep Purple’s golden era (1970-1973) are on display throughout this platinum comeback affair, which has aged much better than most mid-80s efforts in terms of sound, performance, and content. At times mystical, aggressive, and dramatic, "Perfect Strangers" leaves a lasting impression courtesy of Ian Gillan’s leather-lunged vocal range, Roger Glover’s self-assured bass lines, Ian Paice’s titanium-tough drumming, and the trade-off soloing between the wizard-like, vibrato-emboldened guitar playing of Ritchie Blackmore and voodoo-casting organ spells of Jon Lord.
Compositions such as the hit “Knocking at Your Back Door,” hook-laden title track, and racing “A Gypsy’s Kiss” could be deemed products of a supergroup. Yet calling them so shortchanges the artistry, as the posturing asides and attention-getting episodes common to such projects aren’t here. "Perfect Strangers" is hard, heavy purity, the last album Deep Purple crafted of its kind and one that stands right up to the ensemble’s classic “Fireball” and “Machine Head”!
Polydor/Polygram Records, Inc., 1984 (823 777-1). Made in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:

Side One
1. Knocking At Your Back Door 7:00
2. Under The Gun 4:35
3. Nobody's Home 3:55
4. Mean Streak 4:20

Side Two
1. Perfect Strangers 5:23
2. A Gypsy's Kiss 4:40
3. Wasted Sunsets 3:55
4. Hungry Daze 4:44

Total playing time: 38:32 min.