Record Reviews

DON AIREY ~ ONE OF A KIND (EXTENDED EDITION) EAR MUSIC 4029759126393 (Barcode: 4029759126393) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2016 - 2017 Released: 2018 This is the 6th studio album by British Rock keyboardist Don AireyFind albums by this artist, primarily known as a member of the iconic Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist, where he replaced Jon LordFind albums by this artist in 2001. The album was recorded with vocalist Carl SentanceFind albums by this artist, guitarist Simon McBrideFind albums by this artist, bassist Laurence CottleFind albums by this artist and drummer Jon FinniganFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven tracks, ten songs and one instrumental, all originals co-written by Airey, Sentance and McBride. This Extended Edition includes a second CD with live material recorded by the same band in Hamburg, not including any of the songs from the studio album. Not surprisingly, the album sounds quite similar to Deep Purple, a mixture of Classic Rock and melodic Hard Rock, brilliantly performed by all these seasoned instrumentalists and with superb vocals by Sentence. All the songs on the album are just perfect for this kind of music, and although they sound as if originating some fifty years earlier, this is exactly what some of us like to hear occasionally. Airey plays some brilliant keyboard parts as does McBride, again in perfect tradition of the 1970s, and these musicians know exactly what they are doing, note after note. If someone likes the music of Deep Purple, it is simply impossible not to like this stuff. And of course they are every bit as good live as they are in the studio! Overall, this is a perfect extension of the music of Deep Purple, and for the many fans the band still has around the world, this is exactly what the doctor prescribed. Excellent musicianship and vocals make this a true delight from start to finish. A taste of grandmother’s cake? Who cares, if you were born at the right period, you know what I mean…

Updated: 01/04/2024Posted: 01/04/2024

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COLOSSEUM II ~ STRANGE NEW FLESH (EXPANDED EDITION) CASTLE 1188 (Barcode: 5050749411884) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1975 Released: 2005 1st album by the second incarnation of ColosseumFind albums by this artist. After the original band disbanded in 1971, leader and drummer Jon HisemanFind albums by this artist formed TempestFind albums by this artist (which recorded two splendid albums) and in 1974 formed the new Colosseum with guitar hero Gary MooreFind albums by this artist. The new band had a much “harder” sound than the original band, but still played a mixture of Jazz-Rock, which by that time was already called Fusion. The band also included the excellent keyboards player Don AireyFind albums by this artist and bassist Neil MurrayFind albums by this artist (GilgameshFind albums by this artist) as well as Mike StarrsFind albums by this artist on lead vocals. The combination of five first class musicians produced a band that could play anything between Fusion and Prog with ease and elegance, as this album proves. Although received coldly by the fans of the original Colosseum (probably due to the different sound and the fact that the strong presence of Blues elements was replaced with Rock elements), this is an excellent album in every respect and in retrospect surely deserves much more attention that it did originally. This beautiful new edition almost triples the playing time of the original album by an hour of studio material and a BBC live concert recorded in 1976, all previously unreleased. Highly recommended.

CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

DEEP PURPLE ~ =1 (LIMITED EDITION) EAR MUSIC 4029759191346 (Barcode: 4029759191346) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2024 Released: 2024 This is the 23rd studio album by the iconic British Rock group Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist and the first album recorded by the Mk IX lineup, which includes vocalist Ian GillanFind albums by this artist, new guitarist Simon McBrideFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don AireyFind albums by this artist, bassist Roger GloverFind albums by this artist and drummer Ian PaiceFind albums by this artist. The album presents thirteen tracks, all co-composed by all members of the group and their regular producer Bob EzrinFind albums by this artist, for whom this is the 5th DP album he produced. The bonus CD presents a video offers a new “behind the scenes” documentary. Deep Purple seem to be completely and utterly time resistant, and sound every bit as vital and creative as ever. The new guitar player fits the bill perfectly and his riffs are as recognizable as those of his predecessors. The songwriting is also completely consistent with their past ways, and the album might have been recorded fifty years ago and nobody would be able to tell the difference. Of course some listeners might say that this album completely lacks innovation and is nothing more than a repetition, more or less, of music the group has been making for the last almost sixty years. Well, this is very true, but what of it? They do what they do perfectly and the music still kicks ass and puts any contemporary Rock group (if there are any) to shame. For people who grew up in the 1960s and followed Deep Purple faithfully for all these years, there is absolutely nothing wrong with hearing a bit more of the same, as long as it is as good as the music herein. The instrumental abilities that come together on this album are absolutely convincing, which of course is no surprise to any music lover familiar with Deep Purple’s legacy, Gillan is still a mighty vocalist, losing just a bit of his upper range, which is all for the better. Sparkled with some British sense of humor and obvious love of the subject matter, they are simply unbeatable. Veterans, grandpas, dinosaurs and whatever they are called, they still easily kick the ass of any band half (or one third) their age. Overall, this is a superb Rock album, which combines tradition, great selection of material and sublime musicianship, which is way more than one dares to expect from any contemporary Rock music. The fans of the group need no convincing and the youngsters might just learn something from what it has to offer. Hats off are in order and hopefully see you all on stage one day soon, lads.

Updated: 05/08/2024Posted: 05/08/2024

CD+DVD 2 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

DEEP PURPLE ~ …TO THE RISING SUN (IN TOKYO) EAR MUSIC 4029759095477 (Barcode: 4029759095477) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the second of the two live double albums by the iconic British Rock group Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist, recorded during the world tour following the release of the “Now What?!Find albums with this title” album. It features the Mk VIII lineup of the group: vocalist Ian GillanFind albums by this artist, guitarist Steve MorseFind albums by this artist, bassist Roger GloverFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don AireyFind albums by this artist and drummer Ian PaiceFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded at the legendary Budokan hall in Tokyo, which saw the group recording their epic “Made In JapanFind albums with this title” album in 1972, i.e. forty-two years earlier. The 2CD album presents eighteen tracks, spanning the entire repertoire of the group and several tracks from the last album. The DVD presents the full footage of the concert. The music is of course familiar to all the fans of the group, but the amazing performances included herein are simply beyond expectation, proving that Deep Purple are still the best live Rock group out there, which has its roots decades ago and an uninterrupted span of making excellent music without compromise, ignoring the world changing around and the true values of music in general and Rock in particular disintegrating. Depp Purple impersonate the Classic Rock definition better that any other existing Rock act today, not only due to their persistence and stamina, but for their ability to keep the music timeless and able to preserve the aesthetic values of creativity, ignoring fads and fashions. Despite the fact that their lineup changed over time and they lost the spiritual leadership of Jon LordFind albums by this artist, the managed to overcome the hardships and kept their faith in what they do. Overall, this album is an amazing display of Classic Rock at its best, superbly recorded and performed by incredibly talented musicians, who know exactly what they are doing. There is no one false note, one disturbance in the continuity and flow of the music, simply perfection itself. Regardless of what some people may think, these dinosaurs still rule the earth!

Updated: 01/04/2022Posted: 10/03/2022

2CD+DVD 3 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

DEEP PURPLE ~ FROM THE SETTING SUN (IN WACKEN)... EAR MUSIC 4029759105367 (Barcode: 4029759105367) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2013 Released: 2015 This is the first of the two live double albums by the iconic British Rock group Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist, recorded during the world tour following the release of the “Now What?!Find albums with this title” album. It features the Mk VIII lineup of the group: vocalist Ian GillanFind albums by this artist, guitarist Steve MorseFind albums by this artist, bassist Roger GloverFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don AireyFind albums by this artist and drummer Ian PaiceFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded at the legendary Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany. The 2CD album presents seventeen tracks, spanning the entire repertoire of the group and several tracks from the last album. The DVD presents the full footage of the concert. The music is of course familiar to all the fans of the group, but the amazing performances included herein are simply beyond expectation, proving that Deep Purple are still the best live Rock group out there, which has its roots decades ago and an uninterrupted span of making excellent music without compromise, ignoring the world changing around and the true values of music in general and Rock in particular disintegrating. Depp Purple impersonate the Classic Rock definition better that any other existing Rock act today, not only due to their persistence and stamina, but for their ability to keep the music timeless and able to preserve the aesthetic values of creativity, ignoring fads and fashions. Despite the fact that their lineup changed over time and they lost the spiritual leadership of Jon LordFind albums by this artist, the managed to overcome the hardships and kept their faith in what they do. Overall, this album is an amazing display of Classic Rock at its best, superbly recorded and performed by incredibly talented musicians, who know exactly what they are doing. There is no one false note, one disturbance in the continuity and flow of the music, simply perfection itself. Regardless of what some people may think, these dinosaurs still rule the earth!

Updated: 01/04/2022Posted: 01/04/2022

2CD+DVD 3 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

DEEP PURPLE ~ INFINITE EAR MUSIC 4029759118480 (Barcode: 4029759118480) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the 20th studio album by the iconic British Rock group Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist, released four years after their previous studio album “Now What?!Find albums with this title” from 2013. It is also the fourth studio album by the Mk VIII lineup of the group: vocalist Ian GillanFind albums by this artist, American guitarist Steve MorseFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don AireyFind albums by this artist, bassist Roger GloverFind albums by this artist and drummer Ian PaiceFind albums by this artist. It is the 2nd album by the group produced by Bob EzrinFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten songs, all co-written by the group members, except the final track, which is a cover of a song by The DoorsFind albums by this artist. The music is everything one would expect from Deep Purple: a highly dynamic Rock music, which offers melodic themes and classic Rock riffs, which are the group’s trademarks. The current lineup completely consolidated its ranks since 2002 and became a perfect Rock machine, which has but a few contenders despite the advanced age of its members. The sound returns to the organ drenched heavy sound that was the group’s trademark from its onset, Gillan’s charismatic vocals are still one of the most recognizable Rock symbols and the music still manages to grab the listeners by their hearts, so what else would one want? The cover of “Roundhouse Blues”, originally recorded by the Doors and released on the “Morrison HotelFind albums with this title” album, is the longest and to me the best tracks on the album, being a great reminder of how great Deep Purple are when covering classic songs by others. It perhaps hints to making of the 2021 album “Turning To CrimeFind albums with this title”, which is entirely dedicated to covers. Overall, this is another great album by a veteran band, which refuses to rest and still sounds better that any of the wimps that call themselves Rockers these days.

Updated: 05/08/2024Posted: 25/01/2022

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

DEEP PURPLE ~ LIVE IN LONDON 2002 EAR MUSIC 4029759169659 (Barcode: 4029759169659) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2002 Released: 2021 This is an archival album presenting a live concert recording by the iconic British Rock group Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist, captured at the Hammersmith Apollo, London on February 22, 2002. It features the Mk VII lineup of the group with four veteran members going back together since the forming of the Mk II lineup in 1969: vocalist Ian GillanFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Jon LordFind albums by this artist, bassist Roger GloverFind albums by this artist and drummer Ian PaiceFind albums by this artist and the latest addition (since 1996) to the group, American guitarist Steve MorseFind albums by this artist. It is one of the last concerts featuring Lord, who was replaced due to illness by keyboardist Don AireyFind albums by this artist, and the temporary replacement soon after became permanent, followed by Lord’s amicable departure from the group, forming the Mk VIII lineup of the group, which exists till now. The 2CD album presents sixteen songs. The brilliantly recorded live performance presents Deep Purple as an unstoppable, perfectly oiled Rock machine, performing songs from the entire recording legacy of the group, going back as far as the first album recorded (then) thirty-four years earlier. Everything works like clockwork and if Rock is to be remembered in the distant future by this album alone, full justice would be done to the genre. As usual, the concert environment allows the musicians to take many liberties, usually not allowed during studio recordings, including long instrumental passages. Gillan introduces all the songs and tells occasional jokes, as usual in his case, holding the audience in the palms of his hands, and both his vocal ability and charisma are undeniable. Deep Purple have released about fifty or so live albums, so there is plenty to choose from, but a few of those are absolute classics, like “Made In JapanFind albums with this title” for example, and this album is very close to those classics, and as such absolutely essential to the many Deep Purple fans all over the world. The album is a numbered limited edition and my copy is 198/10,000 ;)

Updated: 13/04/2022Posted: 13/09/2021

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DEEP PURPLE ~ LIVE IN ROME 2013 EAR MUSIC 4029759144311 (Barcode: 4029759144311) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2013 Released: 2019 This is an archival album presenting a live concert recording by the iconic British Rock group Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist, captured at the Ippodromo Delle Capannelle, Rome on July 22, 2013. It features the Mk VIII lineup of the group: vocalist Ian GillanFind albums by this artist, American guitarist Steve MorseFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don AireyFind albums by this artist, bassist Roger GloverFind albums by this artist and drummer Ian PaiceFind albums by this artist. The 2CD album, which is one of the “Soundboard Series” releases, presents twenty-two songs. The brilliantly recorded live performance presents Deep Purple as an unstoppable, perfectly oiled Rock machine, performing songs from the entire recording legacy of the group, going back as far as the early albums recorded (at the time of the recording) forty years earlier. Everything works like clockwork and if Rock is to be remembered in the distant future by this album alone, full justice would be done to the genre. As usual, the concert environment allows the musicians to take many liberties, usually not allowed during studio recordings, including long instrumental passages. Deep Purple have released about fifty or so live albums, so there is plenty to choose from, but a few of those are absolute classics, like “Made In JapanFind albums with this title” for example, and this album is very close to those classics, and as such absolutely essential to the many Deep Purple fans all over the world. The album is a numbered limited edition and my copy is 4,817/20,000 ;)

Updated: 19/01/2022Posted: 19/01/2022

CD 2 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

DEEP PURPLE ~ LIVE IN VERONA EAR MUSIC 4029759130147 (Barcode: 4029759130147) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2011 Released: 2014 This is a live album by the iconic British Rock group Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist. It features the Mk VIII lineup of the group: vocalist Ian GillanFind albums by this artist, guitarist Steve MorseFind albums by this artist, bassist Roger GloverFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don AireyFind albums by this artist and drummer Ian PaiceFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded on July 18, 2011 at the legendary Arena di Verona Roman amphitheater, with the group accompanied by a full scale symphonic orchestra, the Neue Philharmonie FrankfurtFind albums by this artist, conducted by Stephen Bentley KleinFind albums by this artist. The 2CD album presents twenty-one tracks, spanning the entire repertoire of the group. The music is of course familiar to all the fans of the group, but the amazing performances included herein are simply beyond expectation, proving that Deep Purple are still the best live Rock group out there, which has its roots decades ago and an uninterrupted span of making excellent music without compromise, ignoring the world changing around and the true values of music in general and Rock in particular disintegrating. The orchestral accompaniments are of course new and quite unusual, and although Deep Purple recorded with orchestras before, the integration between the orchestra and the group on this album is absolutely unprecedented and fully complementing. Depp Purple impersonate the Classic Rock definition better that any other existing Rock act today, not only due to their persistence and stamina, but for their ability to keep the music timeless and able to preserve the aesthetic values of creativity, ignoring fads and fashions. Despite the fact that their lineup changed over time and they lost the spiritual leadership of Jon Lord, the managed to overcome the hardships and kept their faith in what they do. Overall, this album is an amazing display of Classic Rock at its best, superbly recorded and performed by incredibly talented musicians, who know exactly what they are doing. There is no one false note, one disturbance in the continuity and flow of the music, simply perfection itself. Regardless of what some people may think, these dinosaurs still rule the earth!

Updated: 08/01/2024Posted: 08/01/2024

CD 2 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

DEEP PURPLE ~ NOW WHAT?! (DELUXE EDITION) EAR MUSIC 826992031828 (Barcode: 826992031828) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is the 19th studio album by the iconic British Rock group Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist, released over seven years after their previous studio album “Rapture Of The DeepFind albums with this title” from 2005. It is also the third studio album by the Mk VIII lineup of the group: vocalist Ian GillanFind albums by this artist, American guitarist Steve MorseFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don AireyFind albums by this artist, bassist Roger GloverFind albums by this artist and drummer Ian PaiceFind albums by this artist. It is the 1st album by the group produced by Bob EzrinFind albums by this artist. The original album presents eleven original songs, all co-written by the group members. This Deluxe Editions adds one bonus tracks and a bonus DVD with an interview with the band and three bonus audio tracks. The album is dedicated to Jon LordFind albums by this artist, the founding member of Deep Purple, who died in 2012, while this music was recorded. The music is everything one would expect from Deep Purple: a highly dynamic Rock music, which offers melodic themes and classic Rock riffs, which are the group’s trademarks. The current lineup completely consolidated its ranks since 2002 and became a perfect Rock machine, which has but a few contenders despite the advanced age of its members. The sound returns to the organ drenched heavy sound that was the group’s trademark from its onset, Gillan’s charismatic vocals are still one of the most recognizable Rock symbols and the music still manages to grab the listeners by their hearts, so what else would one want? Overall, this is another great album by a veteran band, which refuses to rest and still sounds better that any of the wimps that call themselves Rockers these days.

Updated: 05/08/2024Posted: 23/01/2022

CD+DVD 2 Recommend To A Friend

DEEP PURPLE ~ RAPTURE OF THE DEEP EDEL 4029758655429 (Barcode: 4029758655429) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2005 Released: 2005 This is the eighteenth studio album by the iconic British Rock group Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist, released two years after their previous studio album “BananasFind albums with this title” from 2003. It is also the second studio album by the Mk VIII lineup of the group: vocalist Ian GillanFind albums by this artist, American guitarist Steve MorseFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don AireyFind albums by this artist, bassist Roger GloverFind albums by this artist and drummer Ian PaiceFind albums by this artist. It is the first album by the group produced by Bob Ezrin. The album presents ten original songs, all co-written by the group members. The music is everything one would expect from Deep Purple: a highly dynamic Rock music, which offers melodic themes and classic Rock riffs, which are the group’s trademarks. The current lineup completely consolidated its ranks since 2002 and became a perfect Rock machine, which has but a few contenders despite the advanced age of its members. The sound returns to the organ drenched heavy sound that was the group’s trademark from its onset, Gillan’s charismatic vocals are still one of the most recognizable Rock symbols and the music still manages to grab the listeners by their hearts, so what else would one want? This album, the second produced by Michael BradfordFind albums by this artist, who also produced “Bananas”, is somewhat “heavier” than usual sounding, with a strong bass presence, probably due to the fact that Bradford is also an influential bassist. Overall, this is another great album by a veteran band, which refuses to rest and still sounds better that any of the wimps that call themselves Rockers these days.

Updated: 16/03/2022Posted: 16/03/2022

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

DEEP PURPLE ~ TURNING TO CRIME EAR MUSIC 4029759157151 (Barcode: 4029759157151) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is the 22nd studio album by the iconic British Rock / Prog band Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist and their first album dedicated entirely to covers of Classic Rock songs by such legends as Fleetwood MacFind albums by this artist, Bob DylanFind albums by this artist, YardbirdsFind albums by this artist, CreamFind albums by this artist and others. The lineup includes vocalist Ian GillanFind albums by this artist, guitarist Steve MorseFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don AireyFind albums by this artist, bassist Roger GloverFind albums by this artist and drummer Ian PaiceFind albums by this artist. A few additional musicians appear on selected tracks. The album presents twelve tracks, the last of which is a medley of five songs, so altogether the album includes covers of sixteen songs. The album, recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic, was put together by recording the five members of the band in separate studios and then pasted together by the band’s regular producer Bob EzrinFind albums by this artist, for whom this was the 4th DP album he produced. Although Deep Purple created a plethora of great original songs during the fifty plus years of their existence, they were always superb interpreters of songs written by other songwriters, starting with their debut album. This album proves that they indeed are able to put new life into songs, which are mostly as old as the group, and that without damaging the original songs and often improving on them. The instrumental abilities that come together on this album are absolutely convincing, which of course is no surprise to any music lover familiar with Deep Purple’s legacy, Gillan is still a mighty vocalist, losing just a bit of his upper range, which is all for the better. Sparkled with some British sense of humor and obvious love of the subject matter, they are simply unbeatable. Veterans, grandpas, dinosaurs and whatever they are called, they still easily kick the ass of any band half their age. Overall, this is a superb Rock album, which combines tradition, great selection of material and sublime musicianship, which is way more than one dares to expect from any contemporary Rock music. The fans of the group need no convincing and the youngsters might just learn something from what it has to offer. Hats off are in order and hopefully see you all on stage one day soon, lads.

Updated: 05/08/2024Posted: 25/12/2021

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

DEEP PURPLE ~ WHOOSH! (LIMITED EDITION) EAR MUSIC 4029759141358 (Barcode: 4029759141358) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is the 21st studio album by the iconic British Rock group Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist, released three years after their previous studio album “InfiniteFind albums with this title” from 2017. It is also the fifth studio album by the Mk VIII lineup of the group: vocalist Ian GillanFind albums by this artist, American guitarist Steve MorseFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Don AireyFind albums by this artist, bassist Roger GloverFind albums by this artist and drummer Ian PaiceFind albums by this artist. It is the 3rd album by the group produced by Bob EzrinFind albums by this artist. The album presents thirteen tracks, grouped into two six songs sets called Act 1 and Act 2 and one bonus track. All the songs were co-written by the group members and Ezrin, except the final track of Act 2, which is a re-make of a song from the group’s debut album “Shades Of Deep PurpleFind albums with this title” from 1968, written by Ritchie BlackmoreFind albums by this artist and Jon LordFind albums by this artist. The Limited Edition includes a bonus DVD, which includes an interview with Glover and Ezrin and a full live concert performance filmed in 2017. The music is everything one would expect from Deep Purple: a highly dynamic Rock music, which offers melodic themes and classic Rock riffs, which are the group’s trademarks. The current lineup completely consolidated its ranks since 2002 and became a perfect Rock machine, which has but a few contenders despite the advanced age of its members. The songs are distinctly shorter in duration, featuring less instrumental passages, but retain the Classic Rock formula faithfully and are all performed brilliantly, producing a time capsule, which sound nothing like contemporary music, thank God! The sound returns to the organ drenched heavy sound that was the group’s trademark from its onset, Gillan’s charismatic vocals are still one of the most recognizable Rock symbols and the music still manages to grab the listeners by their hearts, so what else would one want? Overall, this is another great album by a veteran band, which refuses to rest and still sounds better that any of the wimps that call themselves Rockers these days.

Updated: 05/08/2024Posted: 13/03/2022

CD+DVD 2 Digibook Recommend To A Friend