3 Stars
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“Deep Purple’s Infinite, Gold Edition,” released in 2017, is the band’s 20th studio album and fourth since new boy Don Airey joined on keyboards in 2002. We were lucky enough to see one of Don’s first gigs with his new bandmates at the Impact Arena, Bangkok, on May 7th of that year.
The album starts off in fine style with “Time for Bedlam’s” eerie spoken entrance before the band comes rocking in. A splendid song that has rightly taken its place as the live opener for the band, replacing the overused “Highway Star” (opening song since 1972!)
Ian Gillan’s voice is still in fine fettle; gone are the days of a screaming banshee, but his voice is still melodic and pumped full of feeling.
Don Airey has to be the number one keyboard player currently on the circuit, pulling off some wondrous solos.
Steve Morse plays some amazing guitar, and his solos are staggering. This is made even more worthy as Steve Morse suffers from osteoarthritis in his right hand. The condition makes it painful for him to play and is also degenerative, so he is constantly adapting his technique to keep him playing.
The interplay between Morse and Airey is one of Deep Purple’s trademarks, while Deep Purple’s rhythm section of Roger Glover and Ian Paice is the best in the world.
Produced by Bob Ezrin, this album is both progressive and heavy, but with Deep Purple stamped all the way through it. The songs are all full of wit and wisdom, while the musicianship is never less than 5-Star. From the amusing “Hip Boots” to the riotous rock of “One Night in Vegas,” and “Get Me Outta Here” is as heavy as Purple get.
Whilst “Johnny’s Song” is a continuation of the theme of Johnny B. Goode, “Birds of Prey” is a 24-carat Purple classic and will be a highlight of the live set for many years to come—nine staggeringly good songs.
Then it’s not that it goes downhill-it totally collapses.
The main album on Disc One of this Gold Edition ends with a simply lame version of the Doors’ classic “Roadhouse Blues.” Any lounge act in the world could put more oomph into this song, not this pathetic run-through. What were they collectively thinking?
The Second CD, called “From Here To Infinite,” should have been called “From Here to the Dustbin,” with the exception of the Steve Morse instrumental studio version of “Uncommon Man.” It is a collection of demos, outtakes (there is a good reason they are called outtakes; they were not good enough to make the album) and a collection of live Purple classics, which, if you did not have them already, then why are you buying this album? Plus, most amazingly, a patchy (in a bad way) ten-minute guitar solo from Tommy Bolin who left Deep Purple Forty years ago.
Play and enjoy the first nine tracks, worthy of 5 Stars. The rest should be confined to the deleted bin.
Songs
Disc One
Time For Bedlam
Hip Boots
All I Got Is You
The Surprising
Johnny’s Band
On Top Of The World
Road House Blues
Disc Two
Paradise Bar (non-album track)
Simple Folk
Above and Beyond
All The Time in The World
Guitar Solo –Tommy Bolin
Uncommon Man (previously unreleased studio version)
First Sign of Madness
Hip Boots (Ian Paice’s rehearsal tape)
Time For Bedlam (First Take)
Highway Star (Live)
No One Came (Live)
Strange Kinda Woman (Live)
Perfect Strangers (Live)
Black Night (Live)
Written By Mott the Dog from Fletchers’ Folly on Pattaya’s Darkside.
Pictures By Carlos Delgado
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