In 1984 the unthinkable happened. The Gillan/Glover era DP reunited despite odds of it succeeding. Not that the other guys were doing nothing, Ian Gillan was in Black Sabbath of all bands screaming out to Born Again, Ian Paice was playing in Gary Moore's band (after a few years with Whitesnake), Jon Lord was finishing up Slide It In, Whitesnake's big album and Richie Blackmore just ended Rainbow to which Roger Glover was playing bass. Nobody saw this coming.
For the next ten years, it would be an up and down affair with Deep Purple dropping Perfect Strangers, an album that picked up where Who Do We Think We Are left off but this time the songs were better constructed, rather than the labored feel of WDWTWA. The title track and Knocking At Your Back Door were FM hits but for myself the record feels more of a Rainbow sound rather than Purple. But it's Deep Purple from the patented Gillan screams and dry wit to counter Blackmore's seriousness. While House Of Blue Light was panned by critics, I thought it was better. It had more songs and led off with Bad Attitude and the percussion led Call Of The Wild, which echoed Chasing Shadows of 20 years ago. It might been their classic had they left a few bloated numbers off but with Hard Loving Woman I forgive them. Nobody's Perfect was Deep Purple obligatory live album and really we don't need another Child In Time although Gillan takes a crack at a remake of Hush. Probably the only time Rod Evans had the better version. And with that, the egos got in the way and Ian Gillan left once again.
Joe Lynn Turner, ever so much the faithful vocalist from Rainbow comes in on Slaves And Masters. The band moved from Mercury to RCA and end result may have been the worst Deep Purple album in their catalog, to which they became Foreigner light. There was talk that Jimi Jamierson from Survivor would be the vocalist but Turner was chosen due to contractual issues. No matter, the album didn't sound like Purple the way we remembered them but rather Rainbow. That is if you could stay awake to it. Nevertheless Deep Purple soldered on with Turner but management (and the band) wanted Gillan back in the fold. And he would return much to Blackmore's chagrin and dismay. The Battle Rages On is perhaps their best album since Machine Head since it returns to a more rocking sound abandoned on Slaves And Masters and no matter what Blackmore thought of his lead singer, he did managed to put together some of his finest riffs on songs like Anya or Time To Kill. The record feels more like a band effort. But after this and a tour Blackmore had enough and quit for a final time to be replaced by Joe Satriani.
Instead of breaking up Deep Purple did the unthinkable and went on without Blackmore by replacing him with Steve Morse (Kansas, Dixie Dregs). This was not the first time Richie was replaced, the ill fated Tommy Bolin came on board for Come Taste The Band. Steve Morse is lot like Bolin, a very talented guitar player in his own right, Morse has won many awards for best guitarist and so he was probably up to task to replace the enigma that is Richie Blackmore. And Purpendicular was a worthy successor to Battle Rages On, beginning with Vavoom: Ted The Mechanic. The album starts out strong, the band rejuvenated as if the dark clouds of Richie were fading away and the band actually sounds like they're having fun. Deep Purple also showed more a softer side with The Aviator, that perhaps they could tone it down a bit. Still Gillan can't help but scream a few times (although time and age revealed he can't hit the high notes like he once did) but the straight ahead drive of the bonus track of Don't Hold Your Breath shows Deep Purple can boogie with the best of them. A good record but it became the first Deep Purple record that didn't make it into the Billboard top 200.
The Morse era Deep Purple (which continues to this day) also shows the emergence of Ian Gillan as lead singer and main songwriter and he had plenty of puns to use for titles, 1998 Abandon (a pun on A band on) was heavier than Purpendicular, the songs not much so in remembering them. Any Fuel Kno That (another of Gillan's puns via song) and Don't Make Me Happy which sounds a bit prog rock ish. It's good but not great Deep Purple. With that album Jon Lord exits from the band.
With the exit of Jon Lord, Ian Paice becomes the sole original and remaining Deep Purple member, Don Airey replaces Lord for Bananas. After co producing themselves for many years (with Roger Glover) Mike Bradford becomes the first outside producer for Deep Purple in years. The production is kinda weak but the songs themselves aren't bad and are a step up from Abandon. And Don Airey doesn't tarnish the Jon Lord keyboard playing at all, he does a fine job being the new guy. And probably more of his album rather than Steve or Ian for that matter.
After the demise of Sanctuary Records, Deep Purple moved over to Edel/Eagle Rock and made Rapture Of The Deep, an album that begins to show their prog rock side since the early days and reviews of this record was more positive. It even cracked the US charts (At number 43 on the independent record chart). Steve Morse started adding more guitar to the mix, including Before Time Begin which is more fusion than rock. Gillan still writes sarcastic and funny songs like MTV and Money Talks. Even back then Ian Gillan knew a thing or two about classic rock radio and the comparison of competing with Smoke On The Water and clueless DJs.
Which leads us to the present and Deep Purple continues on. 2013's Now What?! 20 years removed from Richie Blackmore, Steve Morse has come into his own. Not that he ever did, in the contrary this is the guy that gave us The Dixie Dregs and The Steve Morse Band so he knows how to play guitar. With Bananas onward to Now What?! we have seen that Deep Purple could survive without Richie and with a catalog going back 40 years, there's no shortage of what to play although Child In Time may have been retired. Now What?! continues a more progressive rock sound and they got a big time producer in Bob Ezrin who helped shaped that record as well. But the record, like the previous two shows that both Don Airey and Steve Morse do help a lot in the way the songs turned out. It's not super classic Deep Purple but if you have been along for the ride all these years and can overlook the fact that Richie is gone, these records are still a worthy listen.
Like Rapture Of The Deep, Eagle Records can't help but put on another bonus live CD of past hits and Vincent Price, their minor charting single. There are countless Deep Purple live albums out there and all have their moments. Basically there's not enough space on this blog to cover them all.
It's hard to believe the band has been around all these years. And Gillan can sing Smoke On The Water or Highway Star in his sleep. They should be included in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame since they did influenced a few bands that did make it in there, Lars Ullrich be dammed but he's right. They should be there. All the lineup always managed to have great players replacing the great people (Jon Lord died in 2012 sad to say). But in the end, Ian Gillan has always seem to me to be the lead vocalist of this band, although Rod Evans and David Coverdale/Glenn Hughes will have their supporters. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened had Ian Gillan or Roger Glover decided to stick with Episode Six, or had Rod Evans managed to keep the faux paus Purple going in the 80s. Things would be different for sure.
But in the end, Deep Purple has managed to defy the odds and last 40 years into the present. That's saying something.
Albums:
Perfect Strangers (Mercury 1984) B+
House Of Blue Light (Mercury 1987) B+
Nobody's Perfect (Mercury 1988) C+
Slaves And Masters (RCA 1990) C
The Battle Rages On (Giant 1993) B+
Purpendicular (CMC International 1996) A-
Abandon (CMC 1998) B
Bananas (Sanctuary 2002) B+
Rapture Of The Deep (Eagle 2005) B+
Now What?! (Eagle 2013) B+
Infinite (Ear Music 2017) B+
Whoosh (Ear Music/Edel 2020) B+
Update 2020: The Gillan/Morse/Airey/Glover/Paice lineup continued to record with Bob Ezrin and came up with Infinite, a album that borderlines on prog rock. Gillan's sense of humor remains evident especially on the tongue in cheek Johnny's Band which might be taking yet another poke at Richie Blackmore. Some people say that we don't need another Roadhouse Blues cover but I like it fine myself. However this lineup has been the longest lasting Deep Purple lineup, Steve Morse has fit in quite well and unlike his tenure in Kansas has done very well living up (and beyond) to the legend of Blackmore. Despite the odds, Deep Purple has defined the naysayers saying they wouldn't last long after Blackmore's acrimonious exit in 1994. And continued to make good albums.
Whoosh is a return back to rock after the Prog Rock overtunes of Infinite, only 2 songs go over five minutes but we have 13 songs including two instrumentals and a bonus track. and the address is a revisit of their first song off Shades Of Deep Purple. Not sure if this was a final song or a thumb at the nose at Richie Blackmore, Steve Morse does a fine job on lead. With Deep Purple now five decades old, this lineup of Don Airey/Steve Morse/Ian Gillan/Ian Paice/Roger Glover has been the longest lasting for almost 20 years. Whoosh is their third with Bob Ezrin, and all three have been the best they have offered since Purpendicular. It boggles the mind that Morse has outlasted Blackmore in being in the band and Gillan says that Blackmore is not missed. Gillan is no longer the screamer of the classic years but his vocals are still witty as ever.
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