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UFO - Mechanix
Cathedral - The carnival bizarre

Rainbow 'Down to Earth' (1979)



Since you been gone
Since you been gone
I'm out of my head can't take it

Dio - Angry machines

An album I had disregarded because of the then fashionable Grunge influence. But it is not at all bad if far from one of his best. Certainly better than Strange Highways which put me off him in the 90s.

Deep Purple 'Rapture of the Deep' (2005)



A pleasing stack of Hard Rock CD's came in from the clearance sale at my favourite 2nd-hand webshop, several Deep Purple discs included.

I have always liked the Gillan-era the best, especially,'Fireball' which is my most-played DP album. On 'Rapture' the Gillan / Glover / Paice core are aided and abetted by Steve Morse (guitar) and Don Airey (keys). There is much to like about this album with its consistent and solid atmosphere, great musicianship and the classic DP groove.

Now, what else did I get? .... let me see.

Fretless wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 10:02 pm Deep Purple 'Rapture of the Deep' (2005)



A pleasing stack of Hard Rock CD's came in from the clearance sale at my favourite 2nd-hand webshop, several Deep Purple discs included.

I have always liked the Gillan-era the best, especially,'Fireball' which is my most-played DP album. On 'Rapture' the Gillan / Glover / Paice core are aided and abetted by Steve Morse (guitar) and Don Airey (keys). There is much to like about this album with its consistent and solid atmosphere, great musicianship and the classic DP groove.

Now, what else did I get? .... let me see.

Blackmore did not like "Fireball" and I am in agreement considering it a poor follow up to the ground breaking "In Rock". "Machine Head" is a return to form but would have been even better had "When a blind man cries" been included on the original. For some inexplicable reason Blackmore would not have it. He was not happy with "Who do we think we are" which I consider to be a solid album. Gillan and Glover were fired as a result with Coverdale and Hughes recruited. This Mk iv line up is my favourite. They made a good album "Come taste the band" when Blackmore left to form Rainbow. His replacement Tommy Bolin overdosed on heroin soon afterwards and that was the end of the band with Glen Hughes also having a serious drug problem. He was very pally with David Bowie in LA at the time who had an even worse cocaine addiction.

Big money brought about the Mk iii Purple reunion in 1984. I was at the Knebworth mud bath to see the reunion concert the following year. Blackmore and Glover (now reunited) had quit Rainbow, Gillan quit Black Sabbath, not long after replacing Dio and folding his own band, and Lord quit Coverdale's Whitesnake. Paice had already quit Whitesnake, replaced by Cozy Powell who was with MSG after leaving Rainbow, and was with Gary Moore.

All a bit complicated and I have only scratched the surface. It would make good subject matter for a thesis. But these were exciting times in rock and the subject of hours of discussion in pubs, often prior to the many gigs I attended. It seemed the only stable band was Rush, but the early 80s saw a change in direction which prompted heated discussion.

More Heavy Metal mayhem here at Fretless Manor this wintery morning:

Yngwie Malmsteen 'Rising Force' (1984)



Somewhere way back when, I did have one Yngwie Malmsteen album on cassette (but I have forgotten which it was). Just got a 4CD-set that includes his first 6(!) albums for Polydor and I'm having a quick listen. His virtuosic neo-Classical style really appeals to me now and the Hard Rock format makes this a powerful ride. Great stuff!

Fretless wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 11:42 am More Heavy Metal mayhem here at Fretless Manor this wintery morning:

Yngwie Malmsteen 'Rising Force' (1984)



Somewhere way back when, I did have one Yngwie Malmsteen album on cassette (but I have forgotten which it was). Just got a 4CD-set that includes his first 6(!) albums for Polydor and I'm having a quick listen. His virtuosic neo-Classical style really appeals to me now and the Hard Rock format makes this a powerful ride. Great stuff!

Swedish guitar God. Only his arrogance goes over his guitar skills

Continuing my Hard Rock month ....

The Ian Gillan Band 'Anthology' (2001)



After leaving Deep Purple, Ian Gillan formed his own band and continued to be highly productive. This compilation starts off with a couple of live versions of familiar DP numbers and then has several tracks from 1977's 'Clear Air Turbulence' which have a very Jazz-Rock sound that I personally like. Certainly different.

Further investigation needed.

Firebug1 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 3:12 pm

Fretless wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 11:42 am More Heavy Metal mayhem here at Fretless Manor this wintery morning:

Yngwie Malmsteen 'Rising Force' (1984)
His virtuosic neo-Classical style really appeals to me now and the Hard Rock format makes this a powerful ride. Great stuff!

Swedish guitar God. Only his arrogance goes over his guitar skills

It's funny how many rate Malmsteen as the "Great Neo-Classicist Guitarist", and yet ignore the fact that he was inspired by, and almost stalked, Ritchie Blackmore. When you look at a lot of the licks Blackmore uses they are so Bachian. I remember an interview with Blackmore where he talks about the origin of the classic smoke on the water riff. Which is the reverse of the intro to Beethoven's 5th ( IIRC ) but rather than playing the chords as fifths he plays them using his typical fourths