Comments for Deep Purple, Purpendicular

Steve Morse brings an entirely new dimension to Deep Purple. His influenence with Dixi Dregs and the Steve Morse Band are evidant in this new recording. If Morse stays with Purple, he will insure that these 50+ year old rockers will be around for years to come.

An outstanding album that features a rejuvinated and spirited Deep Purple. Steve Morse on guitar has restarted the creative juices which had recently been squelched. A must have for the die hard Deep Purple fan!

Like Come Taste The Band, this doesn't sound a lot like classic DP without Ritchie. But it doesn't mean a bad album either. Steve Morse fills in nicely, although he doesn't necessarilly bring a new flavor to the band like Tommy Bolin did with funk. He just fits in. (One exception: His beautiful acoustic playing on The Avaitor.) Which may be why the band hired him, however, without having a boss like Ritchie and now with a nice-nice Steve, Purpendicular allows the band to let the other 4 shows their talents. That, is Gillan, Glover, Lord and Paice. And that they do show, as Gillan delivers one of his best vocals performances since the 70s in "Sometimes I feel like Screaming" and the bonus track "Don't Hold Your Breath" As well as Jon Lord delivers some organ pizzazz with "Soon Forgotten" and "Rosa's Cantina". However, while the album does stands as evidence that the four are underrated and were perhaps repressed by Ritchie, it does have a few clinkers as "Hey, Cisco" and "Someone STole my Guitar" that Ritchie would rightfully never let the band do. Yet, Purpendicular still shows a band going strong continuing without one of their key players and is by no means washed up. Though on the next album, Steve should crank it up a little more to create more of an identity for himself.

Well, here we are. Only the 2nd DP album w/out Ritchie Blackmore and what do we get? A band literally "Born Again"! Warning however to longtime fans! This is not your typical DP release. The other members of the band step forward to steer the band in some new directions, not always successfully,but always interestingly. Many high points and only a couple of low ones (Soon Forgotten sounds like a Gillan outake, sorry). All in all an album that rejuvinates the band(and hopefully their career). Now if the follow-up is as good? The mind races with anticipation! Jim C.

Without Richie Blackmore and with the new man Steve Morse.A album with many different styles of music.

Purpendicular! Finally after 7 years, some positive reviews for this album! I am glad that there are fans who appreciate the fact that in the 90's and beyond, a "classic rock dinosaur" is still doing what they love and not rehashing the same old tunes! Don't get me wrong, I am and always be a Blackmore fan, but Morse gave them the big kick in the ass that they needed!