Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hard rock, blues, and yes...prog rock., April 23, 2006
This 1974 album was released shortly after the departure of both Ian Gillan and excellent bassist Roger Glover in 1973, thus ending the Mk. II lineup (at least until 1984). On the Burn album, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (who cranks out some unbelievable leads), drummer Ian Paice, and keyboardist John Lord were joined by new band members David Coverdale (lead vocals) and bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes. To say the least, I was a little suspicious of the new Mk. III lineup. With respect to the new members, Glenn Hughes (like Roger) also used a trebly Rickenbacker bass (which is a major plus in my book), although he was not as technically advanced as Roger. David Coverdale however, really belts out and is an extremely powerful singer.
OK, so the new members fit in well enough, so what about the music? With the explosive opening of the title track Burn I was convinced that the band was forging onwards without missing a beat. All of the components that made Deep Purple great were in place, but there was something else too. The arrangements on Burn seemed a bit more complex than usual, and what was this? Bach influenced chord progressions? Toccata-like Hammond organ solos? Mini-moog synthesizer solos on a Deep Purple song? This was something a little different (much to the delight of this raving prog fan), and it appeared that the influences of prog giants like ELP had worked their way into the writing style of at least a few guys in the band, which are very much in evidence on the title track Burn. In fact, Burn stands as my all-time favorite Deep Purple tune because it is so proggy. Other tracks on the album that are different (and personal favorites) include Sail Away, which features more great work on the mini-moog and a highly syncopated 4/4 that makes the piece sound busier than it is; the experimental, mini-moog heavy track "A 200" (which is named after a disinfectant and seems to be based on Mars from Gustav Holst's Planets); and the spacey jam on Mistreated. For those of you that don't like prog as much as I do, don't worry - 90% of the album is comprised of the solid, well-played bluesy hard rock that made the band so famous.
As an aside, a lot of folks (including critics) have commented that Deep Purple employed funk styles in their music during this lineup. To be perfectly honest, I hear very little funk in any of the pieces on this album. My guess is that the "funkiness" is an artifact of the abundant use of a syncopated 4/4, which lends the pieces a little more "swing" than usual. For those of you that are afraid of funk music, fear not - this is hard rock, pure and simple. I should note that I have not listened to either Stormbringer (1974) or Come Taste the Band (1975). These two albums may very well be funky, but I am still not entirely convinced that Deep Purple will ever be mentioned in the same context as groups like Parliament Funkadelic or Sly and the Family Stone.
With respect to the remastered album, Rhino did a brilliant job. There is a 23-page booklet loaded with informational tidbits and color photos of the band. In that I am not entirely familiar with Deep Purple, I found the liner notes to be very helpful, but long-time followers of the band may dismiss them as "old hat". In addition to the original album, there are five bonus tracks that were remixed in 2004 including the amazing instrumental Coronarias Redig (which was released as a b-side single), along with tracks from the original album. With respect to the remixed versions of the original tracks, they don't sound terribly different.
All in all, this is a great album of hard rock that offers just enough spice and variety to draw prog rock fans like myself in. For Deep Purple fans that are interested, Manfred Mann's Earth Band released an album in 1973 entitled Solar Fire that you may also like. Although the album is closer to prog than hard rock, there are enough stylistic commonalities that it should be of interest.
|
|
|
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My 2nd favorite Deep Purple album behind "Machine Head", June 1, 2005
THE BAND: Ritchie Blackmore (guitars), David Coverdale (vocals), Jon Lord (keyboard/organ), Ian Paice (drums), Glen Hughes (bass). Coverdale and Hughes replace departed members Ian Gillan and Roger Glover respectively.
COMMENTS: I saw EMI's 30th anniversary edition of "Burn" as well as Rhino's remastered and extended version of the same title... and went with this one from Rhino. With EMI's version being 2x the price of Rhino's - the decision was fairly easy. Both contain the same track listing - 13 songs - the 8 original tunes, plus one new remix ("Coronarias Redig"), 4 of the classic songs from "Burn" remixed in 2004, and an extensive 24-page booklet packed with band info and rare pictures. The remixes, like they did with the 25th anniversay edition of "Machine Head", are the same songs from "Burn", but with slightly different guitar solos, maybe a slightly different intro or ending... but for the most part the same song. Let me say that it's a treasure to here these classic songs performed slightly different. This disc is a must-have for the Deep Purple fan! After 1973's "Who Do We Think We Are" was released, and then their live double-album classic "Made In Japan", Deep Purple was sitting on top of the hard rock world. Gillan and Blackmore were at odds over musical direction. Also, Blackmore's main issue was the fact that he wrote 80% of all the material, but the credit was split 5 ways. With all the tension, something had to give... and lead singer Gillan left. Original bassist Roger Glover departed with Gillan. Glen Hughes (ex-Trapeze) aptly replaced Glover - bringing an above average ability on bass guitar and better backing vocals. In steps "a young and pimply-faced" David Coverdale at the ripe age of 23. After listening to a muddled demo tape, Blackmore, Paice and Lord invited the unknown singer for a try out (after Paul Rodgers from Free and soon to be formed Bad Company refused)... and the rest is history. In my opinion "Burn" was the last great album the band put out. "Stormbringer" was good for us fans, but Blackmore thought otherwise and made a quick exit soon thereafter. "Come Taste The Band" was very good, but keep in mind, guitarist Tommy Bolin is no Ritchie Blackmore. Purple's reunion in 1984 with "Perfect Strangers" had some great tunes on it, but there were some equally bad ones mixed in. The title track "Burn" is loud and pumps you up from the start, "Might Just Take Your Life", "Lay Down, Stay Down", "You Fool No One" are 4 hard rocking tunes that showcase the brass balls of the band. And, the popular bluesy "Mistreated" is one of their best slow songs - ever. John Lord is/was incredible on the piano/keyboards, Blackmore is/was a God on guitar, and the absolute backbone of the band is/was master drummer Ian Paice. Hughes and Coverdale were great replacements and they were never better than here on "Burn". The sound is 24-bit digitally remastered and sounds like it was recorded last week. Essential in any rock & roll library.
|
|
|
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pristine remastering, ungodly riffs, heavenly singing - one of Deep Purple's best made even better thanks to Rhino, September 5, 2005
Burn sucks me in from the opening riff and holds my attention all the way to the end. Very few guitarists excite me the way Ritchie Blackmore does. I mean, the guy is mesmerizing. Such phrasing. And speed. A dash of medieval here, a smidgeon of showboating there and -- viola! -- you've got a certified rock god on your hands.
On Burn, DP's eight CD, you get to enjoy a classic line-up that includes Blackmore, Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Glenn Hughes and David Coverdale, who has a set of pipes on him that just won't quit. To say he's a powerful singer is putting it mildly.
Rhino's remastering is astounding. Every instrument (especially the drums, keyboards and guitar) jump out of the speakers with crystal clarity. This CD sounds fresher and cleaner than any CD released today. In fact, listening to this Rhino remaster is like hearing Burn for the first time -- which is saying a lot because I remember actually hearing it for the first time when it was released in 1974. As a 14-year-old kid in love with rock music, it made quite an impression.
But it's making an even bigger impression on me now because I have 30 years of maturity and experience with other bands under my belt (which seems to be slightly larger than it was in the Seventies, but that's another story). Deep Purple is one of a handful of bands that still excite the hell out of me. No band today can hold a candle to Blackmore-era Deep Purple.
Which is the main reason why Burn is in my collection and ought to be in yours. This is some of the most electrifying music ever recorded, folks. Thanks to Rhino, it sounds better than it ever did.
In addition to the title track, I really enjoy "Might Just Take Your Life" and, of course, the awesome "Mistreated," one of Blackmore's coolest riffs. Combined with Coverdale's powerful voice, this could be one of rock music's most blistering tracks.
Everything about the Rhino-remastered Burn is first-rate. This is one of my all-time favorite bands and one of my all-time favorite of their albums. I can't recommend Burn highly enough.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
Interact With Your Music: Discover, listen to, and buy new music, all from the pages of SPIN's digital edition, free to Amazon customers.
by Deep Purple 
