Customer Reviews

Gemini Suite

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
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I've got the concerto on CD and DVD, just waiting for the DVD release of the Gemini Suite. If you don't have the first piece on DVD, it's a must have for any DP fan. I have to agree with R. L. Miller on the point that the two styles of music don't compliment each other very well on the suite, but the concerto I feel is a different and much better grouping.

Buy this or the concerto and never regret it!

Gemini suite was the second orchestra work of john Lord, once again was conducted by Malcolm Arnold in 1970. This one is quite different than the first orchestral work in 1969. The vocal improvisation by Ian Gillan is excellent. LOVE DP!

The Gemini Suite was a project written by Purple keyboardist Jon Lord in an attempt to meld classical music with rock n' rock and at the same time allow each member a "solo" type section in which to show off their skills. It is successfull for the most part, with the legendary Ritchie Blackmore and Ian Paice really shining in the solo areas. It may not interest people who only own "Machine Head" & "In Rock", but it is a great addition to any avid Purple fans collection.

...and that's what's so good about this album. Most times it's been done ("Days Of Future Passed", "Procol Harum Live With the Edmonton Symphony", ELP's "Works Live"), there has been an attempt to blend the two forms in a way that won't clash. But composer-organist Jon Lord implied strongly in the liner notes to this work's predecessor "Concerto For Group & Orchestra" that the rock band and the symphony orchestra were practically natural enemies. The searing hard-blues soloing of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore has no direct counterpart in the symphonic environment, nor do Lord's own solos--Hammond rather than pipe organ, stylistically closer to Booker T than Bach. The only things that blend in all that smoothly are the drum and bass solos. Perhaps Lord overstated the "enmity" between the two ensemble types a bit--I can relate to that, sharing Lord's membership in rock's original generation. After all, the classical crowd called our stuff "noise"--we called their stuff ponderous and boring (BOTH generations were being abysmally narrow minded). It is that very dichotomy that differentiates this piece from the general run of either genre. Not that there should have been too many more such fusions--you've got the concept of overkill at work there. But occaisional musical "WWF Smackdowns" like this piece and the "Concerto" do tend to rescue us from when things fit too well together. This is the better of the two, but if you don't have the other, go get it.

DP played with Orchetsra at the royal festival hall London 70,..the idea of Jon Lord, conducted once again by Malcolm arnold,.. Nice booklet with a nice cd,..three point for this album cd.

Gemini Suite is (was) a fantastic disk. (Wore out three vinyls!) This particular version is live, and not tight.