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Without question, if you're a Jon Lord / Hammond Organ fan, get yourself over to the dpas store right now (the UK distributor actually ran out of stock at one point such was the demand but it's back on the shelves at last)!
 I'm struggling to remember when he was last heard so much on an album that wasn't one of his own making. But he never takes over. All the keyboard work slots in so carefully you'd think this was a band who'd worked together for years, rather than put this together on two different continents. He's hard at work underpining most of the tracks, with some great soloing and even a couple of nice piano led-moments. This is the sort of music Lord grew up playing, and he returns to it like a duck to water. If you're a straight rock / metal fan, then you might take some time to adjust to a blue / rock album, but there are far worse paces to start. The founding trio of Bob Daisley, Tim Gaze and Rob Grosser all play really well, as they should given their years of experience, and the addition of a player of Lord's pedigree just brings it all together. The blues is never going to be ground breaking stylistically, but that's never been it's point and at it's best this album is very powerful, and even it it's least adventurous is still more than listenable. For goodness sake get some gigs sorted before the moment passes!
The guest vocalist idea may have been a profile raising idea, but all three singers acquit themselves well, while Gillan's contribution helps make If This Ain't The Blues one of the best cuts on the CD and a must-have track for any Purple fan. No fancy studio messing here, just an immediate, throaty one-take vocal that works so well.
review : Simon Robinson |
