Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers Live DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

While every band seems to reunite these days, the 1984 reunion of Deep Purple's famed Mk II lineup was a major event in the music world. Rock and roll still dominated the charts and, after 11 years apart, fans welcomed the "Smoke On The Water" lineup of the band with open arms. During their time apart, Deep Purple briefly continued on with David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes handling vocals, singer Ian Gillan had a solo career along with a stint in Black Sabbath and Ritchie Blackmore had great success with Rainbow. Still, Mk II's chemistry was undeniable and, after 11 years and some soul searching, the band managed to heal old wounds to release a new album and tour behind it.

The album, Perfect Strangers, was a blockbuster for the band, going platinum and spawning two legitimate Purple classics in "Perfect Strangers" and "Knocking At Your Back Door." Still, live concerts are where the band built its reputation and the Perfect Strangers tour was no exception. Sadly, very little footage of the band's reunion has ever been made available, until now. The tour began in Australia and the band had the cameras rolling, resulting in the DVD Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers Live.

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Jon Lord - Concerto For Group And Orchestra CD Review

Written by General Jabbo

After the breakup of Deep Purple’s original lineup, the band took a bold next step. Out were bassist Nick Simper and singer Rod Evans and in were Roger Glover and Ian Gillan in their place. While this newly minted Mk II lineup of the band would become its definitive one, its first release was a puzzling one for the band’s fans. In September 1969, the band was joined onstage by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to perform a composition written by organist Jon Lord. This became Concerto For Group And Orchestra and was groundbreaking in that a live melding of rock and roll with an orchestra had never really been attempted before.

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Ian Gillan & Tony Iommi - WhoCares CD Review

Written by General Jabbo

In 2011, Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan reunited with his old Black Sabbath band mate, Tony Iommi, to record a charity single to benefit a music school in Armenia that was destroyed in the 1988 earthquake that devastated the region. The pair recruited a number of A-list musicians for the lead track, “Out Of My Mind,” including Iron Maiden’s Nicko McBrain on drums, Jason Newsted on bass and the late Jon Lord on keyboards. That track, along with its B-side, “Holy Water,” is included in the two-CD compilation album, WhoCares, the profits of which will further aid the charity.

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