Deep Purple
inFinite
earMusic
2017
Deep Purple… a legendary band that has gone on for many years and has been through ups and downs changing many members through the years. In truth, since the “Perfect Strangers” reunion the band has really lost its way largely, with the only brilliant album, being the often reviled “Slaves and Masters” that a lot of “metal-heads” couldn’t stomach, but it was awesome and commercially successful as well, spawning a number of classic hits. Since then the band has had its moments, which lessened since Blackmore left again to be substituted by the awesome Steve “DixieD” Morse. A few worthwhile and not so worthwhile albums ensued, spawning the occasional minor hit, but nothing to rival the past peaks.
Coming four years after “Now What???”, “inFinite” is Deep Purple going through the motions, sounding like, well, themselves, as much as that is possible and obviously Ian Gillan sounding progressively worse these days choosing the safety of a style that employs a more limited range, high ‘verb and effects over cleaner vocal leanings.
Don Airey and Steve Morse, I guess, these days give the band most of its color, but I digress… you’re left with an album that has moments, probably more concentrated moments than quite a few of the previous albums – but also has a few pitfalls.
Opener, “Time for Bedlam” has a vocoded Gillan talking about things going to shit and rebelling. It’s quite an experimental number, but manages to marry a few good ideas, with tech and classic rock in a way that just works, well enough.
“Hip Boots” is a mediocre RnR boogie… where Gillan puts even a bit of effort and laxes a bit on the effects, but it’s nothing too great, or worth writing home about.
“All I Got is You” is much better – a hurt number, smartly using a cadenza that’s too trademark DP and in general manages to convince, nuff!
“One Night in Vegas” has the right sort of vibe, but drags on and on and on and on and on… you get the picture. For it’s less than three and a half minutes it sounds more like fifteen. Nice solo though, trading of with the piano/keys.
“Get Me Outta Here” is half a decent idea, but too many sound effects… and instead of writing a song like that, how about – thinking about making this “the final run”, while there’s still some sort of pride intact…?
“The Surprising” has a heavy – psych atmosphere – and kinda works, despite being longer… it never really reaches a crescendo, but at least it’s not bad at all, alluding to the earlier eras of the band.
“Johnny’s Band” is a bit of storytelling, backed by a nice riff that’s kinda there in the background along with most of the other instrumentation. Not too bad, but too much nostalgia… etc.
“On Top of the World” is attempting to sound epic and imaginative and while there are a couple of good ideas, it soon runs out of steam and plods along, noddingly.
“Birds of Prey” is one of the better numbers, both with neat key lines as well as ponderous if not poignant lyrics… managing to sound layered and epic and as proper as the band can sound in 2017. Possibly the best song of the album.
A lazy and pretty close cover of The Door’s “Roadhouse Blues” is alright but it contrasts with the album material in a way that’s not all too complimenting.
A “dlx” version features some more music, ie “Paradise Bar”, a weird number about meeting all the dead “heavyweights” of heavy music in a bar in heaven… ah Englishmen even looking for a pint in the afterlife! Well, Pete just rang the last orders lads!
There’s an instrumental version of “Uncommon Man” from the previous album, a rehearsal playthrough of “Hip Boots”, as well as a half alright live version of “Strange Kind of Woman” from Aalborg, DK.
Not all that bad, but really a bit of a hit and miss affair and it would seem as a good time to leave the scene on a relative “high” note, instead of just “existing for a few more years” to only be stopped (maybe) by an untimely death or just complete physical inability to perform.
Coming four years after “Now What???”, “inFinite” is Deep Purple going through the motions, sounding like, well, themselves, as much as that is possible and obviously Ian Gillan sounding progressively worse these days choosing the safety of a style that employs a more limited range, high ‘verb and effects over cleaner vocal leanings.
Don Airey and Steve Morse, I guess, these days give the band most of its color, but I digress… you’re left with an album that has moments, probably more concentrated moments than quite a few of the previous albums – but also has a few pitfalls.
Opener, “Time for Bedlam” has a vocoded Gillan talking about things going to shit and rebelling. It’s quite an experimental number, but manages to marry a few good ideas, with tech and classic rock in a way that just works, well enough.
“Hip Boots” is a mediocre RnR boogie… where Gillan puts even a bit of effort and laxes a bit on the effects, but it’s nothing too great, or worth writing home about.
“All I Got is You” is much better – a hurt number, smartly using a cadenza that’s too trademark DP and in general manages to convince, nuff!
“One Night in Vegas” has the right sort of vibe, but drags on and on and on and on and on… you get the picture. For it’s less than three and a half minutes it sounds more like fifteen. Nice solo though, trading of with the piano/keys.
“Get Me Outta Here” is half a decent idea, but too many sound effects… and instead of writing a song like that, how about – thinking about making this “the final run”, while there’s still some sort of pride intact…?
“The Surprising” has a heavy – psych atmosphere – and kinda works, despite being longer… it never really reaches a crescendo, but at least it’s not bad at all, alluding to the earlier eras of the band.
“Johnny’s Band” is a bit of storytelling, backed by a nice riff that’s kinda there in the background along with most of the other instrumentation. Not too bad, but too much nostalgia… etc.
“On Top of the World” is attempting to sound epic and imaginative and while there are a couple of good ideas, it soon runs out of steam and plods along, noddingly.
“Birds of Prey” is one of the better numbers, both with neat key lines as well as ponderous if not poignant lyrics… managing to sound layered and epic and as proper as the band can sound in 2017. Possibly the best song of the album.
A lazy and pretty close cover of The Door’s “Roadhouse Blues” is alright but it contrasts with the album material in a way that’s not all too complimenting.
A “dlx” version features some more music, ie “Paradise Bar”, a weird number about meeting all the dead “heavyweights” of heavy music in a bar in heaven… ah Englishmen even looking for a pint in the afterlife! Well, Pete just rang the last orders lads!
There’s an instrumental version of “Uncommon Man” from the previous album, a rehearsal playthrough of “Hip Boots”, as well as a half alright live version of “Strange Kind of Woman” from Aalborg, DK.
Not all that bad, but really a bit of a hit and miss affair and it would seem as a good time to leave the scene on a relative “high” note, instead of just “existing for a few more years” to only be stopped (maybe) by an untimely death or just complete physical inability to perform.