"Bananas", Deep Purple
"Bananas", Deep Purple, Sanctuary Records 2003
If you love rock, you gotta love Deep Purple. The former Guinness Book record holders for the world's loudest band are a huge icon of seventies rock. Therefore, you might wonder why there is not much news about the still touring DP. Unfortunately, their new release "Bananas" answers the question.
The CD's title is the first indicator that something is amiss. In a discography that includes macho names like "Machine Head", "Stormbringer", and "Masters & Slaves", the "Bananas" moniker seems better left for Woody Allen's film.
It is good news that since 1994, guitarist Steve Morse has replaced Ritchie Blackmore, who was not particularly distinctive in the old group. The bad news is that Morse pretty much plays here as a hired sideman, although the closing cut, his instrumental "Contact Lost", is a nice mid-tempo piece of work.
Vocalist Ian Gillan is still on board. However, Gillan, I am sorry to say, has settled in to being just an average singer. There are just the barest hints of the insane high note shrieks that transformed songs like "Space Truckin'" and "Sweet Child of Time".
This is not a horrible CD, but coming from Deep Purple, it disappoints. Roger Glover on bass and Ian Paice on drums were also around during the band's heyday, but they seem to have mellowed out along with Gillan. Keyboardist Don Ailey, with the band since 2001, has no solos at all. A least one organ solo, another trademark of the band as on “Lazy”, would have helped.
It's understood that times change, but having Paul Buckmaster arrange and play cello on the cut "Haunted" seems a bit too down-tempo (Buckmaster was better suited as the arranger on many of Elton John's early CDs).
The lyrics (printed on the sleeve - another bad sign) make the boys seem like they are still ready to party. For example, "First you pull and then you push/Two in the hand and one in the bush”, from the title track. The slick production and middling pace of the songs make it seem as though their hearts aren't in it, however.
I think I speak for all rock lovers of a certain age as I beg the band to start rocking again, and just go bananas.
- Dave Howell, 11/03
If you love rock, you gotta love Deep Purple. The former Guinness Book record holders for the world's loudest band are a huge icon of seventies rock. Therefore, you might wonder why there is not much news about the still touring DP. Unfortunately, their new release "Bananas" answers the question.
The CD's title is the first indicator that something is amiss. In a discography that includes macho names like "Machine Head", "Stormbringer", and "Masters & Slaves", the "Bananas" moniker seems better left for Woody Allen's film.
It is good news that since 1994, guitarist Steve Morse has replaced Ritchie Blackmore, who was not particularly distinctive in the old group. The bad news is that Morse pretty much plays here as a hired sideman, although the closing cut, his instrumental "Contact Lost", is a nice mid-tempo piece of work.
Vocalist Ian Gillan is still on board. However, Gillan, I am sorry to say, has settled in to being just an average singer. There are just the barest hints of the insane high note shrieks that transformed songs like "Space Truckin'" and "Sweet Child of Time".
This is not a horrible CD, but coming from Deep Purple, it disappoints. Roger Glover on bass and Ian Paice on drums were also around during the band's heyday, but they seem to have mellowed out along with Gillan. Keyboardist Don Ailey, with the band since 2001, has no solos at all. A least one organ solo, another trademark of the band as on “Lazy”, would have helped.
It's understood that times change, but having Paul Buckmaster arrange and play cello on the cut "Haunted" seems a bit too down-tempo (Buckmaster was better suited as the arranger on many of Elton John's early CDs).
The lyrics (printed on the sleeve - another bad sign) make the boys seem like they are still ready to party. For example, "First you pull and then you push/Two in the hand and one in the bush”, from the title track. The slick production and middling pace of the songs make it seem as though their hearts aren't in it, however.
I think I speak for all rock lovers of a certain age as I beg the band to start rocking again, and just go bananas.
- Dave Howell, 11/03