Deep Purple

Where would you have liked to see it?

To me it's just right when I listen to the album..."Blind" has that slow harpsichord/bass riff, driving a long..Paice on the contrary playing very up tempo and busy drums then as "Blind" dies out...."Lalena" starts up beautifully and we're really eased down to earth ...After Lalena we need something up tempo again and they give us The Painter. Perfect sequence of songs to me :)
 
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Now that's a challenge: an alternate track-listing! :)

1. Why Didn't Rosemary?
2. Bird Has Flown
3. Blind
4. April
5. a) Fault Line b) The Painter
6. Chasing Shadows
7. Lalena


It sounds good in my head, but I will try it out and tell you. ;)
 
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"April" is the masterpiece of that album. First section is good, last section is great. Check out Blackmore's solo at the end, a very early example of sweep picking - and don't miss the fantastic bass solo under the verse (starting at 9:37).

The orchestral section is a swing and a miss. Jon Lord had some OK musical ideas but was no good at orchestration. He was still thinking in rock-band terms, using the orchestra like an ensemble of separate musicians. Good orchestration means using the orchestra as a single organic instrument, fully blending the sounds and keeping all the instruments involved. Lord's orchestration is too sparse and simplistic. Still, trying for something that's a bit of a different sound is a good thing for "April" overall.
 
Good post @SinisterMinisterX! Am I the only one hearing a little bit of Morricone in "April"? Other than that I think you're right about Lord and his orchestration - it's a shame that a true mix never really happens. On Taliesyn some of the songs feature the band playing classical tunes but on "April" it's mostly the band plays, then the orchestra plays, then the band plays etc - there's never really any attempt to fully merge the two. And yes, very tasty bass by Simper! :)
 
SixesAlltheway said:
on "April" it's mostly the band plays, then the orchestra plays, then the band plays etc - there's never really any attempt to fully merge the two.
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That's not really what I meant. I like the 3 divisions and the orchestra playing by itself. Lord just used the orchestra in a frankly primitive manner.

SixesAlltheway said:
Am I the only one hearing a little bit of Morricone in "April"?
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The opening section, you mean? More than a little, it's a straight-up imitation, but a good sounding one.
 
Yup the opening section. Perhaps a bit inspired by The Good, The Bad and the Ugly from a few years prior? Like they also covered Also Sprach Zarathustra on Taliesyn, the same year as 2001 Space Odyssey came out :)
 
Here's a bit you may not have noticed... the chorus of the closing rock song section ("Grey skies...") uses the same chord progression from the spaghetti-western opening. Those same chords also fade out under the guitar solo. Closing with a variation on the opening theme: structural unity confirmed. Not by chance, either: very clearly by design, from classical inspiration.
 
Interesting :) Some definite associations to westerns in the lyrics too...

April is a cruel time
Even though the sun may shine
And world looks in the shade as it slowly comes away
Still falls the April rain
And the valley's filled with pain
And you can't tell me quite why
As i look up to the Grey sky
Where it should be blue
 
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Concerto For Group and Orchestra (1969)


Initially I wasn't going to include this one but I've come to realize what a stepping stone this album was for the band at the time and it seems such a integral part of their catalog that it wouldn't feel right not to include it.

Released in December of 1969, Concerto for Group and Orchestra is Jon Lord's baby through and through. A classical concerto in three movements with Deep Purple playing up to a classical orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra no less, and recorded at the renowned Royal Albert Hall. I'm of the same opinion here as on "April" the classical/rock mix never really reaches any higher ground together, but that's not to say that there isn't some interesting segments here. I find it hard to comment on the classical arrangements themselves because classical music to me it mostly about how it makes me feel listening to it. Well, to me, the arrangements do not really move me and perhaps lack stronger and more memorable segments. It seems they are mostly used to the effect of building up into a crescendo which Deep Purple would then take over and expand upon with their instruments. The second movement contains some singing by Gillian, the first time audiences hear the new Purple front man in a nice mellow piece but it's the third movement that takes the cake for me, more dynamic, the blend between rock and classical works better for some reason and Paice delivers a great drum solo. Overall I feel like the Blackmore, Lord and Paice solo segments outshines and saves some of the material and just reminds me that they are best when playing rock.

Overall a notable album for being the first (I believe?) album to combine a rock band with a full symphony orchestra, and notable for being the first album to present the two new members Gillan and Glover but it probably wouldn't be the first album to give to a Purple newcomer unless you wanted to highlight Deep Purple's artistic merits, then this album would be a highpoint :) The album also managed to turn some heads in the UK. After two years, and three studio albums, of trying and never breaking through at home, this album at least gave them some recognition which would help in their 1970 breakthrough...

The whole concert is here on YouTube. I recommend watching it, it's a good watch. Also very fun to see the general classical concert-goer with their classical concert etiquette mixed in with long haired teenagers bopping their heads to the music....also I'm sure I saw some of those classical musicians in the Philharmonic Orchestra wrinkle their noses at Purple...I wonder how they felt playing with those hippies ;)

 
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Deep Purple In Rock (1970)

After three musically interesting yet modest selling albums and a live performance with the Philharmonic Orchestra mostly fueled by the dreams of Jon Lord, Deep Purple, or perhaps in particular Ritchie Blackmore, envisioned a new direction for the band. Ritchie realized that the audiences of the late 60's were yearning for a harder sound and had no patience for the longer restrained parts or the classical interludes and ballads as heard on the previews output. The record buying crowd had a growing appetite for pure guitar based rock with high electrical energy, fast tempos and earth shattering vocals. And so, the aptly titled Deep Purple In Rock was released in June of 1970. The album that would begin Deep Purple's ascension into hard rock superstars.

Just to make their point, Speed King starts out in a frenzy with fuzzed out screaming guitar grinding and soloing by Blackmore before dying out and giving way to a beautiful little solo bit by Lord. When the first verse kicks in Lords playing takes a backseat, instead pushing Glover and Blackmore's shared dominant riff to center stage. This would become very typical of the classical MKII Purple songs. More emphasis on the guitar and bass riffs with the organ appearing less prominent as a solo instrument - instead used more effectively during lead breaks and in interplay with the guitar solos, as in the solo section of Speed King that sees Lord and Blackmore trade off solos in what would become a much used classic "call and answer" bit live. And then we have Gillan...Just an unbelievable performance from him on this album. Perhaps my favorite Gillan highlight is when he reaches new levels of hard rock screaming during the "Awh, no, no no!" part in the second track Bloodsucker and of course his famous screams in Child In Time. The latter really the centerpiece on the album. One of the quintessential songs of hard rock, or rock music in general. A majestic epic that leads the listener through highs and lows with stellar performances from everyone. Flight of The Rat is like Speed King again a display of their new hard rock direction: Catchy, infectious licks and interplay with fuzzed out soloing by Blackmore, performed in speeds pretty much unheard of at the time. Into The Fire - I love Gillan's vocals on this one, especially the way he sings the title. Musically there isn't that much to it - but it's an enjoyable little slow and heavy tune with a bit of a funk feel. Living Wreck continues in the same vein with some tasty organ playing by Lord before the album comes to a close with Hard Lovin' Man, again, listen to the ferocious riffage and the speed of the track. Complete proto-metal. Great playing, great solos!

Overall. One of the best albums in hard rock easily and way ahead of it's times.... Together with the first few Sabbath albums the beginning of metal. Purple never had the same heaviness as Sabbath but they had the finesse playing, the interplay and the energy that would be key elements in speed and heavy metal.
 
SixesAlltheway said:
the first (I believe?) album to combine a rock band with a full symphony orchestra
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Nope. As an obvious example, that's a full orchestra on The Beatle's "A Day In The Life". For more extensive orchestra use, check out The Nice before Keith Emerson left to form ELP. They were using orchestra extensively in 1967.

However, Purple were the first to attempt a true concerto, instead of just making the orchestra another backing instrument. They were the first to put the rock group and orchestra on an equal footing, and few others have even attempted it since. In fact, the only other comparable album I know is Yngwie Malmsteen's Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra, which is horrible.
 
I realise this is an iconic album but I am not very enthousiastic. The first three songs (side one!) are good but then it gets dull. I am not kidding. Not a striking melody or anything else that I find interesting (let alone special). Simplistic and at times repetitive and monotone music.
 
SinisterMinisterX said:
Nope. As an obvious example, that's a full orchestra on The Beatle's "A Day In The Life". For more extensive orchestra use, check out The Nice before Keith Emerson left to form ELP. They were using orchestra extensively in 1967.

However, Purple were the first to attempt a true concerto, instead of just making the orchestra another backing instrument. They were the first to put the rock group and orchestra on an equal footing, and few others have even attempted it since. In fact, the only other comparable album I know is Yngwie Malmsteen's Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra, which is horrible.
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I see. I'd also guess Purple was at least somewhat inspired by countrymen Procul Harum and The Moody Blues who also had classical influences on their sixties output.

How would you rank Lord's effort on Concerto then @SinisterMinisterX , flop and failure or worthwhile, or said in other words - Did Lord ever win any recognition as a classical composer?
 
SixesAlltheway said:
Did Lord ever win any recognition as a classical composer?
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No, not even close. The only rock star with genuine respect in the classical world is Frank Zappa.

SixesAlltheway said:
How would you rank Lord's effort on Concerto
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I haven't had a detailed listen in a long time. My memory is that the orchestration is better than April, but still amateur hour. Also, the integration of group and orchestra is awkwardly done, but since it was a very new idea I don't know if that could have been avoided.
 
I think that this classical world (the people) stand further from rock/metal than the other way around. I have never heard that the initiative to do these crossover projects comes from the classical world. It's always the rock musicians. For what it's worth, is there a place on the web where we can read classical world opinions on rock musicians?
 
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SinisterMinisterX said:
No, not even close. The only rock star with genuine respect in the classical world is Frank Zappa.



I haven't had a detailed listen in a long time. My memory is that the orchestration is better than April, but still amateur hour. Also, the integration of group and orchestra is awkwardly done, but since it was a very new idea I don't know if that could have been avoided.
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That's what I thought. Probably for the best too. If Purple had dug gold with the Concertos, chances are good that we'd never have seen Purple develop into hard rock.

@Forostar I remember that one classically trained vocalist giving her opinions on some of the rock greats....I'm sure you know about that one though.
 
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