Deep Purple's Rapture of the Deep just got a 2025 remix

I just got the new 20th Anniversary Remix of Deep Purple's 2005 album Rapture of the Deep yesterday, so this is a long ramble about my thoughts and feelings towards it and the original. In the picture above is my original copy - the Special Tour Edition metal tin on the left. On the right is the new 2025 remix. 

Rapture of the Deep is an album I've always liked a fair amount, but was never a favourite Purple record for me. It's one of those albums that has a bunch of songs I love and will listen to fairly regularly in playlists, but rarely in full. Yet whenever I do decide to listen to it in full, I almost always thoroughly enjoy it from near enough beginning to end. It was probably a 7/10 when I first got hold of it maybe 16 or 17 years ago (I'm pretty sure I was in college at the time, so a few years after it's original 2005 release). When I last reviewed it in 2020, I gave it a 7.8/10. It's easily an 8 for me now! Great album then, but I'll still admit that it's not one of my absolute favourites. I'm a Purple fanatic, and they just have so many great records. Anyhow, I think one of the reasons Rapture has never really been a go-to album for me is the fact the Bob Ezrin-produced albums that came after (Now What?!, Infinite, Whoosh! and =1... maybe not the covers album Turning to Crime though) kind of overshadow it for me. I just think they're superior albums in terms of songwriting overall. But like I said, I do still really like Rapture, and having this new remix is a nice thing to add to my collection.

I must admit however, when Roger Glover announced this thing in June (pretty sure it was June?), I was a little surprised. I never had a problem with Michael Bradford's original production job. I always thought it was a warm-sounding album with a lot of low-end. Absolutely nothing to really moan about or pick holes with. But Roger stated with the remix that "It's a new album now to me", so clearly the band were never that happy about the original! Until the remix was announced, I'd never actually realised that the band were without a record label after 2003's Bananas, and that their album sales were dropping during that period. Makes perfect sense of course - the early/mid-2000s were when iPods and MP3s were kicking off, and people were starting to download music on a regular basis and CD sales were on the decline. Who else remembers LimeWire?! Deep Purple were effectively uncertain if making albums was even worth it anymore at the time, and wouldn't record another studio album for 8 years. So I guess the decision to remix Rapture of the Deep may have some sort of deep, personal meaning for Roger and that the decision to do so was not necessarily driven by how the original mix sounded.

I will say that the new remix does still sound superior overall, to my ears at least. Not to the point where there's a massively noticeable difference as such, because like I said, I like the original mix too. But play a song like the heavy, groove-laden 'Wrong Man' from either version back-to-back, and you can hear Don Airey's organs cutting through the mix more in the 20th Anniversary Rapture. The upbeat rocker 'Things I Never Said' also feels more energetic than it used to now, somehow - and that's good! Also, the underrated ballad 'Clearly Quite Absurd' has a crystal-clear tone now. The original sounds a bit murky in comparison, but of course, I had to play it directly after the new remix to really notice. Generally speaking, absolutely nothing here sounds worse than what the original offered, and that's all that really matters at the end of the day. Even if I liked the OG mix, I cannot deny that Rapture 2025 is the superior product sonically. Phil Aston gives a very good review; he states that Ian Gillan's vocals have been elevated now. And he's right - again, listen to a track like 'Clearly Quite Absurd' and you likely will notice new-found strength of Gillan's vocal performance here. The new release also mixes up the order of the tracklisting - again, I never felt that the 2005 version flowed poorly, but actually putting 'MTV' - originally a bonus track - half way through the album now adds a lot more to the record. In addition to the main album is a second CD consisting of 5 instrumental studio rehearsals. The most notable is the unique Steve Morse guitar piece 'Closing Note'. The rest of the rehearsals are nothing to get too excited over, but certainly a welcome addition for fans.

So really, even though I was initially surprised by the fact the band had decided to remix Rapture of the Deep of all albums, now that it's actually out and I own a copy myself, it does make sense. Despite the fact I still like the sound of the old version, there's no denying that the spit n' polish of the 20th Anniversary remix has only improved it further. I sometimes had to hear certain tracks from Rapture 2005 to really notice the difference, but whatever. The thing I like most about Rapture 2025 however, is the fact it's only made me appreciate many of these tracks even more. The incredible title track has only gotten, erm, more incredible now! A highlight of the entire Steve Morse era for me personally. I also never realised just how much I love 'Things I Never Said' and 'Clearly Quite Absurd'. Both are classics of 21st century Purple. Like I said at the start of this post, the album's an 8/10 for me. The original an 8, the remix maybe an 8.3? Still not as good as any of the Bob Ezrin-produced records (bar Turning to Crime), but a great album nonetheless. Also nice is the packaging. The remix comes in digipak format, with a textured feel and new colour artwork. In the booklet is an essay from Geoff Barton with some added insight from Roger Glover.

The last thing I want to say is that I really hope Roger Glover goes back and looks at remixing 1998's Abandon and 2003's Bananas next. Not because I have any issue with the way they sound (in fact, Abandon is one of the ballsiest Purple albums ever). No, it's mostly because both have been out of print and erased from existence for a long time now. You can't stream either on Spotify - at least in the UK. I just want to see these albums readily available again. I still have my CD copies of course, but it'd be nice to be able to listen to Abandon via Spotify whenever I go to the gym. Even YouTube has taken down uploads of the album! Some of the songs on that album - 'Any Fule Kno That', 'Almost Human', 'Seventh Heaven', 'Fingers to the Bone' etc. - are fucking awesome if I say so myself. As for Bananas, well, that one has always been my least favourite of the Morse-era - but it still has plenty of standout moments. A remix of both these albums would still be a cool novelty, and I'm sure other Purple fanatics would be on board too. Oh, and if anyone in Judas Priest is reading this (which they won't be), please do the same with Jugulator and Demolition! 

Deep Purple SOLO PROJECTS/ARTISTS

Okay, so I've started this page because a lot of the guys who have been in Deep Purple at one point or another have all released solo records/other projects of their own throughout the years. It's got to the point now where I own enough of them to bundle them together onto this page. Examples include all the stuff Ian Gillan has done outside of Purple, and also albums from Glenn Hughes, Don Airey, Roger Glover etc.. In fact, I originally had a page dedicated purely to Gillan's solo projects, but now I have all this other stuff from other members of Purple too, I've decided to include them here as well. The only exemptions for this page are Rainbow (Ritchie Blackmore) and Whitesnake (David Coverdale). Both these bands went on to be huge, and I even have a dedicated Rainbow page already.


Reviewed:
- Warhorse: Warhorse (1970)
- Captain Beyond: Captain Beyond (1972)
- Ian Gillan Band: Child In Time (1976)
- Ian Gillan Band: Live at the Budokan (1978, live album)
- Gillan: Gillan (The Japanese Album) (1978)
- Gillan: Mr. Universe (1979)
- Gillan: Glory Road (1980)
- Gillan: Future Shock (1981)
- Gillan: Double Trouble (1981)
- Gillan: Magic (1982)
- Ian Gillan & Roger Glover: Accidentally on Purpose (1988)
- Ian Gillan: Naked Thunder (1990)
- Glenn Hughes: Addiction (1996)
- Glenn Hughes: The Way It Is (1999)
- Glenn Hughes: Return of Crystal Karma (2000)
- Glenn Hughes: Songs in the Key of Rock (2003)
- Ian Gillan: Gillan's Inn (2006)
- Gillan: The Singles + The Promo Videos (2007, box set)
- Roger Glover: If Life Was Easy (2011)
- Ian Gillan & Tony Iommi: WhoCares (2012, compilation)


WARHORSE - WARHORSE          1970          (Angel Air)
- Standouts: 'Vulture Blood', 'St. Louis', 'Ritual', 'Solitude', 'Woman of the Devil'
Perhaps one of the lesser-known Deep Purple-related projects, Warhorse was a band formed by original Mk. 1 Purple bassist Nick Simper. I always felt a bit sorry for Nick - he played on the first 3 DP records but was unexpectedly given the boot in 1969 alongside original singer Rod Evans, in favour of Ian Gillan and Roger Glover. I understand why Rod was booted out - as harsh as that sounds, it was because they felt his pop vocal style wouldn't match the heavier direction they were heading in. But I get the impression Nick was fired mainly because Ian and Roger were a package deal who came from the same band (Episode Six), not because of his bass playing abilities. I've never heard a bad word about Nick's bass playing. I listened to an episode of the Deep Purple Podcast where they chatted to Nick for over an hour. He was totally chill and honest about everything. Despite the fact he felt his sacking was unfair, there doesn't seem to be any real bitterness or hate from him, just disappointment more than anything. He said he was in favour of the new heavier direction the band wanted to go in, yet they still got rid of him! What really makes no sense is the fact when Deep Purple were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, practically everyone bar Simper was invited! Even Rod Evans was invited, which was crazy! Rod's been out of the public eye since 1980 after he formed a new 'bogus Deep Purple' during the real Deep Purple's original split, and was sued by the band. For the record, Nick was approached by Rod to join that fake Purple, but declined. Either way, as a Purple fan, I have as much respect for Simper as any other member.

Either way, it didn't take long before he came back with this first Warhorse album in 1970. This CD is an early heavy rock/prog gem. It sounds a bit like Uriah Heep, Grand Funk Railroad, Steppenwolf and Mk. 1 Deep Purple (minus the psychedelic element) to me, with some added progressive songwriting traits too. It's certainly not as groundbreaking or forward-thinking as Deep Purple In Rock of the same year, but as a heavy album from 1970, it has a lot going for it. Heavy rockers like 'Vulture Blood' and 'Burning' have those crunchy, blues-driven guitar riffs and Hammond organ rhythms in the background in the same vein as Uriah Heep. 'St. Louis' on the other hand, is an extremely catchy, upbeat number with a proto-metal riff and a surprisingly anthemic chorus. Maybe my favourite track on this album. 'Ritual' certainly rocks me too. It actually reminds me a little of Deep Purple's bluesy jam 'Lazy'?! Am I right people?! The 8 and a half minute 'Solitude' is an ambitious, dramatic piece of progressive rock. Maybe even epic. Great playing from everyone on it. The same thing can be said for the slightly-shorter closing track, 'Woman of the Devil' (which is just over 7 minutes).

I guess the biggest issue I have with this album is possibly vocalist Ashely Holt. Although he does kinda suit the music, he doesn't really have the best set of pipes either. He reminds me a little of David Byron of Uriah Heep actually, in that he's not the greatest vocalist ability-wise, yet he still does these almost operatic/soaring types of vocal arrangements. I'm not saying I dislike Holt - in fact, when he lets loose and really wails, he's actually really cool. Just a bit cheesy, particularly on the ballad 'No Chance'! At the same time, his vocals do add a certain underground '70s rock kind of charm that I can't explain! Holt would actually go on to sing for Rick Wakeman later on. I think Rod Evans would've been great on this record too, but hey-ho. As for the production, well, it's not exactly perfect - but certainly not poor either. The drums are a little thin, but Simper's bass tones are great. It has that analogue style that many old-school rock records have - which I do love in some ways. But it also means some of these tracks probably would've sounded heavier had they been recorded a few years or so later. You can't really blame anyone for this, but it's still crazy just how good some specific albums sounded during this period. Compare this to Deep Purple's 1972 masterpiece Machine Head and there's no contest.

It's a shame this band never really took off. They were signed to Vertigo, who also had Black Sabbath under their wing. But Warhorse sold few copies in comparison, and after their second album (Red Sea) was released in 1972, Vertigo dropped them completely. The band were done by 1974, and called it a day. I'm not entirely sure why this debut didn't get more attention. The musicianship is great, and the album is still pretty heavy for it's time. If I was around in 1970 and buying albums like Deep Purple In Rock, Paranoid and ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble, I'm sure I'd have loved Warhorse too. I love that early proto-metal, Hammond organ-drenched style, and even though bands like Purple and Heep were the masters of that sound, this is still is a great record in my opinion. Not a game-changer, but underrated as hell. Fortunately it's been reissued over the years, and is not particularly hard to get hold of on CD at least. Mine is the 1999 reissue by Angel Air, and features 5 bonus tracks. I don't remember when I got it exactly, but I think it was sometime during the pandemic 5 years ago. I regret not checking it out sooner to be honest, because I remember reading about Warhorse before I was even an adult!
Adam's rating: 8/10


CAPTAIN BEYOND - CAPTAIN BEYOND          1972          (Progressive Line)
- Standouts: 'Dancing Madly Backwards (On a Sea of Air)', 'Myopic Void', 'Mesmerisation Eclipse', 'Frozen Over', 'Thousand Days of Yesterdays (Time Since Come and Gone)', 'I Can't Feel Nothin' (Part One)', 'As the Moon Speaks (To the Waves of the Sea)'
Captain Beyond were technically a supergroup made up of ex-Deep Purple, Iron Butterfly and Johnny Winter members - Rod Evans (vocals), Larry Reinhardt (guitars), Lee Dorman (bass, keyboards) and Bobby Caldwell (drums). Of course, Rod Evans is the reason why I've lumped Captain Beyond with the rest of this page. He was Deep Purple's original vocalist and sang on their first 3 albums (Shades of Deep Purple, The Book of Taliesyn and Deep Purple) before he and Nick Simper were replaced by Ian Gillan and Roger Glover, and the classic 'Mk. II' era of the band took off. It's ironic that Rod was fired for having too much of a pop-like vocal style considering he went on to record this album with Captain Beyond. For 1972, this is a heavy album, and sometimes even tagged with the 'proto-metal' label! Nick Simper too, went in a heavier direction after psychedelic sounds of Deep Purple Mk. 1 with his own band Warhorse (I reviewed their debut above). Of course, not bands matched the intensity of Deep Purple when they dropped In Rock in 1970 - one of the greatest heavy albums of all time if you ask me. But Warhorse and Captain Beyond are still really cool bands to check out if you missed them, and love heavy rock from the early 1970s.

And as for Captain Beyond debut, erm, Captain Beyond - this is pretty damn cool! I will admit that the band don't always touch on heavy metal/hard rock here, sometimes opting for more of a progressive, maybe even Hawkwind-ish space rock sound, but either way I really dig everything this record has to offer regardless of the style. The first half of 'Dancing Madly Backwards (On a Sea of Air)' is kind of proggy, while the second is riffy and heavy. 'Armworth' and 'Myopic Void' have a really cool space rock aura, the latter of which is kind of catchy and upbeat. And then there's 'Mesmerisation Eclipse' - excellent, grinding 1970s heavy metal. And a great fucking riff if I say so myself. Maybe a whiff of blues, but bear in mind that this was still 1972, and the blues was still common amongst heavy bands of the time. 'Raging River of Fear' is equally as heavy.

Some of the songs here act as short intervals that lead into longer ones, such as the trippy acoustic number 'Thousand Days of Yesterdays'. It sets the mood nicely for 'Frozen Over', which is another killer slab of meaty hard rock/proto-metal. Speaking of which, 'I Can't Feel Nothin' (Part One)' is similarly great ('Part Two' basically just serves as an outro to the album that comes later). There's a longer follow-up to 'Thousand Days of Yesterdays' which comes after 'Frozen Over' - 'Thousand Days of Yesterdays (Time Since Come and Gone)', and while it remains largely acoustic, it's much bouncier and less psychedelic as a result. Still works really well though, and still rocks in it's own right. Rod Evans definitely adjusted his voice for this band. If you know those early Purple records well enough, then you can immediately identify that it's him singing on here - but he's certainly not singing in that somewhat poppier style he did on DP's 'Hush' or 'Kentucky Woman' etc.. 

I don't really have a lot of serious negatives to spout here. I adore that heavy rock sound of the early 1970s, and put simply, this is one of the better albums of that era in my honest opinion. Maybe the production isn't perfect; like Warhorse's debut, some of these tracks probably could've sounded heavier in the hands of a different producer. But again, when compared to contemporary hard rock albums, it's certainly not bad-sounding at all. I guess the structure of the album is a little unorthodox too. It has really short 1-2 minute cuts littered here and there, and even the longest songs barely reach 4 minutes in total. However, since everything flows rather well, all this is barely noticeable when you're actually listening to the album. It makes sense in practice, even if it looks odd on paper. 

The easiest criticism to make is simply the fact Deep Purple and Black Sabbath were making better records at the time, but in my world Purple and Sabbath are better than 99.9% of other artists anyway! I was going to score this a 9/10 at first, but there's something stopping me doing that. It's almost a 9 for me, but there's a tiny, miniscule lack of character about Captain Beyond for me that I can't quite explain. Like, I couldn't tell you if it's the nature of Larry Reinhardt's guitar playing or possibly even Rod Evans himself. It's not an especially major turn-off, because I still really enjoy this album. But something's not quite right! One thing's for sure, I think Captain Beyond's debut is potentially one of the most underrated Deep Purple offshoot records from the entire family tree.
Adam's rating: 8.9/10


IAN GILLAN BAND - CHILD IN TIME          1976          (Edsel Records)
- Standouts: 'Lay Me Down', 'You Make Me Feel So Good', 'Down the Road', 'Child in Time', 'Let It Slide'
After the famous 'Mk. II' lineup of Deep Purple finished their first stint together and crumbled in 1973, Ian Gillan subsequently took up several business ventures outside of music, before returning to the biz and forming the Ian Gillan Band in 1975. With Ray Fenwick (guitars), John Gustafson (bass), Mike Moran (keyboards) and Mark Nauseef (drums) in the band as well as Roger Glover producing, this project was a departure from Deep Purple's brand of exciting heavy rock. Yep, Child in Time - Ian's first solo album post-Purple - has much more of a jazz rock/fusion style going for it by comparison. Now, I've had this CD in my collection for a number of years. I don't remember exactly when it was I picked it up, but I want to say I was in my early 20s. Hell, I even reviewed some of my Gillan solo venture discs on this blog prior, and in my old review from 2017 I actually thought a lot of critics and listeners were exaggerating the whole jazz fusion label when describing this record. Not that I didn't find it to be jazzy whatsoever, I just didn't consider it to be a full-on jazz fusion experience. Hearing Child in Time again in 2025 as a 33 year old bloke, I sort of get what I was saying back then. But there's definitely jazz techniques on practically all of the 7 tracks here. I still think it's a rock album overall, just a heavily jazz-influenced one at that.

The good news is that despite the massive differences between Deep Purple and the Ian Gillan Band, I actually dig this album a lot! If anything, I seem to enjoy it more as I get older. The opening cut 'Lay Me Down' has some cool, swingy, jazzy grooves written all over it, and even though Ian's singing in a far more laid back style than usual (something he would occasionally do with Deep Purple on songs like 'Our Lady' and 'Anyone's Daughter'), it's actually quite nice to hear this side of him. The equally jazzy 'You Make Me Feel So Good' is cool too, and Ian actually delves back into more of his old self on this one. 'Shame' and in particular 'My Baby Loves Me' actually have some funky rhythms that blend well with the rock and jazz style of the album. 'Down the Road' is a pretty little ballad - very mellow and laid-back. Not in an acoustic, folky way, but in an almost gospel-manner thanks to the fine keyboard work and layered melodic vocals. I like it.

The title track was of course originally an epic masterpiece of progressive proto-metal originally found on 1970's groundbreaking Deep Purple In Rock. This new version holds on to the same lyrics, but the music itself has been altered to suit the rest of the songs here. This means it's no longer the dramatic, screaming heavy rock landmark it once was, but rather a somewhat tame, subdued and jazzy piece now. It doesn't hold a candle to the 10 and a half minute original, but that doesn't automatically mean it's bad either. Just different! In fact, it actually works quite well in this new format (and has also been shortened by around 3 minutes), and Ian even manages to fit those signature screams of his on it. The last song on the album, 'Let It Slide', goes on for nearly 12 minutes. It's a proggy, almost improvised-sounding number with a lot of slow grooves and emotion. It's a track I enjoy depending on what sort of mood I'm in - it's far too slow and laid-back to listen to in the gym, but it's quite pleasant to hear when sat at home in the evening, with a glass of Jameson's! And to be honest, that's kind of how I feel in general about this album. I like it a lot, but it's not one I can listen to every day of the week.

The Ian Gillan Band weren't all that successful commercially, especially compared to Deep Purple and his next project Gillan. They released 2 more studio albums after this one before disbanding in 1978, and Child in Time is still the only one I've managed to acquire in all my years of collecting. Ian Gillan didn't achieve the success he'd hoped with this band but this isn't a reflection of the music he made with them. I think it was more a case of 'wrong time, wrong place'. A lot of rock bands/musicians who'd been popular in the '60s/early '70s struggled by the time punk rock took off around 1977. Look at Black Sabbath - Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die! marked their first downfall in popularity, but it doesn't mean the actual records weren't good. I guess the average rock fan wasn't expecting a jazzy rock record from Mr. Gillan either! Then again, Ritchie Blackmore was making big bucks with Rainbow right around the same time, and continued to do so in the '80s... so who knows?! Either way, Child in Time is not one of Ian's absolute best solo works, but like I said before, I seem to enjoy it more and more as time goes on. It's not a go-to album for me and because I don't listen to it very often, I'm finding it hard to call it 'great' (I think his next band, Gillan, were more representative of the man himself). But it's still a very good, underrated album overall. 
Adam's rating: 7.9/10


IAN GILLAN BAND - LIVE AT THE BUDOKAN          1978          (Edsel Records)
A strong and energetic live recording of a 1977 concert in Tokyo, Japan. At this point in time, Colin Towns was handling keyboards, and he would be the only member of the Ian Gillan Band who would follow Ian to his next band, Gillan. Anyway, the IGB material on here has been handled very well. They open with the progressive 'Clear Air Turbulence', which is easily one of the highlights of this disc thanks to the technicality of the music, and Ian's equally impressive vocals to match it. But really, I enjoy everything on here. Ray Fenwick's guitar soloing on 'My Baby Loves Me' is just tremendous. The performance of 'Scarabus' here does have some guitar muscle behind it too, so Ian hadn't completely ditched his hard rock side either. Speaking of hard rock, there's also renditions of Deep Purple's 'Smoke On the Water' and 'Woman from Tokyo' - well, I use the term 'hard rock' loosely, because 'Smoke' is actually played in a much funkier than usual manner! The main riff is still kinda there, but the bass playing is funky as hell and gives this air guitar classic a new coat of paint. The band make it work in their favour, and I actually enjoy this version of it. It's not the same as Purple performing the same song of course, but it's a fun little novelty for this Purple fan. As for 'Woman from Tokyo', well, this one's maybe a bit more rockin' in similar fashion to the original, but still has enough differences within the instrumentation to make this IGB rendition unique. With all the Deep Purple live albums out there (lord knows I own far too many of them), it's nice to have this as an alternative.

I hadn't planned on picking this disc up. I recently picked some Gillan releases I was missing in preparation for this page, and Live at the Budokan popped up on eBay. I payed £8 for it, used. My copy - as with most of my Gillan band discs - is the 2007 Edsel reissue. I've been a big fan of these since I picked up Gillan's 1982 album, Magic (the first Gillan solo album I ever bought), way back when these Edsel discs came out in '07. They're all presented really nicely with the slipcases and each one of them has notes from Ian himself in the booklets.
Adam's rating: 8.7/10


GILLAN - GILLAN (THE JAPANESE ALBUM)          1978          (RPM Records)
- Standouts: 'Secret of the Dance', 'I'm Your Man', 'Dead of Night', 'Fighting Man', 'Message in a Bottle', 'Abbey of Thelema'
After disbanding the Ian Gillan Band, Gillan (the man) formed Gillan - the band! Ian held onto keyboard Colin Towns from his previous project, and recruited big bald bass player John McCoy. Both Towns and McCoy would appear on every subsequent Gillan album during the 1978-1982 run, but on this self-titled debut album, Gillan (often dubbed The Japanese Album), guitarist Steve Byrd and drummer Liam Genockey also feature. This record would be Byrd's and Genockey's only appearance on a Gillan album however. Anyway, despite all the stuff Ian's done outside of Deep Purple, I think the band Gillan were probably one of his most successful outfits. I personally feel that a lot of his best works beyond Purple were with this band. For starters, this was the group that saw Ian move away from the jazzy rock sounds of the Ian Gillan Band, and back to a heavier, hard rocking style that made him famous in the first place. It gets better though - Gillan were a proper band, not just a solo project. Gillan himself, Towns and McCoy (and also Bernie Torme and Mick Underwood on subsequent releases) were all integral to the songwriting and made this band truly unique. They all looked drastically different from another, like a rag-tag bunch of misfit musicians - and in all fairness, they kind of just recorded whatever the fuck they fancied. And it worked! They may have primarily been a hard rock band, but they never sounded like Deep Purple even with Ian at the microphone. In fact, I've never really heard another band that sounds like the Gillan band. 

The 1978 self-titled is a strong start for Gillan, even if I feel better things were to come from this band. Some of these tracks would be re-recorded for their next album, Mr. Universe. Yep, 'Secret of the Dance', 'Message in a Bottle' and 'Fighting Man' would feature on Mr. Universe and - spoilers - I think are superior to the one's found on Gillan. But frankly it doesn't matter - these versions are still great. 'Fighting Man' is a really strong, moody ballad with Colin Towns and his keyboards really leading the charge on it. Plus Ian screams like he did on Purple's 'Child in Time'... Ian in his prime still. 'Secret of the Dance' is a frantic upbeat rocker, and so is 'Message in a Bottle' (no relation to the Police song!). Ian feels more at home here when compared to the Ian Gillan Band, and really lets his hair down on them. Like I said, these tracks would sound even better on the following record, but these versions still go hard. Just not as hard! 

The rest of the songs are all very solid too. 'I'm Your Man' is kind of a simplistic heavy blues stomper, and I totally dig it. 'Dead of Night' has a driving groove, and is all the catchier for it. I also like 'Not Weird Enough' a lot too - another fun mid-tempo rocker with a character of it's own. 'Bringing Joanna Back' is a classy, groovy number with some some surprisingly smooth keyboards. The rhythm section still thumps though, and this track still comes with some grunt. Frankly, everything on this disc is good stuff! Even 'Abbey of Thelema', which is kind of like a weird mix of heavy rock and jazzy lounge tones works for me! And closing cut 'Back in the Game' has some tasty, bluesy guitar chops.

I don't really have any serious bones to pick with this disc, but the production is maybe a little on the soft side. I think that plays some part in why any of the tracks that were updated on Mr. Universe sound better on that album. Not that Gillan sounds poor or anything - the drums are just a little reverby and fluffy. Also, even though the album's an easy 8/10 for me, it kind of feels like a warmup for what was to come next. A bloody good warmup though, I'll give it that. I think Bernie Torme replacing Steve Byrd really brought out the best of this band. Either way, the songs presented on Gillan are all very good, and any fan of the Deep Purple family tree (Gillan, Rainbow, Whitesnake etc.) should seek this one out.

A few more words. I'm fairly sure the whole 'Japanese Album' tag comes from the fact the record label Gillan were signed to went bust very soon after the album dropped (or something very similar). The original LP was released in Japan and was only available as an import, therefore didn't make much of an impact. Had it been released properly in Europe, I'm sure it would have done well in the UK. Everything else Gillan put out afterwards when they signed to Virgin did do well in the UK, and rightly so (in particular 1981's Glory Road - #3 and 1982's Future Shock - #2). Also, apart from 1981's Double Trouble, I have at least 2 copies of all these Gillan albums. This year (2025), a new Gillan box set simply titled 1978-1982 was released. Because I didn't have Glory Road on CD, or Double Trouble at all in any format, I went ahead and picked up this new box set. It was great value at just £30, especially since most of these albums have been out of print for some time now and are expensive as a result. Other than my 1994 RPM reissue of the Gillan album, my old copies of Mr. Universe, Future Shock and Magic are 2007 Edsel Special Edition reissues (along with my Ian Gillan Band discs and also the Ian Gillan/Roger Glover album Accidentally on Purpose). Then just days after buying the box set I stumbled across a used Edsel copy of Double Trouble for £8 on Ebay. I bought it on principle of course.
Adam's rating: 8/10


GILLAN - MR. UNIVERSE          1979          (Edsel Records)
- Standouts: All except maybe 'Puget Sound'?
Now we're onto the really good shit, people! Ian hired his old drummer mate Mick Underwood (Ian and Mick had played together in Episode Six in the '60s) as well as flashy new guitarist Bernie Torme. Bernie's playing has a punk-like edge, and is even kind of spontaneous at times. But Mick is an awesome drummer too - compare 'Secret of the Dance' from The Japanese Album, and then listen to it again on Mr. Universe. It's a stupidly fast song either way, but the Mr. Universe version is scorching by comparison. Colin Towns' maestro keyboard work has always one of my favourite aspects of the Gillan band, and the additions of Torme and Underwood really add an extra level of already brilliant musicianship and playing. The band catch a breath on 'She Tears Me Down' - a classy, mid-tempo rock number that builds up to the thundering 'Roller'. 'Roller' is a fast, heavy, almost punky cut that's full of attitude and Ian's unique charm. It's really great. Like I said in my review of The Japanese Album, I can't really think of any other band that really sounds like Gillan, and songs like this prove my point.

The title track an upbeat, dramatic rocker. About half-way through is this chaotic wall of distortion and percussion, before morphing back into the song it started off as - it's brilliant. 'Vengeance' was released as a single, and has a strong New Wave of British Heavy Metal feel to my ears. Not surprising really, since the NWOBHM scene was just around the corner, and with Gillan touring with bands like Samson at the time, some people do associate them with the NWOBHM movement. I get that Gillan were not technically a heavy metal band, but they definitely had some songs that I would consider to be heavy metal. Anyhow, 'Puget Sound' is a sleazy number that keeps the music fresh and varied, while 'Dead of Night' is a darker, heavier beast. But is still kinda sleazy too in it's own right! Of course, 'Message in a Bottle' and 'Fighting Man' were featured on Gillan, but the versions presented on Mr. Universe are the definitive ones. 

Negatives? Not many. This is a high point of the Gillan band (spoiler - still more great stuff to come). The songs are all great, and my only real complaint is the fact Ian's sang on a few other records throughout his career that I like more! But this is still up there. Deep Purple are one of those rare bands whereby the vast majority of it's current and former members have nearly all had successful careers outside of the band. Rainbow and Whitesnake were obviously the most successful worldwide, but Gillan were a particularly big deal in the UK. I'm sure record labels and such probably contributed to the fact they didn't make such a big impact in the States, but I also think the eccentric British nature of the music and band members may have been a reason too. For me, it's part of what makes the Gillan band so call. And frankly, I think Mr. Universe is one of the best albums any member of Purple made outside of said band. The top spot will always be Rainbow's Rising for me, but Mr. Universe ain't no slouch! It may not be groundbreaking in any real sense of word, but the album just oozes character and charisma. The album cover doesn't do it any favours though; Ian standing in front of the ocean looking like he's advertising aftershave makes this look like a pop album, when it really isn't!!
Adam's rating: 9.1/10


GILLAN - GLORY ROAD          1980          (Virgin)
- Standouts: 'Unchain Your Brain', 'Are You Sure?', 'Time and Again', 'No Easy Way', 'Sleeping on the Job', 'On the Rocks', 'If You Believe Me', 'Running, White Face, City Boy'
Yep, I have individual copies of every Gillan album except this one. I have my old vinyl copy as well as the CD within the 1978-1982 boxset, but no actual individual CD copy. Any sane person would be satisfied, but this is me we're talking about. The fact every other Ian Gillan Band/Gillan album I own (apart from the box set and The Japanese Album) are all Edsel 2007 reissues and Glory Road is the only one MISSING really irks me!! Come to think of it, this is one of the few albums that I only had a vinyl copy of for several years before finally obtaining it on CD.

Enough pointless ramblings, Glory Road is a fine follow-up to the superb Mr. Universe. Like 'Secret of the Dance' from said predecessor, Glory Road's 'Unchain Your Brain' is another fast, manic opener and a hell of a lot of fun. 'Are You Sure?' has a thumping bassline from John McCoy, and the song has kind of a heavy blues feel and a lot of muscle. Perfect driving music for sure. Then there's 'Time and Again', which is built around largely smooth, laidback verses that always seems to put me in a good mood. It does have some bite however, with some guitar-heavy choruses. 'No Easy Way' was released as a single, although the album version adds a feedback-drenched Bernie Torme guitar intro. As for 'No Easy Way', well, it's prime Gillan once again! Catchy, hard rocking and a good time! Also lots of melodic keyboards on this one. Funnily enough, it's followed up by the album's other single, 'Sleeping on the Job'. Again, what's not to love? It's got Ian's quirky lyrics written all over it, and musically it's just another excellent upbeat rocker.

Colin Towns provides a lengthy, dramatic organ introduction before 'On the Rocks' properly kicks in. When it finally does, the music is a nice mix of melodic and hard rock. Is it a ballad? Maybe. Who cares, it's great! The lengthy, sleazy blues cut 'If You Believe Me' slots in rather nicely, while 'Running, White Face, City Boy' picks up the pace again with it's pumping hard rock tempo. 'Nervous' is a slow and plodding album closer, but it has balls. It has maybe Ian's most unhinged vocal performance on this record, so it definitely counts for something!

Another classic record from Mr. Gillan and his band, erm, Gillan! I think I'd still pick Mr. Universe over Glory Road if you were to ask me (I just feel the highs of that album are, well, higher), but this one comes close. Really, it just feels like a continuation of it's predecessor - and that's fine with me! The production maybe has a little more bass and low-end this time, but musically the songs are varied in the same manner and stick to familiar formulas. 'If You Believe Me' is quite possibly the only surprise due to how ridiculously bluesy it is, but I still love it. More tip-top Ian Gillan outside of Deep Purple.
Adam's rating: 9/10


GILLAN - FUTURE SHOCK          1981          (Edsel Records)
- Standouts: Pretty much everything except 'Don't Want the Truth'!
More hard rockin' madness from Ian and the boys! Future Shock continues down a similar path to Mr. Universe and Glory Road, meaning you're in safe hands once again! Bernie Torme's riffing on the opening title track takes full advantage of the NWOBHM sound and scene of the time, and is an instant classic. Elsewhere, his main riff to 'Night Ride Out of Phoenix' is pure Iommi-worship, while the rest of the song is full of these cool blues grooves. And then you have '(The Ballad Of) The Lucitania Express', another stupidly fast rocker in the similar vein to 'Secret of the Dance', 'Unchain Your Brain' or 'Roller' etc.. It doesn't do anything all that differently to previous scorchers, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. It rules! And 'No Laughing in Heaven' is absolutely one of my favourite Ian Gillan tunes regardless of whatever project he's attached to. The song is a comedic romp about a guy (presumably Ian himself given it's sung in the first person!) who partied hard most of his life, before spending his last few years helping the poor and dedicating himself to kindness in order to be accepted into heaven where he can party on for all eternity. He gets into heaven and is immediately disappointed by the fact getting shit-faced is shunned and he has spend eternity praying! This song perfectly summarises the Gillan band for me. Ian's sense of humour occasionally shimmered on songs like Deep Purple's 'Anyone's Daughter', but with his own band he could really let his inner goofball come out. Oh, and John McCoy's basslines on this track make it really infectious to my ears!

The sheer fun and games of this album continues with 'Sacre Bleu' - another up-tempo hard rocker that's full of charisma. Check out Ian's novelty French accent near the end! And Colin Towns' crazy keyboard solo! Same goes for 'Bite the Bullet' - so energetic, so catchy! Hot damn, 'New Orleans' is a favourite of mine as well! It's a cover of a 1960 Gary U.S. Bonds number, yes, but it might as well just be a Gillan original! Super fun, fast guitar/piano-driven rock n' roll! About the only time the album really catches it's breath is on the superb ballad 'If I Sing Softly' and the closing track 'For Your Dreams', which is still dramatic and over-the-top anyway. Just not fast, as such. 

I'd say I probably listen to at least a couple of Gillan tracks every week or so, and have done since I was a teenager. Hell, Mr. Universe is an album that gets a few spins a year. And in all fairness, I've loved albums like Future Shock and Glory Road for a very long time as well. But until writing this newly updated Future Shock review, suddenly it's become my all-time favourite Ian Gillan-related solo record. I never thought it'd ever surpass Mr. Universe for me during my time on planet Earth, but here we are! It's like a shameless, zany eccentric bloke in musical form! Just look at the crazy sci-fi cartoon versions of the band on the album cover! Ian just having fun in a way that he couldn't with Deep Purple, or the Ian Gillan Band. But without the band that backs him, the album certainly wouldn't be as strong as it is. The musicianship is superb on top of the fun vibes!

Naturally then, picking holes is kinda difficult. Ian has many different faces. This is Ian in party mode, and while I love this Ian, he's still not my absolute favourite. I wouldn't say Future Shock contains some of his absolute best vocal performances (although 'No Laughing in Heaven' is up there), and I'm still thinking 'Don't Want the Truth' could very well be filler. Still, this is a killer album, and now also my favourite of Ian's outside of Deep Purple and Sabbath's Born Again!
Adam's rating: 9.2/10


GILLAN - DOUBLE TROUBLE         1981          (Edsel Records)
- Standouts: 'I'll Rip Your Spine Out', 'Restless', 'Men of War', 'Nightmare', 'Life Goes On', 'Born to Kill'
Of all the Gillan records, this and The Japanese Album are the one's I've spent the least amount of time with. Mr. Universe, Glory Road and Future Shock I've owned for years and years. Hell, 1982's Magic has been in my collection since my school days. Anyway, Double Trouble was Gillan's 5th effort, and what makes this one special is that it's actually a double album, hence the title. The first half consists of 8 new studio numbers, the second is a 6-track live recording. Kind of a cool way to handle a live album if you ask me. Anyhow, although guitarist Bernie Torme does appear on a handful of the live tracks, this was the first effort to feature his replacement, one Janick Gers. Janick would of course go onto join Iron Maiden in 1990, and is still with them to this day. If you put a gun to my head and made me pick one over the other, Bernie would probably make my pick for best Gillan guitarist, but Janick is a strong replacement all-round. He's a little less brash and punky than Bernie, and maybe a tad more refined and musical in comparison (which is ironic given his ridiculously hyperactive stage presence, at least with Iron Maiden), but I still find it difficult to whinge about the guy.

And anyway, the music is still quality stuff here. Opener 'I'll Rip Your Spine Out' is this massively anthemic hard-edged number, and 'Men of War' is a superb, ballad-y cut with a strong sense of melody. Not wacky and out there like a lot of the band's other material (and Ian's certainly not goofing off on it), but a really good song in it's own right. And despite my shorter history with Double Trouble, I have been well aware and familiar with 'Restless' and 'Nightmare' since my teens. See, when these Edsel reissues came out in 2007, I bought Magic along with a box set called The Singles + The Promo Videos (which I will be reviewing in due time...). 'Restless' and 'Nightmare' were both released as singles from this album and therefore were also included in said box set. Both are catchy singles with plenty of melodic pop hooks to go with the hard rock grunt the band had nailed at this point. 'Hadely Bop Bop' is a fun boogie rocker while 'Life Goes On' is kind of a complex, maybe even proggy (?) piece of hard rock that kind of shows the band evolving. I like it a lot. And then there's the 9 and a half minute finale, 'Born to Kill' which is most definitely proggy next to anything else here. Colin Towns' keyboard playing on it is phenomenal, and the song kind of blends in and out of dramatic arena rock and pumping heavy metal.

The live disc is a lot of fun. There's maybe a little too much echo in the mix, but the energy is certainly up there. Standouts for me are the 10 minute rendition of 'No Easy Way', the scorching 'New Orleans' with it's fun added John McCoy bass intro, and the stompin' 'Trouble'. It's a shame there's only 6 songs, but I'm guessing that has something to do with trying to pack in what they could onto a vinyl LP back in the day. My 2007 reissue adds 5 extra live tracks (including a rendition of 'Smoke on the Water') making the second half feel like a complete live album in itself. 

I must admit, I should really be basing my scoring for this album based on both discs, but most of it is based on the strength of the original tracks found in the first half. The second half is great kinda by default, because it's just 6 live tracks. But comparing the first disc to anything the band had made prior, there's a definite shift in tone now. The music is maybe a little more mature and possibly even experimental at times. With songs like 'Men of War', 'Restless' and 'Nightmare', there's definitely more mainstream appeal to the music. But also, 'Life Goes On' and 'Born to Kill' are more ambitious and technical in regards to songwriting. These tracks aren't a huge departure from what we got on albums like Mr. Universe and Future Shock; they certainly have Ian's charm all over them, and you can still tell it's the same band (minus Bernie Torme of course), but they're not a deliberate continuation of that sound we got on previous albums either. I don't quite enjoy Double Trouble like I do the previous 3, but part of that may also be down to my own shorter history with it. The music isn't as punchy or fun as before, but is also more refined and polished all the same. Not one of my absolute favourite Gillan releases then, but still a great record for different reasons.
Adam's rating: 8.2/10


GILLAN - MAGIC          1982         (Edsel Records)
- Standouts: 'What's the Matter', 'Bluesy Blue Sea', 'Caught in a Trap', 'Long Gone', 'Demon Driver', 'Living a Lie', 'You're So Right', 'Living for the City'
The last album the Gillan band put out was this, 1982's Magic. As I said in my Double Trouble review, it was the first Gillan album I got my hands on way back in 2007 when the Edsel reissues first came out (alongside the Singles + Promo Videos box set). So by default, it's the one I've listened to the most. I played the hell out of it for a decent amount of time back in the day, and as it happens I'm still a big fan of it to this day. I don't fully remember what made me pick Magic over any of the others - I have a feeling it may have been the only one they had in stock in HMV at the time, and since the only money I was earning back then was by doing my humble paper round every morning, I had to be picky with the CDs I bought. I liked to buy discs from various different bands so I had more variety. By the time I was ready to buy more Gillan albums, those Edsel reissues had vanished from the shelves, and I wasn't really buying stuff online at that point either! Of course, as a man in my 30s now, I have all the Gillan albums. Magic is still one of my favourites though. While it definitely draws on some of the more commercial touches that Double Trouble brought to the table, but the music is still varied and fun overall. More importantly, Ian and co. still have that special charm in their music, and now that I think about it, Magic may just be one of the most underrated swansong records from a rock band I can think of.

I'm sometimes kinda surprised I liked this album as much as I did back in my teens. Maybe it's just my fondness for Ian's vocals, but the poppiest tunes on here really are just that - poppy. And as a 15 year old I preferred riffs and heavy shit! Yet 'Long Gone' (which was released as a single, unsurprisingly) is a full-on keyboard-driven pop number! But jeez, it's just so damn catchy! Ian's vocal arrangements and choruses really stick in my head, and in general it's just a light, fluffy and well-written little ditty. 'You're So Right' is comparable too, in that the chorus is really upbeat and singalong-worthy, but still makes use of proper rock guitar riffage when necessary. The album's other single, a cover of Stevie Wonder's 'Living for the City', has also been pulled off really well. A lot better than you'd expect! Obviously it's been transformed from a soul track into a rock song, but the hooks are still there and Ian sings great on it. I'm convinced I actually heard Gillan's version before the original!

To say Magic is a blatant attempt at fully commercialising their sound wouldn't be fair though. I mean, 'Bluesy Blue Sea' is one of the heaviest songs they ever laid down! Janick Gers' riffing is very slow and trudging, and reminds me more of Tony Iommi than anything else. It's awesome! 'What's the Matter' too, is a speedy hard rocker up there with 'Secret of the Dance' or 'Unchain Your Brain'. And then you've got the 7 minute 'Demon Driver' - kind of a proggy, yet often hard-hitting piece with some wild Colin Towns keyboard work and a pretty maniacal Ian Gillan vocal performance. 'Caught in a Trap' deserves a mention too - it's kind of heavy, but not at the same time. Weird, that's what it is. Weird in a good way! Towns shines on this one as well, and really drives the song forward. Also, 'Living a Lie' is a strong ballad. It has some mellower, yet moody melodies, but also packs a punch when it needs to.

Okay, so maybe some bias is evident in my score, but Magic is tied with Mr. Universe for me as my second favourite Gillan album. Maybe if I hadn't owned it long before anything else in the Gillan catalogue then it wouldn't rank as high, but I really enjoy the blend of styles here. And Colin Towns really is the driving force musically behind this record, it being his best performance in my opinion. I like the fact the songs are largely built around rock keyboards instead of rock guitars! The commercial, poppier bits have been pulled off so well, while the heavier stuff is as good as nearly anything else this band recorded! The production is a little softer, sure, but I'm used to it. And for whatever reason, there's one song on here I've never been all that keen on - 'Driving Me Wild'. Couldn't really specify why that is!

The saddest part of this band's story however, is their demise. Despite all the success they had in the UK (they were even headlining Wembley Arena and Reading Festival towards the end of their run) the band were still having money troubles, and Ian had to have surgery on his vocal chords. It was at that point he put the band on hiatus, with the rest of the members assuming they would resume working once Ian had recovered. Instead, he got hammered with Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler at a pub in Oxford and agreed to join Black Sabbath! Naturally, some of the members of the Gillan band haven't forgiven him for that stunt (particularly John McCoy, who's been pretty vocal about the matter). While it is sad we never got another album from the Gillan band, I actually appreciate the compactness of this catalogue. 6 studio albums all released within a short period of time (1978-1982), and every one of them is great, if not a classic. Surely that streak wouldn't have gone on forever? And anyway, Born Again is one of my all-time favourite Sabbath records! If he hadn't have gotten pissed with Tony and Geezer, it wouldn't exist! More importantly however, is the fact the dissolution of the Gillan band laid the groundwork for the Deep Purple reunion of 1984. As much as I love all the different stuff Ian's done beyond them, it's Deep Purple that he will always be primarily known for.
Adam's rating: 9.1/10


IAN GILLAN & ROGER GLOVER - ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE          1988          (Edsel Records)
- Standouts: 'Evil Eye', 'She Took My Breath Away', 'I Can't Dance to That', 'Can't Believe You Wanna Leave Me', 'Telephone Box'
Not too long after Deep Purple's 1987 album The House of Blue Light dropped (an album I'm fairly sure most members of the band weren't too happy with, particularly Roger Glover), Ian Gillan and Roger Glover recorded Accidentally on Purpose as a sort of side piece. This CD is something of an oddity in Gillan's portfolio in that the album is essentially an '80s pop rock affair - synths and all - with basically zero Deep Purple or Gillan hard rock influences (even the Ian Gillan Band were drastically different). Maybe it's not hugely weird for Glover to have been involved in this - I bought one of his solo albums for the first time about a year or so ago (2011's If Life Was Easy) and found that his own material barely dabbles in hard rock, but for Ian Gillan an often-synthy '80s pop album definitely feels strange! Well, I've had Accidentally on Purpose in my collection for a number of years now. I don't remember being all that surprised by the music at the time because I'd already read about it before I got my hands on it. But I'd likely have been disappointed with this if I'd have been a die hard Deep Purple and Gillan fan in 1988! I did actually review it for my old Ian Gillan-related page and gave it a 5.6/10... unsurprisingly, I wasn't really diggin' a poppy, glossy rock album in my mid-20s! I've gotta say though, this album sounds a little better to me in my '30s now! Not great of course, but whatever! 

The music is a huge departure from pretty much any of Ian or Roger's Deep Purple songwriting traits of course, but as a mostly poppy rock record, it's really not bad! Barely any guitar riffs, and the drums are mostly electronic from the sounds of things, but not horrible! The closest the album comes to hard rock is 'I Can't Dance to That' - it's a straightforward, riffy cut with enough bite to rock, but still catchy enough that it doesn't sound completely out of place with the rest of this album. Most of the album does not follow suit however - opener 'Clouds and Rain' is a slow-building, smooth kind of synthy number. I'm a little on the fence with the horns, but it's a relaxing listen. 'Evil Eye' is catchy and a little more upbeat. Ian barely raises his voice on 'She Took My Breath Away', almost whispering his way through it. Yet I like it! It's smoooooth! 'Via Miami' is far more energetic and probably one of the rockier moments on the album. Rockier in a boogie kind of manner that is. Ian and Roger also decided to throw a Little Richard cover in here with 'Can't Believe You Wanna Leave Me'. And it's pretty fun! Again, it just adds a little variety to the music. Roger's swingy basslines on 'Telephone Box' stick in my head while 'I Thought No' sounds like both men were genuinely having fun recording it, unlike Purple's The House of Blue Light!

I can't be entirely nice about this album. I'm not a fan of 'Lonely Avenue'. It's not terrible, just slow and a little tedious. The female backing vocals make it stand out, but the fact it feels like a blues song driven by '80s pop keyboards/synths just makes it sound weird to me, and not in a good way. But in all honesty, the only song that sounds like total dogshit to me here wasn't even featured on the original release of the album anyway! Like many of my Gillan discs, my copy of Accidentally on Purpose is one of the 2007 Edsel Records reissues, so it comes presented with the same style slipcase and packaging which is nice - plus 3 bonus tracks ('Cayman Island', 'Purple People Eater', 'Chet'). Yep, 'Cayman Island' - originally a b-side to 'She Took My Breath Away' - is pretty fucking awful if you ask me! It's effectively a reggae number - wouldn't be so bad if Ian - an English white man born in Chiswick - wasn't deliberately trying to sound Jamaican on it!! I guess it's good for a cheap laugh!

It's nice to see this one go up in my estimation. I originally reviewed it in 2020, and I'm not even sure I'd listened to it again until this new review in 2025. I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Accidentally on Purpose this time around. I still don't think it's a classic of course, but both Ian and Roger sound comfortable here despite the often drastic musical changes from the norm. It's good!
Adam's rating: 7/10


IAN GILLAN - NAKED THUNDER          1990          (Teldec)
- Standouts: 'Gut Reaction', 'Nothing But the Best', 'Moonshine', 'Love Gun'
Ian Gillan was booted out of Deep Purple again in 1989. He'd return permanently in 1992, but in that short gap he'd record more solo material. 1990's Naked Thunder is one such album, and I've only listened to it a few times across the many years I've owned it. I reviewed here several years ago, and gave it a 5/10. I guess the biggest problem I had with it is the AOR/melodic/arena rock nature of the music. It's a far cry from the wacky hard rock of Gillan and even the jazz-fusion of the Ian Gillan Band. Maybe it's an age thing, but the older I get the less issue I have with this. The whole glossy melodic rock style is something I enjoy in small doses, and it's actually kind of interesting to hear Ian take a stab at this sort of thing.

Some of the songs like 'Gut Reaction' and 'Talking to You' do have a hard rock attitude, but the use of '80s style keyboards and clean production is obviously what steers them into more of an arena rock sound. The upbeat cuts 'Moonshine' and 'Love Gun' are about as close to heavy rock as you're gonna get here. 'Nothing to Lose' is definitely rock, but I wouldn't call it a rocker! Doesn't mean it's bad however, just not typical of Ian. Obviously you've got ballads on here too - 'No Good Luck' sort of falls into this category, although the guitars remind me a lot of Def Leppard post-Pyromania. But tracks like 'Nothing But the Best' and 'Loving on Borrowed Time' are most definitely a pair of ballads, and competent ones at that. The former is a bit rockier however, whilst the latter is smoother and more keyboard-focused by contrast, and even has female backing vocals. I do think Ian himself sounds great on this record, but he also often sings in a way that is sort of different to what he typically does with Deep Purple or the Gillan band. Don't expect any wild screams! But the fact he manages to pull it all off here is testament to just how good of a rock singer he really is. I'd be lying if I said I liked everything about this album however. Even though I don't really have any major problems with any of the songs per se, there's gripes within some of them that can't go unnoticed. The synths at the start of 'Sweet Lolita' rub me the wrong way for example. Closing track 'No More Cane On the Brazos' - although quite pleasant to my ears - is a bit too slow-paced for it's own good, and I think the album should have ended on a brighter note. And let's be brutally honest here - even though I actually somewhat like the album these days, I generally don't turn to Naked Thunder when I'm in the mood to hear Gillan without Deep Purple. It's certainly a listenable record for me, but it doesn't really have any classic songs on it that I feel are worthy of a playlist. And I think by 1990 I think the album may have come a tad too late. This sort of glossy arena rock was about to be replaced by grunge. 

I wanted to slap a 7/10 on this review, but I'm finding it really hard to justify a score that high. It's definitely better than I remembered, but a lot of that is to do with me simply enjoying melodic rock more these days. And a 7/10 makes the album legitimately 'good' - well, in a reality I find it to be 'pretty good', which is worse than being just 'good'!! Not one of Ian's greatest outputs, but I still think it's worth adding to a collection if you can get it cheap.
Adam's rating: 6.2/10


GLENN HUGHES - ADDICTION          1996          (SPV)
- Standouts: 'Death of Me', 'Down', 'Addiction', 'Madelaine', 'Talk About It', 'Blue Jade', 'I Don't Want to Live That Way'
Glenn Hughes' career is an interesting, diverse one for sure. Of course, he's primarily associated with rock - hell, the man is sometimes dubbed 'the voice of rock' for crying out loud! But really he's dabbled a lot over the years with funk, metal, pop and even blue-eyed soul. Not really that surprising when Glenn himself considers soul and Motown to be a primary influence on his vocal style, but let's not forget the fact he's also a strong bassist. I myself have been enjoying Hughes' vocals and bass playing since my school and college days. The first albums I owned that featured him were the Mk. III and IV Deep Purple albums Burn, Stormbringer and Come Taste the Band, when he was sharing vocals with David Coverdale. The other record I had back then was the 'Tony Iommi solo album in all but name', aka Black Sabbath's Seventh Star, which also had Glenn singing on it! Anyhow, I've been a fan of Glenn Hughes in some shape or form since I was about 16, yet I never actually delved into his solo career until maybe COVID happened a few years ago. This album, 1996's Addiction was the first one I picked up. 

The album title is a reflection on the man's drug addiction problems that had troubled him since his Deep Purple days in the '70s, and all throughout the '80s when it got really serious. So naturally the lyrical matter can be kind of dark at times on this record, and as far as the actual music goes, this is one of the heavier albums in his catalogue. Luckily Glenn went through rehab and has been clean since the early '90s. And honestly, I think he looks and sounds great right now in 2025. The man is 74 and sounds phenomenal. More about Addiction though! The first 3 tracks are killer. 'Death of Me' is a fast-paced, dark rocker with a cool riff and an outstanding chorus. Really simple ("This is the death of me I know"), but very powerful and fitting. 'Down' is also really heavy; slower and kinda bluesy too, in a way. I love it. And the title track is full of all these killer grooves. Glenn does these kinds of heavy grooves on a lot of his records, and to me it's almost like one of his signature musical traits. He lifts the mood a little on the melodic rock of 'Madelaine', and then mellows out on the soulful ballad 'Talk About It'. The first half of this record is really great!

'I'm Not Your Slave' has a fairly heavy funk/groove feel, but also a nice sense of melody, whereas 'Cover Me' is a slower, blues-like cut that a lot of people online seem to compare to Whitesnake. Maybe this is true, but it still sounds like Glenn Hughes to me! 'Justified Man' is maybe one of the more uplifting songs here with it's somewhat simplistic, yet soaring arena rock feel. The lengthy ballad 'Blue Jade' (it's over 7 minutes long) is moody and brooding, and full of heart. 'I Don't Want to Live That Way Again' is an even longer, slow-building and darker ballad at over 8 minutes in length, and closes the album on a somewhat depressing note. But you know what? It makes total sense given the lyrical matter and Hughes himself sounds amazing.

I will say that I enjoy the first half of Addiction more than the second overall. The biggest problem for me with this disc is the pacing. Even though I actually like pretty much every track on here, the second half is much slower overall, and it doesn't help that the 2 longest songs ('Blue Jade' and 'I Don't Want to Live That Way Again') are both really close to each other near the end of the record. Personally I'd re-shuffle the tracklisting a little. As it stands, the album can be a little tiring by the time 'Blue Jade' comes around if I'm not in the right mood. It's not the worst problem an album can have, and I still think this CD is pretty darn great overall - but it's not something I can just completely gloss over either. 

Addiction is definitely a personal album for Glenn. It leaves me feeling cold by the end of it's playing time, but that was clearly the point. Glenn's singing throughout the album is outstanding. Has this man ever given a subpar vocal performance?! Even during the peak of his addiction during the '80s he was still incredible vocally! And even though this album isn't always one I feel like listening to all the way through due to it's depressing finale (which is still an awesome song anyway, just not one I can listen to every day of the week), the songs are still great for the most part. I can recommend it to anyone that's enjoyed Glenn Hughes' vocals no matter what the project. Maybe not one of his absolute best solo albums, but a powerful listen for sure.
Adam's rating: 8.1/10


GLENN HUGHES - THE WAY IT IS          1999          (Purple Records)
- Standouts: 'You Kill Me', 'Neverafter', 'Freedom', 'The Truth Will Set Me Free', 'Second Son'
After the dark and personal Addiction album, Glenn Hughes lifts the mood on follow-up The Way It Is. Unsurprisingly, it's not as heavy an album as it's predecessor, but Glenn doesn't really follow a specific formula every time he goes into the studio to record new material anyway. While I do think he has his own recognisable signature ingredients, of the solo albums I own of his (5 in total), each of them have a character of their own yet still sound like something only he could produce. And that's a good thing in my books. And anyway, The Way It Is still rocks me when it wants to! For example, 'You Kill Me' is a super fun, upbeat rocker with such a cool groove. It's actually in the setlist for his current 2025 tour (I'm seeing him next week), and I'm not surprised. The mid-tempo 'Neverafter' too, is centred around a chunky, heavy riff. It's an interesting mix of heavy funk-like rock and smooth passages. The title track itself is a nice song that lets the man show off his impressive vocal range thanks to it's soft and floaty nature. It's almost poppy, even. 'Rain On Me' comes with a similarly poppy chorus, and a funk rock structure. 

Other tracks I like are the fun cover of Jimi Hendrix's 'Freedom'. Glenn makes it his own vocally, but you can still hear Jimi's influence in the guitar and bass work. It works rather well for me, as does bouncy rocker 'The Truth Will Set Me Free' - fun stuff. The funky, feel-good funkers 'Second Son' and 'Stoned In the Temple' have nice, catchy rhythms about them and 'Too Far Gone' is a solid enough semi-ballad. The album doesn't always hit the spot for me however. 'Curse' is a ridiculously smooth soul/soft rock piece. If I'm honest, this one's a little too lightweight for my tastes, but I will say that Glenn's vocals are fabulous on it. It's just not really my thing. 'Take You Down' doesn't excite me much either. Again, it has quite a strong soul influence, even if it still qualifies as a rock song overall. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with this - if anything, it just proves how talented Hughes is as a singer. It's just not really what I like hearing most from him! What really is terrible however, is the so-called 'Shagmeister Mix' of 'Freedom'. This is just a horrible, electro-tinged take on the same song that's tacked on the end of the album for some reason. It feels like a bonus track, but is not listed as one.

I like this album, but it's certainly not one of Glenn's hard rock outputs. Even though it does blend many of the styles he frequently dabbles with together across the album, I think it's mainly a lighter funk-driven rock album with the odd hard rock and soul moments scattered throughout. Most of the tracks I like; some I really like, plus a few I'm not so keen on. A solid record - not a career highlight for Hughes, but still a good one.
Adam's rating: 7.3/10


GLENN HUGHES - RETURN OF CRYSTAL KARMA          2000          (SPV)
- Standouts: 'The State I'm In', 'Midnight Meditated', 'Switch the Mojo', 'Gone', 'The Other Side of Me', 'Angela', 'Days of Avalon'
This album rocks harder than the often lighter, more soulful The Way It Is. In fact, 'The State I'm In' is a bit of a riff-fest, and still manages to blend heavy metal with Hughes' brand of funk. It's also got '70s rock-style Hammond organ tones on it - I love that sound! And 'Gone' is a monstrously heavy number... and it also sounds familiar?! Yeah, that's 'cos 'Gone' was actually a song Glenn wrote with Tony Iommi for one of Iommi's solo records (The 1996 DEP Sessions). Maybe I'm wrong, but I think this was technically the first time 'Gone' was officially released? Unless you owned the 8th Star Iommi bootleg from 1996, the official studio release of the actual Iommi-Hughes version didn't officially see the light of day until The 1996 DEP Sessions was finally released in 2004. Of course, Return of Crystal Karma's rendition of 'Gone' has JJ Marsh playing guitar and not Iommi, but structurally it's still the same song. You can immediately hear the difference between him and Tony's playing however. It's still a nice version either way, even if the original is better.

'Midnight Meditated' isn't quite heavy enough to be metallic, but is still a forceful hard rock/funk hybrid - exactly what I've come to expect from Glenn. 'It's Alright' and 'Switch the Mojo' are a couple more funk-infused rock cuts; the former is a slightly poppy take on the formula, while the latter makes surprisingly good use of industrial-style electronic effects. It still manages to rock though. He adds soulful vocal melodies to 'The Other Side of Me', but musically it's still a rock/funk-driven number. 'Angela' has a smoother feel, but the playing on it is still impressive considering the pop-like vocal melodies. It's guitar and keyboard solos are tight. 'Days of Avalon' is a particularly powerful finale, an almost epic ballad. There's also a nice instrumental called 'Owed to "J"', a throwback to Deep Purple's 'Owed to "G"' from the Come Taste the Band album.

In terms of Hughes' vocals throughout the tracks... well, I love the guy's voice. I couldn't cherry pick any specific tracks being better than others in the vocal department (except maybe 'This Life', where he sings particularly high at one point), but when does he ever put in a weak performance? Return of Crystal Karma's production is a little murkier/dirtier than either Addiction or The Way It Is. So maybe the guitars don't always cut through the mix as well this time, but I think it at least does Glenn's bass sound good. It's not like the album sounds 'rough', it's just not quite as clean as either of the last 2. As I said, I think it sounds better in some ways and worse in others. 

I really like this CD. It's still not one of my absolute favourite Hughes solo albums, but I think it is easily on par with Addiction. While the best tracks on that album I think are stronger, I like how consistent Crystal Karma is. I don't think the album really dips in quality at any point. And even though Glenn himself has given stronger vocal performances than this in the past and future, he always sounds great no matter what. I also really like all the '70s-style keyboards on this disc - and in general I think the album as a whole is a good representation of what Glenn's solo career is all about. Heavy funk rock with the occasional soulful moment. Also nice is the fact the album also comes with a second disc - the 6-song Live in South America, which even has a nice performance of 'No Stranger to Love' from Hughes' first Iommi collaboration, 1986's Seventh Star!
Adam's rating: 8.1/10


GLENN HUGHES - SONGS IN THE KEY OF ROCK          2003          (Purple Records)
- Standouts: 'In My Blood', 'Lost in the Zone', 'Gasoline', 'Get You Stoned', 'Written All Over Your Face', 'Standing on the Rock', 'Secret Life', 'Wherever You Go', 'Change'
Songs in the Key of Rock. Songs in the key of ROCK!! Rock - that's what this album is! It was the first Glenn Hughes solo album I got my hands on, and I'm ashamed to say I only bought it maybe 3 years ago. Even though I've had a fair chunk of Hughes-related albums in my collection for what feels like forever (Deep Purple, all the Iommi solo stuff etc.), I never got 'round to actually buying any of his own solo records until after the pandemic. I guess it was just a case of too much music, too little time. I've got the 3-CD 2017 remaster from Purple Records. It's a really nice package - it comes in chunky digipak format, a full booklet full of notes plus 2 bonus CDs, one being a UK show from 2003, the other an unplugged concert from the same year in Rome. Quality stuff. I think the bulk of Hughes' solo catalogue was reissued in 2017 as part of the same series of remasters, but not all of them come with the same amount of content - my copy of The Way It Is is also one of the 2017 remasters, but comes in a jewel case and just 1 bonus CD instead of 2. Still a cool package either way, but worth noting as the prices of these reissues can vary presumably due to the difference in content.

Anyway, I've listened to this album a lot in the few years I've had it. Like I said, musically it's more or less just a killer slab of pure ROCK, with Glenn's amazing vocals to go with it! Opening track 'In My Blood' is fantastic; it has that '70s Hammond organ-drenched sound to accompany the heavy guitars, and Glenn manages to mix both his soulful and rock side of his vocals in there too. 'Lost in the Zone' is more of a mid-tempo cut with a really nice bluesy groove, while 'Gasoline' is an extremely energetic old-school rocker with particularly wild Hughes vocals - he really hits the highs on this one!

'Higher Places (Song for Bonzo)' is a fine, almost ballad thanks to it's dramatic chorus, and 'Get You Stoned' is a sleazy, but heavy number that also features Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Chad Smith on drums. I really enjoy the more mellow 'Written All Over Your Face' too - it's a rock ballad for sure, and Glenn's singing is amazing on it. Pretty epic too at 8 and a half minutes. 'Standing on the Rock' is another really fast rocker with some great fretwork, and almost punky attitude - yet another highlight. 'Secret Life' is cool as hell, and brings back that funk rock sound Hughes has mastered over the years. Some of the vocal arrangements in 'Wherever You Go' manage to remind me 'You Fool No One' from Deep Purple's Burn album, and the instrumentation even feels a little improvised towards the end. One of the best tracks here however, is 'Change', which also has legendary bassist Billy Sheehan playing on it. This is a ridiculously strong hard rock piece with some unsurprisingly tight and technical instrumentation. The only weird thing about it is the fact it was originally only featured on the Japanese version of the album. Thankfully my 2017 remaster includes it. 

The production too, is really hard to fault. Every instrument is audible and the album has a nice mid-range kinda feel overall. It's definitely a better-sounding record to me than Return of Crystal Karma or Addiction (and I like the way those one's sound too). So I definitely can't pick faults with that side of things either. I guess any issues I do have with this CD are minor. I do think the album maybe loses a tiny amount of steam near the end of it's run time. I like every song on here overall, but 'The Truth' is possibly the most forgettable one to me. Still a nice, kinda soulful rock track, but not as memorable. And even though I think the music is great from near enough beginning to end, when stacked up next to the best Gillan albums like Mr. Universe and Future Shock, well, I still think I'd pick those over this. I love Glenn's vocals, I really do, but I think a lot of Ian Gillan's music holds more sentimental value to me at the end of the day.

Either way, this is easily one of my favourite Glenn Hughes albums. It might even be one of the better Deep Purple family tree-related albums in general outside of the most obvious ones. It's a fine representation of what the man does best when he's left to his own devices. Because let's be honest, there's lots of ways to hear Glenn, due to all the projects and bands he's been a part of in the course of his career. But his solo stuff definitely has a flavour of it's own, and Songs in the Key of Rock is essential listening from that category.
Adam's rating: 8.9/10


IAN GILLAN - GILLAN'S INN          2006          (Immergent)
- Standouts: 'Unchain Your Brain', 'Bluesy Blue Sea', 'Day Late and a Dollar Short', 'Trashed'
Normally I'm not the biggest fan of albums full of re-recordings of old tracks. Depending on the circumstances however, they can sometimes work. Gillan's Inn feels like Ian was just having fun in the studio, looking back through his career and inviting friends and guests to play on new recordings of oldies. There's a small handful of tracks I wasn't aware of - I haven't heard every Ian Gillan solo album, but I was familiar with the majority of the original versions of the songs on this album.

I must admit, most of this album sounds good. I've always liked the band Gillan, and the version of 'Unchain Your Brain' from Glory Road kicks things off to a blazing start. Joe Satriani plays on it, so of course the guitar solo is outstanding. It was nice to see 'Bluesy Blue Sea' from the Gillan album Magic too - I've always liked that record, and this new version is noticeably heavier. Janick Gers of Iron Maiden, who originally played on Magic, provides the guitars to the re-recording, so that was probably something of a nostalgia trip for him. Never heard the original 'Day Late and a Dollar Short', but this version sounds great either way. Just a great, heavy, driving track with Uli John Roth on guitar and even Ronnie James Dio backing up Ian's vocals. 'Hang Me Out to Dry' is from another Ian Gillan solo album that I haven't heard yet (Toolbox), and again has Joe Satriani on it, plus Don Airey on keyboards - so automatically Don's keyboard tones give it strong Deep Purple vibes! Kind of reminds me of the Deep Purple album The Battle Rages On..., actually. Steve Morse lends his guitar talents to 'Men of War', originally from Gillan's Double Trouble (an album I am familiar with, I just don't have a copy yet!), so again, I get Purple vibes, but this is still a Gillan track through-and-through. 

'Trashed' caught my attention, because originally it's from Black Sabbath's Born Again - the only Sabbath album featuring Gillan on vocals, and also one of my favourites. The version here is still the same old speed metal classic, and Tony Iommi still plays on it, but here you've also got Roger Glover on bass and Ian Paice on drums, so essentially you have Deep Purple minus the keyboards, with Tony Iommi on guitar! I prefer the original of course, but this version is still fun. I've also always loved 'No Laughing in Heaven' from Gillan's Future Shock album, and once again, the Gillan's Inn version is basically Deep Purple performing the same track. 'No Worries' is an unreleased blues rock track. I like it!

Any downsides? Well, the re-recorded Deep Purple tracks feel slightly unnecessary. Deep Purple still exist as a band, and Ian's still with them, so it does seem quite pointless that 'Smoke On the Water', 'Speed King' and 'When a Blind Man Cries' are on here. If anything, it would've made more sense for Ian to have chosen a few tracks from an era when he wasn't in the band, such as the Glenn Hughes/David Coverdale-fronted lineup, or even the very first Deep Purple lineup with Nick Simper on bass and Rod Evans on vocals. I do quite like this version of 'When a Blind Man Cries' though, with Jeff Healey and Jon Lord, as it's very bluesy and soulful all the same. And it is kinda cool to hear Joe Satriani play on 'Speed King'; the man did actually fill in for Ritchie Blackmore when he eventually walked out, mid-tour in the early 90's.

I enjoyed this CD quite a lot. If anything, it's a celebration of Ian's career. If you flip the disc over to the DVD side, you've also got a whole host of extras too, which is cool. Given that 95% of the album is just re-recordings however, I can't exactly call this 'essential', but for Gillan fans it's still worth checking out. The guest musicians add new flair to the tracks, and they're all extremely well performed.
Adam's rating: 7.6/10


GILLAN - THE SINGLES + THE PROMO VIDEOS          2007           (Edsel Records)
Very cool 12 disc collectors' box set - 11 CDs, plus 1 DVD. Every single the Gillan band ever released is here, presented in cardboard sleeves with the same artwork that the original 7 inch vinyl singles came in. I want to say I spent around £25 on this as a new release way back in 2007, but I can't remember exactly. Since I would've only been around 15 at the time, £25 was actually a bigger investment for me then. For £20 I could've gotten 3, maybe even 4 CDs for the same price. I recall getting Magic in the few weeks before, and I must've liked it enough to justify picking up this box set I guess. From the looks of things, it's retained it's value rather well. There's a few used copies on Discogs right now selling for £35.

Anyhow, the 11 CDs are the reproductions of the original singles of course, while the DVD contains the 7 music videos the band made. Most of the actual music here is a little redundant for me now; I'm fairly certain that most of the 2007 Edsel Records reissues of the actual studio albums also feature the bulk of the singles as bonus tracks if they weren't featured on the albums themselves in the first place. That's the thing about Gillan - they did have singles and b-sides that weren't featured on the albums. But like I said, most of the 2007 reissues included the missing material as bonus tracks. And the 1978-1982 box set from 2025 also comes with all this stuff too. Still, I really like The Singles + The Promo Videos. The packaging is great; the cardboard sleeves slot very nicely into a box that opens from the top, and actually fits in alongside all the other CDs on my shelves. It also comes with a nice booklet with notes from Ian himself. It's certainly more of a purchase for the serious fans out there over anyone else, but for those people that had the singles on vinyl back in the day, then this package will no doubt be a nostalgic blast from the past. And I listened to it a lot before the rest of the Gillan albums eventually made their way into my collection.
Adam's rating: 8/10


ROGER GLOVER AND THE GUILTY PARTY - IF LIFE WAS EASY          2011          (Ear Music)
- Standouts: 'Box of Tricks', 'The Dream I Had', 'Get Away (Can't Let You)', 'Feel Like a King'
I had no idea what to expect from this 2011 solo album by Roger Glover. I haven't heard anything else he's done solo-wise - unless you count the Accidentally on Purpose album with Ian Gillan - but I do of course know that the man is Deep Purple's iconic bass player, as well as appearing on numerous '80s Rainbow albums and a fair amount of guest appearances on others too (just check out his discography on Wikipedia). It's no secret that the man's also a prolific music producer. But in terms of writing music purely under his own steam, well, as I said, I wasn't sure what to expect. As it happens, the music on this CD is kinda varied and doesn't really follow one particular direction. The songs also feature a number of different musicians, with multiple different people handling vocals throughout the album, including Randall Bramblett and also Pete Agnew and Dan McCafferty from Nazareth. Roger's own daughter Gillian even sings lead vocals on the mellow, almost country-ish 'Moonlight' as well as the ballad 'Set Your Imagination Free' and the bluesy 'Get Away (Can't Let You)'. Roger himself sings on other tracks too, and has quite low, gravelly tone. He even manages to sound a little like Johnny Cash on the title track. All the singers involved differ a lot from one another, but all have been utilised rather well depending on the style of each track.

As stated before, the music is quite varied overall. The songs are relatively short for the most part, with most of them clocking at under, or just over 3 minutes - but there's also 16 of them in total. For example, the opening track 'Don't Look Now (Everything Has Changed)' has a reggae-like shuffle, 'If Life Was Easy' is something of a country-rock ditty, while others have a strong blues presence like the rough n' grimy 'Box of Tricks', and rootsy 'The Dream I Had'. 'Stand Together' is a solid soft rock cut, the acoustic 'When Life Gets to the Bone' is somewhat folky while 'When the Day Is Gone' has something of an art rock touch about it. Although nothing on here really excites me per se, I do dig nearly every track here. Just about the only one I couldn't get on board with was 'The Ghost of Your Smile'; former Elf and Rainbow keyboardist Mickey Lee Soule's almost spoken-word vocals didn't settle all that well with me.

This disc is a far cry from Deep Purple then, but clearly Roger wasn't trying to mimic his primary band with the songwriting and composition of If Life Was Easy. So don't expect to be rockin' out to this one, although closing track 'Feel Like a King' comes close! The long list of varying songs make this album feel a little directionless at times, but I suppose it also held my attention for the same reasons. It's a fairly lightweight, easy listening kind of rock record, and a good one at that. Not the sort of thing I'd typically listen to on a daily basis, so it's quite hard for me to really hold it in higher regard than a lot of Glenn Hughes' or Ian Gillan's solo work - but it's a nice album to just mellow out to after a hard day's work.
Adam's rating: 7/10


IAN GILLAN & TONY IOMMI - WHOCARES          2012          (Ear Music)
A really cool and interesting 2 CD compilation of mostly all kinds of different projects both Ian Gillan and Tony Iommi have worked on over the years! The biggest draw for me however, are the 2 tracks 'Out of My Mind' and 'Holy Water'. See, back in 2011, Ian and Tony formed a supergroup called WhoCares to record these 2 songs in order to raise money for charity (mainly to help rebuild a school in Armenia). The lineup for this temporary outfit was killer. Deep Purple's OG organ maestro Jon Lord, Iron Maiden's Nicko McBrain behind the kit, Jason Newsted on bass and also, erm, HIM's Mikko Lindstrom as a second guitarist! Anyhow, it was awesome to hear all these guys playing together, especially Ian and Tony who hadn't really recorded anything with each other since Ian's short stint with Sabbath back in the '80s! The 2 remained good mates, hence why WhoCares existed. Anyway, 'Out of My Mind' is a slow, doomy affair with Tony's signature heavy riffing written all over it. But hearing Lord's organ work behind him is a treat too, and in general it sounds like it could have been on one of Iommi's solo albums. 'Holy Water' is a tad more melodic, but still pretty great. It actually sounds a bit more Purple-ish, like if the roles were reversed and if Tony joined Deep Purple! Either way, it's a shame WhoCares only set out to record a couple of songs. Imagine if we'd had an entire album from these guys! I guess Ian was too busy with Deep Purple, and it was very soon after this period that Ozzy would reunite with Black Sabbath...

The rest of this compilation is a nice mish-mash of Gillan and Iommi-related cuts; studio tracks from albums, rarities, live cuts, b-sides... the works. The CD booklet comes with notes from both men, explaining where each track has come from which is very nice. A handful of these songs I already had - for example, Sabbath's 'Anno Mundi' from the Tony Martin-era album Tyr is on here, as well as the updated version of 'Trashed' from Gillan's Inn. Also, 'Zero the Hero' from the Gillan-fronted Sabbath classic Born Again is here, but they kinda had to include something from that album. Great stuff either way. There's a terrific 1999 live version of 'Smoke On the Water', with Purple backed up by the London Symphony Orchestra and Ronnie James Dio! Yep, Ronnie duets with Ian. Can never have too much Dio! Another choice cut for me is 'Slip Away', which was an unreleased Iommi solo track from the Fused (2005) album sessions. I love the Fused album - as well as pretty much any time Tony has worked alongside Glenn Hughes - and 'Slip Away' is another heavy-ass number with Hughes' amazing vocals on top. I believe the WhoCares compilation was the only way to hear this track until Fused was reissued in 2024. Other favourites for me are the melodic Gillan solo number 'Don't Hold Me Back' and the lengthy Deep Purple studio jam 'Dick Pimple' (weird title).

I don't normally rate compilations if they're just a 'greatest hits' kind of package, but this one isn't. Obviously you've got the 2 WhoCares tracks, which makes it worth owning for that reason alone, but there's also a bunch of fun oddities that I didn't own. Musically both discs are all over the place due to the sheer number of different projects, but it's a very fun listen and one I think most Gillan/Iommi fans will get a kick out of. For that reason it's getting an 8/10.
Adam's rating: 8/10