Monthly Archives: January 2010
DEEP PURPLE – Burn
Deep Purple – Burn [30th Anniversary Edition - Remastered] (2005, Warner Bros. Records/Rhino Records/Purple Records)
Original Release: 1974, Warner Bros. Records
1. “Burn” … 6:00
2. “Might Just Take Your Life” … 4:36
3. “Lay Down, Stay Down” …4:15
4. “Sail Away” … 5:48
5. “You Fool No One” … 4:47
6. “What’s Goin’ on Here” … 4:55
7. “Mistreated” … 7:25
8. “”A” 200″ … 3:51
BONUS TRACKS
9. “Coronarias Redig” [2004 Remix] … 5:30
10. “Burn” [2004 Remix] … 6:00
11. “Mistreated” [2004 Remix] … 7:28
12. “You Fool No One” [2004 Remix] … 4:57
13. “Sail Away” [2004 Remix] … 5:37
Band:
David Coverdale – Lead Vocals
Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar
Glenn Hughes – Bass, Lead Vocals
Ian Paice – Drums
Jon Lord – Keyboards
Producer: Deep Purple
Years ago, during a Columbia House or BMG Music binge, I ordered Deep Purple’s Perfect Strangers and then I never bothered with another Purple album. I wasn’t overly impressed by the album at the time and I’ve always had this hang-up on Deep Purple that they were “too 70s” and too heavy on keyboards and organs and that’s just not my style of rock.
Well, years later I decided to give the band a chance again by picking up Burn featuring the Deep Purple debut of two of my favorite rock vocalists – David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes. It didn’t hurt that I found this anniversary edition online, brand new, for only six bucks and some change.
Again, everything about this album screams 1970s. The keyboards, the album cover, the funky & bluesy bass lines. I should really hate this album but somehow, I like it. I don’t love it, but I like it a lot and its a real treat listening to Coverdale and Hughes share lead vocals. Coverdale didn’t play any instruments in the band, so I’ve always wondered how he felt about sharing vocals with a band member who is playing an instrument as well. Just seems like a weird deal to me, but it was the 70s after all!
This album began the end of Ritchie Blackmore’s involvement in the band he co-found as he hated the bluesy and funky direction Hughes and Coverdale were taking the group in. I will say this, this album features some GREAT performances by Coverdale. Just listen to “Mistreated”.
The remixes I guess are nice if you have a really good ear or sound system for that type of stuff. I don’t have either, but I appreciate the effort put into this package to make it something special. “Coronarias Redig” was a B-side and is a pretty cool funky jam. There’s a very comprehensive booklet as well that’s full pictures and talks about the history about the band during this time frame. I love it when reissues include retrospectives like that. It oughta be a law.
Highlights: “Burn”, “Might Just Take Your Life”, “Sail Away”, “You Fool No One”, “Mistreated”, “Coronarias Redig”
ANVIL – Hard ‘N’ Heavy
Anvil – Hard ‘N’ Heavy (2002, Unidisc Music/Attic Records – Canada Import)
Original Release: 1981, Attic Records
1. “School Love” … 3:15
2. “AC/DC” … 4:41
3. “At the Apartment” … 3:21
4. “I Want You Both (With Me)” … 3:21
5. “Bedroom Game” … 4:01
6. “Oooh Baby” … 2:56
7. “Paint It Black” … 3:55
8. “Oh Jane” … 4:53
9. “Hot Child” … 4:10
10. “Bondage” … 4:31
Band:
Steve “Lips” Kudlow – Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar
Dave Allison – Guitar, Lead Vocals (“I Want You Both (With Me)”, “Bedroom Game”)
Ian Dickson – Bass
Robb Reiner – Drums
Producer: Anvil
Originally issued under the band’s original name, Lips, this is a great debut that mixes traditional heavy metal, New Wave of British Heavy Metal, thrash and speed. I picked this album up along with the 2009 reissue of This Is Thirteen at FYE. I’m glad some of the early Anvil albums are finding their way to America again because in previous years the imports were costing a good chunk of change as far as I was concerned. Now they’re only about $15 and if you can find a $15 album at FYE, you’ve pretty much stuck gold and will wonder if the price is a typo.
I had hear a number of songs over the years but This Is Thirteen was my first in-depth introduction to the band and their debut is a far cry from that release. That album was a bit more lyrically somber and mature but Hard ‘N’ Heavy (sporting one of the most METAL album covers of all-time) features the band sowing their oats with all kinds of horny & juvenile lyrics and song titles. I for one could not be more pleased!
I classify Anvil as pure heavy metal, but thrash and speed metal also play a part in their sound and its refreshing to hear that style of music coupled with lyrics base solely on sex instead of the usual death, politics, religion, end of the world lyrics that the genre typically deals with. What can I say? I’m a hair metal guy at heart and the best way to win me over with lyrics is to talk about a girl or two (together at once).
If you guessed “Paint It Black” is a Rolling Stones cover, you guessed right. Seems it is a cover favorite in the world of metal. Anvil’s take is not really a good cover, in my opinion. Maybe it’s the production. Glenn Tipton and W.A.S.P. did far superior versions of this song. Speaking of covers, I think Anvil owes royalties to UFO for “Hot Child” which sounds quite a bit like “Rock Bottom”.
How could a debut this good in a decade so hellbent for metal not propel these guys to international stardom?
Highlights: “School Love”, “AC/DC”, “At the Apartment”, “I Want You Both (With Me)”, “Bedroom Game”, “Hot Child”
