I've been really looking forward to this for many reasons: First I have seen live the band twice in the past 3-4 years, but it never had to promote new material. Second, I was really curious to see how Purple would sound without John Lord behind the keyboards. Third, it seems that old rockers are in revival (see Glenn Hughes for example) and I've been waiting the response of one of the biggest groups of the genre. The first contact was negative, as I find really stupid the cover of the album. But then I devoted many listenings to its musical content and I can tell you this: "Bananas" is possibly the best Purple album since 1984 ("Perfect Strangers"). The new form of the group works really well and it presents 11 solid hard rockin' tracks (plus an outro). I find it difficult to distinguish a weak moment to the album indeed! The old fashioned "House Of Pain" takes me back to the "Machine Head" album, the Floyd-ish "Walk On" carries me away, "I Got Your Number" rocks me for good and "Bananas" grooves me to the bone. Even the simplistic ballad "Haunted" seems to work well. Ok, you won't find a new “Black Knight” or "When A Blind Man Cries", but let's don't forget that we are in a new millennium! And this is an album that introduces Deep Purple to it in the best possible way. Finally an album not for Purple-maniacs, but for rockers in general. Ah not to forget to mention the amazing work by Morse on the guitars. Excellent!
I've been really looking forward to this for many reasons: First I have seen live the band twice in the past 3-4 years, but it never had to promote new material. Second, I was really curious to see how Purple would sound without John Lord behind the keyboards. Third, it seems that old rockers are in revival (see Glenn Hughes for example) and I've been waiting the response of one of the biggest groups of the genre. The first contact was negative, as I find really stupid the cover of the album. But then I devoted many listenings to its musical content and I can tell you this: "Bananas" is possibly the best Purple album since 1984 ("Perfect Strangers"). The new form of the group works really well and it presents 11 solid hard rockin' tracks (plus an outro). I find it difficult to distinguish a weak moment to the album indeed! The old fashioned "House Of Pain" takes me back to the "Machine Head" album, the Floyd-ish "Walk On" carries me away, "I Got Your Number" rocks me for good and "Bananas" grooves me to the bone. Even the simplistic ballad "Haunted" seems to work well. Ok, you won't find a new “Black Knight” or "When A Blind Man Cries", but let's don't forget that we are in a new millennium! And this is an album that introduces Deep Purple to it in the best possible way. Finally an album not for Purple-maniacs, but for rockers in general. Ah not to forget to mention the amazing work by Morse on the guitars. Excellent!