Deep Purple - Burn

30th anniversary reissue of 1974 album is newly remastered and includes five bonus tracks, 'Coronarias Redig' (single b-side 2004 remix), 'Burn' (2004 remix), 'Mistreated' (2004 remix), 'You Fool No One' (2004 remix) and 'Sail Away' (2004 remix). EMI. 2004. Album Description

 New Blood Leads Deep Purple To New Sounds And Styles
BURN was a pivotal album for Deep Purple. Lead singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover were replaced by, respectively, David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes, which led the band to add blues and progressive rock to their hard rock/metal sound and style. The band is in great form throughout this CD, and the remastered sound is warm and crisp, not cold and harsh. Moreover, the bonus cuts, which are remixes of several of the original album's songs, actually present these songs in a new light rather than detract from them. Overall, this CD is a must-own for any true hard rock fan. March 19, 2008

 A TRUE masterpiece expanded...hmmm...
This is has got to be one of my favorite, if not my favorite album of all times. See, I'm probably the weirdest rock fan on the face of this earth: Black Sabbath is probably the band that has had the biggest impact on me (being a rock musician) and Zeppelin were probably the creators of the genre (Hard Rock) but... Deep Purple is the band that really sums it all up for me: the heaviness from Sabbath, but also the dynamics and subtleties from Zep...and then some! I can't really put it to words, other than saying that EVERY time I hear a Purple song, no matter where I am, who I'm with or what I'm doing, I automatically stop and switch into "salivating mode" (à la Homer Simpson when he thinks of donuts...sorry, I digress...). Let's get to it, then...

Burn is Purple's eighth studio album, the first with the Mk III lineup of the band, recorded in late 1973 and released in February 1974. Indeed, after almost 4 years of steadily increasing success epitomized by back to back chart topping albums Machine Head (containing the mother of all guitar riff-driven classic songs, "Smoke on the Water") and the live "Made in Japan", Deep Purple seemed to be on top of the world. Little did the world at large suspect that singer Ian Gillan's relationship with founding member, guitarist and resident tyrant Ritchie Blackmore (I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I LOVE his music, but the guy has issues...) had evaporated. Gillan resigned to the band in late 1972 (half a year in advance) but agreed to fulfill the band's live commitments.

By the time the tour ended, Ritchie had entertained the idea of leaving the band as well and form a new project with drummer and founding member Ian Paice, even going as far as to work with Thin Lizzy main man Phil Lynnot. Purple's management envisioned to keep the band going with bassist Roger Glover and keyboardist and last remaining founding member Jon Lord. Indeed, the band had already survived a major overhaul in 1969 after replacing original members Rod Evans on vocals and Nick Simper on bass. But in a dramatic turn of events, Blackmore decided to stay in Deep Purple as long as Glover left (!). The search for new members was on well before the end of Purple's tour, and it had yielded a prospective candidate: bassist/singer Glenn Hughes from Trapeze. After initially declining the offer, Hughes had a change of heart and relented.

Blackmore wished to take the band in a wholly different direction, and he saw this shuffle as the opportunity to materialize his vision: instead of a single vocalist, the band would have a "main" frontman who would share vocal duties with Hughes to create a new, unique sound. The new frontman they had in mind was Paul Rodgers of Free fame, but as it turned out, Deep Purple tickled him in a wrong way by speaking about his possible involvement to the press, and he ended up turning them down to concentrate on another project, which would eventually evolve into Bad Company.

The band required a new voice. And after a grueling, long process that had them consider the possibility of carrying on as a quartet, they found a near unknown named David Coverdale, with little experience but great untapped talent. Purple retreated to work on new material for their next release, and unveiled their new lineup to the press in September 1973, before a single note of music had even been recorded. Shortly after that, they found themselves once more in the Swiss town of Montreux, where Machine Head had seen the light, and with the help of longtime producer/engineer Martin Birch, they got to it.

What did they come up with? A masterpiece, a TRUE classic of Hard Rock, no more, no less. Now, popular wisdom says "yeah, Burn has great songwriting, but it's not up to par with Machine Head..." Rubbish! Did it sell as much? Did it become a staple of (classic) rock radio? Maybe not, but I do not believe that a band's or an album's merits should or even could be measured by record sales and/or radio airplay. The proof is in the songs. Are they good? Do they move you? Do they rock? The answer is yes, yes, yes. Which takes me to the OTHER prevalent notion that exists about this album: "oh, yeah, Burn is fine, but it's a little too bluesy and funky for me..." What??? I've never really been able to digest that one: Purple made a name for themselves with slightly psychedelic, guitar driven, organ spiced, fast and furious songs and for the most part, that's exactly what you will find here. There are a few detours, granted, but not enough to justify that "it's too bluesy and funky" widespread opinion.If you're going to "accuse" Purple of veering away from their roots and original style and becoming too funky, groovy, bluesy, rn'b influenced, at least save that criticism for the right record (namely Stormbringer, another one of my favorites, change in style notwithstanding... but that's another story...).

The album starts with the pedal to the floor with its anthemic, fast paced title song: I can't imagine a better way to introduce the new band. All the trademark elements of Purple are here: the big and nasty guitar riff, the fast tempo, the incredible guitar and organ solos and on top of all, the tandem voices of Hughes and Coverdale, which really shine. The song is reminiscent of earlier hit "Highway Star", and it's very difficult for me to understand how any fan of Mk II can possibly NOT enjoy this. From the first time I ever heard this song, it grabbed me, and to this day, it just won't let go of me. Next is "Might Just Take Your Life", a midtempo number with a prominent organ riff that carries the tune for the most part, where the tandem of Coverdale and Hughes again takes the spotlight; it is a bit different, but not that much, really, it can almost remind you a little to songs such as "Woman from Tokyo".

Next is "Lay Down, Stay Down", another fast paced song where Blackmore has ample space to show his prowess, one of my favorites. The merger of the two distinct voices, Coverdale's deeper tone and Hughes higher harmonies, is simply brilliant, here and elsewhere on the record. This is probably the biggest change and the clearest personality trait from this lineup with regards of all other Purple incarnations, and one of the reasons why I enjoy this album so much: if you ask me, no other lineup of the band rivals the Mk III in sheer musical potential, live or in the studio. They wanted a new, unique sound, and they certainly got it: no other band has EVER sounded like this, before AND after.

"Sail Away" brings the pace down somewhat but again, it features a prominent guitar riff as well as some synth work from Lord that is absolutely great; again, one of my favorite tracks on the album and one where the tandem vocals really bring the song to another level, creating a contrast that is awesome, plain and simple. "You Fool No One" is another fast rocker that perfectly carries the Purple tradition, and a song that clearly displays Ian Paice's talent with a relentless drum work, as well as Blackmore's love for speed.

"What's Going On Here" is, indeed, somewhat of a departure: a slightly slower pace, a vaguely boogie rhythm, different instrumentation (Lord plays piano instead of organ and/or synth) and it features solos from both Lord and Blackmore that are somewhat more relaxed, with less of a sense of urgency as they had accustomed us, but it's quite a nice change of pace as far as I'm concerned.

Next is "Mistreated", another monstrous song, another classic. This is probably the other song that really shows the band's new influences and new direction. It is a slow, long blues number where Coverdale and Blackmore take the spotlight while the rest of the band concentrates on creating the right atmosphere for them to take over. It is an awesome track that picks up the pace for a blitzkrieg grand finale. The last song of the album is the instrumental "A 200" which features Lord's extensive use of synths, great drum and bass work from Paice and Hughes and a somewhat brief yet memorable participation from Blackmore, who comes in midway through the song to play a brain melting solo. Simply put, this album rocks from start to end.

Now, this thirtieth anniversary edition (devised by EMI, Purple's label for the world outside the US, and picked up a full year later by Rhino) packs some added treats: the album has been completely remastered and expanded with help from Glenn Hughes to include five additional tracks especially remixed for this release. I'll be honest with you: I already owned Burn on CD, having bought it a couple of years before this re-release (in a especially priced British 2 CD set released by EMI that also included Stormbringer), and I was really looking forward for the remastering since I felt that my CD sounded a little too low for my taste, so I was really hoping that this one would rip my head off...alas, that was NOT the case...the album sounds somewhat clearer, but not that much of an improvement over my old CD, really...and believe me, I've spent enough time listening to this album to know every little nuance of it, so I would have immediately noticed if anything major about it had been changed, including volume levels...so if anyone tries to convince you to buy this album on the grounds of its "superior" sound, almost selling it as if it were a whole new thing, be warned: IT IS NOT A NEW THING! It's the same album, only slightly clearer.

The extra tracks? Oh, yeah, they're cool: "Coronarias Redig", a somewhat obscure b-side is a nice, funky, groovy, instrumental where Blackmore once again steals the show with his extended soloing, a nice addition to the package. The remixes are nice too, and I have to say that Glenn's taste essentially matches mine since he chose to remix my four favorite tracks from the album (only "Lay Down, Stay Down" is missing...) But no major surprises here: if you're expecting to hear disco beats, industrial heaviness, electronica flavors or even alternate takes of solos, you will be sorely disappointed.

According to the liner notes (the booklet is chockfull with pictures and information, quite valuable for a collector), there wasn't much in the sense of alternate tracks recorded for the album, so what you're going to find are small, blink-and-you-miss-it kind of changes: "Burn" features a slightly different sounding keyboard solo and some subtle additional backing tracks during the guitar solo, "Mistreated" features a slightly different guitar intro and outro (don't blink!), "You Fool No One" is probably the one that changes "the most" with an alternate guitar intro (very much like the one Ritchie would play live) and "Sail Away" features slightly different keyboards and a couple of additional backing vocals, but that's it. "Burn" and "Sail Away" feature insignificantly shorter fades, while "Mistreated" and "You Fool No One" feature the opposite (insignificantly longer fades...yawn...)

Bottom Line: this is a great record, five star-worthy if you ask me. Deep Purple had a lot to live up to, and they did. Is it in the same league as Machine Head? I'll let you folks come up with your own answer, but I honestly don't think that anyone who enjoyed the Mk II output of the band wouldn't enjoy this. Now, if you ALREADY own this album and are just feeling tempted by the remastering and the bonus tracks: BEWARE! You're NOT buying a new album, you're just getting it in a slightly updated, clearer, expanded form that, as far as I'm concerned, lacks punch, and one that has very little "new" to offer other than "Coronarias Redig". I guess if you're a completist (such as yours truly) or a Deep Purple freak (again, such as yours truly...), you won't mind all that much, my only observation/complaint being the one I did about the remastering not being as "in your face" as I had hoped.

But if you are one of those people who, for whatever reason, have hesitated to get this album, this is the moment to make up your mind: this is a great hard rock masterpiece (totally underrated if you ask me...) that would make a fine addition to any true rock fan's collection. This is Purple at its most dynamic and free, and if you ask me, at their best. Oh, just one last thing: you might wanna reconsider buying one of those imports editions: they have the EXACT SAME content, so you would be paying up to four times as much just for the additional outer sleeve. Get this one instead and... Play it `til it Burns!!!!
February 26, 2008

 One of Purple's best, if still unessential
Ian Gillan was gone, replaced by David Coverdale, but the change was less Sammy Hagar and more Brian Johnson, so they rocked on with little trouble (plus, new bassist Glenn Hughes sang lead vocals on a few tracks too). Highlighted by the smashing opener, Deep Purple's eighth album was like most of the rest of their Mark II material--some great hard rock songs interspersed with the expected filler.

As a result, after getting "Machine Head," most newbies to Deep Purple would be best served with a greatest hits package. Of course, on a best of compilation, you won't hear the likes of "You Fool No One" and "What's Going On Here?" The arrangements are far more complex this time around, and the effort (including instrumentation) more adventurous. In fact, the only song that demands a miss is the insipid instrumental finale. They ruin a perfect slow-burn blues ending on "Mistreated" by tacking on that? Knock that one off and you can raise the score (a lot of fans give this a 5 anyway).

Best cuts: "Burn," "What's Going On Here?" "Mistreated," "You Fool No One," "Might Just Take Your Life," "Lay Down, Stay Down" February 12, 2008

 Let Rodger Glover have a go....
The recordings are nice and fresh compared to the original CD releases. Another incremental improvement. Shame there wasn't the huge jump in quality that was found on the Rodger Glover remix of Machine Head. The beautiful three dimensional soundscape found on that remix should become a benchmark.
It's still worth replacing your old BURN though as the first release CD was pretty muddy sounding. This is a clear improvement..... I just wish they'd let Mr Glover have a go at it. (I know he didn't play on this album..... but his machine head remixes are a revelation) December 29, 2007

 Very Good!
Not being a huge Coverdale fan, I was unsure what I would think after my first listen to "Burn". I can tell you I was very shocked at how much I like this CD. The remastering sounds great, however they could do without the remixes, they add very little. There is a nice size booklet with the telling of how they found Hughes and Coverdale, the leaving of Gillian and Glover and the making of the Album. June 13, 2007

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