Rapture of the Deep Special Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)The longest living hard rock band from the 70's is back with a brand new album, well sort of. It's actually been out since November 2005 selling over one million copies worldwide. This is a special edition two CD set, that gives you not just a bonus disc, but a great bonus disc.
Most of the songs on "Rapture Of The Deep" are mid tempo rockers that explore mature subject matters both in lyrics and musicianship. Perhaps the finest song on the album is the poignant "Clearly Quite Absurd." Other stand outs are "Money Talks," "Wrong Man," the title track, "Before Time Began" and the bonus track on disc two, "Things I Never Said."
Purple's guitarist of 12 years, Steve Morse really stands out on this album with rock solid rhythm and fiery leads. Ian Gillan continues to amaze as a legendary rock singer of forty years, still knowing how to turn a good song into a very special one. The rest of the band are as forceful and stunning as ever. Keyboardist, Don Airey may just be the biggest star of the album with keyboard work that must make founding member Jon Lord feel either very proud or a hair jealous. Here is a quick run down of the tracks on disc one:
01. Money Talks - a well arranged progressive hard rock vibe. There are a lot of things happening in this song and it sets the tone for the album. Stunning. A great opener!
02. Girls Like That - a "radio friendly" song with a nice hook and a cool keyboard solo. It holds its own next to the opener and the following nugget!
03. Wrong Man - a chugging powerful groove and again a catchy chorus. It's hard to stop singing this one. So out of the gate we've got three great rock songs of various style and then something wonderful happens...
04. Rapture Of The Deep - an epic with fantastic Arabic riffs and melodies. A very successful attempt at trying something a little progressive with purpose. Masterpiece #1
05. Clearly Quite Absurd - a simply stunning ballad that doesn't get mushy at all. The melancholy melodies suit Gillan's mature voice perfectly. The song develops into a colossal and effective crescendo. Goose-bump time. Masterpiece #2
06. Don't Let Go - one of the albums best rockers and a steady groovin' toe taper. Killer filler!
07. Back To Back - this one goes many places. Fun funky stuff that could go on to be a radio hit.
08. Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye - a fast rocker, with very powerful lyrics and a Bo-Diddley type drum feel from Paice.
09. MTV - Perhaps the dark horse of the album. A rapping rockin' "stick it to MTV" winner.
10. Junkyard Blues - breathtaking, just listen to these solos. The energy is contagious. To describe it in words is impossible. But it's blues that I can digest.
11. Before Time Began - WOW!...a Deep Purple classic, with a psychedelic touch. Once again, I am impressed by the arrangements and the progressive feel. Masterpiece #3Here is a quick run down of the tracks on the bonus disc:
01. Clearly Quite Absurd (new version) - well sort of a new version. It sounds like a very creative remix, stipping it down at the start and building it up as it goes. It's also a shorter version ending at 3:36, without the big ending.
02. Things I Never Said - Why on earth was this one not included on the original version of ROTD (except for Japan), I'll never know. It's a great up tempo song with another amazing guitar and keyboard solo break. Morse and Airey are really doing the Purple legacy proud.
03. The Well Dressed Guitar - an outtake from the Bananas album of October 2003. All I can say is, this should have been included. What an stunning instrumental.
04. Rapture Of The Deep (Live)- Tracks 4 thru 8 are from October 2005 at the Hard Rock Cafe in London, where they were playing these new songs for the first time. Pretty good overall, but the mix isn't perfect. But, it shows that the new material works well live.
05. Wrong Man (Live)- Like "Rapture Of The Deep," it's another powerful live rendition of an already intense song.
06. Highway Star (Live)- There's no way to beat the 1972 Made In Japan version, but it's still head and shoulders above most bands.
07. Smoke On The Water (Live)- see highway star.
08. Perfect Strangers (Live)- a solid performance of the 1984 classic.
To summarize, Rapture Of The Deep is one of those albums that continues to grow on you with each and every listen. This is the best Deep Purple album in a long time and now you can have it with a great bonus disc.
The Deep Purple of today is a captivating and no pretense entity. Just spectacular music.

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The mighty Deep Purple returns with a special edition 2-CD set of their newest studio album Rapture Of The Deep. The Mk 8 lineup of the band features Ian Gillan on vocals, Ian Paice on drums, bassist Roger Glover, guitarist Steve Morse and keyboardist Don Airey. Rapture Of The Deep promises the continued presence of one of history’s biggest bands, now celebrating their 37th year with such tracks as "Back To Back", "Junkyard Blues", "Before Time Began" and "Wrong Man". On the second disc there is a new version of Clearly Quite Absurd, as well as live versions of some of Deep Purple’s biggest hits, such as "Smoke on the Water" and "Highway Star", and two of Rapture of the Deep favorites: "Rapture of the Deep" and "Wrong Man".

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