I have been a Deep Purple fanatic since 1972 with the releases of "Machine Head" and "Made In Japan." I have seen them in concert twice, once with Ritchie Blackmore and Ian Gillan and once with Tommy Bolin and David Coverdale (@ Radio City Music Hall, of all places.) I guess I am telling you all this in order to share my credentials. I'm journalist, collector, musician and rock trivia buff. And I know a thing or two about this band.

I have always felt (and still do) that Deep Purple was and still is one of the greatest rock bands ever, and the fact they aren't in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame is scandalous at best. They have had a career that has spanned five decades and produced some of the genre's most classic songs, both enduring and endearing.That's why I am absolutely over the moon about this album. In my mind, "Purpendicular" the best thing they've done since "Burn," and the best Gillan-led set since "Who Do We Think We Are!"

You have to give Ritchie Blackmore credit. He always knows when to leave. (He did it first in 1975, only to be replaced by Tommy Bolin - which resulted in "Come Taste The Band," again, one of the best outings in the DP canon.) I thought the wholly forgettable albums the band released with Blackmore at the helm in the late '80s and early '90s would surely be the death knell for this once great ensemble. But off went Ritchie once again - in the middle of a tour no less - and the band was left to ponder its future. Deep Purple soon discovered its future in the elegant, yet incendiary acrobatic guitar riffs of Steve Morse - late of the rock/jazz fusion band Dixie Dreggs. (Weirdly enough, Morse also slummed briefly in a tenure with Kansas.)

While Morse's style is obviously different than Blackmore's, the album remains distinctly Deep Purple in both sound and attitude. (Morse is more fluid and improvisational, while Blackmore's influences come largely from classical music, giving his solos are more rigid, rehearsed sound ... not that they weren't blistering and, at times, breathtaking - ie. "Highway Star.")

The CD kicks off with the catchy and amusing "Ted the Mechanic" - a crunchy, rollicking song that owes a nod to some of the hair band metal from the '80s. The third track, "Soon Forgotten," is one of the oddest, most disturbing songs I've heard in a while. It's not the lyrical content that does it (it hardly ever is with Purple!), but it's the odd syncopation of the guitar and keyboard and Gillan's strange intonation as he sings. I hear a touch of Black Sabbath here.

One personal favorite track from "Purpendicular" is the shimmering "Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming." It opens with some beautiful acoustic guitar picking (and yeah, when was the last time you heard an acoustic guitar on a Deep Purple song? Huh? Huh? I thought so! This is yet another dimension Morse brings to the band!) Ian Gillan's restrained, lilting vocal passage soon gives way to a head-on crash chorus that is highlighted by a gorgeous Steve Morse guitar signature that gets repeated throughout the song. Though I can't even imagine Blackmore coming up with something like this, the song remains undeniably Deep Purple.

Much has been mention in these reviews about "The Aviator," another song with not only acoustic guitar, but mandolin as well. It's catchy, touching, has lyrics one can actually understand and sing along to - and you'll want to - and a big fat accessible chorus. Gillan does an impressive Ian Anderson impersonation here and the whole thing smacks of early Jethro Tull with a twist. It's really cool... a delight!

"Rosa's Cantina's" - another highlight - is a thundering bluesy shuffle feature Gillan blowing some smokin' harmonica. Deep Purple you can dance to? Sure, why not!? It's down and dirty and just waiting for you to join in.

Deep Purple's lead vocalists (all three) have never been noted for their lyric-writing ability, but Gillan takes it up a notch on several outings here, most notably "A Castle Full of Rascals," a scathing attack on politicians, corporate execs and other fat cats. Nice to see the boys write about something else other than hookers and fast cars, eh?

Finally, there is a hidden track at the end of the CD... so let it play out. It's called (I think), "Don't Hold Your Breath," and ironically is one of the best tunes on the record. It's a fun, rockin' rave-up with a great catchy chorus that would have no trouble finding radio airtime as long as it was during an era when the airwaves weren't being marketed toward 8-year old girls and 14-year old boys. (I bet it would sound awesome live, as well.)

Overall, the band has never sounded as tight or as fresh as they do on "Purpendicular." I believe the addition of Morse re-vitalized Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Roger Glover and Gillan. In fact, Gillan sings with maturity, restraint and nuance throughout the album. His screaming gymnastics are kept to a minimum, thus making them more interesting (and apropos) when they do appear.

If you are a true Deep Purple fan, you are gonna love this record. If you are fan of hard, guitar-based rock, you are gonna love this record. If you've been away from Deep Purple for a while because you haven't liked what they'd been doing of late - you are in a for a big treat!

It's good to know that these guys at my age are stilling doing as good, if not better, then they were 30 years ago. If that's not something to smile about, I don't know what is!

This album is probably the best thing Deep Purple has done since reforming in the Eighties. I don't know whether that's because of (then) new guitarist Steve Morse or not--he's terrific here, but so are Lord, Glover, Paicey and especially Ian Gillan, who hasn't sounded this cheerful and relaxed in awhile. "Ted the Mechanic" and "Rosa's Cantina" are typically nuts DP overkill; the real surprise is "The Aviator," a folky change of pace that shows off Morse' mandolin and Gillan's way with words (he's one of the most underrated songwriters ever, perhaps because he's in a band where the riffs tend to dominate the songs). Maybe the band finally was able to chill with Ritchie Blackmore out the door for good, but whatever the reason, PURPENDICULAR is a great one. Crank it up!

if you got here because you are interested in checking out post-Blackmore DP, wait no further and get Perpendicular - this CD is fantastic. For details please check out what other enthusiastic reviewers said (there is no value in reiterating the same ideas) but rest assured that this one absolutely rocks, and is better than Abandon (somewhat darker and heavier) and Bananas (very good but a touch lighter). You can tell that the guys had fun recording this. Steve Morse, at his first album with DP, gives it all and is up there with S.Lukather as far as taste is concerned-his blistering chromatisms fit just perfectly with DP's blues-tinted rock.

Enjoy!

Deep Purple is not one to go joking around their job. If they lose (or fire, whatever) a star guitarrist like Ritchie Blackmore, they do not go for some "Unknown talent" or "a diamond on the rough". Nothing like this for them. They went after one of the masters, Steve Morse. And Morse fits perfectly. For most of his career a solo act, he is not an ego maniac, he proves that he can work in a band. The result is the stellar PURPENDICULAR, the best, I repeat, the best DEEP PURPLE album since their comeback in 1984.

yes the band is still raging, battling, thundering and monumental on stage. Who are they ? they are DEEP PURPLE, the british hard rock veteran since 1968 until 2001 today! I said tehy are a heavy rock veteran, yes it is right ! the band had thundered us since the 70's hey day and the band screamed us since the 80's reunion highlights PERFECT STRANGERS tour 1984 - 1987 and the band have battled us once again in the 90's era BATTLE RAGES ON 93. I said well that's why the most British Rock bands are generally much much better than the US rock bands. The reason is easy though many people couldn't understand it well. The reason is the most British rock bands have a classical music roots/elements in their bodies and tehy practiced more the classical elements all the time which the American bands are not really interrested. And especially the british rock bands keep their popularity much longer and traditionally they always tried to reunite their long time ago succesfull hey days until today, which american bands are not having in their bodies. And the accurate example is The british hard rock veteran DEEP PURPLE which had been beloved by the young and old audiences. This album featuring Steve morse on banjo replacing blackmore!