Deep Purple "Turning To Crime" 2021***

The last time Ι saw Deep Purple (DP) was this June, at the Graspop Metal Meeting festival in Belgium. They were below Sabaton and Deftones in the day's billing, which given their history is surprisingly low. I guess that the organizers figured DP was just another oldies act, which is only partly true - Judas Priest and Scorpions, who headlined other nights at the festival, are only a few years younger. It may have to do with DP's lack of stagecraft, they obviously prefer focusing on the music rather than on the show. In an earlier review, I had declared this band incarnation to be worthy successors to the original one, and I expressed the desire to see them in concert. As it happened, I narrowly missed my chance: guitarist Steve Morse had left the band only a couple of months before, to devote time to caring for his wife while she battles cancer. He was replaced by Simon McBride. The jury isn't out yet, but he didn't make much of a first impression on me. He played well, but any DP guitarist has to measure up against Ritchie Blackmore. Blackmore was more than a guitar virtuoso, he was also a genuine rock star, and McBride doesn't have that quality. The fact alone that he said in an interview that this material isn't "technically very difficult to play" suggests that he's the wrong person for Deep Purple, a hired hand rather than a bona fide band member. Morse may not be a "rockstar" guitarist, but he brought his own playing style to the game, bonded well with the other members, and his influence renewed the band's sound by achieving a balance between their established heavy metal style and their proggier jazz rock leanings.

Morse's leaving makes Turning to Crime the last album by Deep Purple's most stable lineup (together for 20 years). I doubt they intended to go out this way; usually cover albums act as a kind of interlude to let the band relax and have fun in the studio by playing their favorites. Which isn't precisely the case here: you certainly can't tell it by listening, but they weren't all in the same room during the recording. Because of the pandemic lockdown, each member sent his contribution via internet. Nevertheless, fun they most definitely seem to have, especially in the rock and roll/R&B numbers: Huey Piano Smith's "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu", Mitch Ryder's "Jenny Take a Ride!", and Louis Jordan's "Let the Good Times Roll". Extra points go to Don Airy for his jazzy keyboard work; if it wasn't for him one could mistake these tracks for something off Gillan's record with his old 60's chums The Javelins. Sounding even less like DP, we also get a few country (Johnny Horton's "The Battle of New Orleans"), folk and blues covers (Bob Dylan's "Watching the River Flow" and Little Feat's "Dixie Chicken"). Then there are a couple of 60's garage classics: DP's musicianship is beyond reproach but I feel they fail to capture the essence of Love's "7 and 7 Is" and The Yardbirds' "Shapes of Things". They're closer to home with early hard rocker "Lucifer" (Bob Seger), "White Room" (Cream) and "Oh Well" (Fleetwood Mac). What is arguably the highlight of the album comes at the end: a 7,5 minute mostly-instrumental medley called "Caught in the Act" incorporating parts from "Going Down" (Freddie King), "Green Onions" (Booker T & The MG's), "Hot 'Lanta" (Allman Brothers), "Dazed and Confused" (Led Zeppelin) and "Gimme Some Lovin'" (Spencer Davis Group). After all these years, the band have developed an an easy affinity with each other. The looseness is not only evident in their playing but also in the humorous title and album cover: they "turn to crime", as in stealing other people's material. Problem is, these songs are mostly too well-known and, with the exception of some nice improvisations here and there, DP seem content to act as a cover band instead of putting their own stamp on these compositions. The sound of the album is barely recognizable as DP; it may not be guaranteed to satisfy the more narrow-minded fans of the band, but it makes for an overall enjoyable listening. The total duration is around 50 minutes. It could conceivably fit in a single LP, but instead we get four sides on 45RPM: be sure to adjust your record player accordingly, otherwise this vinyl will sound very strange indeed. 

*** for 7 and 7 Is, Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu, Oh Well, Jenny Take a Ride!,Let the Good Times Roll, Lucifer, White Room, Caught in the Act

** for Watching the River Flow, Dixie Chicken, Shapes of Things, The Battle of New Orleans

Gabriel & Marie Yacoub - Pierre de Grenoble 1973***

I found this 2nd hand album in my neighborhood record shop, and picked it up because of the cute cover. I played a couple songs on the spot, and decided I liked it enough to buy it - not knowing all the time that it really is the product of an early version of Malicorne, under another name. I was already familiar with Malicorne, as I had a couple of their vinyl LP's already. I hadn't researched their history at all, though - to me they were a less electric, French-speaking version of Steeleye Span, which is definitely a good thing! I had no idea whether their songs were really based on traditional French music or just Celtic folk with French lyrics. It turns out that singer/bandleader Gabriel Yacoub was initially influenced by English and Irish traditional music rather than French. Then he came across famous French/Breton harpist Alain Stivell, who introduced him to the Celtic roots of his own country. He then joined Stivell's band for a couple of years, but was disappointed by their exclusive use of the Breton language and music style, and formed a new group with wife Marie and friends, focusing on antique French music in general. On this, their first album, they sound like a combination of Steeleye Spann and Gryphon: Like the latter group, they use many instruments from the Renaissance period, making this more traditional/less prog-rock oriented compared to subsequent releases under the name of Malicorne. The songs are mostly traditional, played in Celtic style. Often they sound a bit too jaunty, with a much faster tempo than in other versions. This suits some songs ("Quand J' étais Fille A Marier", loud bagpipes here) better than others ("Au Chant De L' alouette"). The instrumentation is full and generally sounds quite authentic, featuring antique instruments like the bombard, crumhorn, hurdy-gurdy, dulcimers etc. alongside violin, bagpipes, banzo, bodhrán, bouzouki and others common in modern Celtic music. Gabriel & Marie often sing duets, or take turns on lead and backing vocals. To be honest, I like all of Marie's songs, but Gabriel's voice sounds a bit too whiny or nasal to me. His "Le Long De La Mer Jolie" is dominated by a deep and mournful harmonium, while Provençal ballad "Rossignolet Du Bois" is a more melodic duet. "Deux Bransles De Bourgogne" is a loud and cheerful Celtic instrumental, and "Le Prince D' Orange" a 16th Century ballad with a suitably war-like rhythm and nice violin. "Pierre de Grenoble" comes from the same period and approaches prog rock for once: at 6:46' there's even space for some understated blues rock guitar, as well as a long, slightly accelerated, instrumental coda. The album closes with an acapela performance of "La Fleur De Lys". There are a number of songs here dating from the 16th or 17th Century, but this one sounds like the oldest and most authentic of them all. Nevertheless, it is the only original composition, written by Gabriel Yacoub. I wouldn't recommend to anyone interested in Malicorne, or French folk in general, to start here. Their later albums retain the traditional elements while going towards a more accessible prog rock direction. But if you're already a fan of the band, or of Breton/Celtic music, you'll find a lot to love here.

**** for Au Chant De L'alouette, Le Long De La Mer Jolie, Quand J'étais Fille A Marier, Je Suis Trop Jeunette, Pierre De Grenoble, Deux Bransles De Bourgogne, Rossignolet Du Bois, An - Dro

*** for Scottishe - Bourrée, Le Prince D'Orange, La Pension, La Fleur De Lys

Kiss "Alive!" 1975****

A month ago, I had the chance to witness KISS' last concert in Europe, ever! I wouldn't say it was a dream come true because I was never a Kiss fan. I had read a lot about their shows though, and when I heard they were about to go on their farewell tour, I classified it as Unmissable. And I am so glad I got to see them live! They ticked all the boxes, they couldn't possibly have been any better! First of all, the 20-song setlist was chosen perfectly: they played all the big hits, but also a large part of the early albums that established them: 1974's Kiss and 1976's Destroyer. The stage set was typically huge, with stage platforms moving vertically, lots of pyrotechnics and, of course, they had their famous face paint and theatrical costumes on. Paul Stanley was hyperkinetic on stage, and did his best to engage the audience. Gene Simmons did his customary "Demon" routine, showcasing his abnormally long tongue, spewing blood and breathing fire. Tommy Thayer on lead guitar and Eric Singer on drums inhabited the characters of Spaceman and Catman, ably substituting for the originals - first and foremost in the instrumental department which was their strongest suit. We all left the concert satisfied and singing the lyrics to their hits. The following days I listened to this CD a lot.

Many consider Kiss Live not just the band's best album, but also one of the best live albums, ever. I never subscribed to that opinion: the energy is undeniably fantastic, and the band play well, but the songs aren't all too memorable. Fun, yes, but a bit too similar. Basically they mostly open with a simple boogie riff (the louder the better), and continue with catchy choruses, propulsive drums and bass, and rousing guitar solos more notable for their speed than for their originality. Well, in their defense, Kiss only had three albums' worth of material to choose from at the time, compared to twenty now. These albums had failed to impress, but Kiss' shows certainly made an impression. During those first two years, they kept touring the U.S., often in support of bigger bands which they blew off stage: according to legend, audiences would often walk out after seeing Kiss, believing that nothing could top what they had just seen, and causing headliners to drop them as a support act. All the traits we witnessed recently in Amsterdam were there from the beginning: the explosions, costumes, obligatory drum solo, even the same introduction "You wanted the best, you got the best". Kiss are not just musicians enjoying making music together, they are, above all, hard-working showmen giving it 100% every night, determined to pull all the stops in order to give their fans maximum entertainment. On this record, Paul Stanley keeps addressing the audience, trying them to join in with singing or shouting. His lines aren't that clever, e.g. "which of you people over there like to party?", "shout if you believe in rock and roll", "who here likes the taste of alcohol?" etc. But then again, neither are the band's lyrics: their subjects include rocking out, having sex, and... basically that's all. Anyway, seeing as the band were always on top of their game live, it made sense for the company to release a live album, and that became the instant success they were hoping for: firstly, because of the energetic performances, and secondly because of the way the songs flow together: you want to listen to the whole album instead of one song like they play on the radio. If you'd been there (and hundreds of thousands already had) you'd certainly want a souvenir to relive the experience. If you hadn't, you only had to listen to the music, look at the photos at the gatefold sleeve, and imagine yourself there - something easy to do thanks to the production of Eddie Kramer, then known primarily for his work for Jimi Hendrix. Even though the album was recorded in different venues, due to the sequencing and to keeping the between-song banter and sound of the special effects, it sounds like listening to one concert from start to finish. Some say he used too many overdubs, and that Alive! isn't that live a recording. I say Kramer used just the right amount of overdubs: he may have fixed mistakes or beefed up the sound in a few places, but still preserved the raw energy and excitement of a rock'n'roll concert. The album starts off with a bang, literally: after the introduction, we hear explosions and it's off with a couple of Kiss' most exciting early songs "Deuce" and ''Strutter". "Hotter Than Hell" from their second LP rivals them with its catchy riff and strong chorus, while "Firehouse" is where Simmons does his fire eating routine - we can't see it of course, but we can hear the sirens. Disc Two opens with heavy rocker "Watchin’ You" - it's not clear why they split the album in two CD's when it could easily fit in one. I guess they thought it'd be more faithful to the original, but I don't see it that way: Of course back then they had to split it to two LP's out of necessity, but this live album was supposed to recreate a Kiss concert, wouldn't it be better to just make it a single CD and let it play through to the end? 12-minute "100,000 Years" features that least beloved fixture of 70's live albums: an overlong drum solo. While Criss is demonstrating his drumming abilities, Stanley talks to the audience, trying to engage them in shouting along. It is followed by "Black Diamond", a song that uncharacteristically kicks off with an acoustic intro and eschews their glam-pop-metal formula for a fuller hard rock sound. The lyrics are also a bit darker, instead of the usual "making out and rocking out" stuff. "Rock Bottom" also sports an acoustic intro, but otherwise adheres to the formula, as does "Cold Gin". But the next song is where the Kiss formula is executed to perfection: "Rock and Roll All Nite" is loud, celebratory, and as fun as it gets; the perfect party anthem. Of course it was released as a single - their first to reach the Top 20. It's followed by "Let Me Go Rock ‘N’ Roll" which may have been a fitting end to the concert with the band delivering a big show, but sounds a bit anti-climactic on record. To tell the truth, I never considered Kiss to be equal to the great British rock bands of the 70's: Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Queen, and Black Sabbath were a cut above, both as songwriters and as musicians. Kiss' popularity in the U.S. used to surprise me, until I witnessed their show myself and I realized their fame was built on hard work, promoting their (admittedly catchy) singles, one terrific show after another. This album may not be a live best-of, as it only covers the band's early years, but it is a formidable display of their best attributes. Certainly not one of the all-time greatest live albums, as some claim, but a classic one nevertheless. 

***** for Rock and Roll All Nite

**** for Deuce, Strutter, Hotter Than Hell, Nothin’ To Lose, Black Diamond, Rock Bottom, Cold Gin 

*** for Got To Choose, Firehouse, C’mon And Love Me, Parasite, She, Watchin’ You, 100.000 Years, Let Me Go Rock ‘N’ Roll