Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Deep Purple
Label: Polydor Records
Release: 1984
Runtime: 44:13
Rating: 4.5/5
After an eight-year split, the legendary British heavy rock colossi Deep Purple stormed back onto the scene with their eleventh studio album, »Perfect Strangers«, which reunited their most beloved and successful lineup, the one fans usually like to call MK II. Singer Ian Gillan came over from Black Sabbath, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and bassist Roger Glover from Rainbow, keyboardist Jon Lord from Whitesnake, and drummer Ian Paice from the backing band of cult guitarist Gary Moore. While Gillan still pokes fun at his short stint with Black Sabbath today, Blackmore and Glover, having failed to crack the American market with the AOR version of Rainbow, could hardly wait to help revive the band that had made them world-famous. Lord, too, had been quietly growing more and more fed up with his status in Whitesnake, where he played an increasingly marginal role under former Purple singer David Coverdale, who got more narcissistic with every album. Paice, who had also tried his luck in Whitesnake for a while before his three years with Gary Moore, was in any case always the most devoted Deep Purple man next to Lord.
The reunion of the most revered version of Deep Purple, and the decision to record a new album and hit the road for a massive tour, was without doubt the biggest rock event of 1984. The album title and its key track couldn’t have been more fitting. The legendary Mark II musicians had mostly stayed in touch after Deep Purple fell apart, but they had last worked together in 1973, when »Who Do We Think We Are« came out, so they really were perfect strangers, especially Blackmore and Gillan, who somehow managed to (temporarily) bury the hatchet.
On »Perfect Strangers«, shaped by the classic AOR production of the eighties, they revived their winning heavy rock recipe, a shamelessly effective combination of Gillan’s melodramatic, wailing vocals, Blackmore’s ever-inventive guitar wizardry, Lord’s shimmering organ artistry, Glover’s melodic bass lines and Paice’s crushing drum fills. Lord’s, as always, superb Hammond playing in particular, smack in the middle of the eighties’ total triumph of synthetic synths, brought back the memory of a romantic, almost forgotten era. It made for a successful sonic transition and built a bridge between old fans and new ones.
Blackmore and Glover also brought along some melodic rock influences from Rainbow, which were especially noticeable in a few of the choruses. That too helped make »Perfect Strangers« such a successful return: it was a mix of ‘good old days’ heavy rock romance and the refreshing production verve of the eighties, with a pinch of AOR charm. At the same time, several tracks were packed with technically top-notch instrumental jams, which had always been one of their sonic trademarks.
»Perfect Strangers« is an energetic hard rock merry-go-round from start to finish, seasoned with melody and home to two Purple classics that remain hugely popular today. The first is the opening treat »Knocking At Your Back Door«, which kicks off with a dramatic organ intro and a killer guitar riff, while Gillan, soaring high as he tells a classic love story, brings in the necessary romantic charm right away. The peak of the energetic atmosphere, which builds in step with raw guitar passages and uncompromising drum fills, is a mighty, melodic AOR-based chorus with lush layered harmonies. Blackmore’s playful guitar improvisation in the middle section deepens the overall drama, while Gillan proves second by second that he hasn’t lost a bit of his remarkable vocal depth and romantic pathos. And the shimmering layers of Lord’s Hammond organ create a feeling of homecoming and send the message that the good old Deep Purple are back.
The pacifist »Under The Gun«, about a lonely soldier in the middle of a senseless war, is a true heavy rock bomb, with Gillan singing his lungs out, a potent Blackmore guitar riff and massive passages of Lord’s organ, where the dramatic mood, backed by layered drum transitions, swells along with the resolute chorus. Ritchie’s closing guitar improvisations are once again pure balm for all worshippers of the boundless virtuosity of the man in black. »Nobody’s Home« opens with an inventive synth improvisation that clears the way for a scorching guitar phrase and massive layers of Hammond organ. Gillan is outstanding once more in building a family-flavored emotional drama. Lord’s mischievous Hammond solo, joined by relentless drum transitions, spices up the punchy atmosphere nicely until Blackmore wraps things up with another splendid solo.
On »Mean Streak« Gillan, doing what he does so well, more than successfully slips into the role of a romantic drunk whose head has been turned by the first passing woman who shook her backside and hips a little, backed by passionate guitar phrases, a shimmering layer of organ and melodically spiced rhythmic interplay. The album’s peak, though, is the title classic, »Perfect Strangers«, where on the wings of Blackmore’s mighty guitar phrase and pentatonic scales Deep Purple conjure an authentic oriental mood. With its main motif it strongly recalls the Rainbow classic »Stargazer« and, by extension, the Led Zeppelin evergreen »Kashmir«. Gillan’s mysteriously tinted vocal starts building the mystic atmosphere, while the bass lines, with dynamic drum assistance, gradually bring out the pentatonic rhythmic nuances. The layered Hammond, together with the mighty guitar phrase and Gillan’s wailing vocal variations, creates the famous oriental-flavored motif that still gives all music gourmets an ambient nirvana today. The autobiographical lyrics tell of old acquaintances who meet again after many years and find that the old spirit that once bound them together is still there.
»A Gypsy’s Kiss« is a much lesser-known achievement than its predecessor, yet still pretty interesting and complex, and above all a spirited hard rocker that, with its hyperactive nature and quickened tempo, sucks the listener right into a romantic tale of the rock’n’roll lifestyle, for which they used the metaphor of a Romani kiss. Ritchie’s inventive guitar phrases are once again in perfect harmony with Lord’s massive organ textures, while Paice and Glover eagerly keep the rhythm layered and punchy. Blackmore’s classically flavored guitar variation soon gets tangled up in an epic duel with Lord’s gourmet organ solo. The excellent power ballad »Wasted Sunsets«, on the wings of Gillan’s phenomenal, heart-wrenching vocal performance and Blackmore’s classically minded guitar artistry, is steeped in a distinctly melancholic atmosphere, full of nostalgia for the ‘good old days’. In the background Lord diligently lays down mighty organ curtains that deepen the overall melodrama.
The unusual hard rocker »Hungry Daze«, with its interesting rhythmic variations and yet another mischievous central guitar phrase from Blackmore, again with an oriental touch, provides a superb contrast and confirms that Deep Purple are once again a well-oiled hard rock machine. Gillan shines again with his unrivaled screeching vocal feats, while Blackmore is simply unstoppable at coming up with clever guitar riffs and complex solo variations. Meanwhile Lord, infusing synth textures into the traditional organ palette, proves that despite his eternal love for the Hammond he was always open to experimenting with innovative keyboard technology. The closing drama »Not Responsible« is soaked in a dark atmosphere thanks to raw guitar phrases, temperamental bass lines and Gillan’s furious vocal melodrama. This legendary outfit once again demonstrates its extraordinary knack for building mighty, instantly memorable main motifs and its fondness for kneading technically polished instrumental variations, which peak with Blackmore’s mischievous guitar solo.
»Perfect Strangers« was the triumphant comeback of heavy rock legends everyone had already written off. They found their feet brilliantly in the radically changed technological and production landscape of the eighties and delivered one of the strongest achievements of the lineup most fans hold dearest. As a whole the album is remarkably consistent, without a single weak moment, even though only two of its tracks can be declared true Purple classics (both still played live today). The return of the cult quintet was even so successful that additional dates at American stadiums had to be added to the sold-out tour. In 1985, judging by the number of sold-out shows and ticket-sale profits, they were almost the most successful rock live act around. Ahead of them in concert profit was only, who else, Bruce Springsteen.
Lineup
Ian Gillan – vocals
Ritchie Blackmore – guitar
Roger Glover – bass
Jon Lord – organ, keyboards
Ian Paice – drums
Production
Roger Glover and Deep Purple
Track list
1. Knocking at Your Back Door (7:09)
2. Under the Gun (4:40)
3. Nobody’s Home (4:01)
4. Mean Streak (4:26)
5. Perfect Strangers (5:31)
6. A Gypsy’s Kiss (5:14)
7. Wasted Sunsets (3:58)
8. Hungry Daze (5:01)
9. Not Responsible (4:53)
