Deep Purple – Wait For The Ricochet / Rainbow – Since You Been Gone – reviews

Deep Purple – Wait For The Ricochet / Rainbow – Since You Been Gone

DEEP PURPLE
Wait For The Ricochet
Easy on the Eye Books

Ah, Darker Than Blue. Used to be the highlight of my year(ish). A nice glossy magazine, chock full of Deep Purple goings on. Those were the days. And I’m not just saying that because I contributed to its demise in 2009. In fact, I’m sure I’m due some subs back. Strangely enough, I was pruning my DTB collection last week, when there was an almighty thump to signify the arrival of this tome. So I can almost forgive them because DTB man Simon Robinson, alongside Stephen Clare have turned up trumps with a glorious book all about the creation of the Deep Purple album “In Rock”.

Yes, you right that right. 160 pages all about one album. Even I now know more than I ever wanted to about Ritchie Blackmores amps. Thankfully, the story of the album is rounded out with the villainous buildup to the sacking of Simper and Evans (boo), and the nasty shenanigans surrounding the arrival of Glover and Gillan, setting the album in context with a look at the Concerto recording, as well as the touring, radio and TV appearances, and the piecemeal recording and writing.

Even if you’re not that interested in the album, the book looks fantastic, chock full of rare photographs and memorabilia. The late Jon Lord was interviewed specifically for the book, Roger Glover has also provided new insights on the writing of the album and Ian Gillan offers a fresh look at Child In Time. There are also contributions from studio personnel, former managers and others. It’s a joy to flick through and savour, even if the resuklting album was no “The Book of Taliesyn”!

You can order it direct from the publisher or buy it at Amazon

RAINBOW
Since You Been Gone
Spectrum

The arrival of the Deep Purple book also coincided with the arrival of yet another budget priced Rainbow collection. I’m starting to lose track of these now. Once upon a time, Rainbow collections were rare than hens teeth, but they’re certainly multiplying fast.

This one doesn’t even know what it’s called, as it seems to alternate between “Since You Been Gone: The Collection” and “Since You Been Gone: The Best Of”. The former seems more accuarate, if the word collection can be applied to a drunkern intern randomly selecting tracks without any idea as to what a Rainbow is. Although, oddly, that rather works in its favour.

Especially, as it means you get the live Monsters Of Rock version of ‘All Night Long’, rather than the single. Although what the kids will make to Graham Bonnets references to Robin Day and Percy Thrower remains to be seen. The usual suspects are here, but at least they dip into the best Dio album for ‘Gates Of Babylon’ and one of the best AOR tracks ever, in the shape of ‘Stone Cold’ from the Jolene years. “Down To Earth” is well represented, which makes a change, and if you don’t already have a Rainbow compilation (yeah, right), or £60 for the Singles Box Set, then this is one of the better ones, regardless of the worst Rainbow compilation cover art ever. Which is quite an achievement.

BUY AT AMAZON