On the 20th anniversary of their 18th studio album, Deep Purple releases a remixed/remastered version of Rapture of the Deep.
Like The Rolling Stones and AC/DC, Deep Purple isn’t going to start rocking the charts any time soon. Although in this digital age, even bands like Black Sabbath seem to be making a comeback to the charts. The album releases tend to be mere excuses to justify another tour. Of course, it’s mandatory to interpret a few songs from their latest release. But let’s face it, most people are there to hear the classics, such as “Highway Star” or “Smoke on the Water,” now that Gillan retired, “Child in Time.”
In Deep Purple’s case, that tends to be unfair and somewhat misleading, because their releases with Steve Morse on guitar gave the band a much-needed creative jolt. They haven’t drifted into a slower-than-a-slug tempo like Iron Maiden or committed to a misguided speed like Megadeth in hopes of trying to keep their sound more modern. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t. They’ve settled into a multilayered mid-tempo groove.
From 1996’s Purpendicular and the unfairly forgotten Abandon from 1998, until 2021’s covers album Turning to Crime, Morse’s guitar has done what many thought impossible. Make you forget Ritchie Blackmore. Perhaps not exactly forget, but at least when he was playing, you weren’t able to think about another guitar player. His note-per-note style picking, his vibrato, and his insane solo runs were perfect within Purple’s realm.
Obviously, the band has more than enough talent in its ranks. From the precision time-keeping of Ian Paice, the stoic, deceptively simple bass work by Roger Glover, to the keyboard wizardry of Jon Lord and, later, Don Airey. And we mustn’t forget Ian Gillan’s vocal histrionics, which nowadays have settled into a more subdued lower register, but are invariably impactful. And the irony-drenched, world-weary lyrics he comes up with are as sharp and witty as they’ve ever been.
On the 20th anniversary of the original album release, they’ve decided to present us with a remixed/remastered version of Rapture of the Deep. The original album was composed and recorded during a particularly uncertain time for the band. At the time, they didn’t even have a record label. Not as radical as the remixed version of David Bowie’s Never Let Me Down, which introduced new compositional elements, scrapping others, this Roger Glover-supervised version is less intrusive. It offers a distinct perspective into their creative process. It brings the keyboards more to the forefront, battling more prominently with Morse’s guitar. Everything sounds crispier and more dynamic.
The main release has been expanded from 10 to 12 tracks, adding “Things I Never Said” and “MTV,” with a different track order from the initial release. It also features a second CD with five additional songs from the recording sessions.
This shouldn’t be perceived or evaluated in terms of better/worse release. Both releases have their merits and shortcomings. Both recordings can be appreciated on their own, without eclipsing each other.
Rapture of the Deep is out on August 29th.
