WHO DO WE THINK WE ARE

Who Do We Think We Are is getting a right royal pasting by the prog collabs and rightfully so. Deep Purple set the bar so high with the brilliant Machine Head, it would've been a shock to the fan base to see them come crashing down to Earth. Gillan didn't let the door hit him on the bum on the way out as Coverdale swiftly entered through the swinging doors.

It opens well enough with the only song that bothers to grace the greatest hits back catalogue with the energetic Woman from Tokyo. It's memorable though I've never rated it too highly as it's not as inspired as the earlier material.

It goes downhill from there faster than a rat out of an aqueduct. Mary Long has bizarre lyrics and a forgettable tune. Inspired by the queen of censorship Mary Whitehouse and forgotten just as quickly.

Super Trouper is less than 3 minutes and not even as good as the catchy Abba tune.

Smooth Dancer is better, really rocking with a style like the awesome Highway Star.

Rat Bat Blue is definitely better in terms of Blackmores fret work instilling a passion lost on most of this album. The riffing is terrific so it stands out after the earlier mediocrity. The keyboards blaze in a blistering solo with Lord at his best. He is attacking those keys like a man possessed.

Place In Line is a bluesy guitar driven thing that I kinda like being a blues fan. Mistreated us a better blues number, but there's still some cool hooks on this. Lord delivers a shimmering organ solo and Blackmore rocks out so that elevates it.

Our Lady is a psychedelic groovy track that runs out of steam and ends the album with a whimper rather than a bang.

In short, apart from three gems this is a Purple misfire that reflects the inner turmoil that was troubling the band at the time, leading ultimately to their disbanding til a refreshed approach gave them a return to greatness and Gillan on 1984's Perfect Strangers.

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