PERFECT STRANGERS

I consider this album to be one of the most striking comebacks of bands in the history of rock. It is completely saturated with incredible energy and drive. All the elements of Deep Purple magic are still in place: inventive riffs of Ritchie Blackmore, powerful keyboard background of Jon Lord with periodic explosions of luxurious improvisations, mathematically precise rhythm of drums of Ian Paice and bass guitar of Roger Glover, and of course still clear and powerful vocals of Ian Gillan. This puzzle was especially successfully put together in the first song Knocking at Your Back Door, where the musicians take turns to play and set the tone for the entire album. This will happen again in the songs Perfect Strangers and Wasted Sunsets, which are also memorable for their original philosophical lyrics, not quite typical for Deep Purple. But the other songs are not weak either. It is worth noting the dashing A Gypsy's Kiss, very fast and driving. A later reissue of the album includes a wonderful lyrical instrumental Son Of Alerik, where Ritchie Blackmore's guitar sounds unusually soft and competes in sadness with Jon Lord's organ. In its style, it does not match the content of the album, but it is great to listen to on its own and is perfect for its finale.

I think that with this album Deep Purple once again set a very high standard, which was never surpassed later. It is worthy of standing in the same row with In Rock, Fireball, Machine Head. Of the subsequent albums, only The Battle Rages On was able to come a little closer to it. Of course, there were good albums later, but without Ritchie Blackmore it is a different story. Four stars without options.