Deep Purple - Slaves & Masters

1. KING OF DREAMS.
OK, so if anyone had heard this track and nothing else from the album then it would sound like a latter day Rainbow track, but that's OK as this is a quality track that while commercial is still somehow dark and moody. It has a pulsating bass line that really sticks out and most of the emotion comes from Joe Lynn Turner as it is quite a sparse dark track in reality. Blackmore throws in subtle fills and one of his spine tingly eerie weaving solo's. A great opener that grows with every listen.

2. THE CUT RUNS DEEP.
Jon Lord opens the track with a delightful piano piece over which Ritchie laces some perfectly suited guitar lines. 30 seconds in 'The Man In Black' slams us with a very cool riff that is very fired up, now this is vintage Deep Purple and the band is cooking. The havoc going on around Ritchie's riff is quite spectacular and JLT does a good job of sounding mean and gritty. The pre chorus is full of melodic greatness but no more so than on 'Perfect Strangers' so no Rainbow accusations here please. That glorious riff comes pounding in again before another classic Blackmore solo, that while not exactly going all out bonkers is damn good. Jon Lord throws in a restraint solo that is a superb bed for JLT to yearn his heart out to the max over - 'What about the heartache, what about the emptiness inside - The Cut Runs Deep'.

3. FIRE IN THE BASEMENT.
Blackmore opens the piece with a good riff before the track takes a more upbeat swinging bluesy route - dare I say like 70's DP, yes I do!! JLT again sounds bluesy and gritty powering the track along. TMIB delivers a blues solo like only he can and that tells you all you need to know about it. Jon Lord throws in some smokin' Hammond Organ [this could be a 'Lazy' for the 90's!!], a nice hark back to the early DP days.

4. TRUTH HURTS.
An atmospheric opener paves way for a track in a bit of an AOR style. On the first few listening this track didn't really hit me, but give it a few more spins [or 5] and the charm of the track finally wins you over. JLT vocals are heart yearning throughout, there's some mock 'Perfect Strangers' keyboards in small places, but the star of the show is undoubtedly Mr. Blackmore here. Another restraint solo that just grows with each finely executed note until the temptation gets too much and the bait is taken, a great track that is one of the best at defining this DP incarnation with Joe Lynn Turner.

5. BREAKFAST IN BED.
Yes it's a naff title, but yet another solid track. Again their is no real havoc from anyone but it has a cool FM radio vibe to it - I can just see the Grand Canyon in the distance, the top is down, the Cadillac is criuisin' etc etc - err, reality, OK. This is another track that sounds like nothing Deep Purple have done before and its smooth rolling charm has me won over again. TMIB throws in a bit of Southern Rock slide solo that could easily be mistaken for some Allman Bros or Lynyrd Skynrd, but its another charming track.

6. LOVE CONQUERS ALL.
A cello part opens the track and before you think this is going to turn into something like The Verve's 'Bittersweet Symphony', a haunting guitar figure paves way for Joe to again pour out his heart. This is one of the best vocal performances I have heard from him, on a par with his performances on YJM's 'Dreaming' and Rainbows' 'Stone Cold'. The fact that this was not a major hit is a bit of a mystery, but then what do radio stations know anyway. Ritchie delivers another trademark haunting solo that is perfectly suited and leaves the track with a reflective quality to it.

7. FORTUNETELLER.
Right, this track is quite Rainbow-ish but I do hear other influences in there, the verses have a bit of early Def Leppard [think 'Lady Strange' off 'High N Dry'] and Tesla about it, the chorus is a little weak but that verse makes up for it, it is in honesty a little one dimensional until Blackmore does it yet again on the solo. The lyrics are quite Dio esque with a similar topic to that on 'Tarot Woman'.

8. TOO MUCH IS NOT ENOUGH.
Well the track start off superbly with a nice groove that sees the band firmly in the pocket, but then it all goes a bit sticky sweet pop rock for my likings. The verse is quite dreadful and has been done to death, it would work quite well in a TV series like 'Renegade' so that should tell you all you need to know I hope. The chorus has a bit of a cringe worthy keyboard part which is more than a little laughable I'm afraid. The bridge is pretty good and the solo is acceptable but that verse and chorus has already left such a bitter taste in my mouth its hard to appreciate them, the turkey track of the album.

9.WICKED WAYS.
Unfortunately the closing track is not one of the strongest but its an improvement over the last song. Again the verse is not the best and all Blackmore's restraint huffing and puffing between vocal lines cannot save it but the chorus is quite good even if it is nothing new. The track slows down for the solo that sees some 'snake charmer' magic from Ritchie, but personally I would liked to have heard TMIB sharpen his dagger and go for the throat like he did on a lot of 'Perfect Strangers' especially 'Under The Gun'. Ritchie does get a bit worked up on the repeated chorus outro but its too buried in the mix to really excite.