Dopo aver inciso capolavori come "In Rock", "Machine Head" e lo strepitoso live "Made In Japan", il Mark II (Gillan, Blackmore, Glover, Paice, Lord) si ritrova in Italia per registrare il disco "Who Do We Think We Are". Le registrazioni, però, si svolgono sotto l'insenga dei contrasti tra Gillan e Blackmore. Visto il discreto flop del disco (la critica non l'ha mai visto molto bene) e i continui contrasti con Ritchie, Gillan decide di abbandonare seguito a ruota da Glover, suo amico dal tempo degli Episode Six.
I tre Purple trovano quasi subito un sostituto. Si tratta del bassista/cantante Gleen Hughes (ex Trapeze), profondo ammiratore della black music. Per Blackmore il gruppo potrebbe benissimo continuare come quartetto ma gli altri non sono d'accordo e Lord (dopo aver sentito delle registrazioni) assume lo sconosciuto David Coverdale alla voce.
Nel 1974 esce "BURN", album che vede i Deep Purple spostarsi verso territori più hard-blues. Il successo commerciale del disco è molto rilevante e permette ai Deep di farsi conoscere anche negli USA.
Mettiamo il cd nel lettore e veniamo subito "assaliti" dal micidiale riff della title-track, BURN. Questo pezzo è una colata lavica di puro hard-rock, dove si nota un devastante tappeto ritmico di Paice e una serie di duelli chitarra-tastiera veramente imperdibili. La storia di streghe mandate al rogo e di maledizioni diaboliche presenti nel pezzo sono interpetate benissimo dai due cantanti. Alla numero due troviamo MIGHT JUST TAKE YOUR LIFE brano dove si nota un primo spostamento verso l'hard-blues. L'hammond di Lord si priva di ogni eleganza stilistica e si trasforma in uno strumento da bordello, sorretto da un riff semplice e efficace e da un dualismo vocale Coverdale-Hughes molto riuscito ed intenso. LAY DOWN, STAY DOWN è una canzone sorretta da un ottimo drumming di Paice (la sua batteria molto Hard-Funk risulterà come l'elemento caratterizzante dell'album) dove trovano spazio un riff incisivo e un assolo da antologia di Blackmore. Rock N' Roll molto volgare e primordiale. SAIL AWAY è un blues molto cadenzato, condotto ottimamente dalle voci di Coverdale e Hughes.
La seconda facciata si apre con YOU FOOL NO ONE. Introdotto da un ritmo da "samba" di Paice, il brano fonde perfettamente elementi funk con alcuni più hard in un insieme compatto che lascia molto spazio alle improvvisazioni dei musicisti (brano molto proposto dal vivo). Da segnalare la grande prestazione di Hughes, sia vocalmente che strumentalmente. I piatti di Paice e la chitarra di Blackmore ci introducono nell'hard-blues di WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, uno dei brani migliori del disco. Un ritimica ipnotica e il piano honky-blues di Lord conducono questo brano dove trovano spazio l'ottimo lavoro di Blackmore e la bella interpretazione di Coverdale. Uno dei riff migliori di Blackmore e la cassa di Paice ci nitroducono a MISTREATED, brano molto sofferto cantato magistralmente da Coverdale. Blackmore, scava linee melodiche di fuoco, tuffandosi successivamente in un assolo strepitoso. Blackmore è sempre stato molto legato a questo brano, tanto da proporlo anche nei suoi live con i Rainbow, con R.J. Dio alla voce.
Si chiude con uno strumentale molto particolare, A 200, caratterizzato dalla tastiera di Lord e da un assolo molto deciso di Blackmore.
Prima testimonianza del Mark III, questo disco avrà grande fortuna dal vivo nel tour promozionale. Sfortunatamente, però, molti pezzi del disco verranno "dimenticati" dalle altre line-up, sopratutto per problemi legali.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Burn (06:03)
The sky is red, I don't understand,
Past midnight I still see the land.
People are sayin' the woman is damned,
She makes you burn with a wave of her hand.
The city's a blaze, the town's on fire.
The woman's flames are reaching higher.
We were fools, we called her liar.
All I hear is "Burn!"
I didn't believe she was devil sprung.
She said, "Curse you all, you'll never learn!
When I leave there's no return."
The people laughed till she said, "Burn!"
Warning came, no one cared.
Earth was shakin', we stood and stared.
When it came no one was spared.
Still I hear "Burn!"
You know we had no time,
We could not even try.
You know we had no time.
You know we had no time,
We could not even try.
You know we had no time.
The sky is red, I don't understand,
Past midnight I still see the land.
People are sayin' the woman is damned,
She makes you burn with a wave of her hand.
Warning came, no one cared.
Earth was shakin, we stood and stared.
When it came no one was spared.
Still I hear "Burn!"
02 Might Just Take Your Life (04:40)
I got more than I asked for,
There ain't nothin' I need.
I took all till I had more,
I'm always takin' the lead.
Old man shakin' dice down on the street,
Try'n to make a livin' somehow
But I'm really sure about gettin' things sorted out
And I'm gettin' ready right now.
You can't hold me,
I have told you.
Might just take your life,
Might just take your life.
I've been called by many names
And all of them are bad.
I can take it all the same,
It's all I've ever had.
I've got somethin' that you can't get
But one thing you can see:
Gettin' there ain't easy
But it sure was hard for me.
You can't hold me,
I have told you.
Might just take your life,
Might just take your life.
Every time I take a look
There's someone close behind.
They never used to make a pass,
The things that crossed their minds.
Now they tell me that it's all right
And they want to be my friend.
They're ridin' on my back.
When is it goin' to end?
You can't hold me,
I have told you.
Might just take your life,
Might just take your life,
Might just take your life.
Got more than I asked for,
Got more than I need.
Got more than I asked for,
Got more than I need.
Got more than I asked for,
Got more than I need.
03 Lay Down, Stay Down (04:21)
I don't care if my lady's gone
as long as you give me just what I want.
I've been losin' my direction,
got to find a new connection.
You have wasted the love I tasted,
now I'm really gettin' hungry more and more.
Been a long time, had a bad sign.
Tell me what am I fighting for?
Let me know you feel it,
you know I really need it.
Keep on pushin' for more,
lay down, stay down.
I got something to find,
there's one thing I really need.
I'm gonna tell you right now,
lay down, stay down.
Lookin' for trouble, I guess that's right.
When I was young I was taught to fight.
It's been long gone since I had known,
now I'm headin' for some more.
Let me know you feel it,
you know I really need it.
Keep on pushin' for more,
Lay down, stay down.
I got something to find,
there's one thing I really need.
I'm gonna tell you right now,
lay down, stay down.
Let me know you feel it,
you know I really need it.
Keep on pushin' for more,
lay down, stay down.
I got something to find,
there's one thing I really need.
I'm gonna tell you right now,
lay down, stay down.
04 Sail Away (05:50)
If you're driftin' on an empty ocean
With no wind to fill your sails
The future your horizon
It's like searchin' for the Holy Grail
You feel there's no tomorrow
As you look into the water below
There's only your reflection
And you still aint got no place to go
(Chorus):
Time will show
When I don't know
Sail away tomorrow
Sailin' far away
To find it steal or borrow
I'll be there someday
Now woman I keep returnin'
To sing the same old songs
The story's been told, now I'm gettin' old
Tell me where do I belong
Feels like I'm goin' to surrender
Hard times I've had enough
If I could find a place to hide my face
I believe I could get back up
(Chorus)
06 What's Goin' on Here (04:58)
Roll me over slowly I've been drinkin' all night
Help me make a move, I can't stand the light
Wake me, shake me, don't slam the door
I ain't been so bad, I just can't recall
Spent the night chasin' up a listed old flame
Lyin' on the floor I can't remember her name
I can't stay here
There's something wrong here
What's goin' on here?
Went downtown had a long way to go
How I got there I don't know
Found myself sittin' in a west-side bar
Tried to leave but I could not go far
High class woman tryin' to give me a line
Should have left early when I felt so fine
I can't stay here
There's something wrong here
What's goin' on here?
When they closed up the bar
You know they left me for dead
And I can't remember a thing that I said
Must have called the police to take me away
They said "Forty days", now I've got to pay
Spent the night chasin' up a listed old flame
Lyin' on the floor I can't remember her name
I can't get together why they're messin' with me
Keep on lookin' round, tell me where can I be
I can't stay here
There's something wrong here
What's goin' on here?
07 Mistreated (07:30)
I've been mistreated, I've been abused.
I've been struck downhearted, baby, I've been confused
'Cause I know, yes, I know I've been mistreated.
Since my baby left me I've been losing my mind, you know I have.
I've been lonely, I've been cold.
I've been looking for a woman to have and hold
'Cause I know, yes, I know I've been mistreated.
Since my baby left me I've been losing, I've been losing,
I've been losing my mind, baby baby babe.
I've been mistreated, I've been abused.
I've been looking for a woman, yeh, I've been confused
'Cause I know, yes, I know I've been mistreated, ooh o-o-oh.
Since my baby left me I've been losing, losing,
I've been losing my mind, baby baby babe.
Oh oh oh, oh woman, oh woman, oh woman.
I've been losing my mind.
Carico i commenti... con calma
Altre recensioni
Di matteowolf
È il primo vero accenno di Blackmoore al suo progetto di Renaissance-Music.
Godiamoci questi momenti, prima che i vari ‘artisti’ senza anima proveranno a cancellare certi grandiosi momenti musicali dalla coscienza collettiva.
Di claudio carpentieri
Burn è un lavoro che presenta una band felice di essersi rinnovata, ove tutte le componenti personali e musicali sembrano aver trovato la giusta collocazione.
Un album detonante che ha il sapore di una sfida e che a confronto con i capolavori che lo hanno preceduto non ha nulla da temere.
Di luludia
Se il rock'n'roll è cosa buona e giusta, l'hard dei settanta è solo un giochino del tipo ce l'ho più lungo io.
Un concerto di rock da stadio è un ottimo modo, parafrasando Oscar Wilde, di tenere tutti gli energumeni fuori dal centro città.
