Bananas [Enhanced]

Now that I got that off my chest, let me tell you about Bananas. A lot of these songs only took two listens before I was hooked. I still don't like one track, Razzle Dazzle, a little too commercial for my ears, but the rest is pure gold and with such excellent musicianship and good production. House Of Pain, the song that opens this album is their new Highway Star, a killer track with great musical interplay. Also songs like, I Got Your Number, Silver Tongue, Sun Goes Down, Bananas (title track) and Picture of Innocence are among the best rockers they've done since the reunion.

There is vintage guitar and organ interplay from Steve Morse and Don Airey respectively. The rhythm section of Roger Glover and Ian Paice brings a precise dynamic that is Deep Purple and also ensures with dignity that this legendary band will carry on with that wonderful spirit. Ian Gillan's singing is focused and terrific as ever.

The last studio album (Abandon) left me a little hungry. Not the case with Bananas, it left me feeling like a just ate a really satisfying meal. One will also note the variety of songs of magnificent quality. On a final note I will say that any fan of rock music will appreciate this CD. As one UK Amazon critic wrote, "Bananas has some instant favorites and some others that will grow and grow and grow on you". A veteran band like Deep Purple is something to be treasured.

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I've had the album for two weeks and haven't been able to stop playing it. As soon as it finishes, I start it again (three or four times a day). There are no duff tracks, and I find it hard to pick which are my favourites, though after much debating they would have to be Bananas, Walk On and Doing It Tonight (best guitar solo on the album). Closely following these would be House of Pain, Razzle Dazzle, Picture of Innocence, I Got Your Number, Never A Word and Contact Lost (though why is this little instrumental so damn short!) Sun Goes Down and Silver Tongue are also very good and although the ballad Haunted is a bit cheesy in places, it has a great sympathetic guitar solo, very soulfull.

DP was the first "heavy" band that I got into back in 1978 when I heard the Fireball album for the first time. I've been a huge fan ever since, favourite albums being the MkII albums. Perfect Strangers and Purpendicular are also excellent, but this latest album has shot near the very top of my list of favourites. I can definitely hear influences from "In Rock", "Fireball", "Who Do We Think We Are" but the band have moved on and I can't wait to hear them play a lot of this album on the new tour. We've had the "greatest hits" tour of recent years, but I really want to hear more of these newer songs in the set list. I feel guilty because I thought I'd miss Jon Lord, but Don Airey has fitted in so perfectly that I have to remind myself that Jon is no longer in the band. I don't know if this is a mark of respect for Jon or if it shows what a great keyboard player Don is?

There is so much going on in every track that it is great listening material. The new line-up seems to have had a marked effect on the creativity of the band and this album is way better than any of the rubbish that's come out from other big rock names like Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, and the Rolling Stones in recent years.

Keep on rocking and long live Deep Purple, truly the greatest rock band in the world!

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