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Rating: After recording masterpieces like "In Rock", "Machine Head" and the stunning live "Made In Japan", Mark II (Gillan, Blackmore, Glover, Paice, Lord) finds themselves in Italy to record the album "Who Do We Think We Are". However, the recordings take place under the banner of conflicts between Gillan and Blackmore. Given the moderate flop of the album (critics never looked favorably upon it) and the continuous clashes with Ritchie, Gillan decides to leave, followed closely by Glover, his friend since the time of Episode Six.
The three Purples almost immediately find a replacement. It is bassist/singer Glenn Hughes (formerly of Trapeze), a deep admirer of black music. For Blackmore, the group could very well continue as a quartet, but the others disagreed, and Lord (after hearing recordings) hired the unknown David Coverdale as the vocalist.
In 1974, "BURN" was released, an album that sees Deep Purple moving towards more hard-blues territories. The commercial success of the album is very significant and allows Deep to make a name for themselves even in the USA.
We put the CD in the player and are immediately "attacked" by the deadly riff of the title track, BURN. This piece is a lava flow of pure hard rock, where one can notice a devastating rhythmic carpet by Paice and a series of truly unmissable guitar-keyboard duels. The story of witches sent to the stake and diabolical curses featured in the song are interpreted excellently by the two singers. At number two, we find MIGHT JUST TAKE YOUR LIFE, a song where we notice a first shift towards hard-blues. Lord's Hammond sacrifices any stylistic elegance and transforms into a brothel instrument, supported by a simple and effective riff and a very successful and intense Coverdale-Hughes vocal dualism. LAY DOWN, STAY DOWN is a song supported by excellent drumming from Paice (his very Hard-Funk drumming will be the characteristic element of the album) where there is room for an incisive riff and an anthology solo by Blackmore. Very vulgar and primal Rock N' Roll. SAIL AWAY is a very cadenced blues, excellently led by the voices of Coverdale and Hughes.
The second side opens with YOU FOOL NO ONE. Introduced by a "samba" rhythm from Paice, the song perfectly merges funk elements with some harder ones in a compact set that leaves much room for improvisation by the musicians (a song often performed live). Noteworthy is Hughes's great performance, both vocally and instrumentally. Paice's cymbals and Blackmore's guitar introduce us to the hard-blues of WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, one of the best tracks on the album. A hypnotic rhythm and Lord's honky-blues piano lead this track where Blackmore's excellent work and Coverdale's beautiful performance find space. One of Blackmore's best riffs and Paice's bass drum introduce us to MISTREATED, a very heartfelt song masterfully sung by Coverdale. Blackmore digs fiery melodic lines, diving later into a stunning solo. Blackmore has always been very attached to this song, so much so that he also proposed it in his live performances with Rainbow, with R.J. Dio on vocals.
It closes with a very particular instrumental, A 200, characterized by Lord's keyboard and a very decisive solo by Blackmore.
The first testament to Mark III, this album will have great success live on the promotional tour. Unfortunately, however, many songs from the album will be "forgotten" by other line-ups, mainly due to legal problems.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
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.
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Other reviews
By matteowolf
It’s Burn, one of the most powerful hard-rock tracks, a heroic gallop that seems to be Blackmore’s first real nod to his Renaissance-Music project.
This very slow blues... starts with a masterful Blackmore riff, continues with Coverdale’s wonderful and heart-wrenching singing, perfectly aligning with the lyrics about a broken heart.
By claudio carpentieri
The song develops around extraordinary duets between guitar and keyboard, with the support of the powerful rhythm section.
It is Purple’s intention to set things straight right away with the rousing introduction of the title track, almost as if to claim they are back to stay.
By luludia
If rock’n’roll is a good and proper thing, the hard stuff of the seventies is just a game of ‘mine is bigger than yours.’
That scream is a beautiful thing, otherwise it ends like in certain nightmares where you want to scream, but you can’t.
