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Rating: "Stormbringer is a real piece of crap!" (Ritchie Blackmore)
With this phrase, the English guitarist dismisses the last studio product of Mark III (Coverdale, Hughes, Blackmore, Lord, and Paice). Where there is the "Man in Black," there are tensions, and even in this period, there were no exceptions, especially with bassist-singer Glenn Hughes, for reasons almost exclusively concerning the sound the group was adopting, which was shifting from hard rock to funky. Blackmore already had the idea of leaving the group (soon he would form Rainbow with Ronnie James Dio's Elf), while record producers were pushing for a new album, following the universal success of "Burn" in 1974 and the subsequent amazing performance at the California Jam Festival in April of the same year. However, the resulting work is an album (titled "Stormbringer" and released again in '74) made in haste and with few ideas, so it fails to repeat the freshness characterized by the previous album and, above all, it fails to reproduce its hard and aggressive sound. Blackmore is unmotivated, and Glenn Hughes takes the reins of the group.
If it were not by Deep Purple, maybe this album would be appreciated, but, in fact, the group's name is such, and everyone, perhaps even the musicians themselves (except for Hughes), expected something more Hard and less Funky.
The album opens with the title track: "Stormbringer" is a pounding storm with epic rhythms. A Hard Rock that touches Heavy Metal, written by Coverdale (who gives a great vocal performance) and Blackmore, and the singer himself said about this song:
"I wrote Stormbringer to please Ritchie. It was something very heavy, as he wanted because he was afraid that the group would take too funky a direction"
A promising start is squandered with the next two songs: "Love Don't Mean A Thing" and "Holy Man". These are two songs demanded by Hughes, who opens the group to blues-soul influences and to black music so dear to the bassist-singer, who enriches the two tracks with great vocalizations. Lord's keyboards open the compelling shuffle of "Hold On", which slightly raises the album's value. Blackmore limits himself to drawing bland solos, preferring to leave more space to Jon Lord, a sign that he has had enough of this sound change.
And with "Lady Double Dealer", they try to salvage what can be salvaged: it returns to the good old days of "In Rock" and "Machine Head". Blackmore's guitar is sharp, and Coverdale's singing recalls Gillan's hysteria. Together with the title track and the final "Soldier Of Fortune", it is the only true gem of the album. The next three songs seem to be written for the solo works of the respective members: "You Can't Do Right (With The One You Love)" is tailor-made for Glenn Hughes, "Higball Shooter" represents the beginning of the sound of Coverdale's Whitesnake, and "The Gypsy" is the epic rock so dear to Blackmore and his Rainbow (the latter highly appreciable).
The final closure, however, is entrusted to a true masterpiece by Deep Purple: "Soldier Of Fortune". Written by Blackmore and Coverdale, this last track is a moving acoustic ballad, with a melody written by Coverdale at the age of 15 and delivered with an unequaled vocal performance. Blackmore gently caresses the guitar strings against the background of Lord's celestial organ. "Soldier Of Fortune" (sparsely exploited live) assumes for Mark III the same importance that "Child In Time" had for Mark II.
Let's return to Blackmore's phrase: "Stormbringer" indeed represents a low point touched by the English group, characterized perhaps by too many differing views of Coverdale, Blackmore, and Hughes and more than representing a unitary work of the band, it seems like a collection of solo pieces by the three. Despite everything, however, it manages to make its mark thanks to the title track, "Lady Double Dealer", and "Soldier Of Fortune"
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Stormbringer (04:06)
Comin' out of nowhere
Drivin' like rain
Stormbringer dance
On the thunder again
Dark cloud gathering
Breaking the day
No point running
'Cause it's coming your way
Ride the rainbow
Crack the sky
Stormbringer coming
Time to die
Got to keep running
Stormbringer coming
He's got nothing you need
He's gonna make you bleed
Rainbow shaker
On a stallion twister
Bareback rider
On the eye of the sky
Stormbringer coming down
Meaning to stay
Thunder and lightning
Heading your way
Ride the rainbow
Crack the sky
Stormbringer coming
Time to die
Got to keep running
Stormbringer coming
He's got nothing you need
He's gonna make you bleed
Coming out of nowhere
Drivin' like a-rain
Stormbringer dance
On the thunder again
Dark cloud gathering
Breaking the day
No point running
'Cause it's coming your way
04 Hold On (05:06)
You're sweeter than the morning
When the sun is shining down on me
There is nothing you can say
That could make me go away you see
But you keep saying to me baby
Hold on--I feel I'm getting ready
Hold on--I feel I'm rockin' steady
Hold on--I'm gonna make it with you woman
Hold on--You got to gimme some love, gimme some love
I held back before
But your love took me easily
You got the power
I knew was gonna creep up on me
The more I give
Your love keeps comin' on strong
Although it's mine now
I know it won't be for long
There's something in the saying
That a woman needs a little more time
I'm getting tired of waiting for you
Giving me some kind of sign
Hold on--I've got to love you when I want to
Hold on--You've got to love me when I want you to
Hold on--I ain't gonna let you leave me baby
Hold on--No never no more
I know the game you're playing
And I guess you think I'm easily led
You think the words you're saying
Are really going through my head
I'm gonna take you home
And give you all I can
I'll prove to you, baby
That really I'm a man
Hold on--I know I'm feeling ready
Hold on--I know I'm rockin' steady
Hold on--Guess I've made it with you woman
Hold on--I've got you giving me love
Something that you give me
Keeps me hangin' on
No use me stayin'
There's nothing to be done
I'm gonna take you home
And give you all I can
I'll prove to you woman
That really I'm a man
Hold on--I only want to take you higher
Hold on--You are the root of my desire
Hold on--C'mon baby light my fire
Hold on
08 The Gypsy (04:02)
Tell me gypsy can you see me
In your crystal ball
I'm asking you what can I do
My back's against the wall
And I can't hold on much longer
So I've come to you my friend
For now my life seems at an end
I came to see you once before
One hundred years ago
You took my hand and broke the spell
That should have let me go
But my years have gone so slowly
So I'm here again my friend
For now my life is at an end
09 Soldier of Fortune (03:13)
I have often told you stories about the way
I lived the life of a drifter waiting for the day
When I'd take your hand and sing you songs
And may be you would say
Come lay with me and love me
And I would surely stay
But I feel I'm growing older
And the songs that I have sung
Echo in the distance
Like the sound
Of a windmill going round
Guess I'll always be
A soldier of fortune.
Many times I've been a traveller
I looked for something new
In days of old when nights were cold
I wandered without you
Those days I thought my eyes
Had seen you standing near
Though blindness is confusing
It shows that you're not here.
Now I feel I'm growing older
And the songs that I have sung
Echo in the distance
Like the sound
Of a windmill going round
Guess I'll always be
A soldier of fortune
Yes, I can hear the sound
of a windmill going round
I guess I'll always be
a soldier of fortune.
I guess I'll always be
a soldier of fortune.
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Other reviews
By SOAP
"Lady Double Dealer is the best song on the record; a fine piece of driven and intense hard rock, characteristic of Purple."
"Stormbringer is an excellent CD that every Purple enthusiast should own."
