Apart from the song “You Keep On Moving”, I`m hearing this album for the first time these days. It`s the 35th anniversary remastered 2LP vinyl edition from 2010. Record 2 contains remixes of each song. Before having heard a note, I`ve read quite a few reviews on the net. Based on that, I had never guessed that my own view would be this different. I was quite impressed at first listening, and I still am. There is a new guitarist instead of Blackmore. He seems to have injected some new life to the sound. This album is more rocking out than the previous one, and it`s very even sounding. One rocker follows another without any interruption. - Ah, I`m pleased. Some would call this music “cliché bonanza”. It is true that the first wave of early 70s hard rock at this time was over. After all, this is 1975. However, we`re still many years before the dreadful hair-rock of the 80s. There`s a tasty, limited influence of funk in some of the tracks, but what dominates is unashamed hard rock, slung out from the bottom of their lungs. The remix editions have a dirtier, less distinct sound. - A “Stonsey” sound. At least the song “You Keep On Moving”, benefits from this. The album opens with “Coming Home”, a fast rocker. It`s no “Highway Star”. Some would call it just an attempt at recreating past greatness. It`s far from the best track on the album. Then comes “Lady Luck”. A great song. Mid tempo. Then there is “Getting Tighter”, the most funky sounding on the album. What follows is “Dealer”. Another great song, straight from the rock book. Mid tempo. As if this wasn’t enough, we get “I Need Love”. A great, great song. This just tops it all. Mid tempo this one too. - My fave on the album.
Side 2 opens with “Drifter”. A great song in the same vein as the two previous ones, but a bit less radio friendly. Mid tempo. The mid tempo continues with the next one, called “Love Child”. The formula begins to get a bit worn. Maybe the weakest track on the album. “Next Time Around” moves into jazz territory. Think Billy Joel or Elton John. A total change. The jazz moves without interruption into “Owed To G”. An instrumental. The album ends with the aforementioned “You Keep On Moving”. A slow rocker, and the best song on the album. It`s one of the two songs where the new guitarist is not credited.
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