Perfect Strangers | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 29 October 1984 | |||
Recorded | 10 July – 26 August 1984 [1] | |||
Studio | "Horizons" in Stowe, Vermont, USA with Le Mobile Studio | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 40:02 | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Producer | Roger Glover, Deep Purple | |||
Deep Purple chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Perfect Strangers | ||||
|
Perfect Strangers is the eleventh studio album by English rock band Deep Purple, released on 29 October 1984. It was the most successful album recorded by the re-formed 'Mark II' line-up. [4]
It was the first Deep Purple studio album in nine years, and the first with the Mk II line-up in eleven years, the last being Who Do We Think We Are in 1973. Ritchie Blackmore and Roger Glover arrived from Rainbow, Ian Gillan from Black Sabbath, Jon Lord from Whitesnake, and Ian Paice from Gary Moore's backing band. Just one song in the reformed Deep Purple’s new repertoire, "Nobody’s Home", would be credited to all five band members. Gillan and Glover attempted to return matters to the all-for-one composition credits of the Mk II lineup's 1970–73 recordings, but Blackmore held firm. It was not until Blackmore left the group in 1993 that the issue was finally resolved. [5]
The CD and cassette versions of the album contained the extra track "Not Responsible" (which contains the lyric "I've got no ticket, but I'm gonna take a fucking ride", making it a rare example of profanity in a Deep Purple song). The album was remastered and reissued on 22 June 1999 with the bonus instrumental track "Son of Alerik". The latter had previously been available as a B-side on the single "Perfect Strangers" in 1984.
The album was a commercial success, reaching #5 in the UK charts and #17 on the Billboard 200 in the US. Perfect Strangers was only the second Deep Purple studio album to be certified platinum in the United States, following 1972's Machine Head . [6] The tour was so successful that the band had to book many additional dates to the U.S. arena tour, as tickets sold out very quickly. Their U.S. tour in 1985 out-grossed every artist that year except Bruce Springsteen. [7]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [4] |
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 10/10 [8] |
Rock Hard | 9.0/10 [9] |
Rolling Stone | [10] |
The album received mixed reviews. Deborah Frost of Rolling Stone in a contemporary review remarked that, with the exception of the two singles, "The material consists of hastily knocked-off jams" and wondered if the release was just made "to cash in on the current heavy-metal craze." But she also stated, "Blackmore's Strat has such a great roar that you're willing to just let it reverberate in your eardrums for a bit. And it's nice to hear Jon Lord's unsynthesized organ squalls, Ian Paice's electrifying drumming, Ian Gillan's howls and whispers and Roger Glover's solid bass lines once again," although, "Instead of Glover, an outside producer might have forced the band to tighten up its licks and arrangements." [10]
Canadian journalist Martin Popoff praised this comeback album which "only nods to the '70s" and concentrates "on songcraft rather than technical display," placing Deep Purple as "a reference point of a genre in metal without categorization." [8]
"A great moment in time," suggested Glover, "but, as an album, it doesn't quite hang together." [11]
All songs by Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan and Roger Glover except where noted.
"Son of Alerik" had appeared in an edited form on the 7" B-side of the "Perfect Strangers" single, or in full on the 12" "Perfect Strangers" single and the European version of the compilation Knocking at Your Back Door: The Best of Deep Purple in the 80's .
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Knocking at Your Back Door" | 7:09 |
2. | "Under the Gun" | 4:40 |
3. | "Nobody's Home" (Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Jon Lord, Ian Paice) | 4:01 |
4. | "Mean Streak" | 4:26 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
5. | "Perfect Strangers" | 5:31 |
6. | "A Gypsy's Kiss" | 4:14 |
7. | "Wasted Sunsets" | 3:58 |
8. | "Hungry Daze" | 5:01 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
9. | "Not Responsible" | 4:53 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
10. | "Son of Alerik" (Blackmore) | 10:01 |
|
|
Chart (1985) | Rank |
---|---|
Canada [31] | 91 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [32] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada) [33] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
Germany (BVMI) [34] | Gold | 250,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [35] | Gold | 7,500^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [36] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [37] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [38] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
Summaries | ||
Worldwide | — | 3,000,000 [39] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kerrang! | United Kingdom | "End of Year Lists – Top Album of 1984" [40] | 1984 | 7 |
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1967. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, but their musical approach has changed over the years. Originally formed as a psychedelic rock and progressive rock band, they shifted to a heavier sound with their 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock. Deep Purple have been referred to as the "unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-seventies". They were listed in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as "the globe's loudest band" for a 1972 concert at London's Rainbow Theatre and have sold over 100 million albums worldwide.
Fireball is the fifth studio album by English rock band Deep Purple, released in 1971 as the second album with the Mk II line-up. It was recorded at various times between September 1970 and June 1971. It became the first of the band's three UK No. 1 albums, though it did not stay on the charts as long as its predecessor, Deep Purple in Rock. Even though the album has sold over a million copies in the UK, it has never received a certification there.
Who Do We Think We Are is the seventh studio album by the English hard rock band Deep Purple, released in 1973. It was Deep Purple's last album by the Mark II line-up with singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover until 1984’s Perfect Strangers.
Abandon is the sixteenth studio album by the English hard rock band Deep Purple, released in May 1998. It was Deep Purple's second album with Steve Morse on guitar and the last album to feature founding member Jon Lord prior to his departure in 2002.
Deep Purple in Concert is a live album by the English hard rock band Deep Purple, recorded by the BBC for their "In Concert" live series in 1970 and 1972. First released in 1980 in the UK, with the current US edition being made available in 2001.
Purpendicular is the fifteenth studio album by the English rock band Deep Purple, released in 1996. It is their first album with guitarist Steve Morse from Dixie Dregs, who replaced Ritchie Blackmore. The album entered the UK Charts on 17 February 1996, where it peaked at No. 58.
The House of Blue Light is the twelfth studio album by English rock band Deep Purple, released on 16 January 1987 by Polydor Records. It was the second recording by the reformed Mark II line-up, and the sixth studio album overall by this formation of the band.
Slaves and Masters is the thirteenth studio album by the English rock band Deep Purple, and was released on 23 October 1990. This is the only Deep Purple album to feature former Rainbow lead vocalist Joe Lynn Turner, who had joined the previous year after the firing of Ian Gillan. Before hiring Turner, the band had considered singer Jimi Jamison of Survivor, but other obligations made him unavailable.
The Battle Rages On... is the fourteenth studio album by the English hard rock band Deep Purple, released on July 19, 1993 (Europe). It is the last album recorded with the band's classic Mk II line-up, which reunited for a second time. Even though Mike DiMeo was initially chosen as the singer for the album after Joe Lynn Turner was fired, Ian Gillan eventually returned to the band in late 1992 and had to rework much of the material already existing for it, which had been intended for Joe Lynn Turner and DiMeo. After his firing Turner quoted Ritchie Blackmore referring to the album as "The cattle grazes on". Blackmore allegedly became infuriated at perceived non-melodic elements and left the band for good after a show on 17 November of that same year in Helsinki, Finland. American guitarist Joe Satriani joined Deep Purple as a temporary replacement for the remainder of the tour. A handful of working tracks written during The Battle Rages On... sessions would turn up on subsequent solo releases by Turner under different song titles.
Nobody's Perfect is a live album released in 1988 by the English rock band Deep Purple. It was recorded during the band's tour in support of The House of Blue Light in 1987 in Europe and the United States. The outer sleeve photography was by Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis with graphics by Richard Evans.
The Platinum Collection is a compilation album released by English rock group Deep Purple. It features songs from their first album Shades of Deep Purple up to their most recent album Bananas.
Come Hell or High Water is a CD and DVD by British rock band Deep Purple. It was recorded on 16 October 1993 at Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart and at the NEC in Birmingham on 9 November.
The Anthology is a compilation album by the English hard rock band Deep Purple, containing material by Mks I (1968–1969), II (1969–1973), III (1973–1975) and IV (1975–1976) line-ups. It was released as a double vinyl album and double-cassette, and included a few previously unreleased tracks and mixes. The sleeve-notes were written by Chris Charlesworth, author of Deep Purple – The Illustrated Biography.
24 Carat Purple is the first compilation album of the hard rock band Deep Purple released worldwide on their own record company and the third in a long line of compilation albums. It was released in May 1975.
30: Very Best of Deep Purple is a 1998 compilation album by English rock band Deep Purple, celebrating 30th anniversary of the band. There are two CD versions of the album, a single CD and a double CD, and a vinyl version, a double LP printed on purple vinyl, with the track listing being identical to the single CD version.
Total Abandon: Australia '99 is a double live album and DVD by English hard rock band Deep Purple, recorded at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia on 20 April 1999. When the album was released in September 1999, it was only available in Australia. From 12 October 1999, it was made available as a mail order merchandise in Europe. Later, it was also sold in music stores. In USA, the album was not released until 2012; this edition was cut to only one disc.
Knocking at Your Back Door: The Best of Deep Purple in the 80's is a compilation album by the English hard rock band Deep Purple. The album was released in 1992.
Deep Purple in Rock is the fourth studio album by English rock band Deep Purple, released on 5 June 1970. It was the first studio album recorded by the Mark II line-up of Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice.
Smoke on the Water: The Best Of is a compilation album by the English hard rock band Deep Purple in 1994. It was released only in France where it sold very well, attaining double gold disc status in December 1998.
Live in Verona is a 2014 live album and concert film by English hard rock band Deep Purple's mk VIII lineup credited as Deep Purple with Orchestra, and performed alongside the Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt conducted by Stephen Bentley-Klein. It was recorded at the Arena di Verona, a Roman amphitheater originally built in 30 AD, on 18 July 2011. It was released as a Blu-ray and DVD on 21 October 2014 by Eagle Rock Entertainment, and as a CD in Japan on 8 October 2014 by Ward Records.