Issue 45...with the printer laying on the purple ink a shade too strongly for the cover, but we learn from our mistakes (and it was going to take way too long to reprint it!). Purple's new album had actually ignited a spark at DPAS Towers, and is a record I still feel deserves more praise than it usually gets. Still it was nice to be able to get all enthusiastic over the follow-up to "Slaves & Masters". Clearly put together under very strange circumstances, it managed to overcome and surpass expectations. It's a shame it was to be the last of the Blackmore era albums, but at least he went out on a relatively high note... although of course we didn't know it at the time (ironically page 22 carried the dates for what turned out to be Blackmore's last tour). As it turned out the album could hardly have been better named.

The magazine covered the making of the record and the tracks in detail before strolling down tangential boulevard (I must stop watching our Drop The Dead Donkey DVDs) with a look back at Purple's very first gig in Denmark (click the newspaper clipping below), via some newly translated articles from the time, to mark the band's twenty fifth anniversary. We also took a detailed look at collecting Rainbow tour programmes, something a lot of fans like to do, as well as rummaging through the strange world of Gillan vinyl run-out messages thanks to the work of two club members. And you think I have strange hobbies!

News away from Purple took in everything from Gillan's new biography Child In Time (which remains sort of in print thirteen years on, having been through different publishers and updates) to a rash of new Bolin bootlegs, and a glimmer of hope that the "Foxbat" show might be forthcoming officially at long last. One of the promises we did get to keep in Issue 45 was to complete our first poll of DPAS members to ascertain their likes and dislikes, with the show people would most like to travel back in time to see prompting loads of would be H G Wellsian dreams of attending the Japanese shows in 1972.

Record review wise the usual eclectic collection of rarities and collectors items covered over five pages helped bump the page count up to 32 glossy pages. I just wonder whatever happened to Ms. Lovesexy, whose plea for help made the letters pages?

Following Ian Gillan's agreement to return to the fold for the 25th anniversary, work began on a follow up to "House Of Blue Light". Much of the recording was done in the RED ROOSTER studios in Tutzine, near Munich, from mid-November to mid-December 1992. Ten or twelve tracks were laid down. Ian Gillan then went out to America early in 1993 to the Greg Rike studio where the finishing touches were put to the set. The work was complete on or around Feb 24th, and the tapes were then moved to LA for mixing which lasted into early March. Production has been shared between Glover and a chap called Thom Panunzio. There is a persistant story about to the effect that BMG rejected the first version of the album as it retained all the JLT songs with Ian singing over them. I cannot confirm this one. I think just one number from the material which was being done while Joe Lynn was with the band has survived. In mid April Bruce and Roger held some sort of press do in Arizona, where the assembled hacks were treated to two tracks from the forthcoming album, which they were told was to be called PROGRESS. By May the title had changed to "THE BATTLE RAGES ON" and, despite the rumour mill which suggested that the set was going to be put back til August as BMG wanted it re-recording, all seemed on course. The album release date was set world wide except for America, where it was due two weeks later on the newish BMG label Giant Records to tie in with an extensive North American tour running a full two months. During June and early July Ian Gillan was tearing off all round Europe doing promotional work and the whole band were due to meet up in mid July in America to start rehearsals. A single was announced (due in the UK July 9th),)ust two album cuts - "Anya"/ "One Man's Meat along with the possibility of a sampler to include "Anya" and clips from other numbers, while a promotional interview disc was also mooted - on CD or DAT. Some shows on the tour will be taped for a live CD and a video, after which - well, that really would seem to be it. Catch them while you can. After this, it's the Rainbow reunion.

The UK single and American tour were quickly cancelled. The official reason for the tour cancellation was that the US record company demanded a remix of the album, which meant it had to go back for an August release.

Well, it's dangerous to get too excited (we are getting on after all!), but there does seem to be something happening here.The title track doesn't bode well; though all the right ingredients are there, it sounds like there hasn't been much thought given as to how to use them. A lively guitar solo then cuts in, preceding an interesting instrumental passage, and after that the track gains a certain musical grandeur. ANYA heads off in the "Perfect Strangers" or "Spanish Archer" direction, although sadly they seem to have chickened out of developing this into the epic that is certainly there for the taking. Wth Jon on harpsichord and Ritchie on acoustic, we get some Romany strumming before the riff cuts in. It hits hard. Then, suddenly, you're mentally pulled up: isn't that the "Stranded"riff?

Side 2 kicks off with RAMSHACKLE MAN, with the band laying down some tight, heavy, bluesy rock. Good stuff from Jon again, and when Ritchie takes over later on the feel is there, so that the last section really moves. "I used to be friends, but now I'm second-hand" Ian sneaks in at one point. TWIST IN THE TALE is a fast moving cut with Ritchie chuggin' away, some great drumming, and a vocal bite which adds to the power. For my money it deserved to be the opening cut. There's a curious but hugely inventive end section that naturally deserved to be developed; just bass, splashing drums and weird guitar, but it's as if nah, it's too adventurous, cut it. And they do. I think above all, that's what really has hurt most about the whole reunion, a seemingly wilful refusal to stray from anything but the expected course. Yet in the moments when they do, as here, you just know they've got it in them to reinvent hard rock all over again. NASTY PIECE OF WORK also begins to move ahead, a menacing heavy bassy noise, dirty guitar, and Lord chucking his weight about, cracking stuff. The trick of fading in Ian's scream right out of the Hammond is a treat. SOLITAIRE is a good solid powerful piece of work, with Lordy again taking the honours towards the end. Great vocals, with a sort of low register double tracked effect- "I'm dancing with strangers, fighting with friends". We're left with an album that genuinely threw me. I'd expected it to flounder, and it would be easy to dismiss it as another lashup of old riffs, but there is, despite the obvious problems of uniting a fractious group of individuals, some very enjoyable work here. In terms of overall power and cutting edge, I think the sound probably leaves the previous reunion cuts standings.

Glenn's been having a very busy year, with a 'tour' doing promotional interviews to back up the LA BLUES 2 release. The CD was issued in Europe in early February 1993 on Roadrunner Records, in the U K on March 5th (same label) and America on Feb 23rd on Blues Bureau International (part of the Shrapnel Records set-up). On Feb 27/28th he was in the UK. Raw Power, the late night ITV metal show, had some footage of him and Mel Galley in a hotel room doing a track. Glenn then went back to Sweden for two shows - Gothenburg and one near Stockholm, backed by members of Europe. Glenn did a half hour acoustic slot for Swedish TV, while Z TV (also) did a half hour special in March on a show called Jelt Okey.

A tour of Europe was planned for June/July, kicking off in St.Petersburg. To get in shape the band set up more Scandinavian shows in mid-June. Glenn has also begun recording a new album in Sweden, and plans to finish this once the dates are over.

GLENN HUGHES - BLUES - LA BLUES AUTHORITY Volume 2 : Roadrunner RR 9088 2: Germany : March 1993 CD
From what I can gather, advance orders for this CD were so good that Roadrunner had to delay the release here to avoid running out of stock almost immediately. It hasn't set the charts alight true, but there are people out there who have been itching to go out and buy a Glenn Hughes album for years. Have they been rewarded? The general opinion is this will do very nicely to be going on with. If we accept it for what it is, a glorified session, then it works well. Glenn is in fine form. Beyond that, the disc lacks any real musical soul. No matter how hard Glenn works, the backings sound very pedestrian really, and lack the excitement that a proper group might have brought to the proceedings. So far it is the opening couple of cuts which impressed me the most, but we'll see how it developes with a little more air-time.

"The title of this album is rather misleading. The style is actually more LA hard rock/ blues, due no doubt to the numerous hot-shot guitar proteges on show. To be fair some of the playing isn't bad (Erikson for example), it's just that a lot of the material cries out for a guitarist who understands the dynamics and subtleties of blues influenced music-someone like Jeff Healey, Jimmie Vaughan etc. Glenn's vocal performance is naturally the highlight. Let's hope it bodes well for the future, and next time puts together a band that can mesh into a more individual sound to match his undoubed talents". Roy Davies

VARIOUS ARTISTS / L.A. BLUES AUTHORITY : Roadrunner RR 2398 3: Holland : 1992 5" CD.
Spotted by Pierre Caeiro, this three track single kicks off with the only track on the ORIGINAL album to feature Glenn Hughes (a version of "Messin' With The Kid"), so as Pierre rightly points out, it saves us forking out for the full price CD! However I don't think it's been issued properly in the UK, so it might take some finding.

"The opening track, SHAKE MY TREE, is an excellent blues riff, with some background wailing of the kind found in more than one Zep song in the past. David's vocals are however too forced for much of the track. The same is true of the second track, WAITING FOR YOU, as indeed it is throughout the album. This song is rather reminiscent of old-style Whitesnake, with a superb solo from Jimmy. OVER NOW has an excellent riff, with David's voice sounding like his own once more, except for couple of breaks where he tries too hard again. The penultimate track, ABSOLUTION BLUES has a distorted guitar beginning that could almost be Ritchie, before becoming a very staccato riff that leads into a fairly featureless song most notable for lifting a fair chunk of lyric from "Ain't Gonna Cry No More". Nice drumming though. The overall verdict? Musically, certainly the best either of them have done for a long time, with near faultless work by Jimmy, even on the less impressive tracks. With a few exceptions, the tracks have a British blues feel about them that recalls some of Zep's very best. The drummer, Denny Carmassi comes through it all very well, though the bassist is mixed almost out of hearing. Roll on the live shows, which on the showing of the album should be ace." Aidan Dodson.

"This collaboration has been long promised, but was worth the wait. The first couple of tracks reveal overblown guitars and a croaking old hack at the mike stand, then TAKE ME FOR A LITTLE WHILE comes along and you realise it's Coverdale trying his hardest not to sound like Plant. Naffest track has to be TAKE A LOOK AT YOURSELF - move over Rod! - but it does serve to highlight DON'T LEAVE ME THIS WAY, with Coverdale really stretching out and Page cranking it up. Wonder how long it will last?" Simon Brown.

No UK single at first - EMI put the money into promotion instead. They later relented and shoved out "Take Me For A Little While" as a single in June. One or two people doubted the chance of live gigs, but a 30 date tour of America is being lined up and European gigs are promised for early '94.