Album review: DEEP PURPLE – Purpendicular (reissue)

Deep Purple - Purpendicular

Hear No Evil Recordings [Release date 16.06.14]

Deep Purple’s current album ‘Now What?!’ was a favourite of 2013, and ‘Purpendicular’ shows its blood line: the very first Purple album with guitarist Steve Morse in 1996. As ever it captures the band’s trademark musical interplay and highly accessible hard rock.

If it would take Morse a little longer to bed in, fans would have noted the high guitar quotient. He was, and is, a more predictable player than Blackmore but – as this album demonstrates – as fluid and inventive in his own way. And to his credit he never tried to be another Blackmore, even when stepping into Ritchie’s well worn size 9′s.

From the lively opener ‘Vavoom: Ted The Mechanic’ via the darker ‘Loosen My Strings’ with its pneumatic bassline, to the more folksy ‘The Aviator’ Purpendicular is a great summary of this durable band in the late-1990s and heading for the new millennium.

’Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming’ (included also as a single edit) is outstanding with a particularly distinctive Morse chorus whilst ‘Rosa’s Cantina’ is unusually funky, ‘A Touch Away’ a great slice of soft-rock that also betrays Morse’s Dixie Dregs upbringing.

As ever, the inevitable Malcolm Dome liner note adds little to our knowledge that couldn’t be gleaned from a good Purple biography or the Internet. We know now that there was a great vibe in the band with Morse’s arrival and improved band relationships. Thanks Malcolm.

This reissue adds the aforementioned single edit and the Japan only bonus ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’. The period after Blackmore’s departure in late-1993 is often dismissed by even the fans but, with hindsight, ‘Purpendicular’ shows a band getting themselves back together and confirming they still have a future. ****

Review by David Randall

David Randall presents ‘Assume The Position’ on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio every Sunday at 22:00 GMT.

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions,

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 16 November 2025.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This 600th show was first broadcast on 18 November 2025

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen live or listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 1 December 2025

We feature all the artists selected in this sequence in 2025.

Featured Albums w/c 1 December 2025

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)

Our occasional Newsletter signposts latest additions to the website(s). We also include a selection of recent top albums, based on GRTR! reviewer ratings. The newsletter is sent out a few times a year.

If you’d like to register to receive this occasional mailing please complete the form:

If using a smartphone/tablet please tap here or re-orientate your device

(Note that this registration is separate from site registration which allows you to leave comments and receive daily emails about new content. If you wish to register for this – in addition or separately – please click or tap here – for more information – the form is at the foot of each page. Please read our privacy policy when opting-in to receive emails.