Demon Music Group [Release date 25.04.25]

To coincide with Demon’s recent 7-CD Gillan box, they have released these two wonderful albums in expanded format, and just to behold, wonderful they are too.

Led by then former and again now current Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan and the first of these sets, 1981’s Future Shock, was their fourth LP.. Much more hard rock than the jazzy Ian Gillan Band of the late 70s, Gillan had a number of hit singles, hit tours, and produced some fine fine rock that mixed blues and blistering metal. And sadly, too often over looked.

Future Shock featured longtime keyboardist Colin Towns, bassist John McCoy, guitarist Bernie Torme and former Episode Six/Sammy bandmate Mick Underwood on drums.

The first replicates the original LP and kicks off with the title track. Good pace, great tune, lots of fire, set the tone well. The band each of five ways were on top of their game here; as John McCoy once told me; “We had the right singer, and we were the right band to push him in the right direction”.

So the whole set follows Gillan, Mr Universe and Glory Road nicely. Although the band were really not NWoBHM, they were album ride (if not lead) the genre’s then success.

‘The Lucitania Express’ tells a true story of catching a train from Madrid to Lisbon while on tour, literally throwing their equipment and themselves onto an already departing train. And the hit single ‘No Laughing In Heaven’ (a proto rap rock) written about a conversation overheard in a bar.

‘If I Sing Softly’ on side 2 sees a different aspect to Gillan’s vocals, while ‘Don’t Want The Truth’ and ‘For Your Dreams’ see some of the band’s best material and Ian’s phrasing bang on form too.

The second disc features previous added as bonus tracks to CD, so there’s the non LP single ‘Trouble’ (the Elvis cover) and it’s delightful B-side ‘Your Sister’s On My List’.

‘The Maelstrom’, a single B-side, was also the title of a book Ian was reading at the time. The band were given 24 hours to come up with a song so the key and tempo were agreed over a pint in the pub next to the studio, and Ian largely ad-libbing the vocal track. No Laughing In Heaven had been issued as a 4 track EP so the extra 3 tracks are here, including a wonderful cover of ‘Lucille’.

Future Shock is presented in a wonderful gatefold sleeve, inner sleeves, a sold coloured vinyl, and the original booklet stapled into the gatefold is reproduced as an insert here.

The album sounds as good as it looks, and feels. Top marks.

Guitarist Bernie, the Electric Gypsy, left during the subsequent tour, probably on the back of more than one bad business decision, and in came former White Spirit (and current Iron Maiden) guitarist Janick Gers.

Double Trouble was recorded the same year, then we got Magic in 1982. Gers was a little more Blackmore-esque, certainly more melodic, and there’s also the feeling of Colin Towns taking a bit more control, so there is a shift in the band’s sound, but wonderful it still is.

Solid, heavy, but a little more polished. ‘Bluesy Blue Sea’ is just a lovely listen, ‘Demon Driver’ picks things up in a very rocking fashion, and the lighter ‘Long Gone’ a great tune. Gers has some great riffs, and Ian’s voice still the top of its game.

I’ve always loved the cover of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Living For The City’ too.

The second LP features a number of single B-sides, some studio outtakes, and a late 80s Ian Gillan 45 ‘South Africa’ (and B-side). This track features Bernie Marsden on guitar.

Presented an a replica of the original gatefold, with inner sleeves and solid coloured vinyl.

Again this set sounds as good as it looks, and feels. Top marks.

Leaving aside the bad business decisions that led to the band’s early demise, there is such a great catalogue here that could have gone on and on. But such is life.

This classic hard rock is as good as it gets, but even if you already own it, reissues like this are a joy to behold. *****

Review by Joe Geesin

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