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Comin’ out of nowhere
Who would have thought that a mere re-release of one of the more controversial albums in the Purple history could have chart potential?
Remastered 35th anniversary version of Stormbringer went on sale across Europe today, February 23. Usual disclaimers apply, but at the time of this writing (3 p.m. GMT / 16:00 CET) it is at the following chart positions in Amazon stores:
UK:
#52 in Music
#1 in Music > Rock > Classic Rock
#7 in Music > Vinyl > Vinyl Album
Germany:
#158 in Music
#38 in Music > Rock
This could, just could be an early indication of a possibility of entry in the official Top 40. To put things into proper perspective, last year, Whitesnake’s latest, Good To Be Bad, was at #15 position in Amazon UK charts the day after release and that same week ended up at #7 in BBC Radio 1 Top Albums chart. And we’re talking overall music charts, not single (sub)genre.
You can do your part of putting Stormbringer in the charts here.
Thanks to George for the alert.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Of course an anticipated release like this is going to fire off some pre-sales figures to possibly contend with, but watch it drop by the wayside almost instantly as well.
Amazon is not a chart of any other significance than it’s own sales figures, I’m pretty certain about that, but it is what it is.
If enough people strongly support something, it will always succeed.
Believe what you will, but concerning ‘GTBB’ payola can’t be fully dismissed.
One thing I have yet to experience is PCM Stereo, anybody able to rate this supposedly highly superior sound?
February 23rd, 2009 at 16:24Stormbringer
February 23rd, 2009 at 17:00just a masterpiece…
here there are that kind of songs that are out of the schemes, and if you are a composer you know how genial is to write such material……these are songs difficult to classify…they don’t follow formula…
examples of these kind of songs (out of stormbringer)are:
‘solitaire’, ‘nasty piece of work’ ‘loosen my strings”soon forgotten”anyone’s daughter”sun goes down”rapture of the deep”our lady’
Ahhhh, there you have it……
Back to Polls, Surveys and Charts…..
The declined VH-1 article was at least something with entertainment factor. Flip Flop….
Masterpiece? ‘Stormbringer’ by far the least listened to Purple album on my play list…..But, even at the bottom of My Barrel, still hand over foot better than most other albums in the Music Industry….Maybe a Masterpiece in the General Realm of music, but to me, not in the Purple Standard arena….’Burn’ was a Purple Masterpiece. This second and Last MK3 record was by no means near the record it’s predecessor was…….IMO.
Cheers
February 23rd, 2009 at 18:02Stoooooooooooooooooorrrmmmmmmmmbriinngeeeeeeeeeer
Yeah, good Rock´N´Roll will never die ….
February 23rd, 2009 at 18:25Stormbringer does in fact “follow a forumula” hugely.
February 23rd, 2009 at 19:44It was just the beginning of one so wound up in the lead, but still followed consiously from it’s own outset. It became much more developed on CTTB and later in Whitesnake. But those roots were laid down on Stormbringer as formulaic. If it’s a msterpiece then it’s one of the dullest ones I’ve ever heard. S&M and Abandon are almost as good, are those materpieces too?
great album.. lots of soul and some of old covs best vocals. Would be great to see it in the uk top 40… maybe the current line up would be then included in next years donington line up! Be a nice break in the death metal and recently saxon, kiss, snake, lepps, zztop, and motorhead have been(or gonna be) on the bill so its not impossible.
February 23rd, 2009 at 20:37A very under-rated album in my view. True, it’s not to everyone’s taste but it’s a worthy and interesting effort… much more so than all the new DP has been releasing since 1987 IMO. The original 1968 to 1975 bunch of albums for me is peerless and the textbook of what rock is all about.
February 23rd, 2009 at 21:05Question : is the post ‘Bullets flying …’ closed ?
My fresh DP Gillan Forum :
February 23rd, 2009 at 21:24http://pub24.bravenet.com/forum/2021290826
Cheers
Stormbringer is a fine album, but maybe not as a Purple album. It’s to heavily influenced by Glenn Hughes (I hate those funk/ disco influences he brought with him- not very Purple). It’s saved by the “Purpleish bottom line” musically, and Coverdale, who, compared to Hughes, I can stand (at that time- today I can stand Hughes since he’s more into hard rock with a funk twist, and not Coverdale who’s still trying to be a girl and still release crap albums). And I do like Blackmore! Anyway, I’ll buy it:-)
Btw Crimson Ghost, Abandon is a GREAT record compared to S&M (the worst crap to be put out under the Purple banner)!!! S&M would’ve been a fairly good Rainbow album, but Purple? Hell no!
I guess taste differs:-)
February 23rd, 2009 at 21:48It’s just in that same “bottom of the pack” bracket as expresed by the majority of the fan base who rate them… which is better or worse is not really my point. I like ’em all for one thing or another, they just contain less of the standard Purple are famous for.
Btw, HRP, you would know me as “GM” I just don’t go by that here.
February 23rd, 2009 at 22:13When Stormbringer first came out, that is all that was on my turntable and on the 8-track in my car. I still like the album very much although some songs didn’t stand the test of time very well. My personal favs are Hold On (heard the remastered and thought it was crap), the title track and Love Don’t Mean A Thing. I will surely buy it.
February 24th, 2009 at 01:44Cheers
I remember buying this album, and then heaving it out the window after one listen. It shattered on a neighbor’s wall, which brought me great pleasure. No, I’m not trying to start an argument with anyone. To those who like it, keep supporting DP. To me, represented one of their worse efforts.
February 24th, 2009 at 02:51is the worst album, for me was a desception, the live versions in made in europe of stormbringer and lady double dealer are killers, in the stormbringer album sounds very very weaks, maybe 4 songs are regulars, the others… a shame.
February 24th, 2009 at 06:53Blackmore was right to depart.
It’s a better album that most people think. The title track Strombringer is so strong. I like Glenn’s funky bass ,his work still sounds very modern. No need to buy this release as I ‘ m happy with the regular cd version. Plus it’s a good album to listen to in the car it’s something different not super heavy.
February 24th, 2009 at 07:08Stormbringer, Come Taste The band, and Slaves & Masters for me are at the same league in DP Discography. the three of them are just good albums, but NOT DP killer ones….
and there’re 3 MY favourite tracks: Soldier of Fortune (greatest DP ballas just after Blind Man), You Keep On Moving (Purple masterpiece), and Cut Runs Deep (just commercial rock song, but it’s ok)…
I listen only this 3 tracks from this 3 albums…
and I’d prefer to have BURN 35’th Annyversary released, than Stormbringer… Burn is a DP classic album, while Storm, CTTB and S&M are the lowest-league Dp albums…
February 24th, 2009 at 07:20Funnily enough, I rate CTTB somewhere in the middle of the pack at the very least. It’s a fabulous album in it’s own right, but the least Purplish one of all imo, so with that in mind, it’s both a depature goodie, yet nothing became of the departure, so nothing was able to succeed it. That helps carry it’s impact with the fans to this day. There is something special about it to me.
February 24th, 2009 at 08:32Stormbringer remains the only DP album not to have made it to my CD collection from vinyl, it was SUCH a disappointment at the time, and having had a quick listen again, remains so now. On its release, I remember running home to listen to the Stewart Henry (RIP) saturday radio show as he was going to play a track from the new album; he played “You can’t do it right” – I thought, what the hell is this? Afraid that may well have tainted my view of the album from the outset, especially after really enjoying Burn I had great expectations for this album, but apart from the title track and the live version of Lady Double Dealer, this album is just not to my taste and will never be. We all like some variety, but come on ladies & gents, is this proper rock? IMO the Hughes/funk influence is totally misplaced and absolutely not Purple, and drags down the whole album. But each to their own. (Nice new album cover though). Peace.
February 24th, 2009 at 09:13Trying to cope and stay ahead of the style curve is what was going on at the time, and for that much, they were actually still showing their innovative prowess, but it doesn’t mean their hard core fans understood at the time… one or two years later, enter punk/new wave and god forbid the killer of them all, disco! Purple were an ancient thing of the past almost overnight by then, sadly, they went out of style till the world begged for hard rocks revival and they were able to come back, coincedentally Coverdale prevailed along with them too, in a big way with WS. A win win by then, thankfully.
Looking back on it, I conclude that to have one hell of a lot to do with it.
February 24th, 2009 at 10:02Gotta be in the ‘mood’ for ‘Stormbringer’.
Good vocals, but a definite departure from the ‘Burn’ days……..always surprised me that RB let it get this far………but in some ways im glad…..
February 24th, 2009 at 11:47Well, I am just making my debut on these fora about DP. Stormbringer is a transition album , and IMHO there are some 3 albuns in 1: Title track, Lady Double Dealer and Soldier of Fortune are Blackmore-style, Love Dont Mean a Thing and High Ball Shooter could be in a Whitesnake album (from the first years, of course), and the others are massively Hughes Influenced tracks. Anyway, there are some great moments in there, like Gypsy and the Guitar solo in Hold On (a top class Blackmore solo, out of this style if you consider teh sound of the guitar, mas a jewell in harmony and feeling). Because of its huge amount (yet so different) boiling inspirations , I definitely do not agree in putting it in the same basket as Slaves and Masters and Abandon, as those lack so badly insiration. And thanks to vinyl remaster, my old one can rest in peace (Long Live vinyl!!!!) .Love and Peace
February 24th, 2009 at 12:47no matter what crimson and tracy say…they simply don’t understand this album…probably is too refined for them…
February 24th, 2009 at 13:17Stormbringer
just a masterpiece…
here there are that kind of songs that are out of the schemes, and if you are a composer you know how genial is to write such material……these are songs difficult to classify…they don’t follow formula…
examples of these kind of songs (out of stormbringer)are:
’solitaire’, ‘nasty piece of work’ ‘loosen my strings’’soon forgotten”anyone’s daughter’’sun goes down”rapture of the deep”our lady’
Yes, I agree with all of you: Stormbriger is an absolute DP highlight! Great songwriting, two great singer and yeah it’s just a different sound from former DP releases. Isn’t that one of the outstanding qualities of DP? That’s why I love this band.
February 24th, 2009 at 13:30the people that don’t like it are to closed to the ‘hard rock’ genre, but stormbringer is a mixture fo genres…Ritchie plays more refined as the rest of the band…hold on, love don’t mean a thing, the wonderful ballad holy man,these are examples…
February 24th, 2009 at 13:31#9 HardRockPete
I totally agree with your opinion, except about Abandon, which for me was truly an abandon. Oh, it’s just one of the unlistenable albums. I have the CD but the last time I heard it 6 months ago, and it still counting. Steve Morse tried to be Ritchie Blackmore, come on!
#21 #22
Well, roberto, I think Stormbringer and The Battle Rages On were masterpieces…for you. Not with the others here, included me. But, it’s fine. No need to argue that much, you have your reasons that made its senses.
I’m just thinking, Glenn Hughes was the definitive commander there while Blackmore no wonder was ‘in another place’, so why that was a masterpiece when the band weren’t together in producing the album??? CTTB was better even it was just another funk album, but the musicianship was back and the band certainly had fun in making it.
But don’t get me wrong, I like much of the album especially when Dave and Glenn shared vocals and tried much to prove who’s the best DP frontman. For me, Stormbringer was based on vocals, not guitar/keyboard based like other DP albums. CTTB had more guitar playing.
Back to the news, this is where strong publicity and advertising really took its toll in selling an album (wow, this is remastered album not original, and the music came from 1976-almost 33 years, do you believe it?). The selling formula like this should be used to the next Deep Purple album, and we will looking into the chart. Many people don’t care with charts and album sales (included me), but sometimes it’s very nice to look our heroes done well in charts.
So, go kick out Mr. Ritchie More Black and the current label!!
Have a nice day!
February 24th, 2009 at 14:39#20 Fernando
Yes man, you made good and specific review about Stormbringer. Agree!
February 24th, 2009 at 14:44@21
That’s hilarious concerning me, for one, I didn’t say I didn’t “like” it, I evaluated it’s place in the catalog for most fans, that’s all.
February 24th, 2009 at 15:32I had the album within two years of it’s release Roberto, I think I’ve had time to get to know it, and you?
Robert:
Why single me and CG out here. Actually, from reading his and rereading my entry, we were the least critical from the Nay Sayers regarding our opinion on this album. You have a really bad habit of not getting the whole message which you respond to.
I mainly do NOT like Stormbringer due to all the Funkiness. It’s not my cup of tea. Maybe if just a couple of tunes were that, but the overall vibe of the Album didn’t do it for ME, regarding a Purple effort. I bought it the day it came out……..I listened to it over and over and unlike some others where they grow on you, this particular one got worse for me as I listened. Musically is it a good album? Of course it is. If you dissect it totally, it has some very good points to it, but as a total listen, becomes annoying to me. At least Come Taste the Band got away from all the Funk and back to hard Rock overall. My fave on it is ‘Comin’ Home’. What a rocker and I wish it was played live, followed by ‘Dealer’. Also one of the few Purple Albums to contain an instrumental, ‘Owed to G’, which I will continue to push for Purple to do live today. I would love to hear them do it in homage to Tommy Bolin, and it’s a tune from the MK3/4 era that Gillan doesn’t have to sing, yet it would Killer to hear. It’s a no brainer as far as I’m concerned and the Fans would eat it up.
The title track from Stormbringer is my fave followed by ‘Holy Man and Soldier of Fortune’ on that album. The rest I can live without. It’s just one of those albums I don’t get into totally and listen to selectively.
Again, it’s personal taste. Nothing to argue about. It’s more about something to share ones taste.
Cheers
February 24th, 2009 at 16:08I think Stormbringer IS a great album but not necessarily a great Deep Purple album. Blackmore although superb as usual was very subdued on this album…No fire in his fingers (had his mind on other things I guess) but also most of the writing was done by Hughes/Coverdale and that’s the main reason I think it lacks the Purple touch!
Still love it though! Hey Tracy, what about Lady Double Dealer? Unusual middle 8 for a hard rocker and great riff!
Cheers
February 24th, 2009 at 16:44RE: I definitely do not agree in putting it in the same basket as Slaves and Masters and Abandon, as those lack so badly insiration.
Fewrnando, what’s insiration? Or did you mean inspiration?
I agree AbandOn lacks inspiration. Thanks to the lack of Jon Lord during the writing sessions. WTF?
But S&M seems pretty inspired, even if it’s not my cup of tea. For the record, I think Battle Rages On is even better still. Backing tracks were clearly inspired (sorry, don’t know about the Rainbow rehashing) and Gillan’s input and vocal work was also very inspired. It shouldn’t have turned out great…but it did.
Anyway, I am looking forward to the earbleed re-master :)…and this time, I’m not selling my old copy.
February 24th, 2009 at 17:05Well said Tracy!
Personally I love “Storbringer”,listen to it frequently!I´ve always hade a soft spot for MK 3/4, and have to admit those albums to visit my CD player on a more regular basis than MK 2 or any other MK! MK 1?…..Naah,just about never….can´t stand Rod Evans and with few exceptions in my opinion most of their catalogue is crap!
There you have it,that´s whats so great about our fave band…..The versatility! There´s something there for everybody…..enjoy! ROCK ON!
February 24th, 2009 at 17:08Stormbringer contains one of the most underrated jewels in rock history: Hold on. A masterpiece in balance an arrangement. It points to where the band could have gone were they not left by the neglector of this new and demanding direction. Unfortunately a limited and overrated, nice but much too weak and instable and in the end deplorable lightweight was hired. The result is best known: An LP with highly boring slide attempts. Stormbringer is the glint of what have been possible.
All IMHO.
February 24th, 2009 at 19:29That’s Funked Up……lol
Cheers
February 24th, 2009 at 19:42Blackmore still laughs at the thought of ‘Hold On’
February 24th, 2009 at 19:54my opinion is just this:
February 24th, 2009 at 20:01the people that don’t like it are to closed and fixed to the ‘hard rock’ genre…
Deep purple are the best to me even due their ‘variations’…
Well… exactly the same goes for your opinion of “Snapshot” to name just one example, and you don’t know what my crieria is for liking something a little more or less than something else within the Purple scope. And if someone doesn’t like it, how do you know what’s the reason, they might just rate it for all it’s weakneses no matter what style it is. Anything is possible, it’s just not right to assume people have that shortcoming just because you happen to like it and they don’t.
February 24th, 2009 at 20:36All I have to say is I like Stormbringer and I hope it sells well.
February 24th, 2009 at 20:39The studio version of Stormbringer and its songs turned out much better than the “live material” with these songs. All of the whooping (?), shreaking, and shouting it just turned my stomach to hear Purple tunes treated this way. I know it doesn’t sound like DP but I really do like Hold On.
February 24th, 2009 at 21:47Crimson
February 24th, 2009 at 23:07this is true: eveything is possible…but it sound so extremely good to me that is really hard to think to other possibilities…
All Purple is good Purple, my friends up north in Canada swear that “Stormbringer” is by far Purple’s best and don’t even like InRock or Machine Head, and there is no telling them anything… they know what they like, and Glenn Hughes is their favorite Purpleman, they don’t even identify with the rest, they aren’t interested.
I know they’re very excited about this release.
I just purchased it myself, but I’m a sound buff and have it in every format including Quad vinyl and reel to reel. I will enjoy hearing in Quad now with remastering, while reading the liner notes.(also curious about the PCM stereo format)
February 25th, 2009 at 00:56Stoffer, another Great Point. I didn’t like the Studio version too much, and then, when I heard Hughes with his overbearing Squeels and Coverdale trying to out Squeel him live, That was it for me.
Cheers
February 25th, 2009 at 02:00Finally!
The best Purple album gets the treatment it deserves (hopefully). Probably one of the most underrated albums in early hard rock music.
February 25th, 2009 at 09:44Hey Roberto,
You really should try to hear what people are saying and not just repeatedly churn out the same criticism. If not liking funk means that I am “closed and fixed to the ‘hard rock’ genre” – then you might say that labels me! But in reality my musical taste is more eclectic than most. Far from being closed to hard rock, I just don’t like funk, or Glenn’s vocals for that matter. Personal preference, that’s all. Peace.
February 25th, 2009 at 09:45All time favorite album cover–music not bad either–great album.
February 25th, 2009 at 12:20#29
Sorry for mistyping, I meant Inspiration, not insiration.
February 25th, 2009 at 23:26And, it seems to me that Stormbringer is DP´s #1 Album … in controverse among their own fans! All the people who are here, in this website, in this forum, using time to make their oppinion public, are supposed to be not only fans, but afficcionated, in DP… And there are tons of disagreement, going to “best” to “worst” DP album ever…
I thought that was a CTTB predicative, I must think over it…. Love and Peace!
FROM “best” to “worst”… sorry for my English mistakes (but I bet I can write in portuguese better than most of you…lol)
February 25th, 2009 at 23:28It was a very cheap shot and not typical of Ormandy, as far as I’ve seen over the years. He had to be just kidding, but forgot the “lol.”
February 26th, 2009 at 02:28I love the fact that everyone bashes Abandon now. It is a hopeless turd of an album but when it came out you could not slag it for fear of being burnt at the stake. I fancy the next one will be the same. Blackmore forever!
February 26th, 2009 at 19:52My two cents on the remaster.
As for Abandon, what I remember is that everyone had a hate-on for the two tracks on it that I thought stood out, the opener “Any Fule Kno That”, and “69”.
February 26th, 2009 at 20:44Stormbringer..
I really don’t refuse this work..but..it is
neither meat nor fish…I like only the titletrack.
It is between BURN (pure hard rock) and CTTB (great rock funky). Stormbringer is lost in a ambiguous and soft sound..it is boring IMHO..
Like also in BURN,HUGHES and Coverdale
February 26th, 2009 at 22:12have always had a singing with inspiration funky, funky tunes. Listen MIGHT JUST TAKE YOUR LIFE,YOU FOOL NO ONE,WHAT’S GOING ON HERE,but the sound of the tracks are more unique to the sound,more recognizable to DP’s rock.
On Stormbringer the tracks are lost in a new sound,very soft,sometimes to me it seems to listen a piece from Harvest ( N.Young 😕 )..after with CTTB a great real hard rock funky. Stormbringer is too soft,it is not rock and DP are a ROCK BAND,like always they have been..
@47
I’m sure you also just picked up your womens ‘tights’ from the cleaners, lol!
Keep the iron on low so you don’t melt them, and hurry up so you don’t miss your flight, the next show is in a couple of days.[sic!]
Oh, I do agree with the first part, but you lost me after that.
February 27th, 2009 at 01:33Darryl!
Are you by any chance Sir.Ritchie of Blackpoof´s mandolin tech……????
February 27th, 2009 at 04:55Blackmore rules!!! that DP and RAINBOW riffs – solos have only two owners-creators: Blackmore-Lord
February 27th, 2009 at 06:57long live paicey-glover
Latinoamerica salutes !!! everywhere
jeje is absurd,stupid, sorry lord dont have riffs and solos with rainbow…
February 27th, 2009 at 07:04but that voice: Ronnie james Dio… wowwwww
@51…..He might be ‘Will Scarlet’, the ‘Tight Weaver’ of Sherwood Forest…….One Of the Merry men!
February 27th, 2009 at 09:54#49, if every album sounded the same wouldn’t it be very boring??
February 28th, 2009 at 02:39yes stoffer of course..
But i don’t like Stormbringer (IMHO), it happens.. 🙂
to much easy sound,too much soft..it is not a hard rock,and DP are hard rock..but it could be I mistake with my thoughts..
ciao
February 28th, 2009 at 12:39cheers
Deep purple are what they play…and in ‘stormbringer’ they played magical and in my opinion innovative soul funk pop hard rock blues mixture…
February 28th, 2009 at 16:16they are genius…
AndreA, you don’t have to like Stormbringer its all personal opinion. I don’t care much for Abandon but its still Purple and that makes it better than almost everything else.
February 28th, 2009 at 22:31Cheers & Ciao
I understand what you mean stoffer,I accept it without problems 🙂
me too I like this work but not at the same level of others and this new re-mastered release ( as I can read )
prove that STORMBRINGER has great influence from funky,by
Hughes…in the case of the new re-mastered this shadow has increased..
the old Stormbringer is good music but too much involved to easy soft funky,less hard rock..so i consider COME TASTE THE BAND an excellent work, better funky than Stormbringer also because it keep on hard rockin’,hard sound like in Burn Lp..
but surely i don’t feel to be in reason,so I respect yours thoughts!
easy living (sometime I am able to.. 🙂 )
ciao
March 2nd, 2009 at 15:25Hello ladies and gents, long time no post! Speaking of Stormbringer, I’m sure the remastered version will sound great, but all in all, way to much GH funk on that release, Stormbringer, Lady Double Dealer, Gypsy, Soldier of Fortune, being the only tunes that I bother with, even back then!! On the brighter side, sales figures popped out yesterday on WQUT, Radio Station out of Johnson City Tenn. just announced sales figures for Snakes GTBB just passed 300.000 mark, not bad for the US, where they have not gotten adequate exposure and virtually no airplay on the Radio!! Way to go DC!! Do you all know any of the sales for GTBB in the UK? Thanx Bill The Wizard Pierce
March 11th, 2009 at 15:51