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(Apr 11, 2006)

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A Best-Of collection with style

Ian Gillan could easily have simply released a greatest hits album -- he's certainly had the career to warrant one. But he didn't leave it at that; instead, he's celebrating these songs by re-recording them with some of his friends.

This type of project always runs the danger of being simply an exercise in mimicry, but luckily every one of the recordings here brings something new to the table; a fresh perspective, a new interpretation, often challenging the memory of the originals we are familiar with.

Since this is an overview of Ian's career both in Deep Purple and on his own, although hard-core fans might wish for material less over-exposed from his back catalogue it is probably inevitable that major signpost songs like Smoke On The Water be included instead. And to to their credit, the versions presented are not hoary chestnuts, but add something worthwhile to the vast roster of recordings. And there are still many lesser-known titles presented as well. There's even a new tune here to provide value to the hard-core completists out there.

And if that were not enough, the DVD side of the disc is a treasure-trove of gems certain to find favour with even the most jaded fan. The features, interviews and commentary provide plenty of insight into both the career and the mind of Ian Gillan. The making-of feature and many photos manage to convey a sense of what it was like making "Gillan's Inn". The menus are presented using imagery and sounds appropriate to the pub theme. And if all that wasn't enough, the DVD contains the first official glimpses of the short-lived Joe Satriani version of Deep Purple; we can only hope this means the chances of more material from that lineup finally getting released have gotten better. The one ill-conceived extra is the "choose-your-guitarist" Smoke On The Water. Nice idea, but each time you select a new guitarist, the song starts over from the beginning; you are going to be heartily sick of SotW (and need an exceptional musical memory) by the time you've managed to compare all the solo spots.

With over an hour of great songs and all the extras, whether one is intimately familiar with Ian's work or only knows him from his Machine Head and In Rock classics, there is something worthwhile to be found in Gillan's Inn. Highly recommended.

Wolf Schneider
Vancouver, BC / Canada

Last update: April 9, 2006