DEEP PURPLE – Turning to Crime
- Posted on 12-11-2021
Deep Purple’s upcoming record cleverly titled "Turning to Crime" is nothing less than a covers album consisting of twelve tracks that are all brimming with energy and intent. This is a highly entertaining and memorable collection of interesting and intriguing cover renditions – the majority of which are expertly arranged and deftly executed. The sound is huge, booming, and full of life, and these seasoned veterans have added a fresh perspective to such exceptionally cool tunes as "Let the Good Times Roll" (Ray Charles and Quincy Jones) and "7 and 7 Is" (Love) and also managed to leave their own unique mark on the compositions and perform them with a prominent sense of authority, conviction, experience, and emotion. The song material is varied and range from 50s rock ‘n’ roll gems to classic rock and further on to psychedelic rock and the blues. Personal favorites include the spirited version of "Shapes of Things" (The Yardbirds), the raunchy "Lucifer" (Bob Seger System), the thrilling "Oh Well" (Fleetwood Mac), and the weirdly beautiful "White Room (Cream). The album closer "Caught in the Act" is essentially a glorious medley of great classics and it rules beyond belief – and it is pretty damn creative too. The only one that does nothing for me is "The Battle of New Orleans" but then I have always considered that one a dreadful piece. "Dixie Chicken" (Little Feat) is not particularly noteworthy either and lacks the bounce and groove of nearly every other tune to be found on the disc, which basically just means that it pales in comparison to the rest.
"Turning to Crime" is an inspired offering and there are heaps of fun to be had here. It also perfectly illustrates the fact that Purple are still capable of surprising the fans and listeners and that there is a lot of mileage left in the tank. One can only hope that two or three of these tracks will be aired on their upcoming tour. What a great fucking band this is!