GEMINI SUITE

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This debut solo album by Deep Purple's keyboard player, Jon Lord, made a big surprise to the rock music fan because Jon offered something totally different with Deep Purple's music undertaking. Look at the music style which was totally different with most of any Deep Purple releases - except for "Concerto for Group and Orchestra". As we all know that musicians require some breaks from regularity playing certain kind of music to another style which usually in the forms of "project". There are many musicians doing that, like GTR, ASIA, Liquid Tension Experiment, Transatlantic, Platypus. In the case of Jon lord he made his own undertakings through exploration of classical music. The music on this album was originally written as a commission for the BBC and first performed at The Festival Hall with Deep Purple and the Orchestra of The Light Music Society in 1970.

As you may have guessed from the track title, it's very obvious that this album is an exploration of each soloist (guitar, piano, drums, vocals, bass-guitar, and organ) augmented with orchestra. It depends on how you perceive the orchestra music but for me personally, this is an enjoyable album by Jon Lord. I almost like all tracks feature excellent orchestra. What makes me interested is the "Piano" where bass guitar plays significant role.

Overall, this is a good album which indicates Jon's capability to create music score with good composition.

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

For me, a lover of Hammond organ, Jon Lord stands as one of the top five organ grinders of all time. Maybe, even, he's the greatest. Few organ players have been able to squeese, bend and distort the keyboard like him. Listening to the great(er) live albums by Deep Purple or those made in the studio, one is surely, regardless of ones preference in music, bound to be impressed by him.

So, knowing full well his love for classical music one could expect an album based on elements from that genre. In many of his recordings with Purple (and others) there are classical elements to be found and since Deep Purple seemed to stray more and more into Heavy metal territory, what could be more fitting than seeing Lord making a solo album in his own taste?

Actually, Gemini Suite is as progressive as it gets. Classical meets rock and gives birth to progressive music and they build a home named Gemini Suite and their furniture are long pieces of presumably epic proportions. Great!

But, and there is one, the music tends to be somewhat overwhelming and overbearing. Thus the music becomes too heavy handed and almost self centered. There is nothing really obviously wrong with the music, it is all very well played and composed. One has to give him credit for this work. However, it fails to grasp me and leaves me rather indifferent in the end. I think that the track "Organ" is the best of the lot. Begonning with an orchestra performing a classical sounding theme, Lord's organ creeps in to the picture and allows him to demonstrate his skill on the keys.

This may have been a visionary album in it's day and I applaud his effort. I can even say that I feel warmly about this album, though it fails to enthrall me in the way other albums by Lord (and associates mostly, I must confess) does. So, no matter how epic, progressive and visionary it may be, the album falls on it's face and leaves only a slab of classically infused prog on the ground. Impressive but not engaging. Sorry.