WHO DO WE THINK WE ARE

By the end of 1972 and with worldwide recognition on their shoulders after the hugely successful 'Machine Head' and the stratospheric live album 'Made in Japan', the pressure from Deep Purple's managers to continue taking advantage of the band's state of grace did nothing but add fuel to the fire to the already deteriorated relationship between its members and it seemed to matter little that Ritchie Blackmore barely exchanged a word with Ian Gillan. And it was in the midst of this critical and forced situation that the band released 'We Do We Think We Are' (1973), their seventh album.

A proposal that, although it doesn't have as memorable and forceful pieces as 'Machine Head', has some rescuable moments of unquestionable value, such as the rocking 'Woman From Tokyo', the tribute to the great receptivity that the British had on their excursions to Japan, and the only single from the album, Blackmore's zeppelin-like riffs combined with Lord's huge keyboard display in the powerful 'Rat But Blue', and the great guitar solo of the man in black over Roger Glover's bass lines in the robust blues 'Place in Line'.

A step below are the agile and lilting developments of 'Mary Long', 'Super Trouper' and 'Smooth Dancer', which move towards a more conventional classic rock, and the grandiloquent and intoned 'Our Lady', which does not seem to be part of the sound frequency of the purple universe recognisable at that time.

Once the recording of the album was finished and in the middle of the umpteenth promotional tour, Gillan resigned in writing (that's how difficult things were) from the band, accompanied in the decision by Glover. This was the end of Deep Purple's most successful line-up (Mark II) until their reunion eleven years later on 1984's 'Perfect Strangers'.

3/3.5 stars

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