The Damned United (2009 film)

Some time ago I wrote a short blog post about the 2009 movie The Damned United. I recently watched the film again, and thought that I would put together a slightly more substantial and considered assessment.

The film chronicles the ill-fated forty-four day tenure of Brian Clough as manager of Leeds United football club in 1974, and is adapted from David Peace's book.

Michael Sheen delivers a superb performance in the Brian Clough role, although some may contend that the depiction of Clough's well known character traits and mannerisms is slightly exaggerated and lacking in nuance. However, as the film progresses the portrayal does become more rounded, showing frailties and insecurities.

The "aesthetic" of the picture to me brings across some of the gritty authenticity of English football, and indeed England in general, during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Images of terraced houses and so forth evoke feelings of "dark Satanic mills". There is not much sunshine and levity, but much honest toil and plain-speaking.  I find some modern films to be bland and clinical in their visual backcloth, but this doesn't fall into the trap as much as most.

A large portion of the movie is given over to "flashback" sequences which chronicle the relationship, and the animosity, between Clough and the long-time Leeds manager Don Revie. The football action sequences are deeply unconvincing, the actors being too old and not athletic enough, although these scenes do succeed in creating atmosphere and context for the overall story. The producers sensibly employed archive footage to help document the tale.

When I first viewed the film, I did not fully appreciate or take in the excellence of Timothy Spall's performance as Clough's assistant Peter Taylor.  In this depiction, Taylor was often the voice of reason and common sense amidst Clough's excesses and flights of fancy.  Assertive, pugnacious, but less egotistical.

Whether the characterization of Taylor presented here is an accurate representation of the true picture is another matter, but it makes for good drama, and occasionally even good comedy. The movie also acknowledges and emphasizes Taylor's input and contribution to the partnership - his eye for a player, his practicality, his contacts and his all-round knowledge of the game.

I won't ramble on about any technical or historical inaccuracies which spring up, because they always occur in films of this nature. Anyway, they are kept to a tolerable minimum, as far as I could ascertain.

As a supporter of Leeds United, I will try not to be overly paranoid concerning the film's portrayal of the club and of Don Revie. Overall, I would say there is relatively little to complain about on this score, and after all, some of the characteristics and tendencies which are highlighted are ones which we relish and glory in...

Michael Sheen has been lauded for his portrayal of Brian Clough's public persona, but for me the most impressive aspect of his performance was how he conveyed the sense of doom and helplessness, as the forty-four days unfolded, and as his position at Leeds gradually unraveled. Lonely, isolated and vulnerable, and missing the wise counsel and comradeship of Peter Taylor.

So, still a film very much worthy of  a watch, and praise also for the use of "Flight Of The Rat" by Deep Purple!

Come Taste The Band/Deep Purple Mk IV

The 1975/76 "twilight" period of the original Deep Purple is customarily deemed to be most noteworthy, by many people, for the extracurricular antics of certain band members, and the setbacks which afflicted the group. The Mk IV line-up (signifying the arrival of Tommy Bolin in the line-up) only released one album, Come Taste The Band, in October 1975.

While it is fair to say that the post-1973 output of Deep Purple lacked the eclectic quirkiness and humour of the Mk II line-up, mostly due to the loss of the Gillan/Glover songwriting input, it would be unfair to universally denigrate it as meat-and-potatoes hard rock. Come Taste The Band has a certain energy and intensity about it.

I have heard it said that this is not a "real" Purple album.  This notion possibly stems from the absence of Ritchie Blackmore, and the fact that much of the creative strength on the record comes from David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes and Tommy Bolin, thus bringing about a different sound.

In tone the LP is very much of its time, exuding some of the ennui and hedonism of the mid-Seventies. The active participation of the newer members of the band, and the shrinking input of the Purple "old guard", gives the album its feel, with soul, funk and blues influences more to the fore.

David Coverdale's vocals are agreeably soulful and bluesy in the best bits, with the song "I Need Love" springing to mind in this respect. That song also has a strong R&B component, with a funky interlude in its middle section. "Drifter" has a contemporary, frenetic style, and "Love Child" prefigures later hard rock in some ways.

It is also pleasant to hear Jon Lord's organ actually sounding like a proper organ, and not constantly seeking to imitate guitars. It adds a classy and welcome sheen and texture to several of the tracks here. Ian Paice's drum work is inventive, unorthodox and excellent as always.

"This Time Around/Owed to 'G'" has attracted much comment, and it represents something different in its dreaminess, with some detecting the influence of Stevie Wonder.

Another intriguing number is "Keep On Moving", with its menacing beginning and its harmonies. A strong and atmospheric way to close out the record, and strangely apt when one bears in mind that the band would fold within a matter of months.

Approach this album with an open mind, and it is a surprisingly enjoyable record, especially considering the backdrop to its recording. Some inventiveness and imagination is evident if one looks and listens hard enough.  It might not be the "true" Purple, but it is by no means a bad album.

Made In Japan - Deep Purple - album review

Recently, I rediscovered Deep Purple's 1972/1973 live album "Made In Japan", and it was a revelation. For me, it remains the band's greatest single achievement, capturing their strengths with greater clarity and purpose than even their classic studio albums of the early Seventies. Which other acts have a live record as their "magnum opus"?  The one which springs to mind is The Allman Brothers Band, with "At Fillmore East".

The energy and commitment in these performances has to be heard to be believed, comfortably eclipsing that on the equivalent studio recordings. The feel is looser, more urgent and intense, and the effect is heightened by the scope for jamming and improvisation, with a healthy does of general 1970s excess and extravagance.

One of the things which one notices straight away is that Jon Lord's keyboards are allowed freer rein. The organ sounds like an organ more frequently, and it is extremely pleasing to the ear. There is less emphasis on trying to make the organ sound like a guitar.

Ian Gillan is in fine voice and in ebullient form. Those famous screams are much in evidence, adding considerably to the excitement of the set. As ever, Ian Paice is imperious, his drums almost a lead instrument alongside the guitar and keyboards. It still baffles me that he is rarely mentioned when lists of the great rock drummers are compiled. The interplay (possibly stemming from personal rivalry) between Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord and Paice is exhilarating here, and importantly they seem to know where and when to draw the line.

"Highway Star" is a perfect opener, as it encapsulates what would make the whole album so enthralling. This version has a rawness which is absent even from the brilliant "Machine Head" cut. Yes, it lacks a bit of "polish", but is "polish" really all that important in this context? As many have contended, this really is the ultimate Deep Purple song, outstripping the claims of more "obvious" candidates for that accolade...

Every number on "Made In Japan" positively drips with self-confidence and authority. Jon Lord once said that this record was a wonderful snapshot of the Mk II Deep Purple in all its glory, and you can see what he meant.  All too often live albums capture bands who are either off-form or fatigued.  This is a glorious exception. There are glimpses too of what made Ritchie Blackmore so influential to later rock guitarists; some flourishes and motifs which were seldom heard on the studio works.

"Child In Time" is probably not my favourite Purple number, but the one here is a very nice rendition. Again, the organ sound is lovely, and it substitutes for the guitar in what on record was the first part of the Blackmore solo. Roger Glover's bass-playing is more clearly audible than is sometimes the case on the group's songs. The same is the case on other tracks on this album. There is more life and zest here than on the version of the song on "In Rock". This is down to the contributions of all concerned.

It has often been remarked that the iconic status of "Smoke On The Water" owes much to the popularity and impact of the version of the song included on this live LP.  Again, the interpretation contains more melody and spontaneity than the one which featured on "Machine Head". The musicians sound like they are taking the initiative, forcing the pace, rather than being carried along by it. The guitar solo is very off-the-cuff, and we hear some fine vocal ad-libbing from Gillan. The absence of a fade-out means that we get a great ending, characterized by some sparring between Messrs Blackmore and Lord.

"Strange Kind Of Woman" assumes something approaching a whole new lease of life. The "Fireball" recording is a touch dry. As on other tracks on this album, Purple sound motivated, eager and uninhibited, and Blackmore's guitar solo is quite effervescent. The "call and response" section involving Gillan and Blackmore was a regular Purple tactic. Always good fun, and intriguing when one bears in mind the antagonisms and friction which supposedly plagued this line-up of the band. One upmanship may have been a motivating factor...

In many respects the highlight of the album, "Lazy" acts as a showcase for the instrumentalists to exhibit their individual prowess and ensemble playing skills. Ritchie displays his eclecticism here too, the group members feeding off each other with considerable aplomb. An exciting ride.

The final track on the original album, "Space Truckin'" is given the full treatment, Ian Paice supplying much of the extra punch and agility, and the famous riff sounds even more menacing in this environment. Another case of a song being extended to facilitate all sorts of extras, including what sounds to these ears like an attempt at a "freak out" sequence in the middle.

"Made In Japan" is a reminder of what a formidable and potent act the Mk II Deep Purple were, and also of what happened in the days when rock bands were let off the leash and permitted to perform like this.

Deep Purple

In recent months, I have been listening to some of the music of Deep Purple, primarily that which the group recorded during what is generally acknowledged to be their peak period, 1970-73.  It occurred to me that Purple are still somewhat under-estimated in the grand scheme of things, and it is tricky to pinpoint the precise reason for this.

Over the years, the musical “establishment”  seems to have crystallized its view of which artists demand inclusion in some kind of pantheon.  For various reasons, many of the influential writers have had blind spots about artists who by any objective reasoning deserve greater respect.  It strikes me that Deep Purple is one of the groups which suffers unfairly in these deliberations.

I have detected a particularly ambivalent attitude towards Purple here in England, the country where the band was formed.  It is often said of my countrymen that we sometimes fail to appreciate the value of what we have on our doorstep, and this could be just another example of this phenomenon.  Even the mighty Led Zeppelin have fallen prey to this shortcoming, in my opinion.

There may be a residual stigma resulting from Purple’s perceived role in the development of “heavy metal” (debatable in itself), and also a sense that they epitomized the excesses of Seventies rock.

In addition, they were never consciously or identifiably part of any “scene” or “movement”, emerging from disparate origins and sources, and tended to plough their own furrow in the music world.  Also, the fragmented and sometimes acrimonious nature of the band’s history may leave people disorientated.

Although Deep Purple seem to have enjoyed the support of certain journalists who were known to be sympathetic to the practitioners of hard rock and progressive rock, to others they were much less palatable.

Perhaps Purple’s “crime” in the eyes of some pundits was to possess technical proficiency, and to be base their live shows on a display of their improvisational prowess.  Or maybe the group’s lyrics were not as “socially conscious” as the self-appointed arbiters of taste would have preferred?

Oddly enough, many of the factors which led to resistance are the ones which I find so endearing.  A cursory listen to their blistering live album “Made In Japan” should convince anyone without tin ears of their qualities.  It is easy to see why the Mark II incarnation of the band regarded this record as its crowning glory.  Dynamism, energy and inventiveness in abundance.

Admittedly, things post-1973 were a trifle patchy.  If only the Mark III version of Purple had been able to maintain the standard of the title track of the “Burn” album, in my humble estimation one of the high points of the entire Purple saga…

Jon Lord

I was very saddened to hear this evening of the death of Jon Lord, keyboard player with Deep Purple, at the age of 71.

His inventive and distinctive organ playing helped distinguish Deep Purple from the other bands of their era, giving additional subtlety and texture to their sound.

Whenever I saw Jon being interviewed on documentaries, he came across as a very engaging, amiable and entertaining man.

A very sad loss.  Rest In Peace Jon.

Machine Head - Deep Purple - album review

I prefer to avoid the endless and tiresome debates about what constitutes "heavy metal", "heavy rock", and "hard rock", as these pigeon-holes invariably demean the talent and imagination of the artists involved.

What is difficult to dispute, however, is that some individual albums, pointed the way forward, set trends, or simply served as a definitive example of their creators' oeuvre.  One of these is Deep Purple's 1972 release, Machine Head.

Machine Head may or may not have contained as many heady peaks and seminal moments as earlier Purple LPs, but it is their most cohesive and fully-realised statement.  Several factors contributed to this, including the circumstances under which it was recorded.  The consistent quality and variety of the material were also instrumental.

My one misgiving about the album is its sound, which is what could be best described as an acquired taste. To me, the rhythm section, and in particular Ian Paice's drums, is not captured with as much crispness and clarity as on other Deep Purple recordings.  This may have been partly because of the experimentation being undertaken with keyboard and guitar sounds, partly because of the conditions of the recording sessions, and partly intentional.  At times the sound has quite a stifling, claustrophobic feel to it, for my ears at least, but the quality of the songs and the musicianship ultimately prevail.

The album commences with one of the group's signature tunes, "Highway Star".  This was a shrewd choice as the opener, because it amply showcases the talents of Blackmore, Lord and Gillan, and contains some irresistible hooks. A memorable song, despite its enigmatic lyrical content.

After the thrills of "Highway Star", we come back to earth with the "meat and potatoes" heavy rock of "Maybe I'm A Leo", which is partially redeemed by some pleasant vocal harmonies, and effective guitar and keyboard solos.

One of the high points of the whole album, and Purple's catalogue, follows - "Pictures of Home". A relentless rhythm and riff drive the track, which features some of Blackmore's most memorable guitar parts. There is even a Roger Glover bass solo towards the end of proceedings!

"Never Before" was unsuccessful when released as a single, but is something of a hidden gem here. Many twists and turns occur, from the funky introduction, to the quintessentially Purplesque verses, and the more introspective middle section, which is followed by a guitar solo. An enjoyable and well-crafted rock song.

What can be said about "Smoke On the Water" that has not already been said a million times before?  Has familiarity dulled the impact and punch of that legendary riff?  The pedestrian verses in particular do not really live up to the aura created by that riff, and the harmonies in the chorus come as a relief. Strangely, I now find the guitar solo to be the most memorable feature of this song.

The largely instrumental "Lazy" has a more freewheeling, spontaneous spirit about it, with bluesy and jazzy elements in there. This all made it ideally suited for the concert setting, but this studio rendition is a creditable and gritty effort. It could have sounded self-indulgent, but its jaunty vibe, and the clever arrangement, ensure that this is not the case. Harmonica is also featured; unusual for Deep Purple!

The closing track on the original album, "Space Truckin'", possesses the same swagger as "Highway Star", and also bears similarities instrumentally, by virtue of its organ-intensiveness.  The lyrics may represent a departure for Deep Purple, but there is little doubting the overall effect.

The 25th anniversary edition contains the ethereal and reflective "When A Blind Man Cries", which stands out from the flamboyance of the other songs. This song is also a reminder of Ian Gillan's often forgotten vocal versatility. In some respects (the organ and guitar) the number is reminiscent of Pink Floyd.

So there we have it, Machine Head.  Deep Purple's previous work, and some of that which followed, was very influential on the rock music of the ensuing decades, especially in the USA, but Machine Head in many ways defined them, and an era of rock music.