Perfect Strangers (album)

Perfect Strangers
Studio album by Deep Purple
Released 29 October 1984
Recorded August 1984
Studio "Horizons" in Stowe, Vermont, USA with Le Mobile Studio
Genre Hard rock, heavy metal
Length 39:28
Label Polydor
Mercury (US only)
Producer Roger Glover & Deep Purple
Deep Purple chronology
Come Taste the Band
(1975)Come Taste the Band1975		 Perfect Strangers
(1984)		 The House of Blue Light
(1987)The House of Blue Light1987
Singles from Perfect Strangers
  1. "Perfect Strangers"
    Released: 1984
  2. "Knocking at Your Back Door"
    Released: 1984

Perfect Strangers is the eleventh studio album by the British rock band Deep Purple, released in October 1984. It represents the first (as well as the most successful) album recorded by the reformed 'Mark II' line-up.[1]

It was the first Deep Purple studio album in nine years, and the first with the Mk II line-up in eleven years, the last being Who Do We Think We Are in 1973. Ritchie Blackmore and Roger Glover arrived from Rainbow, Ian Gillan from Black Sabbath, Jon Lord from Whitesnake, and Ian Paice from Gary Moore's backing band.

The CD and cassette versions of the album contained the extra track "Not Responsible" (one of few Deep Purple songs with profane lyrics, as the word "fucking" can be heard in the song). The album was remastered and reissued on 22 June 1999 with the bonus instrumental track "Son of Alerik". The latter had previously been available as a B-side on the single "Perfect Strangers" in 1984.

The album was a commercial success, reaching #5 in the UK charts and #17 on the Billboard 200 in the US. Perfect Strangers was only the second Deep Purple studio album to be certified platinum in the US, following 1972's Machine Head.[2] The tour was so successful that the band had to book many additional dates to the US arena tour, as tickets sold out very quickly. Their US tour in 1985 out-grossed every artist that year except Bruce Springsteen.[3]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal10/10[4]
Rock Hard9.0/10[5]
Rolling Stone[6]

The album received mixed reviews. Deborah Frost of Rolling Stone in a contemporary review remarked that, with the exception of the two singles, "The material consists of hastily knocked-off jams" and wondered if the release was just made "to cash in on the current heavy-metal craze". But she also stated, "Blackmore's Strat has such a great roar that you're willing to just let it reverberate in your eardrums for a bit. And it's nice to hear Jon Lord's synthesized organ squalls, Ian Paice's electrifying drumming, Ian Gillan's howls and whispers and Roger Glover's solid bass lines once again", although, "Instead of Glover, an outside producer might have forced the band to tighten up its licks and arrangements."[6] Canadian journalist Martin Popoff praised this comeback album which "only nods to the '70s" and concentrates "on songcraft rather than technical display", placing Deep Purple as "a reference point of a genre in metal without categorization".[4]

"A great moment in time," suggested Glover, "but, as an album, it doesn't quite hang together."[7]

Track listing

All songs by Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan and Roger Glover except where noted. "Not Responsible" was originally cassette and CD only, not on vinyl LP. "Son of Alerik" was not on original cassette, vinyl or CD release; used as an edited 7" B-side, or full version on the 12" of the "Perfect Strangers" single and the European version of the compilation Knocking at Your Back Door: The Best of Deep Purple in the 80's

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Knocking at Your Back Door"7:09
2."Under the Gun"4:40
3."Nobody's Home" (Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Jon Lord, Ian Paice)4:01
4."Mean Streak"4:26
Side two
No.TitleLength
5."Perfect Strangers"5:31
6."A Gypsy's Kiss"5:14
7."Wasted Sunsets"3:58
8."Hungry Daze"5:01

Personnel

Deep Purple
Production
  • Produced by Roger Glover and Deep Purple
  • Recorded at "Horizons", Stowe, Vermont with Le Mobile Studio, 1984
  • Mixed at Tennessee Tonstudio, Hamburg, Germany
  • Engineered by Nick Blagona
  • Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, New York

Charts

Certifications

Country Organization Year Sales
USA RIAA 1985 Platinum (+ 1,000,000)[25]
Canada CRIA 1985 Platinum (+ 100,000)[26]
Germany BVMI 1985 Gold (+ 250,000)[27]
UK BPI 1984 Gold (+ 100,000)[28]
Argentina CAPIF ??? Gold (+ 30,000)

Accolades

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Kerrang! United Kingdom "End of Year Lists – Top Album of 1984"[29] 1984 7

References

  1. 1 2 Adams, Bret. "Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  2. ↑ "Deep Purple & A Momentous Mark II Reunion". udiscovermusic.com. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  3. ↑ Lalaina, Joe (January 1989). "Jon Lord's Purple Reign". Modern Keyboard. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  4. 1 2 Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. pp. 90–91. ISBN 978-1894959315.
  5. ↑ Breusch, Matthias. "Review Album: Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers" (in German). Rock Hard. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  6. 1 2 Frost, Deborah (28 February 1985). "Deep Purple: Perfect Strangers". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  7. ↑ Rees, Paul (April 2017). "To Infinity… and Beyond?". Classic Rock #234. p. 40.
  8. ↑ "Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers". Hitparade.ch (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  9. ↑ "Album – Deep Purple, Perfect Strangers". Charts.de (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  10. ↑ "Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers (album)". Norwegiancharts.com. GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  11. ↑ "Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers (album)". Swedishcharts.com. GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  12. ↑ AA.VV. (1990). Oricon Chart Book 1970-1989 (オリコンチャートブック〈LP編) (1 ed.). Tokyo, Japan: Oricon. p. 205. ISBN 978-4871310253.
  13. 1 2 3 "Deep Purple Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  14. ↑ "infodisc.fr Note : You must select Deep Purple". infodisc.fr. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  15. ↑ "Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers". Austriancharts.at (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  16. ↑ "Gli album più venduti del 1984" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia.it. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  17. ↑ "Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers (album)". Charts.org.nz. GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  18. ↑ "Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers". Dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  19. ↑ "Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers (album)". Finnishcharts.com. GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  20. ↑ "Deep Purple Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  21. ↑ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 41, No. 19, January 19, 1985". Library and Archives Canada. 19 January 1985. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  22. 1 2 3 "Deep Purple Chart History: Mainstream Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  23. ↑ "infodisc.fr Note : You must select Deep Purple". infodisc.fr. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  24. ↑ "Deep Purple Chart History: The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  25. ↑ "RIAA Searchable Database: search for Deep Purple". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  26. ↑ "Gold Platinum Search for Deep Purple". Music Canada. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  27. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Deep Purple)" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  28. ↑ "BPI Certified Awards Database: search for Artist Deep Purple". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  29. ↑ "Kerrang – End of Year Lists – Top Album of 1984". Kerrang!. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
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