Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan, a true Renaissance man and proprietor of British hard rock, knows how to build on a good thing. In this case, he’s added another wing to Gillan’s Inn, his solo effort from 2006. Along with the disc’s original 15 songs, there’s a couple of live bonus tracks from Gillan’s 2006 tour along with a DVD packed with all kinds of goodies, including the complete album in 5.1 surround, lyrics, photos, commentaries, interviews, a discography, and footage of Gillan on tour and in the studio with such heavy hitting pals as Joe Satriani, Ronnie James Dio, Jeff Healey, Jon Lord and Deep Purple cohorts Ian Paice and Roger Glover.
Gillan’s Inn is an odd assortment of old songs from the singer’s career with Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, as well as on his own. At this point in his life, Gillan wants to have fun by keeping things loose and friendly. So, he invites guitarist Satriani to the studio and they cut a hell raisin’ version of “Unchain Your Brain” from Gillan’s 1980 album Glory Road, as well as “Hang Me Out To Dry” and “Speed King.” And why not bring back Janick Gers — who played with Gillan in the early 80s and now occupies a slot with Iron Maiden — for a bit of “Magic.”
Tony Iommi joins Gillan, with Purple band mates Glover and Paice strapped into the engine room, for “Trashed,” from the one and only Sabbath album Gillan ever appeared on, Born Again. Purple’s guitarist Steve Morse and keyboardist Don Airey also pops up on numbers here and there. Even Jon Lord, Purple’s original keyboardist, turns up on a couple of tracks. He joins in the rave-up rendition of “Smoke of The Water,” which includes Gillan, Glover, Paice, Morse, Robby Takac, Johnny Rzeznik, and The Mississauga Singers.
To celebrate the initial release of Gillan’s Inn, the singer assembled a band and played a few select venues in the States and Europe. “Have Love Will Travel” and “Wasted Sunsets,” from his appearance at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, fill out the end of the CD with an appropriate roundhouse kick. More extras in the package are on the DVD. Here, the record receives the old 5.1 surround treatment from top to bottom (although don’t expect much in visual accompaniment, unless you like looking at the same three slides revolving around each song). There are also chunks of fan footage, tour bus fun, interviews, and what not. Once you check into this deluxe tour edition of Gillan’s Inn, you may never want to leave.
~ Shawn Perry
