Mr Universe is just a superb rock album. No filler all killer. The highlight has to be the incredible "Fighting Man" the song that caused the break up of the Ian Gillan band. Colin Towns wrote it, Gillan loved it, the others mocked it, so Ian told them to get stuffed and formed Gillan.
I did not know that about Fighting Man. It is the top song on the album. Superb drumming by I think Liam Genocky who had the credits on the album I have. Yes still the vinyl, ditto Glory Road, and Future Shock.
Ah, Ian Gillan band: brings back happy memories. Great band with some fantastic albums. My favourite is Mr. Universe and my favourite song Fighting Man...
Gillan was a truely great band and also one of the first bands that spearheaded the NWOBHM movement. Fave Albums: Glory Road (his Best), Mr Universe (killer title track) and Future Shock. Honourable Mention: Double Trouble (feat. a young Janick Gers on guitar).
honorable mention ,????? Double Trouble is BY FAR Gillans best album,....masterpiece, Men of War ,Sunbeam,and the phenomenal Born to kill,followed by Magic ,Futureshock,G.R. ,Then Mr .Universe
Thanks for talking about Ian. I happen to be going through my IG collection theses day. I do agree with you top selections and I want to add that those compare very well with Deep Purple top albums. Ho ! The 1978 Japanese album is really worth it. More raw and heavy than same material on Mr Universe, great ideas, fantastic energy and very coherent collection of tracks 👍
In the late 1970's/early 1980's there was a rich vein of rock, especially from the ex-Purple members, Gillan was no exception. And all often making the top 10 album charts in the UK. Good times!
Good one Pete. Spent the day listening back to albums I haven't heard for years. I was never really a fan of Clear Air Turbulence and got rid of it pretty soon after I bought it. I forgot how good Glory Road is, 'If I Sing Softly' is such a beautiful song. Mr Universe has always been a favourite album of mine from the day it was released. Ian Gillan has always been one of my favourite singers and such a nice bloke.
I sure miss the days when used to go to my local record store to see what new imports he had... ohh those were the good days! Good job Pete.... Gillan and Purple were always some of my top bands!
Thanks for this Pete. Watching your output during the lockdown has been a real treat! So much so I decided to get the old Technics stacking system and Vinyl out of the loft and create a music room in the garage. inspired by you I then plan my otherwise long boring day playing long forgotten "LP`s". Already done Sabbath, Purple, MSG, Kiss,Lizzy and next to annoy the neighbours (it`s VERY amplified) Gillan. My copy of Glory Rd is signed by the man himself!!! Keep safe, but more importantly keep producing the excellent output!!!!
This is probably my favorite video from you. Knowledgeable as always, and what's most important, it made me dive deep into Ian's awesome catalog. I'd never got past Glory Road, Mr. Universe and a couple more records, and I'm so pleasantly surprised by the sheer quality of his work. Thanks, Pete!
Spot on album analysis Pete .Two crackin albums Glory Road and Mr Universe seriously underrated.I'v been a Purple fan all my life and consider both these albums right up there in terms of quality
Remember seeing Ian Gillan playing at the Rainbow Theatre, London, on the Mr Universe Tour, supported by Samson with a young Bruce Dickinson on vocals or as he was known at the time Bruce Bruce. Happy days. There was a period in 1980, when you could see Rainbow, Whitesnake and Gillan play in London, with just a few weeks of each other...but no reunion or guest appearances...we hoped Ritchie would guest...sadly not the case!
Nothing beats the Berne Torme era. I saw them many times, one that really sticks out was in 1980 @ the Rainbow, Finsbury park, London & Blackmore got up & jammed. Great day's!!......................
Of the Deep Purple offshoots back in the early 80s Gillan was the best. In fact I only got into Deep Purple after hearing Gillan. At the time in the UK they were really popular , lots of tours, hit singles and TV appearances. Somehow they are now sadly overlooked . I hardly ever hear them played on rock radio stations these days. Great work though I would rate the Magic album a little higher but I cannot argue with your no 1 Mr Universe.
Agreed. Very rarely played on UK rock stations. On the rare occasion the stations bother, they always go for the Lieber/Stoller (Elvis) or Stevie Wonder covers.
I've seen him a couple of times in Purple & nearly saw him solo. He was playing locally in the 90s & I went to see him. We were all queuing up outside when it got cancelled. We heard later he'd set up, done a sound check & blew the fuses (twice). B)
The put-the-face-together pictures on the spines thing was also done by SPV with their Popol Vuh reissue series. If you bought them all, they formed a picture of PV leader Florian Fricke.
I love Gillan/Ian Gillan Band/Ian Gillan. For me Toolbox is one of the best 90s albums extremely underrated. And Mr Universe one of the best albums ever, a top 10 for me!
@@JohannesYtterstrom I think it is as good as Purpendicular (my favorite Purple album since Perfect Strangers), and my second favorite album of the 90s, just behind Painkiller!
Great days. First saw Gillan in 1979 on Mr Universe tour. Record released on “Acrobat” label, which went bust straight away. While they shared bills with many NWOBHM bands, they were never regarded.as part of that movement by the fans who were buying the albums and concert tickets. Support on that tour were Paul Samson’s band - “Samson”. The lead singer called himself Bruce Bruce. In 1982 he left Samson and started using his real surname which is Dickinson. Bernie Torme was my hero - no one was like him or played like him.
Admittedly I'm not familiar with all his projects outside of Purple,but ALWAYS enjoyed his delivery! He ranks definitely top 15 rock singers/all time. My favorite performance - When A Blind Man Cries....strictly solo....really enjoy Toolbox,Double Trouble & GloryRoad.
I remember I bought the cassette of Magic when I was stationed in the UK in the early 80s, thanks Pete for giving me something to explore this afternoon at my desk
I'll always remember your concert experience Black Sabbath-1983-BA Tour and you were lucky to have seen him on stage. The way he screamed when he sang Black Sabbath was OUTSTANDING.
I love Ian Gillan, he is the reason for me to like rock. More than Blackmore. HE Is the number 1 for me, my rock hero. That being said, I have a difficult time hearing the Ian Gillan band, too much jazzy for my ears, so I will rank the ones I love the most: (1) Glory Road (2) Gillan (3) Future Shock (4) Double Trouble (5) Mr Universe (6) Naked Thunder (7) Magic (8) Toolbox. I think I own all of his records, even though the ones you don´t like. To be honest, One Eye to Morocco and Dreamcatcher are quite week. Cherkazoo has a great song in there, but it is a different project, ideas.... I think that in that period 1970-1974 Gillan was the best rock vocalist. Then of course, we all know his voice changed, but still he is capable of delivering good songs, such as "The Surprising" from Infinite album, which is lovely performance.
I agree about 'Mr Universe' and 'Glory Road'. I will probably be called a heretic for saying that I listen to the Mr Universe album a lot more than any of the Deep Purple albums.
Thanks for this one. As long as I've been a Deep Purple fan, I've never checked out Gillan solo. Saved your top picks, Mr. Wonderful and Glory Road in Spotify and really dig them. Great stuff!
Gillan still serves the new material quite well, vocally. But even more importantly, his LYRICS are excellent now. He gets better with age. Not that there was anything wrong with the young Ian's lyrics...but the fact is, his lyrics keeps evolving.
I didn't like Accidentally on Purpose the first couple of times I heard it. now I LOVE it. Waiting to get the version with extra tracks. It's always really interesting to hear your thoughts on various albums. Great channel.
I saw the Gillan band three or four times in the late 70s/early 80s in Edinburgh (including the gig recorded at the Gateway Studios for STV) - the band always put on a great show, & they were always rapturously received! I'd add two live recordings which are really worth tracking down: First, IGB - Live at the Budokan: honestly, it's in a whole different league to IGB in the studio - edgier, sharper, more dynamic - plus, * brilliantly* recorded. If you like IGB at all, you will absolutely *love* this album. Second, Gillan - Live at the Reading Festival, 1979: you can find this on a BBC Recordings collection, which I assume is now out of print - but if you can track it down, it captures the Gillan band at their absolute peak - raw yet totally in command of the music, hungry, urgent - & the Reading crowd just loves it! Again, the sound quality is amazing. For me, they probably slot in at numbers 2 & 3, after Mr Universe, & before Glory Road.
Thanks Pete for ranking the Ian Gillan albums, Saw Gillan three times in England awesome, Best albums 1 Mr universe 2 Clear air turbulence, 3 Glory Road 4 Future shock, 5 Scarabus. love your shows from Barrow in furness England.
Just picked up the two essential albums from Ian (Mr. Universe, Glory Road) and want to thank Pete and all of your informative comments helping me to narrow down where to start with Gillan's catalog. These two albums can't arrive in mail quick enough......will certainly "share" them with neighboring cities!
Love this video. I only have the 'Gillan' albums. Love that band and saw them a couple of times. Ian Gillan is my favourite vocalist too. 1: Glory Road, 2: Future Shock, 3: Mr Universe, 4: Double Trouble, 5: Magic. I will have to give the Ian Gillan Band releases a go. The triple cd Live compilation (Triple Live) is excellent too.
Though I really like him, I only ever owned the first 4 Gillan records (unless you count Born Again, which I really like). So: 4) Gillan 3) Glory Road 2) Future Shock 1) Mr. Universe Thanks for the video, Pete!
Thanks for this Pete, Ian's my favourite singer too. Met him once backstage on the 'Abandon' tour, he was a real gentleman, happy to sign some of these albums for me (unfortunately, the Edsel releases hadn't happened yet so these were what the record company put out when cds first started being produced), and was happy to have his picture taken with me. What was great was that I spotted the guitarist Steve Morris from 'Naked Thunder' and 'Toolbox' just before we entered the arena, and he also signed those two albums for me. It was a great night, one I'll never forget. Have you got the live dvd by Gillan called 'Glory Years'? It features the Bernie Torme lineup, with Ian in fine voice. My very first gig was on the 'Magic' tour in '82, right at the front - I was a very excited teenager seeing one of my heroes for the first time, and I remember bassist John McCoy pouring red wine over my head from the bottle he was drinking onstage, and Ian saying 'It looks like John wants to buy you a drink!'
@@michaelhein5455 They both are the cats pajamas imo. In all fairness though, Ian helped take DP to the peak of their popularity and success. Burn, Stormbringer, and CTTB are solid albums (Burn is a masterpiece), but the band took a sharp left turn musically from 1973-1976 and collapsed under it's own weight, largely due to Glenn and Tommy being total dope feins.
As a teenager in the 1980's, I bought the Scarabus album, picked up at a used record store. In the beginning I was a bit disappointed, as I was expecting a more familiar Deep Purple-like hard rock sound, not a funky fusion rock album. But over the years I've really grown to appreciate it. A decent album indeed!
Ian Gillan solo (this is the great plus of his solo catalogue) always was quite different from Deep Purple and he tried his hands (rather voice) at many genres. Just forget expectations and enjoy a really great singer. And he wrote a lot of great lyrics, often with a humour that reminds of early Rod Steward. He had stellar musicians on most of his albums. It seems that his releases were slightly different depending where in the world you got them, my view seems to be the Japanese/New Zealand (like often in some discograhies). 1. Gillan ("The Japanese Album", since I am from New Zealand I always had this one instead of the Mr. Universe) 2. Glory Road 3. Mr. Universe (Only got this one when I exchanged by LPs for CDs) 4. Clear Air Turbulence 5. Scarabus 6. (Double) Trouble (My LP release was just called Trouble and had only the studio album, later I got a CD version that was Double Trouble) 7. Child in Time 8. Future Shock 9. Toolbox 10. Naked Thunder 11. One Eye to Morocco 12. Magic 13. Accidentally On Purpose 14. Gillan's Inn 15. Ian Gillan and the Javelins (2018) 16. Dreamcatcher 17. Cherkazoo To be honest, while the top of the list are really great albums that are sadly underrated, everything below my number 10 is interesting for fans only and I would not say it is essential - just goes to show he could do more than scream.
Great reviews,glad you mentioned the Scarabus/Born again similarities.Just been blasting Born again and it always strikes me,thought I was imagining it !
Saw the GILLAN BAND dec 11th 1980 3 days after J LENNON'S Passing at the RITZ.NYC.Great show with Bernie Torme.and the classic lineup.The mood that show from what I remember was Down as you would expect.but to see him up close on a smaller Venue was Great!
I love seeing Night After Night on your cd shelf. It's my favourite UK album and hard to get on cd. I still play my vinyl copy which I bought when it came out.
I saw Gillan at Brunel University in 79 playing to about 100 people. Fantastic. No question my favorite CD is a Live at BBC set containing recording of their 79 performance at Reading festival. Recorded it from radio when played by the late Tommy Vance. Played it until tape was thin - and then found CD by accident on Amazon. So much energy & was hooked on that Colin Towns keyboard sound. They also played like it was last ever gig. If you've not heard it you really must check it out.
Love Mr Universe....still play this a lot now. Interesting comments, Pete, about how unknown Gillan's albums were in the US. Being a Brit I was very aware of them and actually saw the band at the 1980 Reading Rock Festival - awesome!
I used to read Kerrangg! back then and you could tell how popular Gillan was in Britain and Europe. They did 1 tour in the US.It was for Glory Road,which was the only album that got domestically released here in the states.I bought Glory Road and was blown away.Went to my favorite import record store and bought Mr.Universe and then Future Shock,Double Trouble and Magic as they were released and available on import.
Excellent stuff Pete. It’s funny, Gillan (the band) were huge here in the U.K. in the late 70’s/early 80’s. Bernie was a guitar genius and really energised the band. He was still touring and playing small venues here until a few months before his death. Sadly missed. Brilliant that you’re showing these albums. 👍
My absolut Top5 albums by Gillan: 1) Glory Road 2) Mr.Universe 3) Future Shock 4) Double Trouble 5) Magic. I bought all of them when they were released. Such a great albums!! I saw Gillan live here in Finland (Urheiluhalli, Himanka) march 1982. My first "Heavy Metal" concert (I was 15) - great gig it was! Cheers from Finland!
Hi Pete, I always enjoy these shows, quite a few have made me revisit albums I've not heard for quite a while so thanks for that. When it comes to Gillan's solo career I only really listen to Mr Universe through to Double Trouble, plus the live albums from that era. Glory road and Mr Universe are my favourites. At the time I didn't know Gillan had returned to rock (no internet :) and bought Mr Universe after seeing them play at the Reading festival. They were also on the BBC in concert program a couple of times that I recorded (now released officially) I bought the fusion stuff, Gillan's voice was still at it's peak then but I could never get into the jazzy/proggy stuff . I think if he stayed in Rock after leaving he may be thought of as highly as purple I got Gillan's Inn as well, it's fun but none of the remakes come close to the originals and just highlight that he isn't the singer he used to be (not a criticism , he can still do a decent job). I have the new live cd/dvd recorded with the Don Airey band but have not had a chance to play them yet. I know that you have a lot planned but I have a suggestion for the ranking show that might be interesting. How about ranking the works of an artist throughout their career instead of a single band. Eg with Gillan you could include the solo stuff with sabbath as well as purple. Schenker could include the early scorps, UFO MSG etc, Sammy Haga0r would include montrose, solo,Van halen, chickenfoot etc. It could be done as an occasional variation rather than a new show format and is obviously dependent on your collection but it might spark some comment to rank, say, Cream with Derek & the dominos and Claptons solo stuffn(or Rainbow with blackmores purple ). Glenn Hughes would make a good show I reckon.
I love the distinct sounds of Ian's bands, from through the 1974 demos, IGB, Gillan, Repo Depo, Steve Morris solo collaboration, the Javelins. I think the 1978 Japanese album is phenomenal. Alongside that I love Child in Time, Mr Universe, and Accidentally on Purpose. From the 80-82 era I actually prefer the singles tracks to the albums. And then I would always include IGB Live at the Budokan in my favourites.
Is my least favorite.. Running White face city boy is good I think, some others too, but overall a popier boring sound.. Magic, the last one, sounds a little netter to me, but, their first 4) incl the Japanese one) are the top - Deep Purple meets up with NWoBHM
To me, Future Shock (1981) is his best album outside of Deep Purple. My 2 favorite are: "Pictures Of Hell" from Toolbox (1991) and "No Laughing in Heaven" from Future Shock (1981). I also really like his new rendition of Child in Time from Ian Gillan Band (1976), "One For The Road" and "Sacre Bleue" from Future Shock (1981) and "Love Gun" from Naked Thunder (1990).
What a great review again! Gillan band is the perfect marriage - Deep Purple meets up with the NWoBHM movement! My favorites are Mr Universe and The Japanese release.. than Glory Road and Future shock C. A. Turbulence and Scarabeus is good as well and Gillans Inn also a nice one. Have to check out Toolbox, which I didn't know so far...
I have all the Gillian albums and they are all great. All imports of course. Future Shock is my favorite. I thought I was the only one who owned these. I also bought the cds.
I have the Gillan box with Mr Universe, glory road, future shock, double trouble, magic and the special 'for fans only' or stg like this.. That's a great combination
I love All Ian Gillan versions of his band, even his jazz fusion period but Gillan, the band were incredible, especially live, seen them many times. I have original vinyl releases and two very special book editions of "Double Trouble" & "Future Shock". Just a note on the fallen guitarists. I hope Paul Kossoff and Rory Gallagher are amongst them
Had all the early Albums on vinyl. As for glory road , i pre ordered as it was ltd edition with the gillan fans only. The cover had gillan logo Embossed on the cover
I saw The Ian Gillan band twice in the early 80's. After the first Ian sat on a bar stool and signed autographs, after the 2nd the whole band signed autographs. All long gone now. Have no idea where they went to. Great gigs though I really loved that band.
Clear Air Turbulence is a true classic........I got these albums on vinyl and this is one I would purchase on CD....just lay down with the fantastic album cover to look at while listening to the music.....
Love Gillan Band. Didn't really like his pre Gillan band solo stuff.Think he tried to go in a different direction from Purple at first. I like those Gillan band albums with Bernie Torme almost as much as I liked Rainbow. 1.Glory Road 2.Mr.Universe 3.Future Shock 4.Double Trouble 5.Magic 6.Tool Box 7.Gillan's Inn
Hey Pete, great special episode regarding my favorite male singer of all time. Just wanted to say that I have that Morocco album you mentioned not owning -- sadly, nothing too special and nothing at all heavy (and NO screams, haha) -- I'd give it about 3 stars (out of 5). Anyway, Gillan was the singer that inspired me the most when developing my own style and I love him for that -- I got hired in several bands just by auditioning with "Child In Time." :) The man is a vocal GOD! Not sure about you, but on my list of "Top 10 Male Rock Singers" of all time, every freaking one of the Purple and Rainbow singers has earned a slot (with Gillan permanently entrenched in the #1 slot, or course). The bottom line is that Blackmore sure knew how to pick 'em. Hahaha Regardless, keep up the good work. Your shows are a blast.
I love the albums he made with the late great Bernie Torme on guitar. Those being Mr Universe and Glory Road. They would be my top picks, followed by the ones with Janick Gers.
@@seaoftranquilityprog Cool, cool. But as you always say it's to stir up conversation. Everyone will chip in their favorites and we'll get the same result. Touche my friend. Pete knows best. 😁
Not much into the Ian Gillan Band (A couple of songs but i'm not really into that jazz/fusion stuff). But Gillan is IMO the best band to come out of Deep Purple. It rocked much harder than any other band
Garth Rocket did a few stints on Radio City as a stand in DJ on the evening rock show and acted as a judge on their annual Battle of the Bands circa 1980.
TY Pete, I'm glad to see Ian Gillan get the recognition he deserves. He should've been in the spotlight alot more! 🎤🎵🤟!! He rocks!
Mr Universe is just a superb rock album. No filler all killer. The highlight has to be the incredible "Fighting Man" the song that caused the break up of the Ian Gillan band. Colin Towns wrote it, Gillan loved it, the others mocked it, so Ian told them to get stuffed and formed Gillan.
I did not know that about Fighting Man. It is the top song on the album. Superb drumming by I think Liam Genocky who had the credits on the album I have. Yes still the vinyl, ditto Glory Road, and Future Shock.
I can't believe the other guys did not like fighting man !...what a great song ! .
Thank you for you ranking of Ian Gillan!! Love your Deep Purple shirt! Take Care.🎤🎸🎵🥁
Ah, Ian Gillan band: brings back happy memories. Great band with some fantastic albums. My favourite is Mr. Universe and my favourite song Fighting Man...
That was Gillan, not IGB.
Gillan was a truely great band and also one of the first bands that spearheaded the NWOBHM movement. Fave Albums: Glory Road (his Best), Mr Universe (killer title track) and Future Shock. Honourable Mention: Double Trouble (feat. a young Janick Gers on guitar).
honorable mention ,????? Double Trouble is BY FAR Gillans best album,....masterpiece, Men of War ,Sunbeam,and the phenomenal Born to kill,followed by Magic ,Futureshock,G.R. ,Then Mr .Universe
Thanks for talking about Ian. I happen to be going through my IG collection theses day. I do agree with you top selections and I want to add that those compare very well with Deep Purple top albums.
Ho ! The 1978 Japanese album is really worth it. More raw and heavy than same material on Mr Universe, great ideas, fantastic energy and very coherent collection of tracks 👍
In the late 1970's/early 1980's there was a rich vein of rock, especially from the ex-Purple members, Gillan was no exception. And all often making the top 10 album charts in the UK. Good times!
Great list, Pete...
Love most of his stuff...
One of the best vocalist in rock history 🤘❤️🔥
I was in two bands that recorded EP's with Bernie Torme in his studio. He was a fantastic guy to work with, no ego whatsoever. Much missed.
Good one Pete. Spent the day listening back to albums I haven't heard for years. I was never really a fan of Clear Air Turbulence and got rid of it pretty soon after I bought it. I forgot how good Glory Road is, 'If I Sing Softly' is such a beautiful song. Mr Universe has always been a favourite album of mine from the day it was released.
Ian Gillan has always been one of my favourite singers and such a nice bloke.
I sure miss the days when used to go to my local record store to see what new imports he had... ohh those were the good days! Good job Pete.... Gillan and Purple were always some of my top bands!
My favourite has always been the Japanese album. I saw that band live and it was a fantastic gig.
Thanks for this Pete. Watching your output during the lockdown has been a real treat! So much so I decided to get the old Technics stacking system and Vinyl out of the loft and create a music room in the garage. inspired by you I then plan my otherwise long boring day playing long forgotten "LP`s". Already done Sabbath, Purple, MSG, Kiss,Lizzy and next to annoy the neighbours (it`s VERY amplified) Gillan. My copy of Glory Rd is signed by the man himself!!! Keep safe, but more importantly keep producing the excellent output!!!!
This is probably my favorite video from you. Knowledgeable as always, and what's most important, it made me dive deep into Ian's awesome catalog. I'd never got past Glory Road, Mr. Universe and a couple more records, and I'm so pleasantly surprised by the sheer quality of his work. Thanks, Pete!
Spot on album analysis Pete .Two crackin albums Glory Road and Mr Universe seriously underrated.I'v been a Purple fan all my life and consider both these albums right up there in terms of quality
I really enjoy your vids Pete thanks.Especially in these times.I have always liked Ians singing .....Take care.
BT one hell of a guitarist and sadly missed.
And his image was 5 years ahead of the Zodiac Mindwarp / The Cult post punk acts of the mid 80s when psychedelia was again cool 😃
Remember seeing Ian Gillan playing at the Rainbow Theatre, London, on the Mr Universe Tour, supported by Samson with a young Bruce Dickinson on vocals or as he was known at the time Bruce Bruce. Happy days. There was a period in 1980, when you could see Rainbow, Whitesnake and Gillan play in London, with just a few weeks of each other...but no reunion or guest appearances...we hoped Ritchie would guest...sadly not the case!
Nothing beats the Berne Torme era. I saw them many times, one that really sticks out was in 1980 @ the Rainbow, Finsbury park, London & Blackmore got up & jammed. Great day's!!......................
Of the Deep Purple offshoots back in the early 80s Gillan was the best. In fact I only got into Deep Purple after hearing Gillan. At the time in the UK they were really popular , lots of tours, hit singles and TV appearances. Somehow they are now sadly overlooked . I hardly ever hear them played on rock radio stations these days. Great work though I would rate the Magic album a little higher but I cannot argue with your no 1 Mr Universe.
Agreed. Very rarely played on UK rock stations. On the rare occasion the stations bother, they always go for the Lieber/Stoller (Elvis) or Stevie Wonder covers.
Thanks Pete. I so dig Gillan. In my opinion. Some of his solo stuff is even stronger than some of the Deep Purple releases 💜
Deep Purple rules
I've seen him a couple of times in Purple & nearly saw him solo. He was playing locally in the 90s & I went to see him. We were all queuing up outside when it got cancelled. We heard later he'd set up, done a sound check & blew the fuses (twice). B)
Loved the fact he (they) had a sense of humour. Mr Universe and Glory Road my favs.
The put-the-face-together pictures on the spines thing was also done by SPV with their Popol Vuh reissue series. If you bought them all, they formed a picture of PV leader Florian Fricke.
Love this! I have my favorites but I'm so glad people are still talking about this amazing body or work!!
I love Gillan/Ian Gillan Band/Ian Gillan. For me Toolbox is one of the best 90s albums extremely underrated. And Mr Universe one of the best albums ever, a top 10 for me!
I agree about Toolbox! As a Deep Purple fan I prefer Toolbox over The House of Blue Light, Slaves and Masters and The Battle Rages On. Strong album!
@@JohannesYtterstrom I think it is as good as Purpendicular (my favorite Purple album since Perfect Strangers), and my second favorite album of the 90s, just behind Painkiller!
Thank you Pete. I hope you stay safe and healthy.
Great days. First saw Gillan in 1979 on Mr Universe tour.
Record released on “Acrobat” label, which went bust straight away.
While they shared bills with many NWOBHM bands, they were never regarded.as part of that movement by the fans who were buying the albums and concert tickets.
Support on that tour were Paul Samson’s band - “Samson”. The lead singer called himself Bruce Bruce. In 1982 he left Samson and started using his real surname which is Dickinson.
Bernie Torme was my hero - no one was like him or played like him.
Glad to see you agree that he is the best singer of all time
Best singer any genre, ever
Admittedly I'm not familiar with all his projects outside of Purple,but ALWAYS enjoyed his delivery! He ranks definitely top 15 rock singers/all time. My favorite performance - When A Blind Man Cries....strictly solo....really enjoy Toolbox,Double Trouble & GloryRoad.
Thanks again for introducing me to another great band. I bought an original LP of Mr. Universe. What a great album. Keep it up Pete!
Im looking forward to all this great content. Love it
I remember I bought the cassette of Magic when I was stationed in the UK in the early 80s, thanks Pete for giving me something to explore this afternoon at my desk
I'll always remember your concert experience Black Sabbath-1983-BA Tour and you were lucky to have seen him on stage. The way he screamed when he sang Black Sabbath was OUTSTANDING.
I love your videos! Great job! Thanks for posting them!
I love Ian Gillan, he is the reason for me to like rock. More than Blackmore. HE Is the number 1 for me, my rock hero. That being said, I have a difficult time hearing the Ian Gillan band, too much jazzy for my ears, so I will rank the ones I love the most: (1) Glory Road (2) Gillan (3) Future Shock (4) Double Trouble (5) Mr Universe (6) Naked Thunder (7) Magic (8) Toolbox. I think I own all of his records, even though the ones you don´t like. To be honest, One Eye to Morocco and Dreamcatcher are quite week. Cherkazoo has a great song in there, but it is a different project, ideas.... I think that in that period 1970-1974 Gillan was the best rock vocalist. Then of course, we all know his voice changed, but still he is capable of delivering good songs, such as "The Surprising" from Infinite album, which is lovely performance.
aww yesssssssss....So underrated. Mr. Universe is #1 for me. 2. Glory Road. 3. Future Shock. 4. Magic. 5. Double Trouble 6. Gillan. ( not counting Toolbox as a true Gillan album)
oops...I just saw the album cover in the thumb nail and "Gillan". Oh well...
I agree about 'Mr Universe' and 'Glory Road'. I will probably be called a heretic for saying that I listen to the Mr Universe album a lot more than any of the Deep Purple albums.
Great list.
Fighting Man possibly my most favourite song of all time
Thanks for this one. As long as I've been a Deep Purple fan, I've never checked out Gillan solo. Saved your top picks, Mr. Wonderful and Glory Road in Spotify and really dig them. Great stuff!
Gillan still serves the new material quite well, vocally. But even more importantly, his LYRICS are excellent now. He gets better with age. Not that there was anything wrong with the young Ian's lyrics...but the fact is, his lyrics keeps evolving.
Awesome singer he can belt it out with the best ones..
I didn't like Accidentally on Purpose the first couple of times I heard it. now I LOVE it. Waiting to get the version with extra tracks. It's always really interesting to hear your thoughts on various albums. Great channel.
I saw the Gillan band three or four times in the late 70s/early 80s in Edinburgh (including the gig recorded at the Gateway Studios for STV) - the band always put on a great show, & they were always rapturously received!
I'd add two live recordings which are really worth tracking down:
First, IGB - Live at the Budokan: honestly, it's in a whole different league to IGB in the studio - edgier, sharper, more dynamic - plus, * brilliantly* recorded. If you like IGB at all, you will absolutely *love* this album.
Second, Gillan - Live at the Reading Festival, 1979: you can find this on a BBC Recordings collection, which I assume is now out of print - but if you can track it down, it captures the Gillan band at their absolute peak - raw yet totally in command of the music, hungry, urgent - & the Reading crowd just loves it! Again, the sound quality is amazing.
For me, they probably slot in at numbers 2 & 3, after Mr Universe, & before Glory Road.
Glad to see u posted something today, feel lost when you skip a day.
I'm doing my best to make these a daily occurrence!
Thanks Pete for ranking the Ian Gillan albums, Saw Gillan three times in England awesome, Best albums 1 Mr universe 2 Clear air turbulence, 3 Glory Road 4 Future shock, 5 Scarabus. love your shows from Barrow in furness England.
Just picked up the two essential albums from Ian (Mr. Universe, Glory Road) and want to thank Pete and all of your informative comments helping me to narrow down where to start with Gillan's catalog. These two albums can't arrive in mail quick enough......will certainly "share" them with neighboring cities!
Hi Pete, i really love your stuff,your so thorough, keep up the good work my friend, stay safe and keep rockin' . Terry in London UK
Love this video. I only have the 'Gillan' albums. Love that band and saw them a couple of times. Ian Gillan is my favourite vocalist too. 1: Glory Road, 2: Future Shock, 3: Mr Universe, 4: Double Trouble, 5: Magic. I will have to give the Ian Gillan Band releases a go.
The triple cd Live compilation (Triple Live) is excellent too.
I like your order.Future Shock always gets kind of overlooked, but it is a great album and also a really great sounding production on the album.
I really need to check out his solo material and will be looking up some Ian Gillan another awesome video Pete.
The Bernie Torme solo album "Turn out the light" is one of my favourites. Well worth checking out.
Just bought it from EBay ! Thanks.
Though I really like him, I only ever owned the first 4 Gillan records (unless you count Born Again, which I really like). So:
4) Gillan
3) Glory Road
2) Future Shock
1) Mr. Universe
Thanks for the video, Pete!
Just ordered Future Shock. Great album which I never would have known about if it weren't for SOT.
glory road is number one, have them all love them, IGB no thanks still in the loft!
Thanks for this Pete, Ian's my favourite singer too. Met him once backstage on the 'Abandon' tour, he was a real gentleman, happy to sign some of these albums for me (unfortunately, the Edsel releases hadn't happened yet so these were what the record company put out when cds first started being produced), and was happy to have his picture taken with me. What was great was that I spotted the guitarist Steve Morris from 'Naked Thunder' and 'Toolbox' just before we entered the arena, and he also signed those two albums for me. It was a great night, one I'll never forget. Have you got the live dvd by Gillan called 'Glory Years'? It features the Bernie Torme lineup, with Ian in fine voice. My very first gig was on the 'Magic' tour in '82, right at the front - I was a very excited teenager seeing one of my heroes for the first time, and I remember bassist John McCoy pouring red wine over my head from the bottle he was drinking onstage, and Ian saying 'It looks like John wants to buy you a drink!'
I saw the band Gillan' three times back in the day. Still a massive fan. The man is a genius.
Now go with Glenn Hughes, Pete! :)
I second that Pete. GH
With all Glenn's stuff, it could be an hour long list!
Yeah, Ian Gillan was even the best Deep Purple singer Glenn Hughesis #1 but no disrespect to Ian, who rules and is a legend.
@@michaelhein5455 They both are the cats pajamas imo. In all fairness though, Ian helped take DP to the peak of their popularity and success. Burn, Stormbringer, and CTTB are solid albums (Burn is a masterpiece), but the band took a sharp left turn musically from 1973-1976 and collapsed under it's own weight, largely due to Glenn and Tommy being total dope feins.
@@michaelhein5455 Also Ian and Glenn both sit below Dio on the list of great Sabbath vocalists, with Ozzy and Tony Martin somehere mixed in
As a teenager in the 1980's, I bought the Scarabus album, picked up at a used record store. In the beginning I was a bit disappointed, as I was expecting a more familiar Deep Purple-like hard rock sound, not a funky fusion rock album. But over the years I've really grown to appreciate it. A decent album indeed!
Rook Master mad Elaine is my favourite on that album.
Hey Pete, great idea doing a year by year pick of YOUR Favorite album.
Yes! Keep this idea alive. Great channel Pete!
Ian Gillan solo (this is the great plus of his solo catalogue) always was quite different from Deep Purple and he tried his hands (rather voice) at many genres. Just forget expectations and enjoy a really great singer. And he wrote a lot of great lyrics, often with a humour that reminds of early Rod Steward. He had stellar musicians on most of his albums.
It seems that his releases were slightly different depending where in the world you got them, my view seems to be the Japanese/New Zealand (like often in some discograhies).
1. Gillan ("The Japanese Album", since I am from New Zealand I always had this one instead of the Mr. Universe)
2. Glory Road
3. Mr. Universe (Only got this one when I exchanged by LPs for CDs)
4. Clear Air Turbulence
5. Scarabus
6. (Double) Trouble (My LP release was just called Trouble and had only the studio album, later I got a CD version that was Double Trouble)
7. Child in Time
8. Future Shock
9. Toolbox
10. Naked Thunder
11. One Eye to Morocco
12. Magic
13. Accidentally On Purpose
14. Gillan's Inn
15. Ian Gillan and the Javelins (2018)
16. Dreamcatcher
17. Cherkazoo
To be honest, while the top of the list are really great albums that are sadly underrated, everything below my number 10 is interesting for fans only and I would not say it is essential - just goes to show he could do more than scream.
Great reviews,glad you mentioned the Scarabus/Born again similarities.Just been blasting Born again and it always strikes me,thought I was imagining it !
Really enjoyed this ranking video. Thats neat how his face is on the ends of those CDs when placed together.
Listened to the song "Scarabus" today and damn that is similar to "Disturbing the Priest", thanks for brining that up Pete.
One Eye to Morocco is pretty good, well worth a listen on UA-cam or Spotify. I have it on CD and play it quite often.
I agree Colin....'One Eye To Morocco' is a fine album.
Saw the GILLAN BAND dec 11th 1980 3 days after J LENNON'S Passing at the RITZ.NYC.Great show with Bernie Torme.and the classic lineup.The mood that show from what I remember was Down as you would expect.but to see him up close on a smaller Venue was Great!
Thanks for turning me onto gillan solo work. Mr.universe kicks ass. I also got a compilation called unchain your brain.
Saw him in Garth Rockett And The Moonshiners. Quite a good concert
I love seeing Night After Night on your cd shelf. It's my favourite UK album and hard to get on cd. I still play my vinyl copy which I bought when it came out.
I'm going to go to listen to Clear Air Turbulence on my hike because of this show. Thanks Pete!
I saw Gillan at Brunel University in 79 playing to about 100 people. Fantastic. No question my favorite CD is a Live at BBC set containing recording of their 79 performance at Reading festival. Recorded it from radio when played by the late Tommy Vance. Played it until tape was thin - and then found CD by accident on Amazon. So much energy & was hooked on that Colin Towns keyboard sound. They also played like it was last ever gig. If you've not heard it you really must check it out.
Fantastic episode!!! "Mr. Universe" is a masterpiece and "Secret of the dance" is almost Thrash Metal for 1979 standards
We called it headbanging back then,but has the speed and agression of thrash for sure,but with better vocals than I associate with thrash bands.
@@brucefranklin6295 amazing vocals, yes sir!
Gillan, Blackmore got it all! Purple, Rainbow, Gillan band.. What a triumphirate.
Pete, great channel ! Mr Universe also favourite , including the outstanding "Fighting man " one of Ian's best performance ever. :)
Love Mr Universe....still play this a lot now. Interesting comments, Pete, about how unknown Gillan's albums were in the US. Being a Brit I was very aware of them and actually saw the band at the 1980 Reading Rock Festival - awesome!
I used to read Kerrangg! back then and you could tell how popular Gillan was in Britain and Europe. They did 1 tour in the US.It was for Glory Road,which was the only album that got domestically released here in the states.I bought Glory Road and was blown away.Went to my favorite import record store and bought Mr.Universe and then Future Shock,Double Trouble and Magic as they were released and available on import.
Excellent stuff Pete. It’s funny, Gillan (the band) were huge here in the U.K. in the late 70’s/early 80’s. Bernie was a guitar genius and really energised the band. He was still touring and playing small venues here until a few months before his death. Sadly missed. Brilliant that you’re showing these albums. 👍
Amen on Bernie. I'm sorry to say that,being American, I never got to see him live in person.
My absolut Top5 albums by Gillan: 1) Glory Road 2) Mr.Universe 3) Future Shock 4) Double Trouble 5) Magic. I bought all of them when they were released. Such a great albums!! I saw Gillan live here in Finland (Urheiluhalli, Himanka) march 1982. My first "Heavy Metal" concert (I was 15) - great gig it was! Cheers from Finland!
Hi Pete, I always enjoy these shows, quite a few have made me revisit albums I've not heard for quite a while so thanks for that.
When it comes to Gillan's solo career I only really listen to Mr Universe through to Double Trouble, plus the live albums from that era. Glory road and Mr Universe are my favourites. At the time I didn't know Gillan had returned to rock (no internet :) and bought Mr Universe after seeing them play at the Reading festival. They were also on the BBC in concert program a couple of times that I recorded (now released officially)
I bought the fusion stuff, Gillan's voice was still at it's peak then but I could never get into the jazzy/proggy stuff . I think if he stayed in Rock after leaving he may be thought of as highly as purple I got Gillan's Inn as well, it's fun but none of the remakes come close to the originals and just highlight that he isn't the singer he used to be (not a criticism , he can still do a decent job). I have the new live cd/dvd recorded with the Don Airey band but have not had a chance to play them yet.
I know that you have a lot planned but I have a suggestion for the ranking show that might be interesting. How about ranking the works of an artist throughout their career instead of a single band. Eg with Gillan you could include the solo stuff with sabbath as well as purple. Schenker could include the early scorps, UFO MSG etc, Sammy Haga0r would include montrose, solo,Van halen, chickenfoot etc. It could be done as an occasional variation rather than a new show format and is obviously dependent on your collection but it might spark some comment to rank, say, Cream with Derek & the dominos and Claptons solo stuffn(or Rainbow with blackmores purple ). Glenn Hughes would make a good show I reckon.
We never get boring here with that to do list ;-)
I LOVE YOU PETE. YOU ARE SUCH A GREAT GUY !! ANYWAY GOT TO DIG IAN GILLAN. WANTED TO DO IT LONG TIME AGO..
I love the distinct sounds of Ian's bands, from through the 1974 demos, IGB, Gillan, Repo Depo, Steve Morris solo collaboration, the Javelins. I think the 1978 Japanese album is phenomenal. Alongside that I love Child in Time, Mr Universe, and Accidentally on Purpose. From the 80-82 era I actually prefer the singles tracks to the albums. And then I would always include IGB Live at the Budokan in my favourites.
Love Double Trouble, bought the LP on release, the live part was on the friday rock show
Superb album and guitar playing, my favourite from Gillan
Is my least favorite.. Running White face city boy is good I think, some others too, but overall a popier boring sound.. Magic, the last one, sounds a little netter to me, but, their first 4) incl the Japanese one) are the top - Deep Purple meets up with NWoBHM
Glad I still have my Gillan records. Double Trouble got me hooked.
To me, Future Shock (1981) is his best album outside of Deep Purple. My 2 favorite are: "Pictures Of Hell" from Toolbox (1991) and "No Laughing in Heaven" from Future Shock (1981). I also really like his new rendition of Child in Time from Ian Gillan Band (1976), "One For The Road" and "Sacre Bleue" from Future Shock (1981) and "Love Gun" from Naked Thunder (1990).
What a great review again!
Gillan band is the perfect marriage - Deep Purple meets up with the NWoBHM movement!
My favorites are Mr Universe and The Japanese release.. than Glory Road and Future shock
C. A. Turbulence and Scarabeus is good as well and Gillans Inn also a nice one.
Have to check out Toolbox, which I didn't know so far...
I have all the Gillian albums and they are all great. All imports of course. Future Shock is my favorite. I thought I was the only one who owned these. I also bought the cds.
I have the Gillan box with Mr Universe, glory road, future shock, double trouble, magic and the special 'for fans only' or stg like this.. That's a great combination
I love All Ian Gillan versions of his band, even his jazz fusion period but Gillan, the band were incredible, especially live, seen them many times. I have original vinyl releases and two very special book editions of "Double Trouble" & "Future Shock".
Just a note on the fallen guitarists. I hope Paul Kossoff and Rory Gallagher are amongst them
Dreamcatcher and One eye to Morocco are good albums
Ian Gillian had some rocking albums back then
Gillan
@@gerhardvanderwesthuizen842 Amazing how a lot of people have problems spelling "Gillan".
Mr. Grover 'n' Mr. Gillian
You musta made a million
The night that Frank Zappa caught on fire
Had all the early Albums on vinyl. As for glory road , i pre ordered as it was ltd edition with the gillan fans only. The cover had gillan logo Embossed on the cover
At last...since i was a child i enjoyed those Gillan albums.maybe soon you can rank the mercyful fate albums.thank you
Impossible !
I saw The Ian Gillan band twice in the early 80's. After the first Ian sat on a bar stool and signed autographs, after the 2nd the whole band signed autographs. All long gone now. Have no idea where they went to. Great gigs though I really loved that band.
Clear Air Turbulence is a true classic........I got these albums on vinyl and this is one I would purchase on CD....just lay down with the fantastic album cover to look at while listening to the music.....
I can't wait for the seventies pop music show!
I'm with you on most of these mate 👍
Love Gillan Band. Didn't really like his pre Gillan band solo stuff.Think he tried to go in a different direction from Purple at first. I like those Gillan band albums with Bernie Torme almost as much as I liked Rainbow.
1.Glory Road
2.Mr.Universe
3.Future Shock
4.Double Trouble
5.Magic
6.Tool Box
7.Gillan's Inn
Totally agree, and yes Toolbox is a great album, I've got it on vinyl
Hey Pete, great special episode regarding my favorite male singer of all time. Just wanted to say that I have that Morocco album you mentioned not owning -- sadly, nothing too special and nothing at all heavy (and NO screams, haha) -- I'd give it about 3 stars (out of 5). Anyway, Gillan was the singer that inspired me the most when developing my own style and I love him for that -- I got hired in several bands just by auditioning with "Child In Time." :) The man is a vocal GOD!
Not sure about you, but on my list of "Top 10 Male Rock Singers" of all time, every freaking one of the Purple and Rainbow singers has earned a slot (with Gillan permanently entrenched in the #1 slot, or course). The bottom line is that Blackmore sure knew how to pick 'em. Hahaha
Regardless, keep up the good work. Your shows are a blast.
I love the albums he made with the late great Bernie Torme on guitar. Those being Mr Universe and Glory Road. They would be my top picks, followed by the ones with Janick Gers.
Don't forget Future Shock,also with Bernie.
@@brucefranklin6295 Thanks for the reminder Bruce excellent album too, just not as high in my affections as the other two.
The favorite-album-by-year idea sounds pretty cool. Top 3 or Top 5 would be cool too - but I imagine that would take more time.
At least top 10. Maybe 20 if it can be done in an hour or less. 👍
@@caseypsa Not looking to make this an epic thing every day, so no, it will be 1, possibly 3, but that's it.
@@seaoftranquilityprog Cool, cool. But as you always say it's to stir up conversation. Everyone will chip in their favorites and we'll get the same result. Touche my friend. Pete knows best. 😁
Not much into the Ian Gillan Band (A couple of songs but i'm not really into that jazz/fusion stuff). But Gillan is IMO the best band to come out of Deep Purple. It rocked much harder than any other band
Garth Rocket did a few stints on Radio City as a stand in DJ on the evening rock show and acted as a judge on their annual Battle of the Bands circa 1980.