An album to celebrate Ian Gillan's forty years in the music business and what an album it is! First off it is a dual disc i.e. one side is your standard CD whilst flip it over and you get a DVD.

The DVD is a treat in itself with live Deep Purple footage from when Joe Satriani briefly guested with them plus you can chose who solos on 'Smoke On The Water' - including Satriani, Steve Morse or Jeff Healey.

There are interviews as well plus 'making of' footage of the album's recordings, along with a very enjoyable and humorous track by track commentary by Ian Gillan. All this and you haven't even started on the CD yet...

The tracks are drawn from all areas of Gillan's career to date including a rather stonking run through Black Sabbath's 'Trashed' with Tony Iommi riffing away backed by Deep Purple's rhythm section of Roger Glover and Ian Paice.

Purple purists may well baulk at the version of 'Smoke On The Water' with its gang chorus (including one of Gillan's musical heroes Cliff Bennett) and Steve Morse soloing like his life depended on it! But personally I think that is what this album is all about, Ian Gillan having fun with his muso pals and laying down some cracking tunes.

My personal favourite Gillan solo track 'No Laughing In Heaven' sounds splendid on here with Don Airey laying down some neat keyboard touches (although the rhythm guitar part is credited to Fanny Craddock - surely not the 70's TV cook???).

Old Purple pal Jon Lord guests on 'When A Blind Man Cries' and ironically guitarist Jeff Healey plays on this one as well. Helaey has a lovely blues style all of his own and he really adds to this version with his playing.

Lots of other guests including Ronnie Dio, former Rainbow keyboards player Mickey Lee Soule, Janick Gers (former Gillan guitarist now in Iron Maidden), Uli Jon Roth Joe Elliott plus of course all of the current Deep Purple line-up appear throughout the album.

Simply a great album to play loud and enjoy!

****½

Review by Jason Ritchie