Records: Mighty Purple's Mighty Purple

By Mary Bennett

How to sellout in the current music sc-ene: 1) go electronic (Smashing Pumpkins), 2) vainly attempt to salvage alternative rock (Silverchair), or 3) crank out cheap renditions of your songs on an acoustic guitar (Alice in Chains). That said, one might be convinced that local rockers Mighty Purple's fourth album, a live acoustic recording, will sellout before it hits the mainstream.

Yet this self-titled album is a healthy, confident mix of classic Purple combined with powerful groovin' rhythms. Old-school MP fans will be pleased to rediscover the melodic energy of perennial favorites such as "Damn the Clouds" and "Jimmy Parker" (both from the 1995 album Black River Falls), and "Riverside" (from 1994's Bohica). These classic songs have been revamped by the addition of a "tribal jive" from new drummer Dave Keith.

At the same time, the album boasts 12 previously unreleased tunes fueled by the harmonious duets of guitarists Jon and Steve Rodgers. Such fresh material as "Vampires," "Ledge," and "Keep My Head Above the Water" continue, in the words of one promotional sticker, "moving emotions into the next century."

Wherever or whenever the Mighty Purple may be moving emotions, they have been a major player in the New Haven music scene over the last decade. Since their debut with Revolution, an album intricately laced with acoustic grooves and infectious electric melodies, Mighty Purple has had regular gigs at Toad's Place, the Tune Inn, and the Daily Caffe.

Building on the acoustic side of MP's sound, Mighty Purple remains true to the Purple spirit with intense lyrics that explore the perils of everyday life: "If you want to know it/ Really boy/ You've got to throw yourself into the fire," from "The Fire Song." But the album also sails the uncharted waters of personal relationships: "No one is God/ Especially not you/ No one plays God/ But goddamn you're all that I've got," from "No One is God."

So fear not that Mighty Purple is haphazardly jumping on the bandwagon. Rather, these New Haven-based Purple wonders "keep the train a-rollin'," as they sing in "Story," with an acoustic album that successfully blends their vintage feel-good sound with a snappy new vibe. (Wonderland)

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