By 1973, Deep Purple had to be asking themselves: “Now what?”

Since the arrivals of vocalist Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover, the group had been steadily building not only their unique sound, but also their popularity. The one-two punch of Machine Head and Made In Japan were arguably the high-water marks for the Mk. II version of the group.

It’s understandable, therefore, that anything they came out with after those two albums would be held up to extremely tight scrutiny, as people expected more of the same magic. And, if we’re completely honest, nothing that Deep Purple could have released would have lived up to those expectations; it’s a trap so many bands have found themselves in after experiencing massive success with an album.

This brings us to Who Do We Think We Are, the 1973 release that marked the end of the Mk. II edition of Deep Purple for 11 years. To their credit, they didn’t try to recapture the Machine Head magic, and found their music taking on a little more of the blues-based edge that would define a good portion of the David Coverdale era of the band. It’s definitely an album that hasn’t necessarily gotten the attention and love it deserved, but it also admittedly is a step down for Deep Purple.

You can write that off on exhaustion, illnesses within the band, or the overall tension between members that allegedly existed. I don’t doubt any or all of these played roles in the final product. But even in the chaos, there were flashes of what had led Deep Purple to the particular level they had ascended to. Take “Rat Bat Blue,” a song that lyrically might not make lots of sense, but has a vibe that locks the listener in with Gillan’s vocals, Ritchie Blackmore’s guitar work and Jon Lord’s keyboards. Honestly, this is a far superior track than “Woman From Tokyo,” the song that everybody seems to know from this disc – and, while it’s an okay track, it doesn’t live up to the levels that earlier singles from Deep Purple achieved.

Also of note is “Mary Long,” a song with a tale that many (especially on this side of the pond) probably missed. It’s not the barn-burner that some might have anticipated, but it’s a well thought out effort that deserves another look from the fans. And, while fans in 1973 might not have been anticipating Gillan’s departure from the band, “Place In Line” almost feels like the perfect placeholder for the lead singer switchover.

This isn’t to say that Who Do We Think We Are doesn’t have its weaker moments. “Super Trouper” and “Smooth Dancer” aren’t terrible offerings, in all fairness, but they don’t have the lasting power of the stronger tracks on the disc. And “Our Lady” just feels like Deep Purple coasted the album across the finish line – again, not a terrible track, but not one I’d find myself going back to again and again.

Rating: B

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