Slaves & Masters

Islam Al-Dinary (January 25, 2006)

This is a Rainbow taste album, with nice riffs like wicked ways and Cut Runs Deep, good work.

JON MILLER (March 6, 2005)

IGNORE WHAT YOU'VE HEARD BY ALL THE PEOPLE WITH NO BRAINS.
THIS IS A BRILLIANT ALBUM.RITCHIE HAS OFTEN STATED IT IS HIS FAVOURITE DEEP PURPLE ALBUM!
THE THING ABOUT DEEP PURPLE WAS THAT EVERY ALBUM WAS DIFFERENT,AND THIS ONE IS TOO-DIFFERENT BUT GREAT ALL THE SAME!
KING OF DREAMS IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVOURITE TRACKS WRITTEN BY DEEP PURPLE.IT COMES FROM A LOOSE JAM,AND RITCHIE PLAYS A BEAUTIFUL ORIENTAL TYPE SOLO.JOE CREATES A GREAT MOOD WITH GREAT LYRICS.
CUT RUNS DEEP IS A HIGH ENERGY NUMBER TYPICAL OF EARLIER DP SONGS.
FIRE IN THE BASEMENT A BLUES WORK OUT PROBABLY WRITTEN TO REPLACE THE AGEING 'LAZY'.MARVELLOUS.
TRUTH HURTS AND FORTUNE TELLER ARE BOTH SLOW ATMOSPHERIC SONGS,AND EVEN THE SINGLE LOVE CONQUERS ALL HAS GROWN ON ME,EVEN IF THE LYRICS ARE SLIGHTLY CORNY. IT'S MUSICALLY REMINISCENT OF THE OLD RAINBOW INSTRUMENTALS WEIS HEIM AND VIELLEICHT DAS NACHSTER ZEIT.
BREAKFAST IN BED IS VERY DIFFERENT WITH A SLOW FREE LIKE BLUESY FEEL.
TOO MUCH IS NOT ENOUGH- A SONG WRITTEN BY JOE BEFORE JOINING DEEP PURPLE IS WONDERFULLY CATCHY AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RELEASED AS A SINGLE-IT HAS A GREAT SOLO BY RITCHIE!
WICKED WAYS ENDS THE ALBUM AND IS BUILT ROUND A WONDERFUL RIFF FROM RITCHIE THAT BUILDS AND BUILDS INTO A MOST IMPRESSIVE SOLO FROM RITCHIE.
YES IT SOUNDS A BIT LIKE RAINBOW,BUT FOR ALL US RAINBOW FANS THANK GOD!
( THE REHEARSALS FOR THIS ALBUM HAD SOME EVEN BETTER SONGS AND I FOR ONE WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT ALBUM WITH JOE ON.)
IT IS PROBABLY BETTER OVERRALL THAN BOTH ITS PREDECESSOR AND ITS SUCCESSOR,BUT THEY'RE BOTH GREAT ALBUMS TOO!