"ian Gillan"

The term "rock legend" certainly applies to Ian Gillan. Fronting such bands as Deep Purple and Black Sabbath over the years, he has proved that he has an incredible voice and has been a very influential force in the rock genre. This solo album features both his incredible vocal talents and some fine songwriting. The material varies from hard rock that feels a bit like Deep Purple to more balladic sort of works. In fact, one of the ballads on the disc is an incredibly emotional piece that is one of the best cuts on the CD.

Vocalist Ian Gillan, together with Robert Plant, Ozzy Osbourne and a few others, is considered one of the legendary voices that shaped hard rock. Despite his commitment to Deep Purple, the singer has built an impressive solo career. “Contractual Obligation” is a collection of performances during a recent tour through Eastern Europe, which contains three shows which will be released on different formats via earMUSIC on July 26, 2019.

This is a sprawling two hours-plus of the voice of one of rock’s greatest acts putting his own personal spin on some of their best known songs, but, importantly, also giving air to some lesser known tracks…

As one of the most instantly recognizable voices in all of rock – in a career that has spanned four decades – there isn't much for Deep Purple's Ian Gillan to prove. But to his credit, he's still at it, as the frontman (to this day) for Purple, as well as returning to his solo career when the mood hits, as evidenced by the release of his 2009 offering, One Eye to Morocco…

As a solo artist, Ian Gillan had his share of fine moments in the studio, but it was on-stage where he was at his best – a fact underscored by Live at the Budokan. First released as a two-LP set in 1982 and reissued on a single CD in the early '90s, Budokan boasts strong extended versions of Purple classics like "Smoke on the Water," "Woman from Tokyo," and the moody ballad "Child in Time," as well as some songs he'd recorded for his solo projects, including "Clear Air Turbulence," "Money Lender," and "Over the Hill." The CD's liner notes are atrocious (no personnel are listed), but the performances themselves – though not in a class with Purple's Made in Japan – are generally impressive. If you acquire only one of Gillan's post-Purple recordings, this would be the best choice.