The follow-up to 1969’s Concerto For Group & Orchestra, Gemini Suite wasn’t released; a shame because, of the two works, it’s arguably the more integrated.
The aim of the piece was to capture the distinct identities of the band’s members, and it’s largely successful. Featuring Ritchie Blackmore’s guitar and Jon Lord’s organ, the first movement – though excellent in itself – is, in a way, the lesser of the three parts; it’s no surprise that the band’s two virtuosi should hold their own within an orchestra. Ian Gillan is also a powerful personality, but the place of the vocalist (and bassist Roger Glover) within an orchestral piece seems anomalous – until the piece itself is heard. As the sleevenotes reveal, critical reaction at the time was not only positive but surprised; indeed, this paring is the most powerful part of the album – as well as being refreshingly unpretentious. The final movement, featuring the jawdropping skills of drummer Ian Paice, provides a rousing finale to a perfect time-capsule of the ambitious period before hard rock became a dinosaur.
