Ian Gillan

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. And while there are indeed some rockin' moments heard throughout Morocco, it won't be confused anytime soon with the heavy metal thunder of such early-'70s Purple releases as Fireball or Machine Head. That said, Gillan is still in fine voice (in fact, it's eerie how much his voice sounds comparable to his vintage Purple days), but musically, it's more mature and varied, as evidenced by the Beatles-like album opening title track, the Dire Straits-esque "Don't Stop," or the bluesy "Girl Goes to Show." Some hard rock vets have a hard time not coming off as trying too hard as they progress in years. As evidenced by One Eye to Morocco, Ian Gillan is very comfortable where he's at. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide