By DAN SOUTHALL
DEEP Purple is a band that need no introduction in these circles. They’re never ones to sit too idle; this is album 23, released a mere three years since their last. Not bad for a bunch of mostly 70-something year old blokes.
With so much in their catalogue you could forgive them if they decided to just rehash everything but from opener it is obvious that the band still feel they have something to say and are of an importance to a music scene they helped create so long ago. “Show Me” sets the scene early with bombastic guitar solo interplay and semi-rapped lyrics while staying rooted in the blues and hard rock that keeps them recognisable to older fans.
As the album goes on it is obvious that the permanent addition of Simon McBride, who has been part of the touring entourage for years and is nearly young enough to be a grandchild to the older members, has brought a real spark due to his interplay with keyboardist Don Airey. This comes out particularly well on “A Bit on the Side” and “Portable Door”. The former is a brilliant seventies throwback, and whilst Ian Gillan can’t hit the same high notes, his vocals now carry a slightly more grizzled rock approach that suits exactly what the band lay out for him.
One of my personal favourite tracks here rests close to the end. The rocking “Lazy Sod” gets Gillan in full angry old man mode, with some of the heaviest music Deep Purple has laid out in some time – and there’s a boogie that will be sure to have more than one get busted. The hard rock boogie continues with guitar soloing that would fit on any AC/DC album on “Now You’re Talkin’” and Gillan getting angry old man again in the brilliantly titled “Bleeding Obvious”.
Part of the band’s secret to continually sounding so great a secret shared with Alice Cooper: producer extraordinaire Bob Ezrin, a man who has the ability to seemingly pull the most out of the artists he works with as well as get a crisp production that allows all the instruments to breathe.
Fan or not, this album should be on your next playlist. Deep Purple are a classic band, playing modern music with their classic twist.
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