In my review of 'Whoosh!' from 2020, I found this positive energy of yesteryear with compositions that took us back a few decades and were incredibly effective. In 2020, the combined ages of the five members of 'Deep Purple' were 359 years old, and in 2024, they are slightly less, this is only due to the replacement of 'Steve Morse' by the twenty-years younger 'Simon McBride', the former 'Deep Purple' guitarist having stopped to be with his wife 'Janine' who was suffering from cancer and sadly passed away in February 2024. 'Ian Gillan' is now in his 80s, 'Roger Glover' is close behind at 78, and 'Ian Paice' and 'Don Airey' are both 76 years old. At these ages, we can understand that some would want to take a little rest, but, no way, our four valiant septuagenarians offer us a fabulous album that directly sent me back to a time that those under 20 cannot know, when I discovered the albums of the first half of the 70s starting with 'Deep Purple in Rock' from 1970 until 'Come Taste The Band' from 1975, without forgetting the cult live albums, the 'Made In Japan' and the 'Made In Europe'.
The album begins with 'Show Me' which gradually gains power, and which pours out a first very punchy scud with a rhythm that makes your legs tingle and then, there is this first masterful joust between 'Don Airey' and 'Simon McBride' which really gives you goosebumps. Without transition, 'A Bit on the Side' continues with the rhythm section of 'Paice' and 'Glover' which hit us with a hellish tempo with a 'Gillan' who, even if he no longer has his childhood voice, remarkably follows the hellish pace of his two buddies. I stop 'Sharp Shooter' after a few seconds to replay this introduction to 'Into The Fire' by increasing the volume in the headphones and I let myself go headbanging throughout this title in which 'Done Airey' and 'Simon McBride' still make their mark and put themselves in the shoes of a certain 'Lord'/Blackmore' duo. No time to recover as 'Portable Door' arrives (see the video above) and continues in a well-marked rhythm accompanied by 'Done Airey' on the Hammond and, here we go again for a Guitar/Keyboard exchange like in the good old days (not bad at all the young 'Simon McBride' on the guitar!). Follows 'Old-Fangled Thing' which, on a syncopated rhythm then taking on jazzy airs, offers us a very expressive vocal performance by 'Ian Gillan' as a storyteller and in the second part, 'Don Airey' and 'Simon McBride' play cat and mouse remarkably. A calmer moment with 'If I Were You' which bathes in a beautiful melancholic atmosphere, 'Simon McBride' adding to this feeling in a new magnificent solo filled with palpable emotion, then, 'Pictures of You' is also cooler and swings a catchy rhythm, 'Ian Gillan' being like a fish in water in this catchy melodic style (see the video here). The finale of 'Pictures Of You', which recalls the atmospheres of 'Tubular Bells' by 'Mike Oldfield' with 'Floydian' keyboards, moves on, without a break, to 'I'm Saying Nothing', which this time looks towards the last album 'Whoosh!' with its swaying rhythm 'Made In Deep Purple', and is yet another little hard rock gem with once again a remarkable Guitar/Keyboard joust.
At this point in the album, we say to ourselves that the British put everything in at the beginning so much the quality of the compositions is exceptional, but then comes 'Lazy Sod' and its addictive rhythm to tear your head off with headbanging (see the video here) and another 'Purpleian' bomb follows with 'Now You're Talkin'' which will certainly be for some, the best track of the album: for my part, I find everything I like in 'Deep Purple' with these up-tempos that make you move your whole body and these guitar and keyboard solos exceptional and, even if it shocks some diehards of the period of the first half of the 70s, I place this 'Now You're Talkin'' at the same level as a 'Highway Star'. We are not at the end of our surprises with 'No Money to Burn' which flirts this time with the 80s with 'Perfect Strangers' and 'Ian Gillan' gives us another extraordinary vocal performance, then, it is time to take a well-deserved moment of rest with 'I'll Catch You', a very beautiful blues/rock ballad with this magical moment of the guitar solo of 'Simon McBride', without forgetting the new masterful vocal performance of mister 'Gillan'. To close this magnificent album, 'Bleeding Obvious' has a more complex construction with a very original progressive approach that we are not necessarily used to hearing from 'Deep Purple' while keeping the very essence of the group, the instrumental parts being sublime with this final bridge to catch up with the sung part: pure happiness!
In summary, like our combo which is taking a bath of youth, this '=1' should have the effect of making all the historic fans of 'Deep Purple' rejuvenate by a few decades because the album offers a plethora of fabulous compositions bringing us back to the best of the 70s, the new guitarist 'Simon McBride' having blended wonderfully into the formation by offering us with 'Don Airey' magnificent solos reminiscent of the pair 'Blackmore'/'Lord', the rhythm section 'Roger Glover'/'Ian Paice' being as effective as ever and 'Ian Gillan' still giving admirable vocal performances as if time was slipping away without any effect... | |
