Deep Purple - SPLAT!

An album review!

I try to compartimentalize stuff!!

I write reviews for Loudhailer magazine.

Do interviews on my Youtube Channel BabosanTV.

Disclaimer:

I talk way too much and keep interrupting my guest. Use the interjection “Uh” and “Yeah” WAY too much.

Come to think of it YEAH is one of the most metal expressions there is, but neve mind. Hell YEAH!!!!!

My sound-mixing is crap!

I don’t really do the whole mixing thing. I don’t pretend to be as versed in it, as my dear friend and fellow substacker Tony Platt.

The remaining chitchat I write here on Substack.

But, not everything in life goes your way! So, even after submitting a request to make a review of the new Deep Purple album. Ultimately it did not arrive in time, so here we are.

Ever since hearing Made in Japan at a very early age (One of the perks of having a father who loved music and had a pretty sizable collection) I’ve been a keen follower of Purple’s career.

As you might have gathered by now, my physical media collecting habit emanates from him. Even if my wife frowns every time I bring something home.

She simple doesn’t get the appeal of owning something that I love. Be it a movie of an album. To browse through a CD booklet while listening to the album. The simple pleasure of listening a whole album in one sitting.

Having to get up and flip an LP to hear the other side. The smell of the printing. The joy of observing the artwork in its full glory.

The fact that you don’t have to be subjected to some streaming service scheme or timetable. Like that dreadful message, that appears while you’re watching a show that has 7 or more seasons, saying it will be “leaving soon“. And you’re still viewing the first-half of the second season.

Several shows suck after the first season anyway, but let me be the judge of that, please!!

Anyway, let’s focus on the subject at hand!

Deep Purple have been around since 1968, in various incarnations. Heck, their name used to be Roundabout because the original concept was to have a revolving door of musicians playing at any given time.

From the early days, the only constant of the band has been Ian Paice on drums. The other familiar and longstanding members are Ian Gillan on vocals and Roger Glover on bass. The other long term member is Don Airey on Keyboards. The newcomer, or at least the most recent addition to their arsenal is Northern Irish guitar player wunderkind Simon McBride.

Steve Morse is a phenomenal player, have no doubt about it. Their latest releases with him on guitar were inherently good, solid records. But ultimately where showing some weariness. Kind of like the latest Iron Maiden releases. They can still pump out good music. I don’t believe they are physically capable of doing anything else. Still, you listen to the records from beginning to end. They satisfy you, but nothing sticks. No riff, no vocal line, no melody you hum in your head for days on end. And I’m not saying they have to records another “Smoke on the Water“ or “Highway Star“. Even if they tried it would most certainly fall flat.

Can you imagine Journey trying to rewrite “Don’s Stop Believin’”? Perish the thought!

Or Bon Jovi trying to write another “Living on a Prayer“. Well I guess they could, but it would still suck.

It is my belief that Steve Morse and Don Airey never gelled properly on any Deep Purple record. Certainly not like he did with the late great Jon Lord. The complementary and solidarity was simply missing.

Now, Airey with McBride is a completely different beast.

McBride’s heavy riffs, that remind me of a young and hungry Gary Moore (before he went the Blues way), intertwined with Airey’s serpentine melodies and solos, are nothing short of amazing.

One says “jump” and the other says How High??

McBride is a Hard Rock / Blues based guitar as opposed to Steve Morse who was more of a Bluegrass / Country based musician. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But only the most ardent naysayers can say McBride is not a great fit for the band.

He shook the band up in a way few musicians could.

Is he the only guy in the band? You might ask

Obviously not!

Roger Glover’s role is as unassuming as it is paramount on the sound of the band.

When you listen attentively, is staunch bass is all over the twists and turns of the records. And he navigates them admirably and with class.

Ian Gillan is still the same snotty brat at heart, and his quirky humour, that sometimes ticks of respected music journalist Martin Poppoff, is present and accounted for.

The main diference between him, and a Dylan or a Springsteen is that those guys are always dead serious.

Gillan can create some worthy street poetry populated with off-beat, even shady characters. Always with is cynical humour and a unique perspective of the world that surrounds us.

And his voice, has actually improved in recent years. He might not have nearly half the range he once possessed, but we never get the feeling that the band has to compromised because of that. And I must say I like this more subdued version of Gillan. In some ways its more menacing and assertive. He proves you shouldn’t mess around with him.

Last but most definitely not the least we have the prince of drums Mr. Ian Paice himself.

He way not be the energetic player he once was. But a single snare shot by this classy player is more meaningful than a thousand beats by Marco Minnemann of Mike Portnoy. Only when you put your headphones on, can you fully discern the accents, flams and the intricacies of his playing. He remains one of the best drummers in rock music. His flawless technique and his flair are ever-present.

That being said, this album is even livelier than 2024 cryptically titled =1 (Maybe they just named it like that, just to tick off Popoff. Who knows?).

Comprised of 13 tracks (nome of them more than 5 minutes long), the records is tight and expertly produced by Bob Ezrin. No gimmicks, no studio trickery. Just five musicians who enjoy writing and playing together, judging from this awesome record. Is no Fireball of In Rock to be sure. It doesn’t have to be.

What we need more of, is good records, played with honesty and immediacy.

This album delivers that in spades.

It way not have that irresistible single you can sing along to. Still, when the record stops, you feel the urge to start listening to it again.

CD players even have a Repeat Button. Isn’t technology great?