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Trimming the self-indulgence
Classic Rock magazine reviews Gillan’s Future Shock for their Album of the Week Club.
Fondly regarded in their day, mainly because of their proximity to the classic Mk II Deep Purple sound, it wasn’t until the release of Future Shock in 1981 that Gillan really came into their own. Preceded by the success of singles like the covers of Trouble and New Orleans, it also contained some of the best material vocalist Ian Gillan had leant his name to since his Purple heyday, not least the witty No Laughing In Heaven.
“It was really the start of me being publicly irreverent,” Gillan told us. “It harked back to when I was 13 years old, asking questions at Sunday school like, ‘Father, what was the immaculate conception?’, and getting answers like, ‘You have to have faith in God, my son. Faith will guide you’.
“And I began to realise that I didn’t believe in religion, and that God didn’t create Man, it was the other way round. The idea of going to heaven was anathema to me. The last thing I want to do is be stuck in heaven with the sort of people I’d like to avoid! That’s where this song comes from.”
Read more in Louder Sound
Thanks to Georgius Novicianus for the heads-up.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
“And I began to realise that I didn’t believe in religion, and that God didn’t create Man, it was the other way round. The idea of going to heaven was anathema to me. The last thing I want to do is be stuck in heaven with the sort of people I’d like to avoid! ” Ha ha ha ha, good on you Ian, well said. What I did notice with fans reviews in this article was that not one of them mentioned the sound quality or lack of it, at all. Not that that surprises me as most music buffs I have known don’t care for any of that, it is just the music for them. Good to see a few mention If I Sing Softly. Cheers.
June 17th, 2025 at 02:41That‘s just because once you start discussing sound quality issues with GILLAN albums, you don‘t know where to start or stop, Herr MacGregor! 😂 Not one of those albums sounded ever actually good, Ian was great in sustaining an unaldulterated demo sound throughout, always best to pave the way to international success as we have witnessed.
I have of course overread your snide insinuation that I’m so superficial that I put production values over content. And if I hadn’t, I would mention something along the lines that the cultural conquest of pop and rock music was always contingent on how well it is sonically projected – everyone would still be playing acoustic double bass if not. Unless, of course, your preferred method of sound creation is – a primate tradition – banging on something and then waiting for sound waves to appear. 🤣
But in the modern day spirit of all views being inherently equal, Bob Ezrin is a crap producer and the GILlAN works sound just fine.
June 17th, 2025 at 09:14I thought, back in the day when I bought this on Vinyl, that it was definitively a two sided album. Side 1 was the “fun” Gillan (and there was a lot more fun in Gillan than either Whitesnake or Rainbow) with Lusitania Express, Sacre Bleu, No Laughin’ and New Orleans all having a humorous slant. Side 2 was serious Gillan. I Love “If I Sing Softly” and the recording of the guitar doesn’t offend my ears (sorry Uwe) but for me then and now Bite The Bullet and For Your Dreams miss the spot -Perhaps the track Future Shock would have sat easier on side 2 -It’s not that they are bad it’s just they are not great. I think that’s ultimately why the whole Album is not higher in the Purple family canon in the sense that side 1 is too light hearted for a “serious” band and the serious stuff is not first division and in addition the production still retains that slightly punkish attitude which lowers the gravitas of the whole thing.
June 17th, 2025 at 13:54Oh my, Karin took Anton for a walk, got lost again, the dog started burrowing in desperation … and you can read the rest here …
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/17/viking-age-burial-site-full-of-ancient-objects-found-in-denmark-say-experts
I’m expecting hand-painted Viking warrior drawings of Ian Gillan to be among the artifacts, he was always very popular in the Kingdom Denmark you know.
June 17th, 2025 at 16:23@2 No, Future Shock doesn’t have a good sound. No, it didn’t make much money for Ian and friends despite shooting to #2 in the UK. No, it doesn’t have the strongest set of songs (Glory Road is clearly better).
And yet… It is quite an enjoyable album from the extended Purple discography. It was one of the first CDs I had ever bought and I’ve been spinning it from time to time ever since. The main album along with ten bonus tracks makes for entertaining listening. I don’t need much else as a casual music fan. Except attracting the attention to Gillan stuff yet again just to precipitate a bit of rant from good ole Uwe yet again… 😉
June 17th, 2025 at 18:29@4
“I’m expecting hand-painted Viking warrior drawings of Ian Gillan to be among the artifacts, he was always very popular in the Kingdom Denmark you know.”
Yeah, almost as popular Elvis was…
June 17th, 2025 at 22:34@ 2- feeling a tad guilty are we Uwe, he he he he. For the record it wasn’t aimed at anyone in particular. I am just as ‘guilty’ as anyone for waffling on about sound or production etc . I am the one lashing myself repeating with the old cat-o-nine-tails. Seriously though, it is an observation I have noticed over my time on planet earth, in regard to popular music. Many people simply do not get into the ‘hi-fi’ thing at all. I have known friends with quite extensive record collections years past and they didn’t have much of a hi-fi system. At least not to my observations. I never said anything and why would I. Some of these good people were the ones who introduced me to many of these very bands and artists that we enjoy or do not enjoy, Deep Purple included. Anyway, rest easy ole son, don’t worry too much about it, I have not sent out the bailiff just yet, the one with those two really big dogs. It is all good and to be truthful, I would probably send around Karin and Anton, that should do the trick, he he he. Make sure you have the coffee on though, can you imagine if you didn’t? Cheers.
June 17th, 2025 at 23:16Do I EVER rant?
https://www.netanimations.net/Dracula-imposing-mind-control-over-victim.gif
June 17th, 2025 at 23:48@4
“I’m expecting hand-painted Viking warrior drawings of Ian Gillan to be among the artifacts, he was always very popular in the Kingdom Denmark you know”
– exactly! And if there aren’t any of those drawings, I’ll make sure to make some and put them in there to be found!
How else will I be able to afford to read in here ?!☺️
June 18th, 2025 at 03:17Interesting how ‘If I Sing Softly’ is highly praised here in this article…
Just sayin’ 😉☺️😃
June 18th, 2025 at 03:30@6
Russ…. Et toi aussi Brute?
June 18th, 2025 at 07:05@8 “Do I EVER rant?”
Friedrich Nietzsche asked “Do you ever stop?”
June 18th, 2025 at 11:07Bur Rubber, me and Fritz always got along great! 🤣
June 18th, 2025 at 12:18@11
Sorry Karin… I couldn’t resist… a fit of mischievousness came over me and compelled me to make that remark. I blame you-know-who.
June 18th, 2025 at 20:08“Oh my, Karin took Anton for a walk, got lost again, the dog started burrowing in desperation … and you can read the rest here …” Word has it on the Denmark streets that Anton DID find artefacts of the Ian Gillan persuasion and dug even deeper holes to hide them from all and sundry. The last thing poor Anton needs is MORE Ian Gillan, in ANY form. The poor little thing, his life has been turned upside down ever since Karin commenced her participation here at THS. Less walkies, less TLC and everything else. Word also has it that Anton is about to disconnect all internet access at Karin’s abode and if necessary, electricity itself. Cheers.
June 18th, 2025 at 23:14@14
That’s aok!
June 18th, 2025 at 23:53I usually also blame him, for everything 😄😄
@3
“Side 2 was serious Gillan. I Love “If I Sing Softly” and the recording of the guitar doesn’t offend my ears (sorry Uwe)…”
😄 David, REALLY no need to apologise to Uwe!
June 19th, 2025 at 05:33But Uwe, I see that in the future you will be in the minority with your insulting remarks about our Ian 😄😄😄
(Uwe, dry your eyes, you will always be our all time favourite lawyer, link-provider and funny person 🤗)
@15
MacGregor, this is Anton speaking (my mum is writing because my little paws are all over the place when I try to write -> great confusion)
My mum does love Purple and Ian the vocalist very much, and that’s ok for a little doglet like me, because whenever she is happy, the whole house is happy. And I get extra treats!
Regarding disconnect all internet access or/and electricity: no I will not, because that will mean my dinner is in serious danger.
June 19th, 2025 at 09:02A little dog has to look out for himself 🐶
Thanks so much for thinking about me and rruff to all of you
I like Ian Gillan’s work a lot, the man is gifted, but quality control is sometimes shaky and solo output scattershot. If he was an author, you’d say the man needs a strict publishing editor.
June 19th, 2025 at 12:47@18
If he was an author I would read each word, memorise it and quote him often!
June 19th, 2025 at 18:06@19- “If he was an author, you’d say the man needs a strict publishing editor.” True, but would he listen to the publishing editor Uwe. Cheers. @ 18 – Thanks Anton, I alway thought that you would be online. Just don’t ever let your master know, she will only edit and moderate your rantings. Cheers.
June 19th, 2025 at 23:10@21
Please MacGregor, don’t lead my dog astray 😅
June 20th, 2025 at 07:24