Riff magazine reviews the new album =1, not without some criticism. We (well, most of us) will have to wait another week to see for ourselves how valid those concerns are.

New guitarist Simon McBride meshes with the band well, as expected for someone who’s been touring with them for a few years, and the songwriting remains solid. The band simply set the bar too high with Whoosh! In 2020 Deep Purple didn’t sound like a legacy act. Those songs were fresh and fit seamlessly with the output from the band’s prime. But =1 most definitely feels like it was made by a half-century-old band.

A big part of the change is Ian Gillan’s voice. On single “Portable Door,” for example, the guitar and keyboard solos remain very good and the drumming feels roughly the same as it always has, but the vocals suffer. That’s not a knock on Gillan, who turns 80 next year. The aged delivery is not a bad thing, either. Johnny Cash’s American Recordings series is some of his best work not despite but because of the changes in his voice. But the songs need to be written with that in mind, which doesn’t seem like something the band is used to yet.

Read more in Riff.

Deep Purple has performed at the Montreux Jazz festival on July 8, 2024. This year, the festival added a new venue — an open air stage on the town’s central square, with Lake Geneva right behind the stage. This is where the band has played their set. Smoke on the Water was accompanied by the fireworks, driving home the message. The stunt received a significant coverage in mainstream press.

A pretty well put together documentary about Ian Gillan’s stint in Black Sabbath with all the Spinal Tap-ish stories you wanted to hear, and then some more. Continue Reading »

Bass Player magazine has a short article about Roger Glover’s playing style, with a couple of quotes from the man himself.

I believe in playing simply, because of the virtuosity that surrounds me in the rest of the band. I have to be the bedrock for them to lie on and do what they do – I never think too much about what I play – I just like to go for what feels and sounds right at the time.

In terms of the high-speed accuracy, feel and attack needed to play Deep Purple’s music, I get more volume and power when I play with a pick. When I pick up a bass guitar and just mess around, I usually play with my fingers, but I’ve always played better with a pick. I’d never properly be able to play Highway Star with my fingers.

Read more in Bass Player.

Thanks to earMUSIC, The Highway Star is reviewing Deep Purple’s new album =1 to be released on July 19. This is the penultimate segment.

Having lived with =1 for just over a month now, the initial trepidation has evaporated. All doubts have been replaced by a feeling of energetic elation and warm reassurance that all’s truly good and well in the McBride’d Purple camp.

There’s a lot going on on this album. You’re constantly turning your head to little musical detours on the instruments and ingenious details in the compositions, which make for very entertaining listening.

Even allowing for a natural curve of ups and downs along the album, the general standard is incredibly high, and several personal favourites already threaten to turn into future classics.

But let’s move on to the individual songs.

9 – Lazy Sod – kicks off in an upbeat manner, Gillan proclaims he can’t get his ass out of bed while the world’s on fire, and there’s a groovy shuffle underneath it all cooked up by a band that genuinely gels and feeds off one other.

Throughout the song – which appeared suddenly as a surprise third preview single – everything is coming together in that wonderful fashion displayed only by bands who actually play together in the same room – as the photos from the Toronto recording sessions last Spring confirm. The vibe was real and it permeates the album.

“The oceans are rising, I can’t do a thing about it.”

10 – Now You’re Talkin’ – McBride leads us into an uptempo rocker with healthy amounts of lyrical innuendo over an intense riff. The feel and atmosphere reminds me of other busy-busy Purple tunes without becoming predictable, and it’s all good.

“Whatever does you good, lifts your skirt, gets you done, unbuttons your shirt, get the fuck out …”

Gillan spits out a bossy delivery on the verses, and the orchestration changes on the chorus, lifting, adding new colours along a busy winding road of elegantly played intricacies.

As we head into an exciting solo section, McBride turns in a fantastic sweaty old school rock’n’roll guitar solo – before Airey takes over with an Eastern tinged synth solo and – again – a lot going on!

The guitar theme takes us into an exciting ascending and loosely “jammed” end section. Listen to the simple genius of Glover’s bass intensify from quarter to eights notes. Everything threatens to lift off into the skies – but is suddenly inexplicably overtaken by the album’s first (and frustrating) fade out. Great track!

11 – No Money to Burn – is another swaggering riff based rocker with surprising accents and punctuations and a tasty groove. There’s no shortage of ideas here, and it’s yet another highly entertaining listen.

“I hear a blackbird sing, I feel a scorpion sting.”

Middle section goes off into new directions – again – before a guitar solo of long notes, taking their time beautifully followed by a gorgeous, swirling Moog solo to brighten your day.

A minor gripe throughout (which might be rectified in the final product – been listening to a thin streaming signal here), is Ian Paice’s tom-tom sound. It’s boomy and unrefined and not exactly a tight fit with the rest of the otherwise very well balanced sound of a band striding along.

With its increased intensity, this one could also become huge favourite.

Next segment we’ll be looking at the last two songs on =1, and it’s safe to say, they’ve not kept the boring songs for last. Listen up!

Read also: Part Three, Part Two, Part One.

A “25th anniversary” (23rd in actual years) edition of the third Blackmore’s Night album Fires At Midnight will be released on September 27, 2024, via Edel/earMusic. The album will be fully remixed from the original multitrack masters, and will include all bonus tracks from previous editions, plus new versions of Written In The Stars and the title track, with new vocals recorded by Candice Night in 2024.

The first single is available now — the new vocals version of Written In The Stars:

Thanks to BraveWords for the info.

A short video clip from the Lazy Sod recording sessions Continue Reading »

The Access All Areas documentary accompanying the new album =1 will be shown in cinema theatres across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on July 18, 2024, one day before the album release. The event will also include screening of a brand-new interview with the band and videos for the three already released singles from the album.

Thanks to Tobias Janaschke for the info.

Houston Press has a feature on Deep Purple based around an interview with Roger Glover. It starts with =1, weaves through the history of the band, and arrives at the upcoming North American tour.

In the pursuance of music journalism, it’s not often that the subject of a scheduled interview tells you right off the bat to bugger off. But that’s what happens when Roger Glover, bassist for Classic Rock royalty Deep Purple, appears on computer screen via Zoom.

“I haven’t got time to talk to you, Bob. I’m reading!” he says, dramatically unwrapping what looks to be a CD copy of the band’s new studio album =1, out on July 19 from earMUSIC. “I’m actually seeing the album for the first time right now. I’m so privileged!”

Continue reading in Houston Press.

Classic Rock magazine has a special Black Country Communion bundle for its issue 329. It includes the magazine itself with a bespoke BCC cover (regular edition has AC/DC on the cover), an exclusive lyric sheet (hand-signed by Glenn Hughes), two BCC guitar picks, and a limited edition drinks coaster.

No matter how you get the magazine, there’s a 5 page BCC feature inside:

[…] we talk to Glenn Hughes and Joe Bonamassa about the triumphant return of Black Country Communion as they release their new album V. “We’re a classic rock band,” says Joe Bonamassa. “So of course it sounds like 1973. We’re not trying to be like, you know, ‘Here’s a modern take’, we’re unapologetically time travellers backwards.”

The bundle can be ordered through the publisher at £19.99+shipping, while the regular issue is £8.99+shipping through Magazines Direct.

Thanks to our editor emeritus Benny Holmström for the info.