Simon McBride gave an interview to the Ultimate Guitar. It is short on length, but not on substance:

I recently interviewed Steve Morse, and he praised your playing. Are you aware that Steve Morse is a fan of your playing?

No, I’m not aware of it. That’s an amazing thing to hear because Steve is one of the icons of the guitar world. He comes from that period of time of guitarists, which were just phenomenal stage playing. I know he has problems with his wrists due to arthritis and stuff like that.

But you know, when you get older, it’s hard to maintain all that technique anyway. But what he was doing back then was just frightening. I remember watching a few videos from the Dregs and his own thing, going, ‘How does he do that? That is unbelievable.’

So, I’m very, very, very privileged that he’s a fan. Because it’s always nice to hear when somebody of that caliber, he knows what they’re talking about. If Steve likes my playing, that means I’m doing something right.

Continue reading in Ultimate Guitar.

Some time in June, Just before the start of the tour, Ian Paice was interviewed by Paltrocast. He spoke about the band’s writing process, why Deep Purple are more popular in some countries than the others, how he keeps sane on the road, and a few other things. Enjoy! Continue Reading »

This article will be updated regularly with the new data. Consider this an invitation to send us information (with proof links) on how the album is doing in your country. Continue Reading »

Deep Purple were featured in the BBC Radio 2 show The Rock Show with Johnnie Walker that aired on July 19, 2024. Ian Gillan and Roger Glover were guests of the show. You can listen to it on the BBC player, where it will be available for 30 days after the first airing. Gillan’s bit starts at approximately 14 minutes into the show, where he tells the story of him trying to prove to a robot that he is a human. Roger appears at around the 44-minute mark, introducing his pick for the rock god — Gary Moore.

Thanks to Darker Than Blue for the heads-up.

UK newspaper The Independent has a feature on Deep Purple, with a review of =1, and an interview with Ian Gillan.

It’s also, I suggest, a surprisingly lusty record for a band who long since swapped the Jack bottle for the travel kettle. “You mean salacious?” Gillan chuckles. “It’s a bit naughty in places I suppose, but it’s only very mild and at my age [78], really, come on. [But] I’m a night person, I live the nightlife, I’m in rock’n’roll and I mix with exciting people. We don’t live in the conventional world.”

He cites “A Bit on the Side”, the true story of meeting a beautiful young woman in an “adult club” in Germany. “I poured her a glass of champagne and she sat down, we talked. She said her name was Charlene from Berlin, and we had a lot of interesting things [in common] – I had been to some interesting places and so had she. We were winding down and I noticed that she needed a shave. It turned out she wasn’t really Charlene from Berlin. She was Charlie from Belfast.” “I don’t care which way you lean,” Gillan sings, mingling the political with the overtly sexual with a tongue-lapping wail, “I don’t want no left or right/ I want front ’n back/ and a little bit o’ lovin’ on the side.”

Read more in The Independent.

Thanks to BraveWords for the heads-up.

Simon Zyla (Wieliczka, Poland) sends us this review of =1

Steve Morse is on this album

I’ll make no secret of the fact that I’m ‘Steve’s baby’ and a fan – all my Deep Purple listening for over 30 years has been Morse on guitar. So I will always look for his distinctive sound in new recordings. His ‘Music Man’ and his guitar effects and unique techniques.

And I was surprised to find that…. you can hear Steve’s sounds a few times on ‘=1’. There are moments where Simon plays like Steve. Then I’m as happy as a child! Maybe these songs could be played together on stage one day – that’s my dream…. Certainly more realistic than playing Deep Purple with the “man in black”, hehe

By the way, I’ve discovered that listening to ‘=1’ I’m starting to perceive DP’s albums with Morse differently. There was so much talk about Steva always playing the same thing – the same repetitive solos. It’s only now, when I hear a different guitarist on a Deep Purple album, that I appreciate how varied Morse played.

No – I’m not belittling McBride’s abilities! The “plucked man” (that’s his hair, hehe) can also play like Blackmore on this album. Even that RB from Rainbow! Look it up, but it’s easy… He’s great, he’s not a guitar genius (like 3 of his predecessors), but he found his way into this music very well!

Well, and thanks to him, I understand you now! All of you who couldn’t get over the fact that Ritchie wasn’t in Deep Purple (still can’t, hehe). Just like I listen to my band without Morse now. It’s such a salty-bitter listening experience, different in perception…. I have to learn it, I have to accept it.

Jesus Christ Superstar

Do you remember that Gillan recording “My Heart Remains The Same” with that Greek guy (Michael Rakintzis)? There are two ballads on the “=1” album, seemingly cool, but somehow to me they “don’t spark” (and that’s the most important thing in a good ballad). When I listened to them I was immediately reminded of that Rakintzis from 1992. There it was everything Ian Gillan needed to show his vocal genius.

I know he’s not that young anymore, that his voice has already worn out, but he hasn’t always been able to do that so far. I’ve already written about it in the comments IG needs a brilliant guitarist to ‘fire up’ and go into those wonderful areas of his (not necessarily ‘high’, just ‘other’ – the amazing ones) as a result of the friction (as in ‘Strange Kind of Woman’ from Japan).

On ‘=1’ we got the kind of at times heavily rock’n’roll Gillan from the Javelins days. Yes – we were also missing such a dynamic big Ian. But at times it’s sadly weak – these are the moments that we’re being pushed onto records nowadays, which in the past (in the days of vinyl) would have ended up on the B-sides of a single. I really dislike this release policy, because it makes us out of great albums into mediocre ones (=1 also suffers from this). Fortunately we have a way around this – you can make yourself a different playlist in your CD/streaming player. 😉

Well, I thought I wouldn’t find it…. However, there is one moment from IG that sends shivers down my spine. At one point we are taken back in time to 1970. We hear his young voice again! The voice from the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. Wonderful…

Remaster?

This album has a strange sound. It’s been ‘rearranged’, ‘twisted’, or perhaps made too ‘harsh’ or ‘prickly’. It’s completely different from the last albums. Bob’s so-called ‘trilogy’ was structured, sonically balanced, with each of these albums having depth and a certain majesty of its own. Here, unfortunately, I find it difficult to listen to, especially the weaker moments on the album.

Of course, there are exceptions – this is, by the way, the umpteenth time in a row that we get a very energetic, rhythmic and ‘bass’ track at almost the same point in the album, and it’s absolutely amazing! I suppose this is down to Roger, who is just incredible. I love that moment on ‘=1’!

I have a feeling there are more hidden sounds, melodies and details in there that I’ll discover over time. I don’t know if I’m right, but I think the sound engineers have spoiled this album for them. It’s a shame – I can’t believe that Purple played these tracks so ‘flat’ in the studio. I don’t think so…

So a ‘remaster’ is immediately required (I know, sic! ;-)), with a rearranged order of some tracks, and certainly one that starts at the wrong time and hurts. Ouch… Maybe the vinyl version won’t have this flaw, I’ll have to check it out!

On the occasion of the vinyl version – perhaps then this album will sound better, more ‘fat’? We’ll see…

Perhaps the ‘rough’ sound is partly due to the different charter of these recordings – here we have a new energy, a different pace. My namesake Simon wreaks a bit of havoc on the album. The tempo is completely different.

The word ”different” is very important in the context of this album. Because I’m trying not to compare it to other albums by the band. It is simply a record of that time and the form the band was in. For me, the concerts have not been such a ‘record of the time’ for a long time, unfortunately. They are played to cater for the ‘music tourists’ expecting ‘Smoke’ and the rest from Machine Head. Not for the fans – that’s sad. Well, that’s how the factory works…

And for the fans (i.e. us!) these records are recorded in the studio and for that I wanted to thank Deep Purple that you still do it!

Short summary

‘=1’ will probably be a controversial album for fans – probably something like ‘Come Taste the Band’. Some will love it and others will say it’s weak. I don’t know yet – I need to get some distance from these recordings again, because I’ve listened to them too much. Let these recordings burn out, win out (child) ‘in time’. And we’ll see.

Simon Zyla (Wieliczka, Poland)

The Highway Star reader Jameson Rock reviews =1

I’ll be brief: Deep Purple In Rock was the first album I ever bought, =1 is the album I’ve been waiting 50 years for. (Well, apart from the fade-out on Now You’re Talking!)

I thought they’d find it hard to follow Whoosh! but =1 is just such good fun. Let’s hope it’s not their last.

Jameson Rock

The Highway Star reader Roska Posti reviews =1

I became a Deep Purple fan in about 1997, and the two first current albums, Abandon and Bananas, blew me away. The problem was that while Rapture of the Deep is half-great, half-baked, those two left me waiting for them to follow up every time a new Purple album comes around.

While neither is perfect, Now What?! (All The Time In The World is probably their best latter-day song) and Infinite (Time For Bedlam blew everything out of the water and set the bar *too* high for the rest of the album) delivered more than enough to keep me happy. Whoosh had me questioning my wits, as my favourite band failed to come up with a great song. It took me over a year and many restless listens to get to Nothing At All, which then, luckily, became that one great song. I was afraid it would be the last.

I am happy to say the new album is major improvement over Whoosh. The truly great songs are still yet to reveal themselves, but once I heard Pictures of You, I knew the record would be worth waiting for. And it is.

While all age-related caveats apply – and how could they not – the band have come up with several real songs, and not just jams and middle-parts. There are some things that could have been done slightly differently in lyrical terms (Sharp Shooter being the main offender here, AC/DC releasing “a shot in the dark beats a walk in the park” as their lead single from their last album), and some (I’m guessing idiosyncratic Ezrin) production and structure choices come off as unnecessary …

Nevertheless, especially the two slow songs appeal to me, and I’m inclined to think balladeering is where Gillan’s voice works best these days. I am also happy he doesn’t try to hard. There are several false starts for another Time For Bedlam or House Of Pain, with Now You’re Talkin’ and No Money To Burn getting the closest to what I was hoping to hear. Bleeding Obvious is another song worth mentioning, closing up the proceedings in an almost triumphant way.

=1 is not a necessary or revelatory album at any point, but in anticipation of the next Bananas (which will never come), it’s good enough to be a new Deep Purple album.

Roska Posti

The Highway Star reader Johnny ‘Andrea’ Blade reviews =1

The stylistic “novelty” of =1 is a return to the more classic Deep Purple sound, the result of a writing more focused on robust guitar riffs, a small dream for many fans of the band who for many years had hoped for a more direct and classically hard rock, without forgetting however that the recent appreciated trilogy of studio albums – excellently produced by Bob Ezrin – had already brought back some welcome power in the band’s sound.

After the homage to the artists esteemed by the group in Turning To Crime – in which, however, Deep Purple enjoyed immersing themselves in other sound waters without making their style emerge forcefully – =1 is the album most faithful to the more classic style of the group composed at least in the last 30 years (even if the keyboards are a little less protagonists than in the past in the construction of the backbone of the songs mostly entrusted to the guitar).

Speaking of six strings, the stylistic differences with Steve Morse immediately emerge from listening to =1: Simon comes from a heavier background – in the mid-90s he played in a reactivated incarnation of a NWOBHM band, Sweet Savage – and when listening to this work I believe that many fans of Deep Purple will experience the sensation of listening to a record that is a little more reminiscent of the Blackmore era – the progressive influences are confined to rare passages – but with the features of shredding of Simon in great evidence.

The intro of the opener Show Me already gives a bit of freshness with McBride’s guitar immediately taking center stage before the song settles on decidedly classic rhythms for the formations, those of a relaxed but very classy hard rock. A Bit On The Side and Sharp Shooter are more dynamic thanks to the eternal energy provided by the Glover-Paice rhythm section and we also find the solo interactions between guitar and keyboards, McBride and Airey have already played together and you can feel it …

No Money To Burn could be appetizing for fans of the more bluesy Purple (who in the first part of the album will appreciate the rhythmic Old-Fangled Thing) but I prefer the slower and more atmospheric I’ll Catch You, introduced by a solo guitar embroidery by McBride, a song with decidedly pleasant – even if familiar – vocal lines – brought home by a slightly mannered but unquestionably spectacular solo.

A very strong candidate for the title of most inspired song on the album is the final composition: Bleeding Obvious, introduced by sparkling guitars that leave space for inspired singing lines – in the most classic Ian Gillan style – both in the most enthralling verses and in the valuable melodic openings of the chorus. The solo in the middle of the piece turns towards the East before a progressive section which precedes a new nuance towards wide-ranging melodies followed by a more dynamic and once again proggy closure. A capital piece, which has already deserved inclusion in the setlist in the band’s most recent live shows.

With =1, Deep Purple have found a way to amaze again, not so much for the return to their more classic style, but for the freshness, inspiration and renewed energy transmitted by thirteen pieces that don’t sound like the end of a career but like the beginning of a new era. Chapeau.

Recommended for: Fans of the most classic and eternal hard rock.

Ciao,
Andrea

Wishing Well to You All of The Highway Star

The Highway Star reader Mike Nagoda reviews =1.

Oh my freaking god… I haven’t felt this way about a Purple record since I heard Purpendicular, Steve Morse’s first outing with the band, which was released in ‘96, which I first heard over twenty years ago when I was in my twenties (I’m 38 now, in case you’re keeping track!).

=1 is the perfect blend of the Blackmore and Morse Eras. With this record, Deep Purple have hit a home run and have struck gold for possibly the third or fourth time in their career, which is something very few bands can pull off. It is the perfect balance between the riff driven, driving hard rock of In Rock and the complex, prog based world of Purpendicular. Rather than go track by track, I’d like to say something about each of the band members and their contributions to this amazing record.

New guitarist Simon McBride brings back the urgency, energy and riff based rock of Mk 2 while maintaining the complex prog era of Mks 7 and 8. He is fresh kick in the arse – punchy, in your face, take no prisoners! His solos just GRAB you, just like Ritchie did, and I am so glad that kind of energy has returned to the band! He is also happy, complex and thoughtful in his playing style, just like Steve was, and is truly the best of both worlds!

And, I am glad to see that he asserted himself in the studio and that thankfully Bob Ezrin was not able to curb his enthusiasm for flurries of notes in his amazing, AMAZING guitar solos!! And did I mention he has feel and taste for days?? You’re damn right he does!! Simon McBride is that perfect blend and middle ground between the aggression, gusto and drive of Ritchie Blackmore and the thoughtfulness, joy and complexity of Steve Morse, and is the absolute perfect guitarist for Deep Purple at this time. How lucky are they to have him in what is probably the final chapter of their long and great career!

Don Airey is a force to be reckoned with on this record, and I love that he makes a statement by having so many Mini Moog solos (no Hammond solos until Portable Door, which is track 4 on the record – a bold move, and I love it!!!) and puts his own stamp on the record! And when the Hammond does show up, it howls, and Don absolutely goes for the jugular with his solos – my favourite Hammond moment is the utterly BONKERS passage at the end of his solo on Lazy Sod, and it very much reminds me of passages Jon Lord would improvise live with the band, and it brought a huge smile to my face!

My ONE complaint for this record is that sometimes, the Hammond isn’t distorted enough, and the organ solos are a bit low in the mix over all. It’s funny – during the Morse Era Ezrin albums, I always felt Don was too high in the mix, and Steve wasn’t loud enough, and now I feel Don needs to come up a touch and Simon down a bit in places.

Aside from this, and too much compression in the mix overall (I’m not a fan of Bob’s production style/sound, but that’s a matter of personal taste and is frankly irrelevant to how freaking good this record is), these are my only criticisms!

Roger Glover is strong and dependable as always, and gets some nice moments with a few nice bass lines towards the end of the album Ian Paice is roaring again and finally gets to let loose in so many spots, and even gets a great drum solo on this record – something we haven’t heard since Space Truckin’ on Machine Head!! Finally, Bob Ezrin has learned that Deep Purple cannot be contained, especially the mighty rhythm section of Mr. Paice and Mr. Glover, and has stepped back and allowed the band to really cut loose! The rhythm section is thunderous and rocking again, at long last!!!

And then there’s Ian Gillan, who is sounding his absolute best in thirty years. I love the pseudo rapping he does in places, especially on the opening track, Show Me, and while his age does show, he is singing with so much ferociousness and gusto here, that age matters not! And yes we even get some screams full of raw, Gillan energy!!!!

He is also singing higher in his register than on the previous Ezrin produced albums, and I for one am impressed – I was worried the most about Ian’s vocals, given that he is now 80 years old, and out of all the band members, he has impressed me the most! On I’ll Catch You, he gives what may be one of the finest vocal performances in his entire career – I literally had chills running up and down my spine, what an immaculate performance!

The songs on this record are fresh, punchy, and in your face, with a grand return to the riff based, hundred miles an hour energy that Purple are known for. The first three songs – Show Me, A Bit On The Side and Sharp Shooter – are a relentless assault and do not let up in the best way possible. There is not a bad song on the record – they’re all incredibly strong, and the best songwriting the band has put out since Purpendicular!!!

Simon McBride has brought a fresh shot of life to the band, just like Steve Morse did in ’96, and because of it, the band has produced their best record in the last 30 years, if not the last 40!!! This record is the perfect companion to Purpendicular and In Rock, both of which gave the band new life and fresh blood, and are my favourite two Purple records. =1 now joins them, tied for the #1 spot in my books because of the fact that I can’t tell which of them I like more. That, I think, is the best compliment I can give this record.

If you have not heard this record, it is, my own mixing preferences aside, a perfect record, and a home run in every way. Deep Purple are back in the most glorious way possible, and have produced quite possibly one of their best works with =1. If you haven’t checked it out, or you left during the Morse years, please, get off your arse, and listen to it now – you won’t be disappointed, I promise you! It’s an absolute masterpiece! If this is to be their final record, what a hell of a way to end their career!

Well done boys, well done. I knew you had it in you, still. I’ve been waiting for this record for years, and all I can say is that the wait was damn well worth it! All I can say is, thank you: you’ve all brought back the smile to my face when I first heard you when I was 19 years old listening to this record, and I felt like a teenager again, grinning from ear to ear. Thank you so much, for everything you’ve given me and the rest of us over the years.

All I can say is, you’ve done the almost impossible and struck gold again with =1, which is no small feat. A job very well done, indeed!

Favourite Tracks: All of them!!!
Rating: 10/10

Mike Nagoda