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Deep Purple 3.0 have arrived
Deep Purple have returned to reign on Olympus of hard rock.
Magnificent, one of the best Deep Purple records ever.
It has everything inside: riffs, catchy melodies, groove, inspired solos, and guitar/keyboard duels. The BPM is generally high; the slow pace of many — too many — mid-tempo songs from the Morse era is a distant memory. And then there is the return to true hard rock with sounds that sometimes truly border on heavy metal. But that’s not all; there is still a bit of that kind of prog that Purple started playing from Purpendicular, but there is also blues, there is classical, there is folk, and even some funky and West Coast moments! All this with a welcome AOR component that makes everything more accessible.
The performance of all five is simply crazy.
Big Ian is superlative; he doesn’t give us a moment to breathe with lyrics and melodies worthy of a 10/10, but vocally, he still has incredible note jumps for his age, proving he has every right to be the one and only inimitable singer of Deep Purple.
For Simon, I won’t use many words, other than to say he proves once again that he is a complete guitarist with great taste and personality, and that for the others, he has been like an elixir of eternal youth.
Don, well, I can finally say that he gave the best performance, magnificent, omnipresent, but never too self-indulgent like in the past, and with a variety of sounds: Hammond, Clavinet, Moog, synth, a sonic compendium currently without equal in the world. I believe he gave his all and that his rapport with Simon was fundamental for the arrangements, as much as the work of Ezrin did in a team with Don to give us this keyboard goodness. I can say that perhaps I would have liked an even more iconic and memorable solo, but that is splitting hairs, and I can say that I finally no longer feel the absence of Jon Lord.
But guys, without Little Ian as an absolute protagonist, so far beyond the top, the record wouldn’t be this incredible! He plays throughout the album with the “devil” burning inside him! He hasn’t played like this since the Abandon days, with a high BPM and without taking a break, playing fills and variations constantly. At nearly 80 years old, it’s simply incredible. I have no words to say how much it makes my ears and heart enjoy hearing him so full of motivation and creativity after years of a slow pace!
Last but not least, our Roger, the common thread of everything, always precise and fundamental as only he can be for the Purple sound.
Arrogant Boy: We already know it, but it continues to grow with each listen — devilish rhythm, riffs, Hammond, a solo that makes the listener fly into the Purple sky. Simon and Don duelling and the subsequent break continue to amaze me a month after release!
Diablo: It didn’t thrill me at its release, and although there are more impressive songs on the album, it captured me little by little, thanks to Gillan’s performance, Roger’s hammer, and Paicey’s swing. Does Diablo resemble Apres Vous? The keyboard theme does, yes, but the song has more groove, slightly higher BPM, a better chorus, and a guitar solo that isn’t as boring as the one in Apres Vous.
The Rider: Here is one of the impressive songs on the album right away. My favourite, I would listen to it for hours. Don’s intro is splendid! Adventurous, severe, crystalline, an AOR melody that gets into your head in a second and never leaves. With my eyes closed, I would say it turns in A minor and E minor. A direct continuation of Pictures of You, from the masterpiece All The Time in the World, it builds a bridge towards the atmospheres of Perfect Strangers… How would I like more songs like this from Purple!
The Lunatic: A punch in the stomach that takes your breath away! There are Arabian atmospheres that recall Rapture of the Deep, we are probably in a Phrygian or Byzantine mode. There are prog passages, but Gillan’s chorus on the opening in major chords is a breath of fresh air that leads us to Don’s solo, making the Hammond roar like in the 70s!
The Only Horse in Town: Thanks for the gift! A splendid crescendo introduction that opens us to an easy-listening theme on which Big Ian can create a very melodic vocal line. Simon’s solo is West Coast, and it makes us all surf on his fretboard along with his fingers! Listen to Roger; his work is very precious for the song’s groove.
Sacred Land: Here we enter heavy metal territory! Here is the hardness everyone was talking about; it’s real! A mid-tempo in the style of Dio, but with Don inserting a wonderful intro on the Moog (or perhaps the Oberheim) that recalls that of Tarot Woman from Rising, and then another inspired solo. Here, even Simon somewhat recalls Ritchie in the solo, and that is gold for us fans! Gillan is suddenly rejuvenated to 1980, and not even with WhoCares was he this pissed off; he is the one who stamps the DP brand on this metal piece!
The Beating of Wings: Crazy! After the heavy metal, Don arrives and with the Clavinet takes us into a Soul song with Gillan completely at ease, majestic, polyvalent, rich in poetry, and with an absolutely catchy chorus. The feeling exudes from every single note from everyone. It’s been since Doing It Tonight that Purple haven’t surprised me like this! I am in ecstasy.
Guilt Trippin’: Crazy song, complicated but melodic, incredible. Don’s piano is incredible. Paicey’s drumming is incredible. Gillan’s angry and sweet singing is incredible. Gillan’s lyrics are incredible. The central break for a moment recalls Black or White, but then it develops into a dreamy instrumental part and a very spot-on piano solo. The piano/guitar duel and the exit progression are incredible. A drug.
Scriblin’ Gib’rish: Simon & Roger’s rhythm is similar to that of A Bit on the Side, but here the rhythm is a classic mid-tempo, and it also recalls something of Steve Morse’s Abandon. The protagonist is Big Ian and his melody, which in the verse reminds me of something from Silver Tongue, but the Naked Thunder-style chorus is a jewel. And Don, with the variety of sounds and his solo, makes the song explode. Simon’s solo is too short.
Jessica’s Bra: After the folk intro by our Irish guitarist and Don, Gillan immediately arrives to get excited over an absolutely hard rock rhythm.
The spoken part before the solo takes us back into the folk and Big Ian’s background, but the guitar solo is still hard rock, and then there is Don’s piano to enrich everything. At the end, a long note from Gillan with a final scream!
Third Call: A beautiful demonic Hammond sweeps us away because the track is another surprise like The Beating of Wings! Yes, because a soul theme arrives that recalls I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Norman Whitfield, obviously in the Purple style! Gillan is once again histrionic throughout the song; Don re-proposes his demonic theme before Simon’s solo brings us back to the West Coast! And with Don’s angry solo, the atmosphere changes again, and it changes again with the break where Big Ian returns to sing his melody. Pure orgasm, God bless Deep Purple!
My New Movies: 15 years ago it would have been a great piece, today among these songs it is the most normal piece, but the solos raise the climax. The unison break recalls something from MK II, and then Don adds a classical part that gives fuel to the final part of the song. To be highlighted is Big Ian’s high key and Little Ian’s swing.
Splat!: Ladies and gentlemen, Roger starts and makes things clear with a crazy groove! Paice plays “crooked” fills that are sensational! Gillan, super funky-nasty, tells us about Al’s sycamore and the last possible evolution of the human race with a line halfway between Any Fule and something from Toolbox. Don on synths is simply exaggerated; here he is overflowing, but that’s perfectly fine! Simon is the usual guarantee on the solo, it’s a pity it lasts too little!
Let’s reach the conclusions: Is Splat! a masterpiece?
Excluding the fact that there are no long songs, YES, for me, it is one of Deep Purple’s masterpieces alongside In Rock, Perfect Strangers, and Abandon.
It is because it is a monobloc without weak points: the level of interest does not drop from the first to the last song. Making an equation, I think Splat! is to =1 as Abandon is to Purpendicular.
If with Steve we had Deep Purple 2.0, now we officially have Deep Purple 3.0 because they are a band that is constantly evolving, perhaps the only band in the world that is constantly evolving while remaining true to itself.
What is missing on this record? The last great hard rock hit in the history of DP and the history of music, the one we have been missing since 1984 or the 70s if you prefer, the one that only they can perhaps still give us!
Reviewed by Flavio a.k.a. Fla76
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Hoping you enjoy my long-winded review, and thanking Nick for publishing it,
July 6th, 2026 at 22:17I’d like to swear I absolutely didn’t hear Phil Aston’s review of Splat, where he also mentions Silver Tongue and Marvin Gaye (in fact the song is actually by Whitfield-Strong),
but these and other similar impressions with “Vicar” Phil, comfort me about my intuitive ear.
Thank you for the review, much appreciated Flavio!
It’s great that you are happy with the new DP outcome (even if you add heavily this way to the “echo chamber” effect of combusting the praise bubble.
What you reminded me about is indeed an absolutely grabbing intro to “The Rider”. I need to make a ringer to my phone from it. The tracks from the album still play in my head, all the time. They reached my DNA very successfully!
July 7th, 2026 at 07:01There’s maybe one praise that I don’t fully agree with – Don Airey is not capable of closing out self indulgence completely. He’s not as heavy on it as he sometimes was in the past, but still sometimes – when eloquent phrase eludes him – he desperately crashes down and runs like crazy with an organ growl or Emerson-esque crazy piano run. Still, while I acknowledge this, I also grew to accept that this is his style now, and one of his abilities he’s renown for.
July 7th, 2026 at 07:45@2
July 7th, 2026 at 08:04In these days I’m fallen in love (mainly) with Beating Of The Wings, tomorrow I don’t know with… 🙂
Excellent review Flav
I too find Diablo the track I’m skipping most now( though I do like it….its just that it’s more run of the mill )
I see you have similar thoughts to me on the evolving of Deep Purple ….I wonder where they will end up ?
July 7th, 2026 at 11:52I don’t understand all the negative criticism and misunderstandings surrounding this album, which for me is the best since *Perfect Strangers*. More I listen to it, more I become cimvinced. GREAT ALBUM!!
July 7th, 2026 at 14:56What a great novelist Flavio is! A DP-Homer, no less. (And I mean the Greek guy, not the one from Springfield with yellow skin, not that he is without merit re DP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JdzPlsO0To )
Thorsun @3, now come on, and Jon Lord was never self-indulgent?! Some people call the whole Concerto self-indulgent as well as many of his solo albums (is Windows not self-indulgent?). Or when he demanded extra solo parts for himself on Stormbringer and Lady Doubledealer (not contained on the studio versions) on the last Mk III tour? Jon was also a showman on the Hammond and liked to be heard and seen as well as duly appreciated.
The world is filled with keyboarders who always take a backseat in favor of guitarists – I’m happy that both Jon and Don had/have some balls and self-indulgence! I like prominent keyboards in rock. No need to hide. Don is joyously nerdy on the keys, he utterly entertains me.
July 7th, 2026 at 15:57Moin,
July 7th, 2026 at 16:17ich sehe das völlig anders. Tracks 1-6 gut bis sehr gut, danach nur noch Langeweile. Absolute Tiefpunkte GUILT TRIPPIN und SCRIBLIN GRIBBLIN oder was auch immer. Nee Jungs das war nichts: #1 gefiel mir sehr viel besser, vor allem Paicies Schlagzeugsound. Ich würde raten, die Arbeit mit EZRIN jetzt zu beenden. Sollte noch ein (letztes) Album geplant sein, bitte mit neuem Produzenten, oder GLOVER/PAICE produzieren selbst.
Fla76: loved the review. You hit all the right spots on the influences and sounds. I’m not with you on masterpiece, but it’s bloody good.
July 7th, 2026 at 19:29At the end of all I think that the “worst” song is really/truly the first single, that is Arrogant Boy 😅
July 7th, 2026 at 20:19I see a lot of criticism directed at Don Airey, but on this album he is flawless—just like the rest of the band. A SUPERB ALBUM!
July 7th, 2026 at 20:38I hadn’t felt such wonderful emotions since *Perfect Strangers*.
July 7th, 2026 at 20:39Thanks for the fab review!
July 7th, 2026 at 20:47#3 Thorsun:
What you said about Don in the past bothered me too, but here he manages to be more concrete and put himself at the service of the songs, his “exaggeration” has never been so spot on.
#5 Steve:
Diablo is certainly not surprising, even if it is a perfect stage for BigIan’s histrionic performance….I would have chosen The Rider as the second single.
where will the Purples arrive?
$1 million question!
Let’s be happy to get to 2027 at the end of the tour, the rest will all be free gold
#7 Uwe
Thanks, lawyer. I tried to add some color to the review. Perhaps I overdid it, as Don often does, but at least I tried to go into a bit more depth, given that the level of analysis here is always higher than in the rest of the world!
Don’s self-indulgence has never been so well integrated and it’s the most remarkable thing about Splat!
#9 David:
thanks David, of course the masterpiece concert is subjective.
For me, an album is a masterpiece when it sounds good from start to finish, like the other three Purple albums I mentioned.
obviously Machine Head has more peaks than InRock, but for me InRock sounds more constant, and therefore I consider it better than MH (and here you can insult me if you want!)
#10 AndreA:
I thought so too a couple of weeks ago, but in reality Arrogant boy is anything but banal: it’s fast, very fast, it’s tight, it has a nice verse and a nice chorus, the crossed solos are crazy and the whole song is full of different moments….no, it’s not a weak piece, quite the opposite
#12 AndreA:
But if you feel all these emotions, how can you not come and see DP live this year??…try to find a ticket to Este!
#13 Max:
July 7th, 2026 at 22:20Thanks Max, I went back 25 years when I was writing reviews for an Italian metal webzine, and for the Italian Nightwish fanzine!
Flav
Thanks for the reference to Toolbox …I was trying to think where Guilt Trippin was coming from , I had ..The Maelstrom but now I’m wondering…is it , Dancing Nylon Shirt ?
I’d love to be a fly on the wall as to who constructs these songs , all the nuances, the twists and turns …the bridges …who does all that stuff ? Is it Gillan and Glover ? I’d love to know …
Anyway , I still think the album is fucking brilliant…I just can’t nail down my favourite song …they’re all jaw dropping ( except maybe Arrogant boy and Diablo )
Karin , I actually do take your point , I just listened to Whoosh again ( songs like Dancing in my sleep …where Steve plays that great solo that Gillan said was his favourite….not bad for southern American rock ! ) and yes, I agree , his voice is not as strong …but hey , I’m not complaining, he’s 81 for fucks sake , and they’re obviously writing songs to suit his voice now …but honestly, who else on this planet over the age of 65 , can sing as well as IG …the man is incredible.
July 7th, 2026 at 22:40If it helps , I found this for you , from the good old days of the Gillan band and the flying bass player !
https://youtu.be/qGlKuREFUwo?is=jjNHzazGcrxEUMq6
@14
July 8th, 2026 at 06:22No, non vengo. 😔
@15
Steve, that’s what I use to say: the man is over 80 yo, and I honestly know of no other man that can sing like he does!
But – it’s not the quality per se of his voice I’m worried about, it’s that it’s drowning in the music. Not on all tracks, but some.
=1 suited him perfectly!
And so did all the other albums before that.
Splat feels cold to me. And like chewing on aluminium foil…..
Not all of the songs….
Someone in here asked the brilliant question: would you have bought the album had it not had the Deep Purple name on it – and no, I don’t think I would.
At the moment listening to this:
https://youtu.be/G8w638t_MtU?is=LYJk7PIAgXL4yTXH
Well, it isn’t hard rock in any way, but his voice is formidable here..
And I adore hard rock! Actually the album he made with Black Sabbath is a favourite of mine!
Especially this gem:
https://youtu.be/MYxTX1dGUeA?is=7HdQwUQs_KDFrgKY
Hopefully the next album will be like the Purple I love – but I’m genuinely happy so many of you in here like it 🙌🏼🙏🏼
July 8th, 2026 at 07:34@ 17
July 8th, 2026 at 08:26it is a despleasure you don’t like it. I can’t believe! this is a FANTASTIC ALBUM!!
@17
Are you already waiting for the next album!? Oh my God… 🤪
July 8th, 2026 at 08:37@17
“Splat feels cold to me. And like chewing on aluminium foil…..
Not all of the songs…”
I understand what you’re saying, it may be because the songs are all short and you want more from them.
July 8th, 2026 at 09:09@18 & 19
Well, AndreA no matter what I think of the album shouldn’t take anything from what you guys think about it 😊
I honestly appreciate to read all your reviews and sentiments.
But yeah, I am a disappointed girlie from Denmark…. Of course not of all the songs. I love a handful of them, which is weird because normally I lick everything up the masters play and sing!
And maybe that’s why I’m disappointed…
……
Yes, I am waiting for the next album 😄
Mostly because I enjoy to listen to my favourite rock band. But ALSO because I would be sad beyond measures if Splat will be their final album..
To me there are no one else on this lovely planet who can play Rock’n’Roll as they can 😍💜
But if I have to settle for every album since In Rock (yeah, I do not listen that much to Mark l..) and to =1, I’ll do that.
However a new album the next years, every year, will be soothing and comforting! 💝
I was thinking about when I have enjoyed Ian’s voice the most, and of course it was lovely when he was a young lad, but this song I’ll link to, is actually where he sounds the strongest, in-your-face, tongue-in-cheek, devil-may-(not)-care – with another word: sublime:
https://youtu.be/3HzHJciqtwU?is=mjuYcO7tAlVxrw17
I know there are some people who don’t like House of Blue Light, but I adore every single song.
Also this where he sounds a bit…. Well, you know!
https://youtu.be/ydY0et_ZPFY?is=BUusUuD2K3a06TKe
I am aware of the problems with his voice, but ohhh man he is amazing here – at least to me 🤩
But please, enjoy Splat 😃
July 8th, 2026 at 09:43Karin
It’s such a shame that you don’t like it …I think it is absolutely brilliant and ( I think ) the best thing since Purpendicular.
Each to their own I guess and we’re all human beings with our own unique and individual tastes …no ones right or wrong .
This album has turned me right back onto Purple again though ( I couldn’t stand =1) …but now I’m even thinking of revisiting Come taste the band ( it’s 50 years since Tommy died )
I really do hope you get Splat …or even splatted by Splat ! Lol …the melodies and hooks are beautiful ( I wonder if that was done deliberately to get some radio play …shortness of the songs etc )
July 8th, 2026 at 10:12Karin, I feel exactly the opposite. I think his voice was mixed a bit too high relative to the music on the last few albums.
July 8th, 2026 at 10:29@ 17
July 8th, 2026 at 12:43I still love the title track Born Again…but Ian was 39 years old then….
Concerning Splat i do like the new Songs, at least half of them but i could have done without the Erzin Sound, all too heavy , too much punch and yes Ian’s voice deserves a bit more sonic space.
Overall i’m happy the boys are still around, i’d prefer The Rider and Splat as the new additions to their Live-set…but again, it is a miracle that they are on stage in 2026…
Dear Fla76, wonderful in depth, comprehensive, and vibrant review. Thank you.
July 8th, 2026 at 14:06It is nice to read your detailed take on each song and the overall impression of the album.
Judging by the vivid pictures you have so skillfully painted, I guess it is safe to assume that you had a fun, relaxing, and inspirational honeymoon. 😉
As I said many times in here the album is magnificent and even the songs that I didn’t like much in the first listen or two are growing on me. I don’t get the complains about Simon not having too many solos and it is a “Don show”
July 8th, 2026 at 14:06but I think the album is kept tight and short on purpose. I would have loved for more “meat” on the songs like “Scared Land” but hey maybe they do that in the next album. The album encompasses a lot of styles, and I already like it more than the previous one. Will try to catch the concert in Clearwater, Florida area in August and hoping to find some good shirts and merchandises there. I find this album more in the vein of Abandon/The Battle Rages on/Perfect Strangers
@17 NO offense but what a non sensical question “Someone in here asked the brilliant question: would you have bought the album had it not had the Deep Purple name on it – and no, I don’t think I would” lol
@20
July 8th, 2026 at 14:51DP too much aggressive? HEAVY?
Do you like tarts without jam? They’re less intense on the stomach, or how about a big glass of gin and tonic without the gin (so at least you don’t fall asleep at work)? 😅
@ 20 Eric
I agree with Ezrin “sound and control” and the arrangements for short songs. I would have loved to let Simon play more and the band extend in their jams but i love the heaviness and the bottom end bass saturated , merged with the drums
July 8th, 2026 at 16:02#22 Steve:
I think the choice to have so many catchy melodic parts was a deliberate one.
as much as the choice of short songs.
as much as Don’s arrangements and his myriad sounds.
as much as the overall mix.
I think that here at Splat nothing has been left to chance.
Although Purple always say that they have 3 writing sessions that start from at least 30 improvisational ideas, it seems to me that even the composition of the songs had a particular attention and a very precise work, because the arrangements are truly a melting pot of colors and particular interlockings.
#25 Albania:
July 8th, 2026 at 23:07Thanks for the compliments on the review,
and yes, the honeymoon went very well,
even if I listened to Splat in my spare time, and had to make a real effort to give more attention to my wife than to my lover Purple!
Karin, I feel exactly the opposite. I think his voice was mixed a bit too high relative to the music on the last few albums.
They turned him up alright, janbl, but at this point in his life it’s only fair after being admonished by Blackmore during the mixing of In Rock with: “Who do you think you are, Gillan, effing Tom Jones?” when IG dared to turn his vocal track louder. 🤣
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nagjPyNMu9Q
I’ve heard that from a lot of people that Ian’s vocals were often mixed too low with Purple through the decades, I actually believe they sacrificed some commerciality there. We as Purple fans are of course used to it, but I think it’s a valid criticism. Even today, Ian is, uhum, far, far away from “Noddy Holder-loud”!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mKjx2oL_fI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JlSoRuw51Y
July 9th, 2026 at 02:09@22
Thank you Steve 😊
As I’ve written in here, I do like a handful of songs. But yeah, not all..
But as I see it, that’s not that bad.
I have loved and cherished every single tune before Splat, and that track record is pretty good compared to all other bands I guess.
“or even splatted by Splat !”
July 9th, 2026 at 10:56– well soon (in October) I will be at the concert in Copenhagen, and I cannot tell you how much I look forward to that!
To # 21 Karin. To get rid of some of that disappointment, if you don’t have it, I recommend a CD called Ian Gillan Cherkazoo and other stories. It is a CD of some of his songs done in 1972 and 1974. It was put together by Simon Robinson of the DPAS. It is IMHO Excellent!! I think you can also pull it up on YouTube.
July 9th, 2026 at 10:56@23
Jan that is very interesting!
Maybe old age finally crept up on me and I’m getting deaf 😄
It will be exciting to hear and see them in October 🙏🏼
July 9th, 2026 at 10:58@24
“but Ian was 39 years old then….l
– I know Erik 😊
But that record still amazes me! What a voice! What a personality oozing out of every single tune!
He still has that – personality I mean. Have been seeing some concert footage on yt, and man he is still as mesmerising as he was when he started.
July 9th, 2026 at 11:01And to be honest, this goes for the rest of the band too..
My “problem” might be that English isn’t my first language. Back in the early 70s, when I was a young teenager (around 13) and started getting interested in Deep Purple’s music, I didn’t really understand the lyrics, so the vocals were, for me, just another instrument, much like the guitar and organ.
July 9th, 2026 at 11:03@26
“@17 NO offense but what a non sensical question “Someone in here asked the brilliant question: would you have bought the album had it not had the Deep Purple name on it – and no, I don’t think I would” lol”
– I am serious though 😊
Had I not recognised them (silly idea because I recognise Purple, of course I do, but for argument’s sake) I would not have listened twice to some of the songs.
‘Arrogant Boy’ and ‘Diablo’ – and ‘The Rider’ of course, but some of the others I wouldn’t have listened to more than once.
But never mind – I am happy most of you in here like the album a lot 😊
July 9th, 2026 at 11:06@20
“I understand what you’re saying, it may be because the songs are all short and you want more from them.”
July 9th, 2026 at 11:08– 😄 no Rubber, it’s not the length of the tunes that is the most important to me…
@30
“I’ve heard that from a lot of people that Ian’s vocals were often mixed too low with Purple through the decades
– oh man I don’t agree!
I have often thought that Ian’s voice was carrying the tunes through!
I love his voice…. But that’s not why I think that.
July 9th, 2026 at 11:10I think # 1 had a few fillers and the usual rock and roll nuggets from Gillan (culminating with that God Awful “Turning to Crime” cover album) and I like the production even better on this one and mix for my two pennies is much better on this one.
July 9th, 2026 at 13:40“oh man I don’t agree”
So you’re telling me then, liebe Karin, that Ian Gillan’s vocals were mixed on DP albums and at live gigs as loud or louder than Noddy Holder’s on Slade singles? That sure was news to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrWbSDsFTYo
I must have listened to DP for 51 years the wrong way then!
And I’ve been to dozens of DP gigs where I would have turned up Ian’s vocals louder had I been the man at the mixing console. Very often he was almost hidden in the mix.
July 9th, 2026 at 23:45From all the Ian Gillan related music I have ever heard, I have never thought, “gee, his vocals should be higher in the mix”! Lead vocalists in so many rock bands have always been up in the mix. Them and lead guitarists. Some peoples hearing may be damaged me thinks. Or they are totally biased toward Ian. And for the record I have never heard anyone ever say he was too low, until now! Cheers.
July 10th, 2026 at 09:52I agree with most of this. There isn’t a bad song in the lot, with Diablo, Third Call and My New Movie being the weakest tracks and none of them are bad songs. Like you, the joyful swing of Diablo has grown on me. I can be guilty of recency bias (as we all can) but I haven’t enjoyed a Deep Purple record this much since Purpendicular.
I like the Morse era stuff a lot but it was guilty of some hit and miss filler tracks. = 1 is rather hit and miss but the hits are really good. I wanted more songs with the kind of abandon of Lazy Sod and the boys delivered and how…
July 10th, 2026 at 20:55As I’ve said, Herr MacGregor, we’re used to it, but a Bon Jovi fan hearing DP for the first time will think otherwise.
I have even read from Ian himself that he doesn’t want – neither live nor in the studio – his voice as high up in the mix as most vocalists prefer.
Blackmore was always adamant that he was high in the mix, so was Chris Squire. John Entwistle too, especially live.
July 10th, 2026 at 23:31#42 Chip:
Third Call in my opinion is a brilliant song that only Purple can do, one of the best on the album
July 11th, 2026 at 00:05@40
Uwe, don’t mess with me:
“So you’re telling me then, liebe Karin, that Ian Gillan’s vocals were mixed on DP albums and at live gigs as loud or louder than Noddy Holder’s on Slade singles? That sure was news to me.”
– we have a heatwave! Yeah, you read it right: heatwave!
Which we are not used to in Denmark….
More than 25 C in more than 3 days, and maybe more 🥵
What I meant Uwe – Ian’s voice sounds or sounded much stronger on older albums.
July 11th, 2026 at 05:14On Splat it sounds weaker.
That’s all 😊
After spinning Splat well 10 times by now i usually start with The Rider and….now it’s a perfect album for me….funny but Arrogant Boy and Diablo don’t do it for me….
July 11th, 2026 at 09:36@40
July 11th, 2026 at 09:42been to a lot of Purple gigs myself i remember different aural sensations regarding Ian’s voice in the mix, sometimes he was above everything, on rare occasions he was a bit low,……but i think we all filter what we want to hear, the words and melodies are all processed in the brain..
Karin, I wasn’t talking about his voice but how high it is pushed up in the mix. It has nothing to do with how Ian sings or the character of his voice, only how loud the producers, engineers and mixers turned up his voice on a recording or a live gig. He does sing with a mircrophone, you know, his voice is amplified.
Ian is on record that he doesn’t want his voice to dominate proceedings, which is ok. As his voice aged and matured, his banshee wail wasn’t however quite as piercing as in the days of yore, he could have used a slight fader-push upwards. This Bob Ezrin btw has very skillfully done on his productions (and it has been criticized by others on these pages before, but not by me), I like to hear Ian more distinctly and that is the case on SPLAT!
PS: “More than 25 C in more than 3 days …“, what are you, Eisprinzessin auf der Temperatur-Erbse,
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTZoT0BaG09AOXM2FTsDdrJTxWx6kWwkvslLaafsoa-noGNt8pKtHBa4s0&s=10
an Inuit?
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT21VR9rnblx9lm9wqaTXBR1xFQw1T6EkkkeWCwAtl0FEgqGzzHxrjclBJW&s=10
We had 41 C here! I morphed into an Afrika Korps Kradmelder when I rode to Deep Purple in Coburg!
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/pv-target-images/f200dbd63dee01a174b87e1dc1b64794f92ca3421a0b0b346bf536e9cc425e08._SX1080_FMjpg_.jpg
I haven’t checked yet, but likely my fertility suffered permanently on that trip with the heat from the Milwaukee-Eight 114
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/eFcAAeSwz6pp0TKJ/s-l1200.jpg
between my legs!
And Madam complains about a fresh breeze of 25 C! 🤣
July 12th, 2026 at 00:55#48 Uwe:
The other day the thermometer in my car, under the Milan sun, read 46 degrees!
in these hot days my balls would become omelette if I used my baby Evo 1200
https://image.forumfree.it/1/2/7/9/3/6/1/5/1646490778.jpg
I hope this week cools down!
July 12th, 2026 at 11:04@48
Uwe,
“his banshee wail” – I would have loved to be at the concert where people apparently got in some kind of difficulties because of his screams!
I have never heard a man scream like he allegedly did then.
“what are you, Eisprinzessin”
– aber nein!
It was just to make a bit of fun of my country, you have made it seems like we never have temperatures above 15 C – but we have!
“And Madam complains about a fresh breeze of 25 C! 🤣”
– I do not complain! Anton however, he hates the warm temperatures, so for his sake I cool him with water, lukewarm water 😄
But about Ian’s voice:
https://youtu.be/4fTTQn_Dxkg?is=cwG09iDPBhWPl9sb
At 0:52 Ian says: no mike, no mike – please don’t laugh at me (at least not too loudly) – is he saying this without a mike in front of him, so his voice is picked up by another mike? Or what was happening?
Do you know if there are any recordings of the hear-threatening screams anywhere?
July 12th, 2026 at 12:42I would really like to hear it for myself 😊
45C? that is why we live under rocks out here in Australia. I have heard plenty of stories from people over the years, who say they could fry an egg on the bonnet of their car in summer. Fla76 would know something about that in Italy wouldn’t he. Those parts of the world have their summer heat plenty of times. Karin I was thinking of Anton, wasn’t it up to mid 30c a few weeks back up that way? That is not normal weather at all by the sound of it. Uwe, I hope you were NOT wearing black leathers when riding your bike to that gig. Thinking that it was a Judas Priest concert or something. Wasn’t it Glenn Frey who had that hit song The Heat Is On? Cheers.
July 12th, 2026 at 18:30If you want to know how a voice sounds that is just picked up by instrument mikes, here you are:
https://youtu.be/0e0qYP_PTlY
10cc were testing the drum sound in a new studio they had bought. As they recorded drum track after drum track, they started singing a nonsense lullaby out of boredom in the drum booth to the drumming – but only the drums were miked. So that is how that strange sound came about. Later on, when trying to demonstrate the drum sound, they played a recording with the faint vocals to someone from the record company and he thought it would be an immediate hit – he wasn’t wrong.
They actually tried to recreate the sound with miked vocals at one point, but it sounded nothing like it.
July 13th, 2026 at 02:42For Karin:
https://youtu.be/Hi20W_BLJNI
July 13th, 2026 at 02:47@51
Yes MacGregor, we have had temperatures above 36 C here where I live. And poor little Anton seemed very tired and hot. So I bathed him in lukewarm water.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in this week will be above 30 C again. So I am prepared with water and melons to Anton and me 😊
Besides that – and sorry for mentioning my little dog – we have a lovely summer time 😃
This morning I received the book, written by Martin Popoff , ‘Unchain your brain” – can’t wait to read it.
But I would have loved John McCoy had been involved in the process.
No, I’m not comfortable when people aren’t friends anymore 🥺
Suddenly people can die, and then it is too late to agree 😞
Have any of you dear people read it already? 😊
July 13th, 2026 at 09:26@52 & 53
Merçi beaucoup Uwe 👍🏼
I found this:
https://youtu.be/X09COdFcr5g?si=TTj18YfIq8_ljJPU
What a voice!
WHAT A VOICE! 😃🤩
July 13th, 2026 at 09:32@52
Oh thanks for the 10cc link 😊
It could be another mike that picked up Ian’s voice. Because his voice is a little more distant than what it uses to be. ..
Found this:
https://youtu.be/e1bodHgR0C4?si=ceYqHgCcLFhmHZXD
I simply love when people are genuinely impressed with our Purple vocalist 😊
July 13th, 2026 at 09:54Love he’s comparing Jon to the Addams family 😁 (hand wise..)
Sorry if it already has been shown in here 😊
@50
“At 0:52 Ian says: no mike, no mike”
Two possible explanations:
1. Ian was/is a time traveller and was yelling to Mike Airey in the (then) future.
2. Ian was not hearing his own voice on his Japanese stage monitors. That is, it was being picked up by the microphone, it was being heard by the public (a.k.a. Front of House) and it was being recorded and heard by Martin Birch, but NOT coming back to his own reference monitors, hence “[Hey!] No mic [signal on my monitors dude, do something]!”
(End of ultra-nerdy comment)
Cheers, J.-
July 13th, 2026 at 13:29I wasn’t really very responsible when I rode my bike to Coburg, Herr MacGregor, I wore short pants, Converse Chucks and a short sleeve shirt plus a helmet and glasses (my other stuff was in a backpack). Not great in case of an accident, I know, but on that blazing heat day wearing a leather jacket would have guaranteed me falling off the bike from a heat stroke/overheating, so I compared statistics: certain heat collapse in a leather jacket vs relatively more unlikely motorcycle accident without one. Needless to say, Edith had her very own opinion on my choice.
☝️😎
Flavio, we should ride our bikes together some time!
July 13th, 2026 at 14:55@57
Julio, I totally support the nr 1!😃
However, if that is a possibility, then quantum field physics is much more integrated in our lives than I have ever imagined 🥸
But isn’t it a lovely tune 🤩
July 13th, 2026 at 18:01#58 Uwe:
Who knows, maybe sooner or later we’ll find ourselves halfway there with the motorcycles!
I came to Germany by motorbike 4 times when I was a young rocker (including Wacken 2007) but unfortunately it’s been many years since I’ve made any trips outside of Italy, work takes up too much of my time now…
Anyway, if you ever end up in Milan again, don’t hesitate to let me know (and the same goes for all THS users) – it would be nice to meet in person!
July 13th, 2026 at 21:24The beautiful song Sacred Land is a story about the McGregor’s, I do love that
July 15th, 2026 at 00:08The Clan MacLaren by the look of it Ken. Those MacGregor’s gave them a hard time for a while apparently. Cheers.
https://www.clanmaclarensociety.com/history.html
July 15th, 2026 at 10:13But, apparently, they never really made the transition from riding horses to premium car building?
https://www.mclaren.com/cars/de_de/W1
July 18th, 2026 at 15:11