Albums: Deep Purple, =1

Deep Purple, =1

Show Me; A Bit on the Side; Sharp Shooter; Portable Door; Old Fangled Thing; If I Were You; Pictures of You; I’m Saying Nothing; Lazy Sod; Now You’re Talking; No Money To Burn; I’ll Catch You; Bleeding Obvious.

(Ear Music) 0219138EMU

With their 23rd album =1, British rock veterans Deep Purple have returned. Sounding fresh, hungry, and invigorated on this new set of tracks, producer Bob Ezrin has evoked the band's classic rock sound but added a modern twist, embodying the essence and attitude of Purple’s early incarnation.

Opening number Show Me has Ian Gillian's distinctive vocals and Don Airey's Hammond organ care; rather than the sound of the band going through the motions, they deliver a track that is as good, if not better than anything they released over the last few years.

Sharp Shooter comes with a blues-infused vibe, with guitarist Simon McBride bringing a fresh approach to the track. The band can still offer a few surprises too, as best heard on the funky Old Fangled Thing.

The interplay between guitar and organ—always a big part of the sound of Deep Purple—comes to the fore on Portable Door as Airey and McBride compete with one another, whilst on Lazy Sod, Gillian shows his environmental credentials as he sings that “the oceans are rising and I can’t do a thing about that.”

Now aged seventy-eight, Gillian might not be able to hit the high notes as well as he used to, but throughout the album it never stops him sounding compelling and in control.

Whilst many might have written off the band, =1 proves on the contrary that Deep Purple still have plenty to offer—the smoke is definitely still on the water as far as they are concerned.