![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/gillan5.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/paice2.jpg)
“Just such good fun”
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
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
They’ve been my favorite band since 1973 and I hate to post anything about them but, to me, this album is just plain bland. The new guitar player can certainly play fast but he is boring! As a follow up to Whoosh, this album sucks!!
July 22nd, 2024 at 17:56@ 1
I would Whoosh Is boring And we kind of got a little bit, fed up with the same old, same old. Don’t get me wrong. I love Steve.But Simon It’s not just a guitar player like you saying, but a great musician With a lot of feel
July 22nd, 2024 at 23:39Yo,
There’s always two-sides-to-the coin isn’t there…
Perhaps a sneaky-peak at the live arena will change-your-mind ???
Check this out yo !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HasyyqAHCTk
Peace !
July 23rd, 2024 at 01:01Shame you don’t like it Leslie. Steve Morse was frequently guilty of playing too many notes and using too much distortion, so solos became somewhat predictable at times. Don’t get me wrong, Steve is a wonderful player but I much prefer Simon’s sound, it’s cleaner and he’s better at the faster stuff, but that’s not all he does on this album, he digs in a lot and pulls off things that are reminiscent of Ritchie, Steve, even Gary Moore, whilst also injecting his own personality. In short, he sounds as if he’s been in Purple for years, he’s that comfortable in the band, and live he’s a more natural performer than Steve.
My one criticism is the production, which I feel falls a little short of the standard Bob Ezrin established on the previous albums, a bit too dry on the vocals and the drum sound could be bigger. The Proggy nature of Now What?! Infinite and Whoosh lent themselves to a more atmospheric and perhaps expansive production, whereas =1 is more rocky. To me, the songs sound very natural and unforced, we’ll have to disagree on this one mate and it does seem to be universally acclaimed by various music publications and reviews. Perhaps it will grow on you over the years?
July 23rd, 2024 at 10:55@ 1… listen again, first take out earplugs.
July 23rd, 2024 at 11:46Wow Leslie tell us how you really feel and don’t hold back. Look, I’ve always said music is nothing but a matter of opinion. What I like you might hate and what you like I might hate. There is no right or wrong. I’m guessing you are a big Steve Morse fan and you wish he was still here. There are a lot of fans that are Ritchie Blackmore fans and wish he was still here. The point is this is the band right now and this is there new album. You don’t have to like it but to say it sucks is a little harsh to say the least. Just my opinion.
July 23rd, 2024 at 12:02I was pretty confused when turning to crime was released. I thought it’s the end of deep purple. What a disaster covering dazed and confused. To my surprise the new album put them on the right track. Fantastic album with13 amazing songs. An end to 28 years of not being deep purple. I feel the same when I listened to fireball for the first time. I was only 10.All the band members are connected with each other. =1is pure deep purple.
July 23rd, 2024 at 14:46To Number 5. I’ve listened to it quite a few times without “earplugs”!! I think the album is bland and boring!! If you don’t like my review, I suggest you dry your tears and get over it!! As for my favorite Guitar player, it is and always will be Ritchie.
July 23rd, 2024 at 19:04Why is it so darn difficult for some of our brethren to look forward with Purple rather than backward?
Mk I had charm, but the change to Mk II certainly made for a more potent recipe. When Mk II ended in 1973, it was a blow and unfortunate, but without the former line-up’s dissolution, we wouldn’t have had Burn. Ritchie going AWOL with the opening act was another blow, but Come Taste The Band was an album bristling with life. Then it all went pear-shaped and we had to wait eight years for the reunion, but what a joyous relief that was! Ian Gillan is booted and Joe Lynn Turner makes Ritchie happy for an attempted AOR record, but if you don’t think King Of Dreams is a great, moody track, you can’t be helped. Big Ian returns and we have that fine final Mk II tour with some sparks flying before the banjo player exits again for medieval cosplay. Joe Satriani puts the band on intrerim life support and then Steve Morse rebuilds DP. Jon Lord retires from the road after a few years and Don Airey takes over, fueling the band with his songwriting input (to be fair: never Jon’s forte while in the band). Steve leaves (and his fans suddenly begin acting like Ritchie’s when he went over the Rainbow in 1975) and Simon McBride sounds as fresh and gung-ho as Tommy Bolin did in 1975 – sans all the baggage Tommy brought with him that doomed any stable line-up with him to failure. And he can even play the Highway Star solo faultlessly. 😉
Isn’t that a nice, colorful history? Great for a NETFLIX series. I wouldn’t want to take any part out of it (Tommy’s and Jon’s deaths excepted of course), even if it sometimes took me a while to fully realize and appreciate what the changes were ultimately good for.
If Dr Lao was here (he’s been lamentably missing as of late – IS HE ALRIGHT? 🤔), he’d say: “Grasshopper, Deep Purple is not a destination, it is a journey!” We might be on the last leg of that journey, but why not enjoy where it goes now, ALONG with relishing the memories where we have already been?
Philosophical rant over! 😂
*******************************
=1 is to my ears and heart a mighty fine album. No, not an In Rock, a Machine Head, a Burn or a Come Taste The Band, not nourishing rain after a long drought like Perfect Strangers and likely not even as pivotal as Purpendiclar, simply because Simon and his assortment of senior citizens will not have the opportunity to work together for decades going forward.
But for a band with a collective age of 353 years (I counted!)
https://i.stack.imgur.com/0cKoP.gif
“mighty fine” is pretty good and way better than could be reasonably expected. Just enjoy it as long as it still lasts, ok?
July 23rd, 2024 at 22:13In response to you Uwe, why can’t some of our brethren here respect other people’s views. They’ve been my favorite band since 1973 and I DO look forward to every album, otherwise I wouldn’t have bought them!! I looked forward to this album big time, as I do with every DP album but, in my view, Simon’s guitar playing is boring and the songs on this album are bland. To me, this is a crappy album!! Am I supposed to lie and say it’s a great album and Simon is a fantastic guitar player when I don’t believe that? I totally look forward to another album and hope it blows me away but, in my opinion, this album stinks!! I certainly welcomed Joe into the band when Ritchie left, I welcomed Steve into the band when Joe left, I welcomed Don into the band when Jon left, and I also welcomed Simon into the band and hoped this album would be excellent. Maybe the next one will be!!
July 23rd, 2024 at 23:53@ 9 – thanks Uwe, appreciate the comments. There are 4- 5 good songs on the new DP album & if that is enough for me, that gets it a good album review. There might be a couple more that grow on me or surprise me later on, that often can happen. I have been this way for many decades with my favourite artists. Gone are the days of high quality songs dominating albums of grandeur. Still a fine effort for the lads & Simon McBride would be still pinching himself & no doubt will be for many years to come. Cheers.
July 24th, 2024 at 00:15@Uwe
You have described it superbly. We were always taught this in the Polish fan club. We called it all the ‘Purple family’. Although probably a lot of Deep Purple musicians never accepted or understood that, led by big Ian. I like him a lot, but he’s the one who thinks of himself as ‘Deep Purple’ which is wrong and sad.
For me Deep Purple is a phenomenon and that’s probably why I’ve been listening to them all my life, because it’s not one band. It’s ‘many bands in one band’. Brilliant! 🙂 Sometimes playing completely different music. That’s why it’s a musical adventure of a lifetime….
And I don’t use ‘mark’ names. Nor do I use musical genres to describe their music. Because Deep Purple are themselves a musical genre, hehe
Rather, I arrange it according to the people who had the most influence on the music at the time. And that changes after more listens. For example, right now I would probably arrange it like this, with the concert albums that are important to me included:
1.
Shades, Book, Inglewood, Purple
Concerto, Gemini
2.
In Rock, Fireball, Machine, MIJ, Who Do
3.
Burn, California, Storm
Come Taste, Days May Come
4.
Perfect, House, Nobody’s, Battle, Come Hell
Slaves
5.
Bombay, Purpen, Olympia, Abandon, Total
London Symphony, Tokyo 2001
6.
Bananas, Rapture, Montreux 2006/2011
Now, Rome 2013, Infinite, Whoosh!
Turning
7.
July 24th, 2024 at 07:11=1
Yo,
Uwe stated…
qt.”“Mighty fine” is pretty good and way better than could be reasonably expected. Just enjoy it as long as it still lasts, ok”?…
I re-did the calculation from the formula provided, & it doesn’t =1…It’s 11/10 !
Come taste the band indeed…..
Peace !
July 24th, 2024 at 09:16@8… I think we all would agree here that Ritchie Blackmore is everybody’s favorite guitar player in Deep Purple, But Steve doesn’t bring the original sound that we all love that Simon brings to the band. Guess you’re a fan of Steve which is still a good thing since he brought new life to the band.
July 24th, 2024 at 12:14I don’t have any problem with anyone not liking songs or an album. Leslie is entitled to his opinion as we all are. I don’t like quite a few songs on this new album either. If you look at a few youtube comments from certain people ‘snoozefest’, ‘a insomnia cure’ or ‘why do they even bother’ etc etc. A lot of people like it, others do not. It is the way of things. Uwe @ 9 – I did go & listen to King of Dreams & yes it is one of the better songs on S&M, I have always remembered some of those songs. I just wish that album had some grunt to it. It is so smooth sounding & the drums are, well similar sounding to the Ezrin produced albums. I guess DP & the producer made up for that on the next album TBRO. Anyway the important thing is that I now CAN BE HELPED, he he he. Glad we got that sorted. Cheers.
July 24th, 2024 at 12:32MacGregor, witnessing the process of your ongoing rehabilitation in leaps and bounds 🦘 🦘🦘 fills me with tranquil contentment and a sense of purpose. Even people from Tasmania aren‘t left behind here.
Leslie, give it a few more spins. Even I do that with TBRO sometimes. Not that I ever look forward to it but Pflicht ist Pflicht. Steve did wonderful things for DP, but after almost 30 years some of the spark had gone. That said, Whoosh! was a memorable way to bow out.
July 24th, 2024 at 14:16@4 RB
Arms and legs this to me, nicely said and well put. Leslie’s tangent is up to intriguing to me, given the fact that he claims NOT to be Steven’s die hard.
But as Flavio said in some other topic – it would be so boring if we all had the same opinion…
I, myself, ride loveably on Simon’s gung-ho right now, the track of the day is “A Bit on the Side” and it’s relentless rhythmic dunkk-a-dunkk-a-dunk and the flurries of Si’s notes in the solo. Not to mention the secret of what’s under Charlene’s gear, and as well it might be a bit on the side more than equals one not-so ping pong ball of Mitzi’s😅😈😝
July 24th, 2024 at 17:31I agree with you MacGregor. It is too “Smooth Sounding” but songs like King of Dreams, The Cut Runs Deep, Fire in the Basement, Wicked Ways and, my favorite off the album, Fortuneteller were all very good to excellent songs! I just wish they would have done a full blown version of Fortuneteller live!
July 24th, 2024 at 17:50# 16. “Leslie’s tangent is up to intriguing to me, given the fact that he claims NOT to be Steven’s die hard”. Duh!! In know it’s hard for someone like you to comprehend, but I just don’t like the album!!! Have a nice day going “dunkk-a-gunkk-a-dunk” day LOL!!!!
July 24th, 2024 at 19:16S&M catered to AOR tastes, yes, it was meant to. But if we‘re all honest to ourselves, had it been a Joe Lynn Turner solo venture with Ritchie, Roger, Jon and Little Ian guesting, wouldn‘t we all agree that it contains some choice playing by the four and constitutes a pinnacle in Joe‘s oeuvre? It‘s all a matter of perspective.
July 24th, 2024 at 19:29@ 17….. That’s the most sounding Rainbow album Deep Purple ever did, go figure, you don’t enjoy this one.
July 24th, 2024 at 20:11Slave and Master was a great AoR album, very “night” atmosphere similar to Perfect Strangers, I really wish HOBL had that sound, and the story maybe would have been different….
one thing that I have never digested is Paice’s performance on S&M always irritates me, I consider it his worst ever!
July 24th, 2024 at 22:05It’s also very annoying, the sound is beautiful, but guys, to try to regain the American spot they made him playing the drums straight like a straight line!!!
if I remember correctly he does in Wicked Ways the first serious snare break (or snare roll, I don’t know how “rullata” translates into English), in the last track!…unacceptable!
“I think we all would agree here that Ritchie Blackmore is everybody’s favorite guitar player in Deep Purple …”
I’ve heard rumors of dissenting minorities hidden away in the impenetrable wilderness of Tasmania, ferociously fearsome little critters they are too …
https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2016/savingdevils.jpg
July 24th, 2024 at 23:46THOBL does suffer terribly from that 80’s snare drum sound. If that was better the recording would probably be ok for me, all things considered. At least we can hear the snare drum on that album. After a sleepless night pondering this & that in regards to DP & their history. Blackmore appeared on 13 studio albums, co founded the band & named it. Brought in Rod Evans, Ian Paice, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes & Joe Lynn Turner. And to also mention Ritchie being responsible for that riff that guitar shops all over the world loathe & very likely many more guitar tutors & no doubt that will continue for an eternity to come. How is that for a lasting legacy. Not too bad. Cheers.
July 25th, 2024 at 00:22Couldn’t agree more about Ritchie. As we all know, he did some excellent work before forming DP. In 1997 RPM production put out the “Complete Glenda Collins” CD. Well worth getting if you can find it. RB does some excellent work on the songs he played on!
July 25th, 2024 at 01:09Man – this wears me out .
July 25th, 2024 at 01:55I’m so glad (Rainbow reference not intended but noted) to be able to listen to these guys after (my listening time) 54 years . Guitar , bass , drums , organ & a singer turning 79 -amazing – I’m riding it all the way !!
Deep Purple = rock – no other band touches them no matter the line up ! As Coverdale said once -Rock& Roll!
“I think we all would agree here that Ritchie Blackmore is everybody’s favorite guitar player in Deep Purple …”
In Deep Purple versions 5, 6 and 7 is not. 🙂
July 25th, 2024 at 07:19Yo,
Lieber Uwe said…(click-bait regarding RB dissenting )…
qt.”I’ve heard rumours of dissenting minorities hidden away in the impenetrable wilderness of Tasmania, ferociously fearsome little critters they are too” …
*I don’t have to say or do anything here, RB opened & closed the DP door on himself, his own actions speak louder than words, like pulling-out of a world tour whist in the middle of it. And he’d been paid in secret to the others, a cool $250K extra to do the tour.
I only ask people to be honest with themselves, & be realistic about RB…It appears throughout his career in Rock, he has treated people quite poorly.
Ergo, RB = Asshole.
Peace !
July 25th, 2024 at 10:00@19
Leslie, you might try to be sophisticated, but mind you that the similar type of “gunk-ka dunk” staccatoed marchy riff is played by none other, than Ritchie Blackmore on the intro of “Gypsy’s Kiss”, but this you would probably not bash. So it can make your day if written and played well. And “A Bit on the Side” is great with that.
“For someone like you it’s hard to comprehend…” – easy to pluck such things about people you actually don’t know. I was just surprised at your dismissal of the album, but won’t be trashing you for it. You’ll get some you might like later on. I’m happy to like what we got and I respect people who beg to differ. Peace!
July 25th, 2024 at 11:40Senior moment – I’m So Glad ( Deep Purple not Rainbow) – still Love all things Purple!
July 25th, 2024 at 13:58“In Deep Purple versions 5, 6 and 7
AND 8 & 9 !!! (Uwe’s edit)
is not. 🙂”
Fixed it for you, Simon! 😁
July 25th, 2024 at 16:04#29 Who’s trying to sound sophisticated LOL. By the way, in the comment you are referring to I was replying to a post # 17 where you used the words dunkk-a-dunkk-a-dunk and not the the post before you. I was making a joke out of the words you used because you were the one trying to sound “Oh so sophisticated”!! As for my musical tastes, you know nothing about them so quit trying to pretend you do!! Peace 🙂
July 25th, 2024 at 23:19I find bar room brawls unentertaining.
July 25th, 2024 at 23:59I like it more on each play through. It is proper Purple. Some of the songs could be longer but….. can’t have everything. Been a fan since 1970.
July 29th, 2024 at 18:23It’s a well-rounded album – with even two ballads, unusual for DP, are they mellowing out with age? 🤣
July 29th, 2024 at 23:51Is it just me or does the line “Now you want to make up, put aside this break up” remind anyone else of Aretha Franklin – or rather Bacharach and David – I say a little prayer.
July 30th, 2024 at 11:42That’s not a bad inspiration, Bacharach & David were great.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXlC4RxOG-0
Snigger all you want, I really like Rumer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERzNIzrEnLg
July 30th, 2024 at 15:16