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=1 Will Have a Respected Place in the Band’s Catalogue
The Highway Star reader Albania reviews =1
My first listen to the material from =1 was somewhat unusual/disjointed as it occurred incoherently in bits and pieces (at airports, in the car driving my kids to soccer matches, in the office, etc.). Thus, this review might seem a bit disorderly given the various mental notes at the various times (i.e. first when each single came out, then the album), but hang in there …
Overall, =1 is an excellent effort by the mighty Purple that will have its unique, respected place in the band’s significant catalogue. One of the most distinguished Deep Purple features – partly because of the various marks, but not only – has been the diversity of offerings where no two albums are alike. If one were to experiment by creating a playlist of all the band’s songs and then played said songs in random order, those unfamiliar with the band would have a hard time realizing that the material belongs to the same group, and, sometimes, even the same mark.
There is variety throughout each mark’s albums, but, obviously, that variety becomes even more significant across the various marks. And =1 surely does not disappoint. With the song compositions, structure and arrangements, not to mention the unique sound of Mark IX, the band has succeeded in striking the delicate balance between producing something that sounds fresh, yet recognizable as Deep Purple. Such a feat, more than 56 years after its original incarnation, is simply remarkable.
With four out five existing members together since 2002, one might not necessarily expect much variation from the band’s prior records, especially the prior three (sans Turning to Crime) with Bob Ezrin as producer. But there is plenty of variety in =1. And this is not only a testament to the new banjo player’s ability to take over for the amazing Steve Morse while putting his own stamp on the music, but also speaks volumes to the band’s willingness and ability to push themselves artistically rather than stick with tried-and-true formulas.
I moved to the States for school in the mid-90s and, between then grunge’s meteoric rise and the somewhat lack of Deep Purple awareness (especially compared to Led Zeppelin) amongst my school mates, I found myself listening less and less to the band that I had grown up with and had come to worship. In fact, perhaps in an unconscious effort to clean the slate, I had probably gone close to a year without regularly listening to Purple. Then, one day in 1997, as fate would have it, I stumbled upon an unfamiliar album at a record store in Tucson, AZ. That album was Purpendicular. I bought it on instinct. I remember getting home that day and playing it reluctantly, pretty much expecting to find myself back in familiar territory. Boy, was I wrong?!?
Purpendicular was fresh and fun. It showcased a band on fire that can only be compared to a wild animal that had just been uncaged. It simply kicked my butt; start to finish. Ritchie will always be my guitar hero, but the shot in the arm that Steve gave to my favorite band some thirty years ago can never be overstated. I have tremendously enjoyed all of the albums that the band has put out with Steve (including Turning to Crime), not to mention the numerous live shows and the backstage moments.
Thus, it is with mixed emotions that I share my thoughts on a Deep Purple album without the individual that was instrumental (pun intended 😉) in keeping the band alive, helping them lick their wounds, and rebuild their brand. However, the band needed to carry on after Steve’s understandable departure. Had they taken a temporary hiatus, the likelihood of an immediate and permanent dissolution would have been extremely high. And =1 is proof that carrying on without Steve was the right decision for the band.
A friend that moved from London to my town around 2020 started telling me a few years ago about some shows he had attended in small London venues/pubs featuring a guitar player from Belfast. He would play music by said guitarist, and then would often wonder why many people had not heard of him. Fast forward to February 2023, at the State Theater in New Brunswick, NJ, and I am watching my favorite group live again, but for the first time without Steve (I never got to see them with Ritchie ☹). And, who is on guitar? None other than the Belfast kid! Simon was excellent. He was confident, but not arrogant. It was clear that he had the chops to handle a bigger stage than what he was used to prior to joining the Purps. But what about writing new material with the band? Did he have creative capabilities? Well, =1 has now settled that for me.
There is no urge for me to compare =1 with any prior albums by the band. Simply the fact that Deep Purple, formed in the late sixties, has put out an album with 13 new songs in the year 2024 is truly beyond belief and, in itself, worth celebrating. And the fact that the album is full of excellent material is a bonus on top; it stands out on its own as a fine effort by a band that, despite all odds, is, decades later, still here, very much alive and well. Like the other four members, Simon surely deserves credit for this.
Numerous gun slingers are available for hire, but with the new album Simon has shown that he was certainly the right fit for the band. He has brought his own style, sound, and attitude. There are instances where he sounds loyal to Ritchie (the outro to Lazy Sod, which to me has elements from the outro to Strange Kind of Woman), and instances where he sounds loyal to Steve (the interplay between Don and Simon in Now You’re Talkin’, which to me has elements from the interplay between Don and Steve in Cascades: I’m Not Your Lover). And I can also hear some Gary Moore, especially in some of the long notes, tone, and sound (If I Were You and I’ll Catch You). This is all normal; his predecessors also had their influences and points of reference. What =1 makes clear, however, is that while Simon is willing and able to acknowledge his predecessor, he is not afraid to carve his own path and, in doing so, help the band continue to evolve. A win-win in my book.
=1 is full of great material. The song quality is strong throughout and there are no obvious fillers. There are a couple of minor questionable moments, but mainly from a technical/production perspective. For instance, after the superb interplay between Don and Simon in Now You’re Talkin’, the band eventually returns with what one hopes would be a climax/explosive ending, but, instead, because of the fadeout, it feels a bit like a gradual, safe landing. Also, the transition between Pictures of You and I’m Saying Nothing seems a bit odd. But if you play Pictures of You followed immediately by Portable Door, then the transition seems more natural. Anyone else notice the same? For me these are just minor issues that do not take anything away from the album’s great overall quality.
The record company and band were smart to release the singles that they did, and in the order that they did. With elements of Pictures of Home and Black Night, it feels like Portable Door was meant to first satisfy the cravings of diehard fans. Pictures of You, in addition, was likely aimed at those that were somewhat familiar with Purple, but were not necessarily up to date on the present state of affairs. Finally, Lazy Sod, on the other hand, seems like the song that could potentially pique the interest of not only those that are current on Deep Purple, but also those that might know the name but aren’t aware that the band is still actively touring and recording. The three singles are excellent and are a good representation of the album.
The album highlight, however, is Bleeding Obvious. The opening theme, which returns throughout the song, seems to contain motifs of folk music from the part of Europe that I grew up in, which would not surprise me given references to said music in songs like Pictures of Home, Rapture of the Deep, etc. With Bleeding Obvious the band delivers a Master Class on how to write a rather complex piece of music that contains numerous and various musical elements, themes, and styles that only Deep Purple can package together in a way that sounds fresh, interesting, and unforced. The music prowess of each band member comes through clearly, and perhaps better than in any other song on the album. Bleeding Obvious would be epic live, especially as a closing number.
Had the album been released back in the 70s when listening to music was a much more immersive experience, =1 would have been even more successful than it will ultimately be. Unfortunately, however, we live in the age of ultra-short attention span and instant gratification. Not to mention that the so called “rock” radio stations have their playlists compiled by advertising executives, rather than by proper DJs. Thus, the likelihood of =1 getting any airplay, at least in the States, is slim. But my heroes have been here (underground) before, and their wonderful music will prevail, sooner or later.
=1 is a strong album that will only grow stronger over time. With more listens, it will surely carve its respected place in the band’s significant catalogue. Overall, it is a great effort by a band that, despite being around since the late sixties, still sounds fresh, current, and relevant. It is a blessing that the guys are still here and cranking. I can hardly wait to see them live with a bunch of friends (including some first timers) in late August and early September in NY and CT.
You are a wonder, Deep Purple. Keep soaring.
Albania
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
That was a lovely piece (and not just for the music discussion), faleminderit!
July 26th, 2024 at 20:53> interplay between Don and Steve in Cascades: I’m Not Your Lover
Between _Jon_ and Steve, of course!
For me a band with Don and Steve is different from a band with Jon and Steve. That’s why I noticed it right away 😉
July 26th, 2024 at 21:13The best review I’ve read so far on this site. Could’nt agree more.
July 26th, 2024 at 22:34Great review.I am from the same neck of the woods so to speak and those balkan areas you are referring to and unfortunately Deep Purple for some reasons never got the attention that Led Zeppelin got in US.I’m not sure why but my assumption talking to American fans was that Zeppelin were more into your face hard Rock blues band than Deep Purple classical incorporation in their ,music.Not to mention that Purple went from various diffrent line ups and memebrs and some hard core fans completely lost interest once Ritchie left the band. In Europe and the rest of the world Purple are gods.I know when you are listening to a good album,once you start humming and playing the songs in your head,my only “critique” is that of Bob Ezrin could have “shaved off ” a couple of songs and let the band play and extend even longer in the jams it would have been great but still a very very good rock album and the best of the year so far for me.I ccanot belive in this age and time with all the crap and commercial shit we hear,these guys are still making music and playing live.I would love and pray for another album with Simon who has instilled that hard rock style again in the band
I am very tempted to go and watch in Tampa but the ticket prices has gone crazy.I am still considering …
July 26th, 2024 at 23:48Thank you Albania. It was an immense pleasure to read your piece. Almost like comforting oneself with a warm cloak on a autumn evening. I miss that kind of writing happening more frequently from people and love the eloquence of expression and your flow of view. But hey, I was always into well written books and novels. I’m old fashioned in that department. Amazing. Muchas gracias, Amigo.
July 27th, 2024 at 06:35Simon Zyla @ 2
July 27th, 2024 at 13:19Thanks for pointing that out. Jon and Steve, indeed.
I just realized that I had made another mistake; the year I stumbled upon Purpendicular was 1996, not 1997.
But, as the saying goes, why let the facts get in the way of a good story 😂
Uwe @ 1 and David @ 3 – thank you both for the kind words. I appreciate it.
AL @ 4 – some good observations on DP vs LZ popularity/awareness in the States. In addition to the classical element, which is very significant, Purple — at least during Gillan’s tenure — has produced lyrics of a high intellectual caliber. However, sadly, neither the classical element, nor Gillan’s intellectual lyrics seem to have helped Purple as much in getting them here in the States the recognition that they truly deserved.
There were probably other factors, one of which, for instance, was management. A hard-nosed, demanding, and fierce advocate, Peter Grant was not only successful in promoting Zeppelin effectively in the States, but he also obtained unprecedented deals for them. Peter was ruthless and shrewd when it came to advocating for the quartet.
On another note, pony up the dough and go see Purple in Tampa! LOL
Thorsun @ 5 – WOW! Thank you for the tremendous compliment. I love literature and am guilty of owning a sizable collection of physical books, which, of course, is also because many of the same works are in more than one language. LOL
We all have our unique DP love stories. Mine started in the late 80s when my birth country, Albania, was still under the tight grip of communism. Imagine North Korea, but in Europe and in the heart of the Mediterranean. The government controlled everything. No one was allowed to leave the country, unless you were traveling on government business, which was very rare.
My older brother’s friend, Blair, took me under his wing early on. Blair’s father was a career diplomat and during one of his trips abroad, at his son’s request, smuggled into the country some tapes, including, perhaps by happenstance, music by Deep Purple. I write smuggled because back then the communist regime had banned foreign/western films, music, literature and other forms of art that conflicted with communist propaganda. The government regularly jammed TV and radio waves from abroad. But, fortunately, because of the proximity to Italy, some of said waves still made it across the short distance over the Adriatic Sea.
Once I got hooked on Purple, I could not get enough. Together with three close friends — Aldo, Eduard, and Ervin — I snuck out every Tuesday evening and, in an obscure, dark corner of our tight-knit neighborhood, using a small transistor radio, huddled under the moonlight, we tuned into an Italian station that, once a week on Tuesday nights, played nothing but rock for one straight hour. With no commercial interruptions, the show could be compared to a mixed tape, with a healthy dose of Purple, that someone played on the radio for others to listen to.
We could get the radio beam at home, but snuck out nonetheless because back then the Sigurimi (secret police), through a rather complex network of informers and spies, kept close tabs on the average family in case anyone tried to access foreign media, literature, and art. By sneaking outside, we thought, we would be protecting our parents, which, if caught in the act at home, would surely be taken away by the Sigurimi and jailed for God knows how long.
We were barely 10 then, but we swore to secrecy and stayed true to each other’s word. Full of fear of being caught by the Sigurimi and high on adrenaline from the anticipation of the commencement of the secret “ritual”, with our eyes wide open for the secret police and our ears tightly glued to the small transistor radio, once a week, thanks to the frequencies traveling across from Italy, we were able to escape to a different reality. For the next few years, until the regime collapsed in the early nineties, we managed to transport ourselves via Purple and other rock bands to a world far away from the harsh confines of one of the most totalitarian regimes that our planet has ever seen.
I guess, you may say, we had found, to borrow from Gillan, our own Portable Door. LOL
July 28th, 2024 at 14:58nice review
July 28th, 2024 at 19:45Well done
👍
@7, Albania: this story is beyond words. I daresay, Deep Purple should be proud having fans like you.
July 29th, 2024 at 14:54Wow, hearing DP as children on a crappy transistor radio in resistance to the omnipresent Sigurimi,
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Sigurimi.svg/1280px-Sigurimi.svg.png
now that sounds like a script to a biographical movie! Mbresëlënëse!!!
John Wetton grew up in freedom, but he wrote a lovely song about the power of radio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=legvfB6BoDw
(Yup, that is Pat Thrall playing guitar and doing it well!)
“I heard you on the radio
Some other time
From some forgotten studio
Way down the line
So long, so long I’ve waited now
To hear you again
That song, that song will still remain
Become an old friend
And now, the tears are in my eyes
The sound you can’t disguise
The truth comes back from lies
And all I want to hear
Voice of America, ooh, America
Voice of America, ooh, America
And then you came in stereo
Calling to me
And so I watched the videos
Across the T.V
That sound, still ringing in my ears
From a decade ago
Around, around my head, the sound from my radio
I thought, that after all these years
The tears, the growing fears
That I would never hear
Never again
Voice of America, ooh, America
July 29th, 2024 at 16:29Voice of America, ooh, America”
Uwe! 🥹😳
You’re citing John Wetton!!! I need to quote Yvonne Elliman from some Jesus related project we know the singer of🤣
“I don’t know how to love him”🤣🤣🤣
I don’t like this song much myself, but I loved the line up with Pat Thrall (with no disrespect for Steve Howe, but I always thought that Pat brought the immense fire to the Asia material and he riffed and soloed much better) and Wetton is in the Top 5 of my most adored musicians (along with Jon, Randy Rhoades, Ritchie and Colin Towns). Some people say that big chunks of his catalogue were schmaltzy, but before one says that – do at least sing and play bass as well as he did. He had a great ear for wonderful melodies and together with Geoff Downes (much as in as out of Asia) – they did lots of great songs together.
One of their finest also features the absolutely astounding Anneke Von Giersbergen, enjoy!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0d5FpVGzk0o&pp=ygUVdG8gY2F0Y2ggYSB0aGllZiBpY29u
July 29th, 2024 at 17:33I’ve never made any secret here about how much I like Asia (as does Ritchie btw), UK and/or John Wetton. I love his quintessentially English voice (and his bass playing though it peaked with King Crimson which was a long time ago), can he be schmaltzy? You bet, but that has never bothered me too much. One of my favorite Asia songs is Wishing which is a tour-de-schmaltz! I die for the ‘la-lalalalalala’-coda part, I’m such a wuss. 🤣
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftal5KNbiOw
I have the recent boxed set of his solo years.
He was also a very nice and easy-going man, I met him once backstage at an Asia club gig and we chatted about his Gibson Victory Bass, his time with Uriah Heep (he only had good things to say about them – not so much about Wishbone Ash -, but wasn’t sure if he hadn’t played on Demons & Wizards! 😄) and how his carpal tunnel syndrome was giving him trouble.
As for Steve Howe …, he wouldn’t know how to play a real rock’n’roll solo, and if it hit him by freight train! Before an enraged Tasmanian now grabs for his machete (I reckon he is reasonably adept with it, having to use it on a daily basis just to get to his physical mailbox … if the post ship came in on time that is … 😂), Howe is an excellent and idiosyncratic guitarist, but compared to his notoriously academic approach even Steve Morse sounds like Chuck Berry.
July 29th, 2024 at 18:33@ 7 – yes that is a story of hardship if ever there was one Albania & I hope everything worked out all right for you & your family. The opposite of how we listened to a transistor radio as youngsters out here in Australia back in the 1970’s. Rainbow’s Man On A Silver Mountain & the dodgy reception from rural NSW all the way to Melbourne. A lot different background there in all aspects. Thank you for the insight into a very different world in that respect, one I have read about & viewed the occasional documentary of on the tv etc. Cheers.
July 29th, 2024 at 21:52@ 14 – A post ship? More like a message in a bottle Uwe. How many times have I reiterated that things move SLOWLY out this way. In regards to the machete, yes I have used one although I tend to keep the blade on the brush cutter & cut loose. It is very disappointing though when I finally get through to the other side and……..it looks just like the side where I have come from. Oh well, such is life was Ned Kelly’s final saying from all reports. I do like John Wetton’s songs here & there & he is a former Crimson alumni on the mighty bass guitar & also with his sublime vocals. After the debut Asia album I lost interest with that band as they became too AOR, too commercial etc. I do have the original Asia lineup dvd concert from Japan 2006 era, lovely performance that. And at that time the Phoenix album. A bit too commercial at times, the last song is a killer though ‘An Extraordinary Life’. A highly rated musician in my eyes & ears is Mr Wetton. Yes indeed Steve Howe isn’t as we know a ‘rock’ guitarist per se. But he is everything else, so to speak. Jazz, classical, flamenco, country, bluegrass etc. He doesn’t gel with anything too commercial Howe, one of the reasons he is my cup of tea. Plus he doesn’t play the blues, unlike so many other guitarists. Nice to hear guitarists who are into other genres & play in a rock band. The blues has been done to death in that regard. I don’t know about not playing rock ‘n roll solos though. I have heard him get raunchy with that old Gibson 335 & also the ES 175. No distortion pedals with Howe, just volume & guitar cranked through Fender Twin Reverbs & it sounds rather Chuck Berry like. He was hugely influenced by Berry & Berry was the first gig he ever went to as youngster. I do think Steve Morse is much more clinical than Howe & more disciplined too. Cheers.
July 30th, 2024 at 00:50The lack of a strong blues influence component with Howe is a perceptive point, that is why he does so few bendings in his solos. As does – lamentably so – Ritchie by now, because he deems bending notes as inauthentic with the music he now plays, there was no bending notes in Renaissance music, just trills as a form of ornamentation. I used to love Ritchie’s bending, vibrato and idiosyncratic slide playing, it was more important to me than his twiddly-twiddly stuff and the violin’esque-sounding bends in the Highway Star solo have always impressed me more than the 16th note flurry.
July 30th, 2024 at 12:32Brush cutter?! From German STIHL of all brands? Herr MacGregor, how I hate it when you Bikini Atoll-atomize my cliché-free preconceptions of Tasmanian rural life! WHATDAYYAMEAN you don’t shear sheep occasionally?!!! 🤣
https://c7.alamy.com/comp/ENNMB7/the-thorn-birds-aka-die-dornenvgel-usa-australien-1983-daryl-duke-ENNMB7.jpg
July 30th, 2024 at 15:10@ 13 – Yes, everything has worked out fine. I count my blessings.
July 30th, 2024 at 17:59@ 16 – yes indeed Uwe, Stihl for my chainsaw & the blower. Kawasaki for standard length hedge trimmer & previous 20 years with the brush cutter & now that is an Echo. Shindaiwa for the pole hedge trimmer. So many people use Stihl compared to other brands out here. They are all good brands though, excellent reliability & top notch for all the work thrown at them. Re sheep shearing, about the closest I will get to a shearer is using the language they are known for. Very colourful at times. ‘He or she (yes women do swear when it suits them) swears just like a shearer’ is a saying out here in Oz. Colloquial language lesson over. Actually I did help out in a shearing shed when I was about 17 & working on a farm. Gathering up the wool & stacking it into large wool bags. Thankfully it wasn’t the middle of summer at the time. I had forgotten all about that until just now. Thanks for the reminder. Cheers.
July 31st, 2024 at 09:30Good Brother MacGregor: Our lives are entwined in so many ways! I herewith reveal to you that I worked for STIHL as a warehouse employee for six months in 1979 – before I took the fateful decision to study law. STIHL had (and has) a large storage & distribution facility in my original home town of Dieburg.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipN2b6jKKS3tdpbxry4E22c4nYlt1e8ND7S-rLyA=s1360-w1360-h1020
I have fond memories from then too. Animated discussions whether the non-existence of dinosaurs today is really due to them not fitting on Noah’s Ark. How so? The owner of STIHL, Herr Stihl, wasn’t fond of unions and Jehovah’s Witnesses never unionized because, you know, with Armageddon and such just ’round the corner, it ain’t really worth it. So there was a policy at STIHL for the preferential hiring of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Dieburg was a largely Catholic town, but we had a notable JW community.
It was also one of my nicest experiences of my – generally underestimated – corrosive and corrupting power. Once in a while, we had to drive outdated STIHL catalogs to a Frankfurt paper mill. It was a despicable place of lewd sin as it was also the recipient of unsold international men’s magazines such as Playboy, Penthouse and Hustler, all still in their plastic shrink-wrapped virgin (pun indeed intended …) state. So of course we picked up a stack of each going back – to share with friends on a no-fee basis. We didn’t have distribution among our Jehovah’s Witnesses colleagues in mind or presented our bounty in a ‘Watchtower’- or ‘Awake!’-reminiscent public way, but after a few days word got round and a young Jehovah’s Witness called Günter (I tbelieve to remember) approached me to ask for “one of those magazines, you know, I want to put it on the rear window shelf of my car, that would look cool I think”. Mind you, I had a hunch that Günter’s commitment to the cause was wavering, he drove a gold Matra Simca Bagheera of all cars, not exactly a symbol of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ earthly austerity!
https://image.jimcdn.com/app/cms/image/transf/dimension=4096×4096:format=jpg/path/sce3b8f40fba80c59/image/i3ce0ebed2d93ee1c/version/1533057589/image.jpg
I obliged and equipped him selflessly with a selection of press material (variety is the spice of life) thus spreading the gospel and the gifts of the three kings Hugh Hefner, Bob Guccione and, of course, Larry Flynt.
It was a week or so later, I walked across the STIHL parking lot after work and there it was, Günter’s beloved Matra prominently displaying my lost & found materials! It didn’t stop there, years later I heard that Günter had happily married outside of the Jehovah’s Witnesses community (I have no indication whatsoever that she might have been a former centerfold model and herewith squash all rumors to the contrary!) and severed his ties to them completely.
So you see: I bring mischief everywhere I go and at night grow horns, just look at my last name …
https://i.imgur.com/pP58Dxm.gif
PS: And for any present or former Witnesses reading this: While we might disagree on evolution, the creation of Earth, sports cars and men’s magazines’ pictorials forever, you have my eternal admiration for standing up for your faith in the Third Reich to the point of going to concentration camps for it.
July 31st, 2024 at 14:57I was wondering why you seemed excited about a brush cutter or even a hedge trimmer. I immediately thought, ‘is Uwe a master at topiary, exotic figurines in the garden perhaps, why is he so excited’? Cheers.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/article215631035.html
July 31st, 2024 at 22:14@ 19 – Interesting & amusing story regarding the JW & all. The red hot guitarist I used to jam with in the 1991 era was a reformed substance abuse guy who ended up in the JW. Married a lady who was already a JW & started a family etc. The only problem was he was a passionate rock musician & still craved & loved playing loud guitar with people like me & others. Covering anything at times as we do when jamming, AC DC, Sabbath, Priest et amongst many of our favourite artists including Purple. When he formed a band & we went out playing, eventually they started hassling him about his ‘other’ side. Not that we played any of those artists at our gigs, but still playing popular rock music per se. One song we played was the Kansas song Carry on Wayward Son, which is a Kerry Livgren song about being ‘born again’ as such, the beginning of his new found Christian faith that he eventually pursued. We would think the JW would be contented with our band playing that song (not really, just joking) but oh no, they were spying on him & us at certain venues in our town. They must have been as the ‘information’ they had on him was obviously from someone keeping an eye on him playing the devils music while out & about. Then the proverbial happened, they insisted he give up the ‘devils’ music lifestyle or else (he refused). He ended up separated from his wife & children, a cast out & he finally saw what they were really like. We were always trying to tell him, but he was brainwashed when he was involved with them earlier on. Then he started challenging them & writing letters about evolution etc. It became a rather nasty situation from what he told me years later. He ended up getting out of town & moving down towards Sydney, a long way away. I sincerely hope he reconnected with his grown up children later on. The JW don’t ever forget things like that do they? That guy who left them where you were, he obviously survived & good on him for getting on with his life. That is an amusing tale about those ‘magazines’ classic. The ‘devil’ is always in the detail isn’t it? Cheers.
July 31st, 2024 at 23:01All cults and sects have the same mechanisms to preserve their existence and to shield from the outside world and ensure internal discipline. It’s not like Günter didn’t catch some flak and peer pressure from his brethren, they did have a go at him, but he became an independent mind. I could never join something like that, it would drive me nuts. But there are people on a spiritual search all their life and they often get tangled up in the web. Me, I already decided as a child that if something spiritual exists, it’ll find me, I won’t have to look for it, and if it doesn’t, then there is nothing there. I don’t crave for its existence.
Re your question concerning hedge trimmers and their erotic use: For the record, I don’t see a need for all b(r)ushes to be trimmed. That ‘Agent Orange look’ strikes me as a very American obsession.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5ZRTWF9FDM
August 1st, 2024 at 14:24Here is a man who has the right idea, just for Uwe, the ultimate hedge. No erotica or anything naughty either. But a subject very close to Uwe’s heart, not to mention his mind. Cheers.
https://www.boredpanda.com/dragon-shaped-hedge-topiary-john-brooker/
August 2nd, 2024 at 07:15See, Ronnie Dio and I have a thing in common after all, a healthy interest for outsize reptiles!
I don’t poke them with laser swords though, that’s not nice @ 08:32
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11dKGNnXZms
August 2nd, 2024 at 16:32@ 24- wrong link Uwe. The Artwoods I didn’t think were into sword & sorcery. But then again who knows who is or was into all that, other than Ronnie of course. Cheers.
August 2nd, 2024 at 22:32Alas!, what would I do without you, Tasmanian? ‘Pologies, here’s the correct one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbb_AEJFG3k
August 2nd, 2024 at 23:36Thanks, Uwe. I remember seeing photos in those 1980’s rock magazines of that era of Dio, amongst everyone else at that ‘hair metal’ time. I didn’t follow him after Rainbow & Sabbath, but a housemate had those early albums of his. So I heard it plenty of times & also a few albums later on from his ‘solo’ career. Saint George slaying the Dragon it isn’t. Do we give Ronnie any points for trying, NO. Cheers.
August 3rd, 2024 at 00:06I actually saw him around that time, not the whole gig, about half of it, I got in for free for some reason (had of course seen him twice with Rainbow and once with Sabbath before) – that dragon, Denzil was his name, looked horribly cheap and corny, like some ghost train ride at a carnival/fun fair. I would see Dio a few times more in the following years, at rock festivals – often with Deep Purple – of course also when he guested with DP on the Concerto tour (saw him both at the RAH and in Frankfurt) plus, finally, with Heaven & Hell. All in all close to ten gigs or so. For all my derision about the lyrics: He was always a good singer and dedicated performer.
And I really would have liked to have seen him with Elf – some of his best work actually. And no dungeons and dragons either.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-c_0-ufRtk
And unlike Blackmore he had the balls to perform Gates of Babylon live – and did it well!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21onW6HFPMQ
That was quite the line-up: Simon Wright (ex-AC/DC and UFO), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy, Quiet Riot, Whitesnake), Doug Aldrich (ditto re the last) and Scott Warren.
August 3rd, 2024 at 00:35@Uwe & MacGregor
with your comments on Jehovah’s Witnesses you reminded me that 25 years ago a very intelligent colleague of mine with whom I had started to talk every day about great and small philosophy, metaphysics, religion, etc.
One day he invited me to the meeting of their association, of their brotherhood… his girlfriend at the time was also there…
when we entered the room I immediately understood….about 20 people, it was the introductory speech of the “new season” after the summer break, and I don’t know for that reason, or I don’t know if it was because of my presence, the speeches were very generic.
I was very uncomfortable with the strange energy in the room, and I knew that that bullshit wasn’t for me (apart from the fact that “sexual magic” might have been interesting but I don’t think they only did “normal” Tantra)
but when the speech includes the tree of life, the Qabalah, the count of Cagliostro and the Golden Down, it means only one thing, as Ozzy sang: mr. Crowleeeeeeeeey
the people were all “normal”, there wasn’t even a metalhead!!!!….after the meeting we all went to the ice cream shop to eat an ice cream and then we said goodbye
anyway then my colleague and I (who one day I saw in his hand the book of Crowley) talked making a general speech about that evening and I told him that I wasn’t interested at all, that if he wanted to search for the meaning of life, “the beyond” , for me was not the way, that I was looking for it in life itself, in books, in travels, in music (obviously in Deep Purple first and foremost), in nature, in animals, in woman, etc
After some time my colleague left the satanic sect, I was responsible for this and I was very happy about it.
August 3rd, 2024 at 10:07In conclusion I would say that not everyone enters a satanic sect as an external spectator and comes out alive, apart from Indiana Jones of course!
We are usually very tolerant regarding off topic discussions here but I feel this discussion about various spiritual leanings may work better on another site.
“Another thing I won’t discuss is reeeeligion, it always cause a fight”
August 3rd, 2024 at 11:09@ 28 – Ronnie James Dio lost the plot for me after Sabbath in 1982/3. Meaning that he sort of became a parody of other acts in many ways. Sure he was doing it his way in that it was his band & his co written songs etc. But all that corny stage presentation made Sabbath’s Born Again tour Stonehenge look professional & inventive. In regards to Gates of Babylon, yes that Dio version is a good one. The live version with Sons of Apollo & that orchestra was good also, although Jeff Scott Soto’s voice was rather hoarse & he was struggling big time. A shame that. Blackmore not ever performing that song live was very disappointing. Cheers.
August 3rd, 2024 at 11:45Disturbing the Svante even though he’s a card-carrying Born Again devil-worshipper! 😇😈
Back to music: Gates of Babylon is a difficult number to put across live convincingly, one has to give that to Blackmore. Dio and his men did as good a job as you can reasonably do with it as a five-piece, but really it needs an orchestral accompaniment or perhaps a second keyboarder going all Wakeman over it. Still, Dio’s version was brave, spirited and actually live/undoctored (a few bum notes even sung by him here and there). Blackmore mentioned that they attempted the song in rehearsals (were there any? 😆) with Reunionbow, but gave up on it as it didn’t seem to work. But then he’s never been the most patient man when transferring studio cuts to the live environment.
August 3rd, 2024 at 14:07What a wonderful review ! excellent best thing I’ve read on the highway star in a long time!
August 4th, 2024 at 02:14I have been listening to the band since 1976 so I am a huge fan but if there’s a fault, I will say so and here goes:
I have always considered Ian Gillan to be an excellent wordsmith but on the song, I’ll catch you, There’s a few cringe worthy moments. They should’ve been rethought. I wish Bob or a band member would’ve told Ian to rethink a few lines. Especially cringe worthy is the line ‘ mother nature is keeping her socks on ‘ and my bags are always packed, My keys are in the car.’ I just feel those could’ve been much better. Kind of throw away nonsense I do understand the mother nature not wanting to keep her feet in contact with the earth anymore. It’s just the wording.
I played future shock from Gillan in memory of Mick Underwood The other day and the throwaway tracks are even very strong. On one for the road. The line ‘ oh, what a night this is gonna been, all the sin we’ve been swimming in. brilliant stuff!
@ 32 – yes indeed re GOB. I remember reading that the original band who recorded it were putting it together to play live in 1977/8, but it ‘wasn’t working out’, something along those lines. Which could easily be translated to Blackmore couldn’t give a toss etc. Too much for him possibly. He was lazy in that aspect wasn’t he & not into the discipline of it all. I also read that the original was edited quite a lot. The old joining together bits & pieces & cutting bits out. That memory is from a David Stone interview if I am correct. So unfortunately Rainbow never performed it. It also was at that time when Blackmore & Dio were starting to get on each others nerves, so the proverbial differences could have been a problem. I cannot believe that in 2016 they were even thinking about attempting that song. A bit late to proceedings one would think Ritchie. Cheers.
August 4th, 2024 at 11:26I think it was actually the second reunion batch of gigs where they considered GoB for the set, perhaps Ronnie Romero or Jens Johannsen wanted to have a go at it. Blackmore mentioned the possibility around the time when he also discussed doing less Purple and more Rainbow for the second Reunbow bout (which didn’t really come to fruition).
Scott, lyric interpretation is risky territory, but I believe that ‘I’ll Catch You’ is about Big Ian’s loss of Bron and find the lyrics very touching and apt for someone his age. “Mother Nature is keeping her socks on” (i.e. is patiently waiting) ties in with “Father Time is gonna be late” and both indicate that Ian’s – unlike Bron’s – time to depart has not yet arrived though he is ready for it, “my bags are always ready, my keys are in the car”. I think that is beautiful poetry and sums up Ian’s wry outlook on the finitude of human existence.
But I might be waffling utter nonsense! 🤗
August 4th, 2024 at 14:58