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A Third Youth and almost a masterpiece
After a few listens to the new album, I would call =1 an “almost” masterpiece.
Review by The Highway Star reader Flavio Romoli.
How much MKII and Blackmore do I hear in here? Not much, very little, McBride’s guitar riffs are different, the rhythms too, and the solos and other solutions are closer to Morse, but I don’t mind, just as I wouldn’t have minded if I had forcefully heard a return to MKII!
How much Morse do I hear in here? Quite a bit, both for what was said above, and because the other four have assimilated a lot of the way of writing from Purpendicular onwards, but I don’t mind this either, and if the Morse-style will be even less evident on the next album, I won’t mind anyway.
What matters are the songs, if they are interesting, and =1 is full of songs that are an incredible bridge between a long past and a future that we hope will give us at least another album!
In my opinion, the real protagonists of this album are two: mr. Ian Paice finally returns to set his skins on fire like he hasn’t done since Abandon, even if he is still a bit penalized in the mix, not like in the recent past at least, but I would have liked to hear him higher up. TOP performance!
The other protagonist is Mr. Ian Gillan, who unfortunately no longer has the range he once had (what would I pay to hear him again with TBRO‘s voice), but guys, thanks to the structure of these songs he returns to sing vocal lines that are lost in the meanders of his career, from the beginning to the recent past! A sort of melodic autobiography!
Roger is the usual fundamental glue with his typical shuffle chromatics and the diabolus in musica that have influenced generations of bass players, and like wine the older he gets the more he exudes class.
Simon promoted with full marks, technique, taste, personality, humility, honestly I don’t care about comparisons with Ritchie and Steve [Yet, that’s how your review opens! Ed], I only know that he proved to be the right man at the right time.
Don Airey’s performance for me is not on par with the other four. A great musician, his work with synths is amazing, only he could replace Lord, but I don’t know about solos, I thought he would surprise me more, and instead except for three or four songs with great duets with Simon, the rest he stuffs with scales and fast passages that demonstrate an exaggerated technique, but they are quite anonymous.
How we miss Jon!!! His solos are unrivaled in terms of writing and taste, if he had still been around the Morse era would not have ended with flaccid and twisted albums. I expected more from Don, let’s hope for the next album: less is more.
1. Show Me
It starts with an incredible guitar riff, 100% McBride!
The song is catchy like no Deep song has ever been! It makes me want to dance with a silly smile like when I was young and I danced at the Rolling Stone to Red Hot Chili Peppers songs!
Paice makes it clear right away that the lethargy is over!
First solo with a guitar and keyboard duel in perfect Purple style 3.0!
One of the best songs on the album that makes you hear new things never done before.
If it weren’t for Pictures of You I would say it’s the best song on the album.
I haven’t heard such an initial bang since Ted and Any Fule Kno That.
2. A Bit On The Side
Another Top song.
At times very heavy for Purple standards, the heaviest ever written in decades, despite not being heavy metal at all!
The cacophonous break halfway through the solo reminds me of Dream Theater in the VII movement of Change of Season.
The vocal line is simply sensational and stays in your head in a nanosecond!
Only Deep can make hard rock like this, leaving all the other 70s/80s bands light years behind!
I always praise them for this!
3. Sharp Shooter
Not at the level of the first two, but a nice song anyway.
Verse and bridge are beautiful and remind me of the solo Gillan of the 90s, but the beginning of the song pays the debt to Steve Morse, it reminds me of something from Abandon.
I thought that if there had been the great Steve Morris on guitar, the intro and rhythm would have been totally different from this.
I would say an AoR vocal line on a song that is not AoR. Very sycophantic as Purple likes it.
4. Portable Door
The riff of Picture Of Home takes us back in time, but it is still a worthy tribute to MK II and one of the most linear and catchy songs on the album.
Different from the other things on the album, but very clever to use it as the first single, it almost seems like it was written specifically for this. To tell the truth I’m a bit sorry that there are no other songs so obviously “nostalgic” on the album.
Forgetting the POH quote, it is masterful.
5. Old-Fangled Thing
A good boogie song, which with its breaks takes me back to the Ian Gillan band, and which in the rhythm and vocal lines reminds me of Moonshine from the masterpiece Naked Thunder.
Airey’s solo is noteworthy.
Will Gillan’s scream at the end be the last we will hear on a studio album???
6. If I Were You
The level rises again with the first ballad of the album, 100% a gift from Simon who plays at being Gary Moore, the other four guys can only build on it a slow song that continues the tradition of Purpendicular, always keeping the ballad standard very high.
Who knows who Ian dedicated the lyrics to …
7. Pictures Of You
The best piece of the album for me, perfect riff, perfect verse, perfect chorus, everything turns to perfection, already a great classic! There are more innovative songs, but this one reminds me of the atmospheres of Perfect Strangers, and I hoped that =1 had been full of songs like this!
Musically there is the same truth and the same seriousness (which I adore, maybe because I have a weakness for Bm) of all the time in the world, but not in the theme of the lyrics, which I would have liked Deep Purple to develop almost in a concept album the theme of existence on this Earth.
I firmly believe that an album of songs like this would have been Deep Purple’s last masterpiece.
8. I’m Saying Nothin’
There’s a lot of Morse in the writing here.
It could come straight from Now What?!
Gillan’s performance is excellent, histrionic, reigning supreme for three and a half minutes, but the structure smells of déjà vu.
Don’s work is also nice, giving interest to the piece with some of his tricks.
It needed a few more BPMs to make it more catchy!
The filler piece of the album.
9. Lazy Sod
The third single in nice hard full of swing, the second and last song that still smells of MK II, an exceptional performance by all five guys.
For me it’s Wring That Neck transformed into a song with vocals 55 years later!!
10. Now You’re Talkin’
Another Deep Purple 3.0 piece along with the first two.
The tempo is Cascades (which in turn is Highway), even if I would have preferred the verse less rock’n’roll, but then Gillan on the bridge and chorus puts a splendid vocal line and Paice and Glover hammer like 30-40 years ago.
The battle of the solos sets my speakers on fire, what more could you ask for from a song that brings together past and future, that works very well from start to finish and seems to be played by forty-year-olds?
Guys, here I enjoy like a porcupine!
At 79″ Gillan drives me crazy!
The break at 1’16” reminds me of something by someone else, but done by the Deep and placed so unexpectedly it’s a second orgasm in a matter of seconds, with the duet between Don and Simon that takes me to Nirvana!
11. No Money To Burn
One of the most “normal” songs compared to the standard of the album, I feel like skipping it, it seems to come out of Infinite even if it is a little more evil, Don and Little Ian do a great job, they could have used it as a bonus track.
12. I’ll Catch You
Second ballad on the album, I prefer it to the first, but still a great tear-jerking song! Here the Gillan of the 70s meets Wasted Sunset and Simon enters Blackmore territory.
Between text and interpretation Big Ian is the absolute protagonist.
13. Bleeding Obvious
In its intentions a great piece.
It begins with an exceptional riff that Purple do not exploit properly, repeating it only one more time, and even then only with the keyboards.
The verse (which however has a bad Bananas-like progression) is too slow and dampens the enthusiasm. the chorus is more convincing.
Then from the first solo onwards the piece takes off with a melodic variation by Gillan that brings us to the Ian Gillan band, and a second main riff also enters that links to the first.
The ending also has a crescendo with Gillan singing in the style of Jesus Christ Superstar, but the verse leaves a bitter taste in the mouth because it could have been a real masterpiece.
With a cool head, I don’t consider this first album of the fourth Purple era a true masterpiece (like In Rock, Perfect Strangers and Abandon, the 10 and praise masterpieces), there are some slightly weaker pieces, but I put it on the level of Purpendicular, mostly for the variety of ideas it contains even if it is very different.
I think it can’t be compared with almost anything done before by Deep, certainly not with the pre-Morse period (except maybe the three singles), with the Morse period instead the points in common are enough.
Paradoxically there are several points of contact with Gillan’s solo career.
In any case, I hope that God gives the strength to Deep Purple to make at least one more album, and that it is if possible better than this one.
Rating 8.5/10
P.S. It’s a shame that Gillan didn’t play the harmonica on one of the two ballads, it would have been the cherry on the cake!
Fla76
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
This album is not close to a masterpiece. 6-7/10. I really think some DP fans forget what it was like. After RB left the reunion I was not saddened because between Slaves and Masters and Battle Rages On Purple was losing its power, freshness and direction. From ‘95 until 2002, Morse and Purple were monsters – 2 reasons: Lord and Morse had a musical connection- enjoyable and professional. Morse showed up every night. Plus they incorporated many Morse songs into the set list. Whether you like Morse or not you cannot deny he was a much harder rhythm player player than RB or Tommy Bolin which gives their songs more crunch/power. I am really into to Abandon at the moment and the power and crunch provided by Lord and Morse is fantastic. Go to you tube and listen to ‘69 live at Montreaux. Morse is playing with a broken wrist – it’s vintage Purple – you can really see the musical connection with Lord and Morse.
The Morse era started losing its edge live when they reverted to Mach II songs predominantly despite continuing to produce some really good music. A real disservice to Morse and many of DP fans. I suspect Gillan had a lot to do with it. If I hear Glover say one more time that Purple is a dangerous band and unpredictable every night I’m gonna scream. They are not a dangerous- doing isolated solos on keyboards and guitar while the rest of the band walks off stage is not dangerous nor is it the band improvising. It’s just a solo – no interaction. Purple lost that element forever pretty much after Lord left though some hints with Airey can be found.
I think the biggest change for Purple was losing Lord. Airey is a phenomenal keyboard player and across the board probably better than Lord but you cannot match Lord on the Hammond. Lord was the sound of Purple providing the rhythm the power and crunch along with warmth. Virtuosity was there when needed. Purpendicular and Abandon bring all those traits out. Airey on the other hand is more modern less warmth on the Hammond and enjoys piano and synthesizers. I’m fine with that. I think Bradford kept Airey in check with the Hammond sound on Bananas which is wonderful diverse and yet heavy album. (Razzle Dazzle needs to jettisoned) The true Airey can be heard on Now What which is a more progressive sounding Purple – Morse and Airey really click. A great album.
That was the only album Ezrin and Purple meshed. I’ll say it now – Ezrin sucks for Purple. He did a real bad job with Whoosh- that album might be their best writing but Ezrin buries Morse’s guitar in the mix – there is no power coming from Airey – no crunch no warmth. Airey tone is too trebly for many of the straightforward songs. Man Alive is the best sounding song on the album because it suits the strengths of Ezrin’s production and Airey’s sound. I read that Morse was very frustrated by the mix, in fact Morse made a comment that Ezrin spliced two separate takes of a Morse guitar solo to to suit “Bob’s vision “
Finally, this new album is ok to good. Again some say Purple is getting back to basics simplicity – like Mach II – not even close. That ship has passed. What made Burn/ Come Taste the Band/ Purpendicular/Abandon/Bananas/Now What so good was they were not trying to recapture the Mach II sound rather they stamped their own personality on the music.
Airey is not a power Hammond player plus he plays too high in the register losing power. The first 3 sounds have a synthesizer solo. That may be fine for Now What but not for this “return to basics”. I blame Ezrin also who has sucked the power out of Purple. Listen to this album then put on Purpendicular/Abandon/Bananas/Now What and you’ll see the power is being drained. Great musicianship but nothing really to write home about
Finally – fire Ezrin
September 4th, 2024 at 19:24@1
I agree 100%. Thank you for posting this.
September 4th, 2024 at 21:38@ 1- excellent comments, well done. Yes indeed Morse did join Purple to play in a band with Jon Lord, that was one of the main reasons according to what I read back at that time. Of course there are other points to that connection, (not having to lug his own gear anymore) he he he. I do agree with the connection & as we know it took a while for Don to link with Morse, so to speak. The only trouble was & still is, as you said Ezrin getting in the way. Initially Ezrin was good for the re direction of Purple (not the sound though) & perhaps the extra songwriting input, but it didn’t last long from what I hear. As Eddie Kramer has always said, ‘you have to let the music breath’. McBride is the extra & new energy on this latest album. Ezrin ole son, that field of green grass is looking ever so tempting. Cheers.
September 4th, 2024 at 21:39@2/@3
I have followed Purple since 1972 and no band gives me more pleasure and interest than this band. Even in bad times I enjoy the drama. They have produced a wealth of music varied/interesting – for example, Stormbringer: on the surface except for a couple of songs every Purple fan should run away as fast as they can, but for some reason I am attracted to its sound and listen to that album quite a bit.
Back to the present. Ezrin is so bad for Purple. How can musicians who have been in the business for 50+ years let an Alice Cooper/Kiss producer dictate their sound. I suspect Morse had it up to his eyeballs with Ezrin by the time he left. I was stunned how these seasoned musicians let Ezrin decide. I thought I was watching a Spinal Tap outtake when Glover stated that Bob comes in when we argue about whether it should be an F# or a B. Bob comes in and says F# and we move on. I broke out in laughter – embarrassing. How you can relinquish the fabric of your sound and livelihood to a guy who couldn’t see a Purple power hammond chord if you handed it to him on a silver platter is baffling.
Anyway they have provided me with years of pleasure – I just see the end which is ok and =1 is a nice effort but that’s about it.
September 4th, 2024 at 22:08I had to make an effort to like Infinite and Whoosh. I could like Now What without effort, but I didn’t find it to be superior to Bananas or Rapture of the Deep, as many claimed. So I couldn’t really detect a positive Ezrin Effect. On the other hand, I thought the covers album was a wonderful breath of fresh air, with everyone playing or singing his heart out. I feel the same energy and vigor coming from +1, preeminently from Gillan and Paice, but I like the material much better. So I love the new album, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to younger people. Masterpiece or not, it’s the Purple album I hoped they’d make before calling it quits.
I’m glad that others love Abandon as well: blistering rock with finesse.
September 5th, 2024 at 00:186/7, 7, 8, 9, almost a masterpiece, 10 … does it really matter? Can’t we all agree that for a 23rd studio album of a bunch of very old geezers (and one middle-aged man) over a time span of 56 years (during which music has vastly changed) it is a solid piece of quality work that doesn’t let DP appear to be running out of steam? That’s plenty enough for me.
Morsecode’s comments are well-put and thoughtful, but I believe the gradual decrease in power with DP has biological origins, Now What?! was eleven years ago! They don’t need to sustain heaviness for me, just good music suits me fine. (The Sentinel goes to Judas Priest gigs when he needs a dose of heavy!)
https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExbmhqNW8zOWJkYW5iOHowZTlrcGptcWM5c3RwcjB5cjJ5OGdiMnYzMyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/ARz1MgbdjyH4s/200.webp
I don’t get the Ezrin-bashing either. I think his production and musical directorship has added something to DP they never had before – an overall finesse perhaps? I know his production values can be divisive, go to any Kiss forum and they are still debating there whether the Ezrin-created and very orchestral Destroyer or the Eddie Kramer-produced, very bare bones Rock’n’Roll Over was the classic Kiss album (I hated the oafish Rock’n’Roll Over after the elegant Destroyer). What Ezrin brings to the party transcends whether you like the tom sound he produces or not. I hear him having given DP warmth in their sound over the last five studio albums, something they didn’t have with Michael Bradford or on the overrated, yet to me grating TBRO. And Roger’s DP productions were always a bit clinical to my ears.
But I’m probably biased, I’ve been too much of an Alice Cooper, Kiss and Hanoi Rocks fan since my teenage years to not like what he does. PLEASE CONTINUE WITH THE BAND, BOB !!!
And while we’re at it: What’s there to get excited about if Bob spliced two Steve Morse solos to create a third one? It happens all the time and it is what real producers do. Eddie van Halen’s iconic solo on Michael Jackson’s Beat It was created by Quincy Jones from three different solos recorded by Eddie without any further input from him, he only eventually heard the finished conglomerate solo after the song had been released. He still liked what he heard and it is an iconic little piece of music.
A record producer is like the director of a movie, he’s not the cameraman, that’s the engineer. Again, it goes back to how you guys have an “un-produced, but well-engineered” DP sound in your ears, not that you can be blamed for it because that was DP’s Martin Birch/Roger Glover success recipe for decades. The band consciously attempted something new when they decided to work with a name producer like Bob Ezrin in the autumn/winter of their career for the first time.
September 5th, 2024 at 00:28Yo,
I respect everyone’s comments, each to their own lol, but it would be great if you all state the equipment your listening to the albums on with, as it really makes a difference to the digestion one has to do with the review. Otherwise, it’s really been a total waste-of-time reading through to be quite honest, since the listening medium isn’t listed, which is a PRIMARY datum.
As for the original review posted, good for you, 8.5 / 10 is right up there imo. And a worthy point-score lol !
As for myself, this last era of DP’s work with Bob has been the best ever that the band has produced in a studio. On the basis that you get better & better over time, this is very true with the band. Any music made with Steve & Don is far better than anything that the re-union Mk-II delivered on an overall album for album basis, & I think that Simon is continuing on with that progress really well.
I listen to music on a variety of different set-ups, from Philips head-phones, to Logitech 2.1’s, & a Yamaha 5.1 Home Theatre System, at good volume levels, with no effects or EQ. Bob & the bands work is fantastic, where the albums keep getting better & better. I hope this continues, & look forward to the next album.
Peace !
September 5th, 2024 at 12:36And of course you need to list the dimensions of the room you are listening in, as well as all climate data – temp, humidity etc. This needs to be measured and reported for each song because the temp and humidity of course changes as you spend your time in the room. If you are more than one in the room, we can provide a special report template.
RT60 and SPL is of course mandatory as well.
September 5th, 2024 at 12:40Uwe Hornung:
Nice discussion.
Your points are as valid as mine (probably better and less emotional than mine😁)since they are only opinions. Opinions based on expectations and what hits our ears. My responses (as a fan) are responding to people who are calling this an “almost masterpiece”, a return toward Mach II, “the growling organ of Don Airey” etc. This is what is being said and I’m sitting here wondering if I got a defective cd.
I went back and listened again. Let’s just use Show Me as the prototype – my ears tell me eh not much which we all agree is subjective. Airey’s organ sound is not a return to the “growling” as some people claim. As a direct similar comparison let’s look at ‘No Need to Shout’ from Whoosh. NNTS starts off with a nice sounding organ intro and a great Morse riff – then you get to the verse. Airey’s organ, besides being too high in the mix along with Gillan’s vocals (we’ll get to Ezrin later), creates this borderline ice skating rink/ an octave or 2 too high organ sound that immediately changes the tone of the song and sucks the power out of it. Then he does a good piano solo, however, a nasty Hammond solo would have sent that song over the top imo. Still good though. What saves that song is that it’s a damn good song despite the deficiencies of Ezrin and Airey. It’s a discussion of not that it sucks but it could have been (frustratingly) better.
Likewise Show Me (and other songs on the new album) suffer from the organ sound being trebly for want of a better word – again could be better with more powerful low register rhythm from the organ. Airey’s synthesizer solo in Show Me is technically good but it sounds like he’s sprinkling pixie dust on the song. Go to ‘Back to Back’ from Rapture of the Deep which gets little love as an album (I think there is a lot of interesting music on that album). ‘Back to Back’ and the album in general is Morse and Airey continuing to find their musical footing which leads to Now What. ‘Back to Back’ has a Paice Ashton Lord quality to it (particularly the chorus) and Airey’s synthesizer is absolutely perfect and a far more beefy sound than =1 and simply explodes together with Morse’s guitar solo. It literally got me off my seat when first listening to it. It’s Morse and Airey Purple ( not Mach II, not Purpendicular, not Morse and Lord – simply the Morse and Airey sound) – great stuff. The synthesizer in =1 has me scratching my head, but that’s Airey which is fine, judge it on its own merits – but people imo just need to stop with the Mach II etc. comparisons
My general assessment is that Airey (and Ezrin) are not capable of recapturing the Mach II sound nor should they try because Airey is not Lord and that youthful hormonal energy has passed. Returning to simplicity and basics is fine but Airey is not a simple approach keyboard player. =1 lacks that personality you see in transitions: In Rock/Burn/Purpendicular/Bananas. I love Now What / Bananas even alot of Rapture and Infinite- Airey provides some great sounds. Rapture of the Deep/ Birds of Prey / The Surprising/ Man Alive are simply great songs which suits Airey who provides great keyboards (his sound) that is just simply not found on this current album. Nothing really rises to ‘the next level’ – Bleeding Obvious tries and as someone said kind of doesn’t fit with the direction/ flow of the album’s sound.
To me it’s Whoosh lite – nothing very distinctive or interesting or inventive which Whoosh has in spades despite Ezrin’s best effort to shrink/ compress the sound. Give it time and Gillan will fade the =1 songs from the set list though I think McBride is a little more vocal and crustier than Morse.
Good discussion- I’ll get to Ezrin (“Bob”) in another thread
September 5th, 2024 at 13:57Let’s face it: The Mk II sound hasn’t been repeated or regained since the release of WDWTWA in 1973. I didn’t think Mk 2.2 sounded like Mk 2.1 and neither did Mk 2.3. That magic Blackmore-Gillan-Glover-Lord-Paice had from 1969 to 1973, the spark, the creativity, the gung-ho braggishness, the sheer physicality and self-confidence in playing their music as young men combined with the spirit of the times is irretrievable. I never expected it to return either. None of them sounded in 1984 like they had sounded in 1973.
Purple has changed over the decades and will continue to do so. I don’t have issues with that. They are now matured pros basking in the evening glow of likely final (re)appreciation, but they are not in any way contemporary or relevant to a teenager of today and =1 is not the reawakening of the magical original Mk II beast which essentially made music for teenagers and young twens of the 70s. That beast went, as all dragons eventually do, into its cave in 1973 and rolled a stone before the entrance for final and eternal rest.
That doesn’t mean though that =1 cannot be a very good album in its own right in 2024 – fuck the legacy baggage.
September 5th, 2024 at 16:08UWE – I agree that it should be judged on its own merits and people not making these ridiculous comparisons to something that is not achievable.
But we can still argue! 😁
Ezrin’s production
Ezrin is made out to be a legend, a genius based on his work with Kiss, Alice Cooper and The Wall by Pink Floyd. I think Gillan has this fantasy that he wants Ezrin to be for Deep Purple what the producer George Martin was to the Beatles
I think it was the Whoosh DVD where Ezrin opens with ‘Let’s make a Rock n Roll album”. I know it was probably theatrics but would anyone ever describe DP as a rock ‘n’ roll group? Do you think he announced to Pink Floyd let’s make a rock ‘n’ roll album? I know I’m being petty but I found that odd. ‘What the What’, though enjoyable at some level, is a rock n roll song that Ezrin and Purple should stay away from in general.
I’m going to give kudos to Ezrin on Now What. I think Airey and Morse were heading there but Ezrin brought it together. There are simply classics on that album. Weirdastan might be a top 5 song for Purple. It’s powerful, it’s got the personality of Morse and Airey all over it with a great moog and guitar solo, intermittently it’s got space around the instruments which is so nice – an almost perfect song. My only gripe is that Paice’s drum fills get a bit lost in Ezrin’s wall of sound chorus but a minor gripe.
Then to me things started to fall apart from a sound perspective. Someone asked what equipment etc do I listen to these albums on. I’m 68 and the hearing is not what it used to be – I listen to the albums through the same headphones the same stereo with a subwoofer. In Rock Machine Head Burn Purpendicular ABandOn Now What Whoosh =1 all play through the same system the same ears. Machine Head Come Taste the Band Purpendicular bring out the same enjoyment as when I first heard them.
All I can say is the sound has changed and deteriorated in general from Now What (which is stellar) to the compressed sound of Whoosh and the relative lightweight sound of =1. Just cue up Weirdastan or even the Surprising or Birds of Prey and then play anything from Whoosh (except Man Alive) or =1 at the same volume same system and tell me with a straight face there is no drop off in dynamics and quality of sound. Whoosh has tremendous songs that do not reach their potential and I put that squarely on Ezrin’s shoulders. In my opinion the DP sound has lost its bottom end. For some that’s a ok and call it evolving.
He’s been described as the director not the cameraman- I get that. So he has to know the sound he wants and wants to get and you would hope it’s in unison with the group’s vision. IMO you want to help the group get to where THEY want to or should be – not what BOB wants them to be. So he’s responsible for guiding them into arrangements / the type of sound on the drums , the organ, choice of tonal quality or choice of instrument on solos and lastly the mixing. The first thing he should have done in =1 sessions is slap Airey on the back of the head during one of his silly synthesizer solos and tell him to grow a pair – this is DP and this needs a heavy Hammond sound here not Herbie Hancock. Ezrin doesn’t push the heavy low register Hammond sound.
Someone also mentioned who cares that after the fact he spliced up a Morse solo. Maybe I shouldn’t, but from an artist’s perspective and trust factor I think it’s terrible. It’s one thing to add strings, shape the mixing of a song after the recording sessions are over, but to change a solo is a sign of disrespect and ego and not having the balls to discuss it with the artist in person. Imagine if Ezrin did that to Blackmore. Laughable it is. Ezrin would get a knock on his door and once he opened it RB would ram his machine head straight between his eyes. For some reason this bothers me the most.
And lastly, on a post Bananas interview Gillan said DP is not a 3 -4 minute song group – “a DP song is just getting started by then”. On the post Infinite interview he more than implied we have no intentions of stopping unless one of us calls it a day.
Don’t look now Gillan: you’re a 3-4 minute song band so maybe next album discuss this with Bob and the boys and we all know what happened with Morse’s tragedy
September 5th, 2024 at 17:47Uh, Uwe. Spot on, head on the nail.
I might have said the same if I had all the words you do master. I have allways looked forward to any new album with DP. Of course there is some I play more than others but as a whole I like them all, there is none I “hate” (maybe S&M a bit, because of Jolene).
Been a Purple fan since I was 15 in ’72 (In Rock (via JCS) was the “Big Bang” for me).
janbl
September 5th, 2024 at 18:03Yo,
@8 said…
qt.”And of course you need to list the dimensions of the room you are listening in, as well as all climate data – temp, humidity etc. This needs to be measured and reported for each song because the temp and humidity of course changes as you spend your time in the room. If you are more than one in the room, we can provide a special report template”.
“RT60 and SPL is of course mandatory as well”.
***ROTFLMAO !
The “gear” I have & listen to music through is hardly “top-shelf”, & yet, the sounds are quite acceptable, clear & warm, especially the 5.1 system which is quite discerning, & if a recording is a dud / poor sounding, you hear it, there’s no-where to hide. It’s voiced neutrally, the Logitech 2.1’s are way-bass-heavy, even with the whoofer set to zero, & the headphones are neutral, though voiced with strong lower-mids to my ears, & yet each has its own appeal, & generally everything played sounds great on any of them.
On the basis above, & the fact that 9/10 reviews coming in are favourable about the album & its sound ( myself included ), I think its important to know what people are listening through when they make their assessments, especially a negative one.
If something sounds shyte, I’m the first to address the issue & want to find-out why, so I can enjoy the listening experience. That’s why I remove all EQ & enhancements / effects etc etc to give every CD an even playing-field. From here you can determine whether its a quality recording or dud. As time moves on, technology is generally improving, ensuring what your hearing is pretty-damn-good at the source.
Peace !
September 5th, 2024 at 21:47Gregster
Should we start a thread: Which is better vinyl or CD? 🤣
September 5th, 2024 at 22:48It’s fun to argue with you, Mörsicödie-Honey! 💞
“I know it was probably theatrics but would anyone ever describe DP as a rock ‘n’ roll group? ”
Errrm … (raises hand shyly and self-consciously): Sir, I would, Sir !!!
https://media.tenor.com/DeA5FBfN1PcAAAAM/soldier-belittling.gif
In fact that is what I specifically like about DP … they are more rock’n’roll to me than Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath or Judas Priest. Maybe not quite as rock’n’roll as Aerosmith, The Stones or Status Quo, but still substantially so. I do like rock’n’roll and DP have never forgotten that part of their origins … Chuck Berry, Little Richard & Elvis.
Whether I like a particular cymbal sound or not, is not how I judge a production – that is engineering to me and very much a matter of personal taste. You say “IMO you want to help the group get to where THEY want to or should be – not what BOB wants them to be. ” There it is again, that engineer/producer divide. To me, it is the prerogative of a strong producer figure to create a new vision with a band. For much of the post-reunion from 1984 onward DP didn’t really know what they wanted to be. Ezrin, however, heard them and had a vision how they could sound going forward – and it seems to align with what the band members currently like. To me, he’s added musicality to DP; making them sound outright heavy was not on the top of his agenda, he’s not Bob Rock or Kevin Shirley.
But a lot of people here have issues with strong producer interference and, granted, DP seemed to be wary of it for most of their career too – it is only for the last ten years that they seem to be relaxed enough about it that they can actually listen to and take in third party advice. Ritchie never did, but I think it has been to the detriment of his recorded legacy. Yeah, I would have liked to hear Rainbow Rising produced by Bob Ezrin, George Martin or Tony Visconti. I think we would have been floored by what anyone of them would have created out of the ideas for Stargazer. But that is of course a totally different philosophy to Martin Birch’s “Let’s get the band down on tape faithfully and please Ritchie & Ronnie.”
I will now dutifully listen to Now What?! and =1 in sequence to get to the bottom & opine on your “Ezrin has made Purple lose its balls”-theory …
(Uwe takes break to listen to the CDs)
Ok, I did (re)listen, they’re both great albums:
– NW?! does sound more massive and heavier than =1, true. =1 is more lightfooted – not wimpy -, there’s more air to the overall sound. I don’t see that as a matter of good and bad, just different natures of the two albums. If truth be told, I no longer look for bone-crunching heaviness in DP albums. Stormbringer and Slaves & Masters were never heavy albums, that didn’t bother me even back then. Once DP get going live, there is always enough clout.
– There’s more organ playing on NW?! than =1 too. The former was only Don’s third album with the band eleven years ago, the latter is his seventh now. Maybe he and others felt that he could depart from Jon’s shadow a little more (and the Turning To Crime diversion might have played a role too). I enjoy Don’s musicality irrespective of whether he plays Hammond, synth or piano. His monophonic synth solos and sounds on =1 made me actually cackle with joy when I first heard them on the new album. No one has the guts to use those sounds any more, I’m happy that Don does. Maybe he’ll start a new trend!
– Speaking of joy, the new album is a much more joyous affair than the sullen/moody NW?!; again that is not a matter of good or bad, but just of the different natures of the two albums. NW?! was recorded after a long studio hiatus of a band that after ROTD was in doubt whether recording new material even made sense for them anymore and then there was also of course Jon’s death. =1 is … ebullient and I credit Lil’ Simon with that, it sounds like they are having fun together and are not unduly worried whether other people might like it.
– Speaking of Simon and of whether DP is a rock’n’roll band: On Now You’re Talking at 01:51, Lil’ Simon does six seconds of Chuck Berry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m50jzXrO8U
Both Blackmore and Steve might have sniffed at the banality of it (carefree Bolin would have appreciated it I think), but it answers the question: Yes, DP are a rock’n’roll band – and thank god for that! Simon isn’t afraid to play something blatant or even wholesomely dumb once in a while, his raucous approach is all over the new record. Steve’s guitar lines weaved through the music in a much more artistic and musicianly manner, but Simon has a bit of, yes, Joe Perry flash and gung-ho in him. That’s so refreshing to hear. Talk dirty to me and give me animal names!
– McBride’s joy is contagious, there is more humor and sprightliness in Don’s playing too and Little Ian lights up behind the drums, who cares if his drums sound a bit noisy and rehearsal room’ish in places as opposed to squeaky-clean drum clinic – it’s only rock’n’roll man.
– Big Ian’s voice is mixed a good deal more to the forefront on =1 than on NW?!. Yes, that also makes the music appear less heavy, but I don’t mind giving him that room at his ripe old age. For half a century the poor guy was never mixed as loud as other lead singers. His voice sounds intimate on =1, even the occasional bum or not quite on point note. I guess he took one of the newer Whitesnake albums to Bob and said: “I wanna be as loud as that upstart from Salburn-by-the-Sea for once, I think I deserve it after all these years!” 🤣
September 6th, 2024 at 09:25Uwe: I think we have much in common with what we are saying. My primary motive for initiating comment was simply responding to people stating that =1 was a heavy return toward Mach II classic DP sound – I think you have very well articulated that it is not. Me not so much. The album has its own sound and should be judged on its own merits.
I have no problem with Purple using producers: they used Panunzio (who is no slouch) for TBRO, Bradford for Bananas and ROTD, now Ezrin and of course Martin Birch in the past.
I personally loved what Bradford did with Bananas though it could have been a little “warmer” while something happened on the way to the basement ROTD had its problems but I love the balance, separation , and nakedness(?) of the keyboards and guitar.
In general, in the past I never overanalyzed the production or the sound. I put on an album – listened to the song and judged its merits as a song. Listening was easy and there were no distractions.
In my opinion, this changed for three DP albums: HOBL (the loss of bottom frequency)/TBRO (too grating) / Whoosh (too muffled/compressed). So when I listen to these albums I’m distracted by the sound quality not the song if that makes any sense.
As I said Ezrin and Deep Purple struck gold on Now What. Subsequently The Surprising/ Birds of Prey/Man Alive are stellar in sound production or engineering or whatever. I think these are the types of songs that Ezrin thrives on. Personally, when DP head into straightforward rock (or rock n roll ?) I think Ezrin loses that punch for DP.
Which is why I think =1 suffers a bit in my opinion and for me it’s a distraction when I listen to many of these songs. This isn’t a Now What or a Birds of Prey type song of an album. Despite what Gillan says about DP it is a 3-4 minute song album except for Bleeding Obvious- I just feel that a little more muscle (and that includes Whoosh on many songs) would have benefitted this album and Whoosh.
September 6th, 2024 at 13:19“Personally, when DP head into straightforward rock (or rock n roll ?) I think Ezrin loses that punch for DP.”
I actually agree! Ezrin is first and foremost an orchestral, cinemascopic producer. For getting a band a no frills heavy sound faithfully down on tape or digital media, you’re better served with someone like Martin Birch, Jack Douglas, Eddie Kramer, Tom Allom, Bob Rock, Kevin Shirley or Andy Sneap. It’s just that I think that at this stage of their sunsetting history, DP’s primary focus shouldn’t lie on that type of music anymore. They passed the torch in heaviness to other bands long ago. I don’t mind if they sound these days a bit more proggy, poppy or laidback.
Ezrin has never really done a heavy record. The heaviest sounding album by the original Alice Cooper Band is their last one, Muscle of Love and it was tellingly produced by Jack Douglas, not Ezrin who had done all the albums before (except for the first formative two on Frank Zappa’s label). Bob Ezrin instead produced Vincent‘s first ‘solo’ album (sans the original band) Welcome To My Nightmare which is an exercise in lavish ornamentation:
https://youtu.be/VDTwL15ZHZs
I love that type of production, but I wouldn‘t have called on Bob to produce the Ramones‘ debut …
https://youtu.be/skdE0KAFCEA
So maybe it’s good that Bob didn‘t get his hands on In Rock which shares more with the Ramones debut than it does with Welcome To My Nightmare! 🤣
PS: And KISS’ Destroyer is not a heavy album either, it’s very poppy and orchestral (all the rhythm guitars augmented by a halo of piano doubling the guitars). It’s what many KISS fans always complained about: “Ezrin made KISS sound on Destroyer like they never sounded before, after, or ever live for that matter.”
September 6th, 2024 at 18:27Just my 2 Lazy Sod cents
I think Gillans voice on Toolbox was peaking.
TBRO was in that sense a dissappointment.
I must admit not having the drive to review the new album.
September 6th, 2024 at 21:53Maybe time will tell me/us why….
Yo,
@14 stated qt.”Should we start a thread: Which is better vinyl or CD”? 🤣…
LOL ! Absolutely no-need for that, anyone with thinking capacity will identify with the CD as being sublime, in a league of its own, far superior. Even good tapes are superior…No snap, crackle, pop or groove-noise or mechanical / needle jumps when at volume, (& no tape-hiss either)…It’s a no-brainer don’t you think ?…
But I do appreciate that some people have spent countless dollars on quality turn-tables, pre-amps, & other assorted goodies in their set-up. Of course, these set-ups will sound fine, no worries, but they remain limited & susceptible to the aforementioned traits. It’s part of the deal that comes with LP’s.
The only fault with CD’s is the unreadable print on the liner notes.
As for reviews, why I ask for stating the listening medium is a fair enough datum / start-point imo…
eg, “I just saw Alien Romulus, & what dodgy film, don’t bother watching it” claimed the man who streamed it into his 4 x 3 i-phone & watched it on the train home after work with ear-buds…
Meanwhile, what do you think people who viewed it in an i-max at theatre would have to say comparatively ?…
Peace !
September 7th, 2024 at 00:38Didn’t Ezrin do Kiss’s Revenge? That album has some killer tracks, Kiss with street cred.
AND its sound is great, you can hear everything easily with no compromise to substance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA5foNRseMM
So sucky sound is not necessarily part of the Ezrin package. What happens then when he touches Purple music?
(Yeah, I know producing =/= mixing, but surely the producer has to green light the mixing job, right?)
September 7th, 2024 at 01:22@ 19 – and here lies the problem of diversity of opinion. Everyone has one, no one is spared from one. “eg, “I just saw Alien Romulus, & what dodgy film, don’t bother watching it” claimed the man who streamed it into his 4 x 3 i-phone & watched it on the train home after work with ear-buds…”
“Meanwhile, what do you think people who viewed it in an i-max at theatre would have to say comparatively ?…”
The other people viewing the movie in a i-max at the theatre could very well offer a different view on it, depending on their personal experience, bias, favouritism, likes, dislikes etc etc. Cheers.
September 7th, 2024 at 22:59Yo,
@21…Yes, indeed, that’s why it’s so important to state what you’re listening through when making reviews, particularly unfavourable ones.
Peace !
September 8th, 2024 at 00:36Just want to mention I’m really enjoying the exchange of opinions here, and despite the completely different viewpoints, in particular of Morsecode and Uwe, everybody is peaceful, full of respect toward the other person and their opinion. By all means – carry on just like this!
September 9th, 2024 at 16:10“Meanwhile, what do you think people who viewed it in an i-max at theatre would have to say comparatively? …”
I saw it on a huge screen. That fact didn’t answer my many questions, among them
– how a group of young adults in their early 20s (at most) from a mining colony planet in perpetual darkness (what a lame SciFi cliche) should all of the sudden (within days if not hours) acquire the skills to fly a derelict spacecraft they had never set foot on before, unless, of course, space flight and engineering is part of the mandatory school curriculum of dark mining planets where people are kept against their will to toil for the profits of the company exploiting them, which strikes me as somewhat counterintuitive;
– why the Alien creature supposedly recognizes armed humans as particularly dangerous, but doesn’t have the wits to see that its acidic blood destroys the spaceship it needs for its own survival – that is so grotesque from an evolutionary point of view.
So yes, seeing Alien – Romulus is magnificent on a big screen with all the murky detail on a badly lit steampunk visuals spaceship. It shows how much money you can waste on a script that feels like it was written by a 16-year-old with mediocre talent as fan fiction while on Ritalin. The film is a bit like watching Scream XIV with Alien baby, that adorable lil’ face hugger, guesting as the new though somewhat humorless villain. They should teach it to say funny one-liners like “In the mood for a French kiss?!”
And the character development the Alien creature has undergone since its inception 45 years ago! It started out as some dumb outsize reptiloid praying mantis type creature driven by hunger, lust to kill & breeding instincts and after close to a dozen sequels and spin-offs or so, we are so much wiser because it has morphed into this still dumb creature driven by … well, hunger, lust to kill & breeding instincts, just great … 👍😂
Compared to the Alien beast, Godzilla and King Kong are deep-thinking method actors. Even the Predators had more charm, especially when they grabbed the Alien beasts by their tails and swung them against walls like they did in the first Alien vs Predator movie. 😆
But by all means go and see Alien – Romulus on a huge screen if form beats any inkling of substance for you and adolescent fan fiction is your thing. (Spoiler: Once again nearly all humans are dead at the end, but the creature isn’t quite … the elegant dramatic twists and turns this franchise never fails to dazzle us with anew …)
Herr MacGregor, did I just bash a movie I did not hate, but considered a huge waste of resources and of, more gravely, my own time? 😉 I’ve been to Blackmore’s Night gigs that were more stimulating on the senses.
*************************
VD, you’re right, Ezrin did Revenge for KISS, but only in part, they took his production to someone else for a heavier mix because they were dissatisfied with his original mix.
Doc Gregster, will you still like me, when I say that The Elder is ambitiously failed and that the core ideas weren’t so bad? 🤗 There are quite a few KISS albums I consider way more nondescript.
September 9th, 2024 at 19:47@ 24 – That is some movie review Uwe, have you ever considered a career change at all, he he he. No I don’t mind you ‘bashing’ a movie, because it isn’t real, if you know what I mean. I do think Gregster was relating to the equipment that the guy was watching it on,with his mobile phone & ear buds. Meaning not going to the ‘immersion’ experience of the theatre & then having the gall to say that the movie was ‘crap’. Not that you need to go to a theatre to know that a movie is crap or not if want quality acting & a decent story line etc, if what you watch movies for. I could be wrong though. So there are two scenarios there me thinks. We all know how woeful a sequel (not to mention more sequels) can be & are in this day & age of the wowser effect from the ‘immersion’ of over the top cinema. For the story line etc & the acting, that doesn’t seem to matter in a ‘far out’ experience of sorts. It has it’s place. It is all about technology & being immersed rather than the decent story. Each to their own & that is a money spinner do doubt for the powers that be, such is the way of this ‘modern’ world. By the way I enjoyed the original Alien movie all those decades ago, we were young & innocent & easily manipulated, remember. A bit the same with rock music & all that came with that. Cheers.
September 9th, 2024 at 22:11Yo,
(Clickbait reply)…
R1. We’re meant to assume that living a life in those times, is the same as being a kid & learning how to drive a car in these times, by watching everyone else I suggest.
R2. The creature is human spawn generally ( except for Alien 3 where it could be either a dog or an ox, depending on what version you’re watching ), & so inherits intelligence from its host. If you don’t die, we all die re the acid.
R3. Ridley Scott was happy to crank-out as many prequel films as Hollywood wanted, to steer the series back into the first film. I thought he was doing a great job, especially with Prometheus, & introducing AI as the real threat, the creature a result of AI.. Covenant was also good, but an obvious return to the original horror format, as the board-of-directors asked I suggest. Ridley often stated the “the beast is well & truly cooked” which is how the prequel ideas started in the first-place. Sales at the box-office of Covenant saw the series close, confirmed after the acquisition of FOX by Disney. The new director Fedde pitched his return-to-horror story to Ridley, & the new film Romulus was essentially going to be for TV via Disney, but it was turning-heads during production, & was officially redesignated for theatrical release in March this year. ( This is when I pre-ordered the DVD ).
R4. It’s all about the Xenomorph, blood & guts, rather than AI cunning. That’s what sells tickets, just like the music on Machine Head sells records still.
R5. Here you are mistaken, as the AI android David poured a lot of himself into creating the Xenomorph, which is a perfect killing machine, unhampered by sentiment.
R6. These films come guaranteed to offer what they do best for audiences, delivering blood, guts, gore, horror, & a disgusting(?) life-cycle where a victim ultimately turns into an egg containing a face-hugger, & so the life-cycle continues. It’s what happens along the way that makes the films different. And like DP music, we expect good heavy R&R with each new release, preferably with the same “actors” however, or the reviews become outrageous at times. At least the films welcome new faces lol !
R7. I doubt that very much…A BN gig would be like ???…A huge waste of resources and of, more gravely, my own time…Amen !
R8. I love KISS, but “The Elder” is a shyte album. There ain’t no-two-ways-about-it…”Slaves & Masters” is 1,000+ times a better album in comparison imo.
And for those interested in the Alien films, here’s very-rare 10-minute film officially released celebrating the 40th anniversary of the series, which certainly helped inspire the current release, titled Alien Ore…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUMsMaVhnQs
Peace !
September 10th, 2024 at 00:01Talking of latest movies, what does anyone here think of James Hetfield’s latest cameo in the new western “The Thicket” with Peter Dinklage. I think it suits him much more than being a metal head to be honest. Lets face it, would you prefer to be facing a deranged gunslinger while vultures circle over head, or the mosh pit every night at a concert? I think I would take my chances with the gunman & the vultures. Cheers.
https://www.kerrang.com/watch-metallicas-james-hetfield-in-the-trailer-for-new-western-movie-the-thicket
September 10th, 2024 at 03:00I haven’t seen it, but Hetfield is the type of character just made for a Western. He has charisma as a front man too though I am certainly no Metallica fan.
I don’t disdain blockbusters per se. I think that the new DUNE franchise is mighty fine large screen entertainment with some depth to it. But generally I prefer a good script with weak budget CGI and unknown actors to state of the art CGI + name actors, yet burdened by an inane script. I can overlook flawed execution, I can’t overlook a crap story.
And Doc Gregster, hey, I really liked this here!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niEHsY3EiFw
Who knew that KISS and especially ole Chaim could be so subtle and atmospheric? And Paul’s solo (a rare thing with KISS) in all its simplicity has an almost David Gilmour’esque feel to it.
The Ridley Scott Alien prequels were elevated by Michael Fassbender’s performance as an AI figure, who cares about that silly elongated cockroach of an Alien monster that can’t even fly a spaceship on its own, use tools or communicate sensibly. Superior life form my ass. 🤣
September 10th, 2024 at 18:10I agree regarding your comments Uwe to blockbuster movies & CGI. I usually don’t go for it, it is OVER the top & all, but that is technology as we know it. There have been a couple of movies I have watched & it can do the job, sort of at times, but hasn’t it been exploited to the point of no return. Script quality & fine acting indeed & also good settings is my genre. I will stream this new western when it is available. Always a sucker for a decent shoot em up & not just that of course. Hetfield is ‘covered up’ in this movie & I am not a fan of tattoos out at all, too much of that in this world. That is what I meant by the metal image comment. I like Peter Dinklage too, a fine actor & yes, I DID watch a fair bit of GOT! Don’t roll your eyes, you KNOW I have a penchant for dragons & all that & it was NOT Ronnie who influenced me at all. I had to fast forward a lot at times though as there was an incredible amount of time wasting going on in GOT. When you do that & still don’t lose any of the story, that says something. I go more for the drama etc & I didn’t watch the final series as it wasn’t written by the author at all. A few people who were right into that said I didn’t miss anything important & it was rather weak on content, as we could expect. Contracts eh? “We have got to get this finished no matter what”. I did watch Fassbender in Prometheus, not a bad movie & the only ‘Alien’ move I have watched after the initial sequel from the early 1980’s. I have seen snippets of the other Alien movies & after looking at it for a while I keep on walking past. Cheers.
September 10th, 2024 at 21:52Yo,
Herr Uwe stated…
qt. 1 “Doc Gregster, will you still like me, when I say that The Elder is ambitiously failed and that the core ideas weren’t so bad”?…
***KISS became too over-confident by this time imo Lieber Uwe…They had to falter at some point, & with”the Elder” they tripped & fell…As for your comment, a steak is always a steak, but if the chefs over-cook or don’t prepare well, no one will eat it. It’s not a matter of liking or disliking you Sir.
qt. 2 “But generally I prefer a good script with weak budget CGI and unknown actors to state of the art CGI + name actors, yet burdened by an inane script. I can overlook flawed execution, I can’t overlook a crap story”.
***Agreed, but did you really expect a great story when it’s already been told several times ? The Romulus film is a crowd-pleaser for franchise-fans only, like DP records, but new fans are always welcome along. Ridley did try to bring facts to the fold with our earth & ET intervention & ongoing visits over millennia, but that proved too controversial with “Prometheus”, & so a general loop back to the first Alien film was honed-in on, rather than exploring truth & the engineers per-se.
Probably the best films come out of England I think, with possibly the best couple of films I’ve seen in the last 20-years being “The girl with the Dragon tattoo” & “Layer Cake”.
Peace !
September 10th, 2024 at 23:43Granted, my expectations weren’t high for Alien – Romulus, friends dragged me to see it, but I still left underwhelmed. Seeing the YA cast obviously aimed at Gen Z viewers, I did catch myself wondering whether I was finally becoming too old for this stuff!
I liked ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” too, a lot of Hollywood remakes of European cult films fail abysmally, this one didn’t. But even the Hollywood version was still too edgy to meet enough success to ever finish the story with the two necessary sequels. Rooney Mara is a great actress, I also liked her in the deep and poignant ‘Maria Magdalene’ film where she met her now-hubby Jesus/Joaquin Phoenix.
On your recommendation, I will check Layer Cake out! That somehow went underneath my radar.
September 11th, 2024 at 16:41The Swedish trilogy movies with Noomi Rapace are the only ones to watch, forget the Yanks attempting to get in on that act, terrible. Cheers.
September 11th, 2024 at 22:24Yo,
@31…
You will love “Layer Cake” Leiber Uwe, it’s a great film. It closely walks the tight-rope of reality without ever falling-off into bollox imo.
I re-listened to “The Elder”, & the issue imo is the singing, namely Paul Stanley. The tunes need a delivery like Ozzy would muster, aka “Wheels of Confusion” or similar. Then there may be a glimmer of hope for it. But with Paul sounding like a group of Tibetan monks in too-low a register is the major put-off imo.
Joaquin Pheonix is one-of-the “strange one’s” to say the least. He & “SpaceHog” co-founder Antony Langdon are close friends, & have been for decades. ( Too close for comfort one may think, as captured on film, namely “I’m Still Here )…
And…Queen have announced the pre-ordering of their debut album, that’s been fully expanded, remixed & remastered, along with a selection of boxed-set varieties that looks most excellent. It’s been renamed “Queen 1”. Their first three albums remain their best work ever imo, so I’m tempted indeed, except the cost puts-me-off, & is a real downer, especially once postage is added…We’ll see !…I’ve always considered the “Rainbow ’74” boxed-set that I have as the definitive statement of this time-period. It’s sublime to say the least.
Peace !
September 12th, 2024 at 00:13I’m not a great fan of Paul Stanley’s singing at all. Yes, he’s technically the superior singer to Gene’s growl and has a much greater range, but Paul’s style is so overdone, nothing he sings ever really touches me. Simmons can often transport more with less though he is obviously vocally limited. But his singing voice is not as hilariously removed from his talking voice as Stanley’s. Stanley, even when making announcements, is always in his singing voice: “DOES ANYBODY HERE DRINK TEQUILA?!” Settle down, Herr Eisen, you’re only talking to people, you don’t need to YELL AT THEM! 😁
I might go for that re-release of that Queen debut too though Sheer Heart Attack tends to be my favorite Queen album, along with A Night At The Opera.
Rapace did great, but Mara’s depiction was strong too – in a different, not really comparable way.
Game of Thrones started promisingly and kept a high standard for a while, but deteriorated pitifully towards the end, it really killed the genre for me, I couldn’t get myself to watch the prequel yet. As the CGI for the dragons (in the beginning kiddie-show-laughingly awful) got better and better, the scripts got worse and worse. The last season was WTF-appallingly bad.
September 12th, 2024 at 07:13