Ever since their 2013 album Now What?! hard rock veterans Deep Purple have been on a roll, both creatively and commercially. They’ve seemed a revitalised force. An album of covers aside, their output since has also sold/streamed multitudes. Not bad for a unit that’s been going for 56 years, with a stable line-up for well over 30. Their latest album is more enjoyable and feistier than cynics might imagine. It’s business as usual, of course, but Deep Purple wear their heritage with aplomb.
Deep Purple, at their best, have always combined widdly guitars and hefty riffs with a pop sensibility, aided by Don Airey’s layered keys (prior to him, the late Jon Lord). This has not deserted them, as demonstrated on cuts such as the rollicking, catchy, and nonsensical “Portable Door”, or the Guns N’ Roses-like punkin’ “Now You’re Talkin’”. At 78-years-old, Ian Gillan is still in fine voice, although who knows what he’s going on about, half the time. A case in point is the single “Lazy Sod”, apparently inspired by his being told Dolly Parton had written over 5000 songs during her lifetime, compared to his 500. You wouldn’t know this, though, as Gillan muses about lying in bed wondering, as "the oceans are rising", whether he’s remembered to turn off the gas.
There are a couple of slowies, such as “If I Were You”, whose seen-it-all L.A. rock chops recalls certain songs on Iggy Pop’s very likeable Every Loser album of last year, but most of =1 is, unsurprisingly, all about chug, thrust and electric guitar wallop. Other highlights include punchy opener “Show Me” and the power blues of “No Money to Burn”, amped by Gillan’s enjoyably fatalistic and performative lyrics; “I hear a blackbird sing/I feel a scorpion sting/ Whatever gets to me first, it is what it is, man... it could be worse”.
At this stage in the proceedings it’s unlikely Deep Purple are suddenly going to haul in a whole new fan base, but for anyone with more than a passing interest, =1 fairly romps along. It will put smiles on the faces of those who enjoy old dudes rock’n’rollin’ like age is just a number.
Below: Watch the video for "Lazy Sod" by Deep Purple
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