Why Deep Purple Have No Equal

The British hard rock heavyweights still sound fiery, furious on 23rd album

July 25, 2024July 25, 2024 Jedd Beaudoin 0 Comments =1, 2024, Deep Purple, Don Airey, earMUSIC, Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, Roger Glover, Simon McBride

Over the past 28 years, Deep Purple has made some of the most vital music of its career, aided in no small part by the arrival of guitarist Steve Morse and, for the last decade, the steady hand of producer Bob Ezrin.

Morse left in 2022 and the band has since continued its long farewell tour, pausing to deliver =1, its 23rd studio album and first with 45-year-old Irish firebrand Simon McBride on lead guitar. The record is the portrait of a band that sounds as vital, vibrant and hungry as ever.

“Sharp Shooter,” for instance, displays a swagger that has carries infinitely more attitude than anything those Stones have done since the late ‘90s. The Roger Glover/Ian Paice rhythm section leans into musical danger, establishing a foundation that recalls Bad Company at its most intense.

There, as elsewhere, McBride makes no attempt to sound like his notable predecessors and his affinity for the Old World blues favored by the likes of Rory Gallagher shines through, especially on “Portable Door,” which features some his best playing on the LP. (Along with the moving ballad “I’ll Catch You.”) Moreover, that track in particular demonstrates how well he and keyboardist Don Airey play off each other.

Sure, Ian Gillan is no longer shrieking like the man he was when he recorded “Sweet Child in Time,” but that’s far from a bad thing. Whatever he doesn’t display in those highest of high notes, he finds in the nuances of his lower registers, especially when singing lyrics like the ones that occupy this record. (Mainly, you can’t always be sure what he’s singing about but it sure sounds interesting.)

Unlike some of their contemporaries, Purple doesn’t bother to reach for contemporary trappings, nor are they trying to capture a vibe from 1972. It would be easy for them to reach back and do the kind of things they worked up so effectively on Machine Head or even Perfect Strangers; it might also be tempting to make a foray into something or other targeted to mainstream radio in 2024. But there’s none of that and, truth, be told, the record’s stronger for it. This is an album that could have been made back then or now, or maybe even some point in the future. “Pictures of You” slots nicely with past material, as it and “If I Were You” display a penchant for R&B and a solid hook that won’t soon be forgotten.

A mark of a good band may be its ability to sound pissed off and you can hear that via “I’m Saying Nothin’,” a reminder of how much heavy metal this act inspired and how, in fact, it continues to inspire with its visceral tendencies. The same may be said of “Lazy Sod” and fast and furious “Now You’re Talkin’.” (OK, OK. That one might come a little close to “Highway Star” but these guys are allowed to do that.)

Producer Bob Ezrin returns for his fifth turn with the group, demonstrating a gentle but important touch, revealing that he’s someone who truly understands what Purple’s all about and what Purple’s all about is keeping the battle raging.

It would take a miracle (or four) of science for these vets to continue for another 30 years. But however long this goes on, however many more albums they make, it seems unlikely that anything they’ll do will be boring.

The best DP album? No. A damn good one? Yes.