With great excitement, I accepted the chance to review not only one of the most important bands in my life but one of the most important bands in rock history.
It’s about this point that I usually babble on about the band and its various members and back catalogue.
Here right now if you’re reading this you will already know the in’s and outs of the Purp as I am known to call them. All I will say is that since the leaving of Ritchie Blackmoore and the passing of founding member Jon Lord in 2012 the bond has gone from strength to strength. Most bands with such dramatic changes flounder not this behemoth of the band. For many years 1984’s Perfect strangers were for me THE Purp album I went back to time and time again. That was till now what is there to say about the album Woosh
That does not sound gushing or biased the answer is not much.
Right from the kick-off you know you’re in for a treat when the opening swagger of Throw My Bones is not as heavy as past output from one time loudest band in the world but gets you swaying in an uncontrollable manner before you know it your on public transport tapping your feet and swaggering like its 1974 again.
Moment after moment on this record made me smile Nothing At All is one. I played it over and over again with its blend of Blues and 70s Progressive Rock, Don Airey has been in the piano seat for many years and his work on this track and is so amazing let’s face it all the tracks are a masterwork. The Hammond trills the Swelling pull and pushes that drives the core of this band is MAJESTIC.
Ian Gillian needs to be giving lessons on how to keep your voice as a heavy rock singer HOW does he do it. Yes, long gone have the Screaming high notes but he’s replaced it with a delicious bluesy intonation that’s as intoxicating as smooth single malt on the rocks after a long day at work.
This could be thought of as a straight Blues hard rock record with the usual Purple Hammond organ ambush. But that would be underselling it when you get to track 11 Man Alive you start to ask yourself is this Deep Purple or is this Yes. The most Progressive I have ever heard from them, and I really loved it. Lots of story and atmosphere, every member has a party piece on this AMAZING record.
Steve Morse on guitar, Ian Paice on drums and Roger Glover on bass.
Mesh together and fight for your attention all the time, like noisy siblings at the dinner table. But unlike the din of mealtimes in a large family they all meld and Join as one into a beautiful offering to the gods or Rock n roll. This truly is my pick of Heavy rock album of 2020 I’d go as far as to say possibly my now go to Purple record.
It’s that time again…
Release Year: 2020
Label: EarMusic
Category: Album
Country: UK
Reviewed by Tony Evans
