As a Deep Purple fanatic, I'm obviously quite psyched for the new album, =1. It's scheduled for release on the 19th July, just under 2 weeks time. I have both the CD and vinyl on pre-order (it's rare for me to pre-order both formats, but I kinda just thought "why not?" this time), plus a t-shirt. =1 will be the first studio album to feature guitarist Simon McBride, who has been with the band since 2022, after Steve Morse's sudden departure due to his wife's illness. I was initially disappointed to hear Morse's departure (although I completely understand why he left) - I've always loved Morse's playing, he brought a style to Deep Purple that was different to what Ritchie Blackmore was doing, yet also crafted a new and exciting sound that was trademark to the band for several decades. A Deep Purple album with Steve Morse is not the same as a Deep Purple album with Ritchie Blackmore, but is still fantastic for different reasons.
I saw the band live in October 2022, meaning I actually got to experience a Purple concert with Simon McBride. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect at first, but by the end of the night I was on board with McBride. I think his playing style is actually a little closer to Blackmore than Morse without completely impersonating him. Either way, I think Simon fits in the band just fine. Well, at least in the live setting.
But then we've also had 3 singles from the new album in the past few months - 'Portable Door', 'Pictures of You' and now 'Lazy Sod' too. And honestly, I like them all. In fact, I think 'Pictures of You' and 'Lazy Sod' in particular are great. 'Pictures of You' is full of extremely memorable hooks - it's more-or-less a pop rock track with Purple's stamp of approval, and I've played it over and over since it's release. 'Lazy Sod' on the other hand, has a much more retro rocker feel to it, and in my opinion sounds a little closer to '70s Mk. II-era Deep Purple. Meanwhile, 'Portable Door' kind of sounds like classic Purple mixed with Morse-era Purple. Good stuff. I have a limited numbered CD single copy of 'Pictures of You' (5000 in total, mine is number 1915), 'cos you know... I have collector's syndrome!
If these singles are anything to go by, I think we could be in for a diverse album with =1. I also think we could also be in for the most distinctly retro-sounding Purple album in a very long time. Aside from McBride, Purple have existed with Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice and Don Airey since 2003's Bananas, and they've been working with producer Bob Ezrin since 2013's Now What?! (one of my favourite Deep Purple records ever) - so they definitely have a particular style of songwriting that I don't think will stray too far from any of the past bunch of albums. But at the same time I think Simon's guitar playing seems to bring a bit more '70s flair to the band than they did with Morse, at least on these singles anyway.
Ian Gillan is way past his prime as a singer, and he knows this. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy any of the more modern Purple albums any less. He's adapted his vocals to suit the songs as he ages. I think Glover and Paice are still a rock-solid rhythm section, and I can't fault either of them whatsoever on these new recordings. As for Don Airey, well, that man's just a keyboard wizard. Jon Lord seemed so irreplaceable, and he kinda was. I think only Airey could fill that man's shoes.
I'm not sure how =1 will stack up next to albums such as Now What?! (2013), Infinite (2017) and Whoosh! (2020), but I'm quite confident it will be in a similar ballpark to them in terms of quality. I think Now What?! is outstanding, so maybe it won't be that good, but I still really like Infinite and Whoosh!, therefore am feeling very hopeful overall. And I can definitely just assume it will walk all over the 2021 covers album, Turning to Crime. I must admit, as far as covers albums go, I think Turning to Crime is actually quite fun for the most part, and seem to enjoy it more and more over time. But let's not forget that it is just a covers album, and one they recorded for fun during the COVID lockdowns, therefore is not really even worth using as a comparison. I am a little relieved that Turning to Crime will not be the final Deep Purple album however!!
I don't really have any major negative emotions towards this new record, just small gripes. 'Portable Door' isn't quite as strong as 'Pictures of You' or 'Lazy Sod' in my humble opinion, but I still enjoy it. I think the album cover is a bit uninspired however. Look at it! Plain white with minimal text in the centre!! Far too similar to Now What?! (maybe the only bad thing about that album), only even more minimalistic! Yet at the same time I don't really 'hate' the artwork either... it's quite clean and weirdly artsy in a modern kind of way (not that I know anything about modern art). It is a bit odd though, because the singles have their own artwork, and the t-shirt I have on pre-order is very cool. Whatever.
So yeah, bring on =1. 13 days left...
