Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Deep Purple
Label: Edel Records
Release: 2013
Duration: 60:04
Rating: 4.5/5
»Now What?!«, the nineteenth studio album by the legendary Deep Purple and their first studio effort in more than seven years, since »Rapture of the Deep« (2005), offers more than enough convincing proof that these British patriarchs of heavy rock have no intention of retiring any time soon. And honestly, that would be a huge loss for the whole rock world, because despite the heaps of skepticism that dominated before its release, even among most of the band’s loyal followers, their new record shows they can still surprise with a healthy number of fresh-sounding tracks. These carry enough classic elements to keep most longtime fans of their music at ease, while also taking interesting detours into some sonic territories they’ve rarely explored until now. Compared to its predecessor, making »Now What?!« was, according to individual band members, a relatively smooth process with no major hiccups. Two compositions on the album, »Above and Beyond« and »Uncommon Man«, are dedicated to the late former member, keyboard legend and genius Jon Lord (1941-2012), which is definitely a lovely gesture from his former comrades-in-arms.
Lord’s spirit, mostly thanks to his loyal successor Don Airey, is also present on some of the other tracks. Airey has never been as creative and witty on either of the past two Deep Purple albums, especially when it comes to improvising and fluidly crafting individual symphonic arrangements, which is why »Now What?!« is the most art-rock-leaning Purple studio effort since »Purpendicular« (1996). That will please everyone who values the legendary Englishmen both as the fathers of heavy rock and as one of the progressive rock pioneers. The inseparable trio of old pals, namely the eternal vocal joker Ian Gillan, the versatile bassist Roger Glover and the superb drummer Ian Paice, give the individual tracks the continuity of classic Deep Purple sonic mannerisms, which is yet another piece of good news for all the traditionalists. Meanwhile, American guitar virtuoso Steve Morse has finally proven, after almost 20 years, even to his harshest critics that he is, after all, the best possible replacement for Ritchie Blackmore, whose shadow will forever loom over him, something he made peace with long ago. Evidently the Mark VIII lineup has finally found suitable studio stability on »Now What?«!, having long since come alive as a convincing live act. And the album’s superb production is the work of the legendary Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Hanoi Rocks etc.), who deserves a special mention.
There are excellent to at the very least very solid tracks on »Now What?!« in abundance, and you can clearly feel that the band had an immense amount of fun recording them. Dips in quality are truly rare. After all these years of studio silence, the ‘hard rock grandpas’ really had ‘a lot to say’, and you can feel it at every turn. The lyrics show that in their old age they’ve become somewhat more socially sensitive than before. Individual messages carry a bit more weight than usual, since the typical, rather hollow themes like women, partying and boozing that once ruled Gillan’s word hoard have in places given way to deeper problems of individual alienation amid all the bizarreness of the globalized world.
»A Simple Song« may even be the most unusual opener in this legendary band’s story. It begins as a melancholic ballad, and only after the two-minute mark do the ‘old tomcats’ get down to ‘business’, starting to ‘burn’ in classic fashion with sharp guitar passages, massive layers of Hammond organ and mighty drum fills. Airey, who is in great form throughout the whole album, shines right away with brilliant organ improvisations, as if the spirit of his famous predecessor had moved into him, while Gillan’s very solid singing is more or less in line with expectations throughout. Even the thoroughly edgy »Weirdistan«, where the legendary singer picks up a vocoder, is a fairly unusual and relatively innovative experiment with its enigmatic atmosphere. The individual improvisations are once again integrated very intelligently into the skeleton of the composition. Not just Airey but Morse too hasn’t wowed with such refreshing soloing in a long time, the way he manages to on »Now What?!«. Glover’s eclectic bass lines also push their way to the front several times, something that hasn’t happened all that often on the past few albums.
The gloomy »Out of Hand«, after a short orchestral overture, turns into another punchy ‘barnburner’ with a pile of dirty guitar licks, which will thrill all fans of grittier sounds. This time Gillan goes for more vocal improvisation between high and low registers than he has in recent years, and it has to be admitted that his voice, even though technically it will never again reach its former high standards, is still well preserved after all these years of boozing and late-night wandering.
»Hell to Pay«, which was also released as a single, is another successful piece built on a thoroughly classic Purple recipe. Full-bodied Hammond organ lines are laced with fiery guitar licks, while the ‘chanting’ chorus seems made for setting the live crowd’s euphoria ablaze. It was more than obviously created for exactly that purpose, so that the audience could actively join in. The Morse-Airey duo once again thrills with passionate improvisations that will make all fans of great virtuosos lick their lips, while Paice toils away on the drums like a ‘rocket-powered locomotive’, which is just as it should be. The funk-flavored »Bodyline«, which might have appealed to former member Glenn Hughes too, since it seems tailor-made for his voice, which is somewhat ironic given that this version of Deep Purple doesn’t play any classics from the Mk III and Mk IV era, is another seriously fun piece, with a nonchalantly playful chorus up front.
»Above and Beyond«, the first of the two tracks on »Now What?!« dedicated to Jon Lord, opens with a heavy guitar phrase, after which, as you’d expect, a massive layer of Hammond organ crashes in and stays up front until the end of the song. The intense atmosphere also builds thanks to Gillan’s energetic singing, which helps make this one of the best achievements on the album. You really can’t praise Airey enough, and it’s a genuine joy that the other members gave him so much room this time for his keyboard artistry, after he was kept a bit too far ‘in the background’ on »Rapture of the Deep«. »Blood From a Stone« is another cunning experiment, featuring unusually sophisticated, jazz-tinged motifs with subtle piano up front, interrupted by occasional dives into heavy rock waters, where ragged guitar passages, combative layers of ‘Hammond’ and wild drum fills take over. You could even talk about a shy, brief excursion into the world of jazz rock fusion, which not only the versatile Morse but also Gillan and Airey, who last dealt with it in the second half of the seventies, know very well.
The symphonic masterpiece »Uncommon Man«, another track dedicated to the person and work of Jon Lord, is one of the best Purple achievements, not just of the last twenty years but of their entire career. The majestic orchestral intro contains subtle guitar variations and delicate synthesizer curtains. The mighty mood grows in intensity from second to second, and the level of symphonic pomp at times even recalls the golden days of the legendary Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Airey has never hidden that, besides Lord, Keith Emerson was the biggest influence on him as a keyboardist, and this time that’s most obvious on the entire album. Gillan’s charismatic singing style, which only kicks in halfway through the song, once again blends very well into the central melody and the pompous symphonic arrangement. »Apres Vous«, which means »After You« in English, is another successful piece that could have been made in the first half of the seventies, since it’s built on completely classic Purple mannerisms. The lyrics, too, are this time, after a long while, a bit more classic ‘Gillan’, talking about boozing and chasing skirts. Somewhere in the middle of the song comes an unexpected twist into an experimental, almost fusion-like section, a veritable ‘outer space’ detour from the otherwise hard rock nature of this composition. »All the Time in the World«, which came out as the first single from »Now What?!«, is more than obviously the most commercially minded effort on the album, with its relatively simple rhythmic seasoning and quickly infectious, emphatically melodic chorus. Compared to the rest of the album it’s almost a pop rocker, but it’s also a nice proof that Deep Purple still have a knack for writing somewhat more compact songs with good commercial potential.
The last track on the regular edition of the album is »Vincent Price«, the third single from the record and another terrific piece, dedicated to the American film actor of the same name, best known for his roles in numerous horror movies. Fittingly, the composition has a rather dark and eerie mood with a bunch of ‘frightening’ keyboard effects. Orchestra-backed choir vocalizations are there too. Punchy guitar passages paired with phantasmagorically tinted layers of Hammond organ provide superb support for Gillan’s theatrical vocal performance. Although in character and lyrics it would suit Black Sabbath better, in its sonic elements it’s still an utterly recognizable Purple classic. At the end, as a bonus track, comes a rather fun cover of the rock and roll standard »It’ll Be Me«, originally written by Jack Clement and first performed in 1957 by the legendary Jerry Lee Lewis, one of Gillan’s musical heroes and vocal inspirations.
Now what? Nothing, onward to fresh studio and live triumphs! »Now What?!« is by every measure the best Deep Purple album since »Purpendicular«, which is genuinely great news for everyone who had quietly written off the legendary old guard of heavy rock, convinced they had nothing fresh left to offer as a studio act. After a long studio break, the old tomcats have thus blown the skeptics away with »Now What?! and proven that today they’re one of the very few bands with more than forty years on the job that are still capable of making inspiring studio albums. Nobody would hold it against them if they just rested on their past laurels, since in their careers as musicians they’ve achieved practically everything there is to achieve, even if the American lackeys of the big record corporations still haven’t inducted them into the so-called ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’.
Line-up
Ian Gillan – vocals
Roger Glover – bass guitar
Steve Morse – guitar
Don Airey – keyboards
Ian Paice – drums
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Jason Roller – acoustic guitar on “All The Time In The World”
Eric Darken – percussion on “Bodyline” and “All The Time In The World”
Mike Johnson – steel guitar on “All The Time In The World” and “Vincent Price”
David Hamilton – additional keyboards on “Uncommon Man”, “Weirdistan” and “Above And Beyond”
Students of Nimbus School of Recording Arts – additional vocals on “Hell to Pay”
Bob Ezrin – additional backing vocals and percussion
Production
Bob Ezrin
Track list
1. A Simple Song (4:39)
2. Weirdistan (4:14)
3. Out Of Hand (6:10)
4. Hell To Pay (5:11)
5. Body Line (4:26)
6. Above And Beyond (5:30)
7. Blood From A Stone (5:18)
8. Uncommon Man (7:00)
9. Après Vous (5:26)
10. All The Time In The World (4:21)
11. Vincent Price (4:46)
12. It’ll Be Me (Bonus track) (3:03)
