Deep Purple - Whoosh! (2020)
Deep Purple - Whoosh! (2020)
I did "Infinite" review for you all 3 years ago, so - since I have it also in the can... maybe you will like a read.
It would be rather unfair to put this album in the context of ALL of Purple's career. In that canva it's rather undistinguishable record. So let's talk it rather in the frame of the Bob Ezrin years, since the collaboration between the renowned producer (Alice Cooper, Kiss, Pink Floyd) and the band is treated as a kind of era in the band's history. It's debut of "Now WhatI?" was and is as amazing as it's been upon the release in 2013. Consistent, punchy, sparky, very little filler on it. Gems like "A Simple Song" and "Weirdistan" are still unknown to the general public. Inspired set all the way down - in no small part by the loss of the late Jon Lord, who's been cited as a spiritual influence lifting up the music and the overall level of creativity (and it's well heard in the music). "Infinite", 3 years later, held in decently well, though the consistency was slowly scrapping off. I still remember feeling somewhat puzzled after first listening. It seemingly felt OK, but left the long time Purple listener confused. Only "Time For Bedlam", "The Surprising" and "Birds Of Prey" were sure shots to end in the Purple cannon of the exciting songs, the rest being to some varying extent, debatable on quality. In 2019, in secrecy, the band recorded the new album and withheld it for almost a year from public - releasing it just today after a string of three singles announcing the record. Of which - each and every one was yet again somewhat confusing to the Purple followers.
So glad that the album starts off with the first single. "Throw My Bones" still sounds like an instant skipper - cheese silly synth strings carry the throwaway tune through less than 4 minutes. It sounded dreadful at the initial release, and should be forgotten, right off the spot. Leaves you feeling that the rest of the material just must be superior to this. As the album unfolds, luckily the overall story gets better... Not necesarily in "Drop The Weapon", though. More decent tune than the procedessor, but still the chorus sounds so totally out of line with the track. Not much over the decency line - good bridge, only reasonable solos... Still, it's Deep Purple - so the bar of expectations is so much higher. "We're All The Same In The Dark" - a bit of generic sounding riff, but at long last the bite is starting to sound. Without Gillan's extended explanation for the background of it - the lyrics sound a tad iffy. Steve Morse plucks away the weird solo, phrasing almost like on a country or pop record. Hell, it's weird. At least though some muscle is appearing in the old dog. "Nothing At All" - another iffy lyrics, but the hook is almost as infectious as corona is - really sits on your head after a couple of spins. Don Airey's run through the middle part - with fugue-like sounding showcase (there is, I reckon, some quotation from Bach's works in there) is at last bringing in some amazing old fashioned Purple spirit where rock meets the classic. Good Morse - Airey lick trade-off at the end. We got the first major strong point of the album, a likely favourite for many. "No Need To Shout" almost resembles the "Stormbringer / "Slow Down Sister" spirit, but I reckon, the Messers are not much aware of this... The drive is there, though the solos are debatably unimaginative (wake up, Steve!), despite Don's citing a bit of Gershwin during his piano solo.
Mid-way through the album there is the first REAL mind-blow. "Step By Step". My eyes got wide and far out once I heard the cathedral like organ and fugue-ish chords. I hear bits of "Clearly Quite Absurd" finale in there, and if there was / is a baroque Purple shuffle - that's the one. Solos are well balanced and it's a perfect shot at something absolutely monumental. Could this be destroyed though? Sadly yes... Fade out at 3:25. I wish I could sit with Bob Ezrin with a beer at the table and tell him that this kind of crime desrves a death sentence by public stripping of flesh. The fade starts at the point where this pearl should start to develop - just let Don and Steve off the fucking leash! Play it on, for grief sake, take it to the 7 minute mark... Wasted chance for something absolutely legendary, damn! How... come... it's ever been allowed!! Crime! I want blood! Shame on you, Purps!
And what do w change it for? Piano boogie of "What The What"... Almost cheesilly idiotic after the amazement of "Step By Step". Most ridiculous pairing of the tracks on any Purple album, this might be just it. And sadly the rock and roll quotations a' la "Speed King" in the lyrics can't salvage the feeling that it's a filler track. Out of space, out of time. A shot at chanelling their inner Elvis in - but it's almost like eating a bad food, duh (Zeppelin's "Hot Dog" gives me the same type of put off!). "The Long Way Round" lifts you a bit off the floor, it has strong progressive aspirations, but the execution is not really much of convincing. Don Airey's synth solo stands out in the middle - nice, imaginative outburst of flashy fingers. Still the illusion of a driving tempo and a punch is dispersing somehwere throughout. Maybe because the bridge part sounds almost like rip off from Gillan's solo staple "Hang Me Out To Dry" from "Toolbox" 30 years back. But that's the risk in this genre - you will stumble upon the plagiarising your own self one fine day. Fine set of tools intended, this, but a miss in final mounting it. More aspiration than the effect of it's result.
Time to make up for the mishaps, and "Power Of The Moon" is rather succesful in that. Haunting verses versus blasts of chorus - there's a fair dose of prog edge in this. Nice, works rather well. Solos in the middle are at last better balanced between moody (Morse) and raspy (Airey - with slight running out of imaginative use of his favourite key licks). Fade out kills the spirit again, almost making you think that the band has run out of imagination on how to develop this really good track. Shame, a disgrace even. "Remission Possible" - why only 1:38? Why not give it more development? Especially as it seems to have the strongest kick of all the album's tracks... Almost makes you wanna sit and weep. Best chances to build up something monumental off the best tracks are shot and cremated in fade-outs, just like if someone was puting restraints on the band over their aspiration to spread the musical wings. It's bad, it's insane, it's dreadful. Ezrin, you bastard, why? Huge amount of dissapointment in this. "Man Alive" is what we know it is (2nd single). Rich in ideas, instrumentation, wide scan of sound layers, but so poorly composed, with the middle part completely destroying the monumentum. Plus the dreadful, squeaky sound of Morse's solo. I wish I could like it, but it pisses me right off. Kill the squeal Steve, forget it for one damn record, play clean, low and heavy. You can, and you learned on how by now, just stick to it. Good shape, bad, ill-chosen filling. Dummy in result.
"And The Address" - a very solid reendition of the track that kickstarts Deep Purple's discography. Sounds good and inspired enough to be a pleasing listen. No use comparing it to 1968 sound, but as a nod to Jon, Ritchie and the scope of band's career - it's not a bad choice and execution at all. Risk of accusation of lack of original ideas - some will bring it up. I don't mind it. "Dancing I My Sleep" is quite a punchy stomper, although falls into a generic cathegory of the mediocre tracks of the era. Gillan says - Morse's solo in the song is one of the best guitar he's ever heard in his life. Now that's a blasphemy, with the 20+ years of Blackmore's magic in the bucket. Steve sounds experimental and rough for sure, but come on, be fair in putting marks if you vote that far and wide.
A bit of odd ending to the odd album. Not as bad as the first two singles hinted it would be. In fact - it seems to be coming off better than "Infinite" *), more inspired and a bit more packed with shards of good ideas. If only a more thoughtful execution could follow it. Band is well olied, playing very tight - and it should be no suprise to anyone. Still, the crime of killing off it's best tracks is so painful to my ears. Cutting up the wings to fold them, just as they were about to spread and take them to fly off... Unjustified crime, this. That will be my remaining impression of the record, roots of this process I will not understand. And while it's good to have their new music, it's such a pity that these goods ended up held back.... Like butcher ripping off the eyes to reach the dying brain... A good album that could have been really big with more open, corageous approach. A dose of joy with a big shame in a bag.
(C) (P) Martin / Sun Red Sun
*) MkMorse albums for me now in order of greatness are:
Purpendicular > Now What!? > Rapture of the Deep > Whoosh! > Abandon > Infinite > Bananas
It would be rather unfair to put this album in the context of ALL of Purple's career. In that canva it's rather undistinguishable record. So let's talk it rather in the frame of the Bob Ezrin years, since the collaboration between the renowned producer (Alice Cooper, Kiss, Pink Floyd) and the band is treated as a kind of era in the band's history. It's debut of "Now WhatI?" was and is as amazing as it's been upon the release in 2013. Consistent, punchy, sparky, very little filler on it. Gems like "A Simple Song" and "Weirdistan" are still unknown to the general public. Inspired set all the way down - in no small part by the loss of the late Jon Lord, who's been cited as a spiritual influence lifting up the music and the overall level of creativity (and it's well heard in the music). "Infinite", 3 years later, held in decently well, though the consistency was slowly scrapping off. I still remember feeling somewhat puzzled after first listening. It seemingly felt OK, but left the long time Purple listener confused. Only "Time For Bedlam", "The Surprising" and "Birds Of Prey" were sure shots to end in the Purple cannon of the exciting songs, the rest being to some varying extent, debatable on quality. In 2019, in secrecy, the band recorded the new album and withheld it for almost a year from public - releasing it just today after a string of three singles announcing the record. Of which - each and every one was yet again somewhat confusing to the Purple followers.
So glad that the album starts off with the first single. "Throw My Bones" still sounds like an instant skipper - cheese silly synth strings carry the throwaway tune through less than 4 minutes. It sounded dreadful at the initial release, and should be forgotten, right off the spot. Leaves you feeling that the rest of the material just must be superior to this. As the album unfolds, luckily the overall story gets better... Not necesarily in "Drop The Weapon", though. More decent tune than the procedessor, but still the chorus sounds so totally out of line with the track. Not much over the decency line - good bridge, only reasonable solos... Still, it's Deep Purple - so the bar of expectations is so much higher. "We're All The Same In The Dark" - a bit of generic sounding riff, but at long last the bite is starting to sound. Without Gillan's extended explanation for the background of it - the lyrics sound a tad iffy. Steve Morse plucks away the weird solo, phrasing almost like on a country or pop record. Hell, it's weird. At least though some muscle is appearing in the old dog. "Nothing At All" - another iffy lyrics, but the hook is almost as infectious as corona is - really sits on your head after a couple of spins. Don Airey's run through the middle part - with fugue-like sounding showcase (there is, I reckon, some quotation from Bach's works in there) is at last bringing in some amazing old fashioned Purple spirit where rock meets the classic. Good Morse - Airey lick trade-off at the end. We got the first major strong point of the album, a likely favourite for many. "No Need To Shout" almost resembles the "Stormbringer / "Slow Down Sister" spirit, but I reckon, the Messers are not much aware of this... The drive is there, though the solos are debatably unimaginative (wake up, Steve!), despite Don's citing a bit of Gershwin during his piano solo.
Mid-way through the album there is the first REAL mind-blow. "Step By Step". My eyes got wide and far out once I heard the cathedral like organ and fugue-ish chords. I hear bits of "Clearly Quite Absurd" finale in there, and if there was / is a baroque Purple shuffle - that's the one. Solos are well balanced and it's a perfect shot at something absolutely monumental. Could this be destroyed though? Sadly yes... Fade out at 3:25. I wish I could sit with Bob Ezrin with a beer at the table and tell him that this kind of crime desrves a death sentence by public stripping of flesh. The fade starts at the point where this pearl should start to develop - just let Don and Steve off the fucking leash! Play it on, for grief sake, take it to the 7 minute mark... Wasted chance for something absolutely legendary, damn! How... come... it's ever been allowed!! Crime! I want blood! Shame on you, Purps!
And what do w change it for? Piano boogie of "What The What"... Almost cheesilly idiotic after the amazement of "Step By Step". Most ridiculous pairing of the tracks on any Purple album, this might be just it. And sadly the rock and roll quotations a' la "Speed King" in the lyrics can't salvage the feeling that it's a filler track. Out of space, out of time. A shot at chanelling their inner Elvis in - but it's almost like eating a bad food, duh (Zeppelin's "Hot Dog" gives me the same type of put off!). "The Long Way Round" lifts you a bit off the floor, it has strong progressive aspirations, but the execution is not really much of convincing. Don Airey's synth solo stands out in the middle - nice, imaginative outburst of flashy fingers. Still the illusion of a driving tempo and a punch is dispersing somehwere throughout. Maybe because the bridge part sounds almost like rip off from Gillan's solo staple "Hang Me Out To Dry" from "Toolbox" 30 years back. But that's the risk in this genre - you will stumble upon the plagiarising your own self one fine day. Fine set of tools intended, this, but a miss in final mounting it. More aspiration than the effect of it's result.
Time to make up for the mishaps, and "Power Of The Moon" is rather succesful in that. Haunting verses versus blasts of chorus - there's a fair dose of prog edge in this. Nice, works rather well. Solos in the middle are at last better balanced between moody (Morse) and raspy (Airey - with slight running out of imaginative use of his favourite key licks). Fade out kills the spirit again, almost making you think that the band has run out of imagination on how to develop this really good track. Shame, a disgrace even. "Remission Possible" - why only 1:38? Why not give it more development? Especially as it seems to have the strongest kick of all the album's tracks... Almost makes you wanna sit and weep. Best chances to build up something monumental off the best tracks are shot and cremated in fade-outs, just like if someone was puting restraints on the band over their aspiration to spread the musical wings. It's bad, it's insane, it's dreadful. Ezrin, you bastard, why? Huge amount of dissapointment in this. "Man Alive" is what we know it is (2nd single). Rich in ideas, instrumentation, wide scan of sound layers, but so poorly composed, with the middle part completely destroying the monumentum. Plus the dreadful, squeaky sound of Morse's solo. I wish I could like it, but it pisses me right off. Kill the squeal Steve, forget it for one damn record, play clean, low and heavy. You can, and you learned on how by now, just stick to it. Good shape, bad, ill-chosen filling. Dummy in result.
"And The Address" - a very solid reendition of the track that kickstarts Deep Purple's discography. Sounds good and inspired enough to be a pleasing listen. No use comparing it to 1968 sound, but as a nod to Jon, Ritchie and the scope of band's career - it's not a bad choice and execution at all. Risk of accusation of lack of original ideas - some will bring it up. I don't mind it. "Dancing I My Sleep" is quite a punchy stomper, although falls into a generic cathegory of the mediocre tracks of the era. Gillan says - Morse's solo in the song is one of the best guitar he's ever heard in his life. Now that's a blasphemy, with the 20+ years of Blackmore's magic in the bucket. Steve sounds experimental and rough for sure, but come on, be fair in putting marks if you vote that far and wide.
A bit of odd ending to the odd album. Not as bad as the first two singles hinted it would be. In fact - it seems to be coming off better than "Infinite" *), more inspired and a bit more packed with shards of good ideas. If only a more thoughtful execution could follow it. Band is well olied, playing very tight - and it should be no suprise to anyone. Still, the crime of killing off it's best tracks is so painful to my ears. Cutting up the wings to fold them, just as they were about to spread and take them to fly off... Unjustified crime, this. That will be my remaining impression of the record, roots of this process I will not understand. And while it's good to have their new music, it's such a pity that these goods ended up held back.... Like butcher ripping off the eyes to reach the dying brain... A good album that could have been really big with more open, corageous approach. A dose of joy with a big shame in a bag.
(C) (P) Martin / Sun Red Sun
*) MkMorse albums for me now in order of greatness are:
Purpendicular > Now What!? > Rapture of the Deep > Whoosh! > Abandon > Infinite > Bananas
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Donthegreek
- Posts: 2770
- Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 2:24 pm
Deep Purple - Whoosh! (2020)
Major disappointment for me.
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Bent out of shape
- Posts: 905
- Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2011 4:03 am
Deep Purple - Whoosh! (2020)
I'm enjoying it, better than infinite. Very good effort, including the Address cover.
Deep Purple - Whoosh! (2020)
Need to catch up on Purple, not heard anything since Rapture.