Deep Purple Album Review

Of course, finding recognition where most music fans recognize only the first masterpieces of the band (before the first serious change in composition) is not an easy task. But Deep Purple seems to be the exception to this rule!

Actually, ” Whoosh!” once again proves that Deep Purple still has enough creative ideas and forces!

A little bit about the Deep Purple band

Deep Purple is certainly one of the most revered and respected bands in the world of rock and roll. This is hard to believe, but the average age of band members is 71.6 years (honestly calculated using a calculator)! And this despite the fact that the” younger “— guitarist Steve Morse-is” some ” 66 years old! In due time, this team recorded and brilliantly performed eternal classics such as “Smoke On The Water”, “Hush”, “Space Truckin”, ” Highway Star»… No wonder it was listed in the Guinness Book of world records in 1975 as the loudest band in the world (thanks largely to a 1972 concert at London’s Rainbow Theatre)!

Along with Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple became part of the” unholy Trinity ” of British hard rock of the 1970s! Since then, and to this day, they remain the group that defines the genre.

Of course, with the fact that the” Golden era ” of the band met its decline in the mid-70s (well, well, in fairness, it is worth including here the classic reunion of the band in 1984 with Richie Blackmore) there is no point in arguing… This is already obvious to every fan of her. But … with the release of the new album, there are doubts: did not this very” Golden era ” of Deep Purple begin recently? Absolutely one of the most important bands of all time… Deep Purple has an immeasurable legacy and with each new release constantly elevates the idea of hard rock.

And now about the album ” Whoosh!” (2020)

Of course, we all remember the former merits of Deep Purple. What does the guitar Intro to “Smoke on the Water” cost, or the thunderous roll of the drums in “Pictures of Home”, or the compelling vocal range in ” Child in Time»… However, today we will talk about the new work of the band called ” Whoosh!”, which certainly deserves the attention of not only a dedicated fan but also a modern rock listener!

Each song from “Whoosh!” is a kind of lyric, musically compelling, referring to the modern life of the musicians themselves…

If you listen carefully to each of the songs, it becomes clear that this work is nothing more than a perfectly “prescribed” and really effective instruction for the survival of “rock veterans” in the conditions of modern show business…

In the context of the album, you can hear both Gillan’s raised vocals in the mix (encouraging and clingy, the songs evoke a pleasant nostalgia…), and Blues-rock motifs in the parts of Steve Morse and Don Airey.

It is unfair not to note the dramatic structure of the tracks: powerful works gradually flow into heartfelt lyrics… Well, relax and just enjoy the gentle music after a frenzied dose of rock will not hurt anyone!

The album ends with the experimental “Dancing In My Sleep”, in which you can hear a number of interesting keyboard harmonies… Don’t be surprised! “Whoosh!” -this is no longer a modern, but close in its sound to the 1970s work. This is the beauty of the album, which is quite suitable as an example for the older generation of musicians!

Songs from the album ” Whoosh!”(2020)

The album contains a total of 13 tracks. Almost all of them last no more than 4 minutes (not counting several songs that last more than five minutes).

From the first notes of the opening track “Throw My Bones”, you can feel the greatness and power of Purple… Ian Gillan is one of rock’s most recognizable lead vocalists, and here he sounds just great… And under Steve Morse the song sounds incredibly unique…

“Drop The Weapon” sounds harsh, because it addresses the current problem of gun violence. The song is a kind of call to get away from street crime, put down weapons and knives and help the world get through a new day! This is one of the best tracks of the album, which gives us another excellent guitar performance by Steve Morse.

“Nothing At All” presents the listener with intricate, classically curved guitar and keyboard passages that are very melodic. It is worth highlighting the rhythm section of Roger Glover and Ian Paice!

“What The What” can be attributed to party songs! It’s not as serious as the same “Drop The Weapon”, and it’s a lot more Boogie-woogie than rock and roll…

“The Long Way Round” is a stadium-sized volcano of passion that is just a pleasure to listen to, and “Man Alive” plunges into a strange, but so close to the soul space of the progressive style of the 70s…

All the songs from the album ” Whoosh!” are beautiful in their own way! In any case, everyone will find something that is closer to them… In General, the record can be described briefly and clearly — simply, wow! But again, this is purely the author’s opinion…

Of course, every listener wants the next album of their favorite band to correspond specifically to their sound taste and ideas about what it is — a legendary rock band at this moment in time…

As for Deep Purple — these “guys” do not intend to prove anything to anyone. They just want to play something that brings them fun! Purple is just going to enjoy their status as a rock legend, and Roger Glover’s recent statement confirms it once again:

“Making loud statements about retirement is not in the style of Purple! We keep working, we keep writing things that reflect our own moments, experiences, philosophy… And who knows — any of our albums may be our last! Whether it’s ” Whoosh!” or some other record… No one can predict this…»

In any case, the album proves that Deep Purple still has something to say! The band has not lost its talent and charm, and “Whoosh!” eloquently testifies to this!