Deep Purple's New Album "Now What!"

[rapidfirerob]

Samples sound good on Amazon. Steve Morse is the man! From Dregs to Steve Morse Band to Kansas to Deep Purple, he can do no wrong. His last album, Out Standing In Their Field is exactly that.

[gregory]

Well, "Now What?!" is in its second week at #1 in the German charts as well as several other territories so somebody must like the album. It also made it to #115 here in the States, the first Purple studio album to hit the top 200 in 20 years! I think it's also the first Purple album to hit the top 20 in the UK for a very long time as well.

That's probably because they never took a longer break for making an album before, and of course, they are big.

[Rand Kelly]

Samples sound good on Amazon. Steve Morse is the man! From Dregs to Steve Morse Band to Kansas to Deep Purple, he can do no wrong. His last album, Out Standing In Their Field is exactly that.

Why settle for samples when you can hear the whole thing here: www.spotify.com for free?

[gregory]

So is it good or what?

[sotdude]

So is it good or what?

I like it quite a bit!

[gregory]

I checked. Can't agree. The sound is overproduced, most of the music reminds of 80's faceless pop-rock. The rhythm section is set up straight, too loud, as was accustomed in the 80s, the lead instruments, guitar especially, is barely heard. Songs are similar, it seems they're merged into one another quite seamlessly. Mr. Paice's 4/4 rhythm in every song is boring beyond belief.
So it's easy to interpret this Now, What - now you're old, guys, and making us listeners feel a bit older too)

[arabicadabra]

> Mr. Paice's 4/4 rhythm in every song is boring beyond belief. <

Can you play that one half time shuffle beat exactly like he does? Where the hihat doubles up some places and other places not? Just curious....

[JIF]

I checked. Can't agree. The sound is overproduced, most of the music reminds of 80's faceless pop-rock. The rhythm section is set up straight, too loud, as was accustomed in the 80s, the lead instruments, guitar especially, is barely heard. Songs are similar, it seems they're merged into one another quite seamlessly. Mr. Paice's 4/4 rhythm in every song is boring beyond belief.
So it's easy to interpret this Now, What - now you're old, guys, and making us listeners feel a bit older too)

Wow. That's all I'm going to say. Now What!? is not loud at all. Does not sound like pop rock; sounds like DP of the 21st century. The guitar isn't heard much because Bob Erzin told Steve not to play too technical(that's according to a recent interview with Mr. Morse). The lack of guitar is not a sound issue. Also, Ian Paice is anything but boring.

[sotdude]

I checked. Can't agree. The sound is overproduced, most of the music reminds of 80's faceless pop-rock. The rhythm section is set up straight, too loud, as was accustomed in the 80s, the lead instruments, guitar especially, is barely heard. Songs are similar, it seems they're merged into one another quite seamlessly. Mr. Paice's 4/4 rhythm in every song is boring beyond belief.
So it's easy to interpret this Now, What - now you're old, guys, and making us listeners feel a bit older too)

80s faceless pop-rock? Not really sure what you are hearing-other than the single and the bonus track, I woulnd't call any of this pop at all. Some pretty heavy rock on this album, and tons of quite proggy at times keyboards from Don Airey. To each his own I guess....

[gregory]

> Mr. Paice's 4/4 rhythm in every song is boring beyond belief. <

Can you play that one half time shuffle beat exactly like he does? Where the hihat doubles up some places and other places not? Just curious....

No, I can't. Like he does, no. I know he's a masterful drummer, no doubt about it.

[gregory]

80s faceless pop-rock? Not really sure what you are hearing-other than the single and the bonus track, I woulnd't call any of this pop at all. Some pretty heavy rock on this album, and tons of quite proggy at times keyboards from Don Airey. To each his own I guess....

In comparison with their classic albums, there's as much heavy rock here, as snow in July. Convenient arrangements, versus-chorus thing forefronted, no, I don't get it as heavy rock. Too much prettiness, IMO. Hell To Pay in particular, what a lame attempt to bring a 'hit'.

[JIF]

In comparison with their classic albums, there's as much heavy rock here, as snow in July. Convenient arrangements, versus-chorus thing forefronted, no, I don't get it as heavy rock. Too much prettiness, IMO. Hell To Pay in particular, what a lame attempt to bring a 'hit'.

Four words: Smoke On The Water. Three more words:Woman From Tokyo. Nothing wrong with versus and choruses. Plus, it's still Purple heaviness.

[Tim35]

Did you mean 4 words?

[JIF]

Did you mean 4 words?

Yes. I fixed it. Thanks, Tim.

[ronmac]

FWIW, here's a recent set list:

01 Intro
02 Fireball
03 Into The Fire
04 Hard Lovin' Man
05 Maybe I'm A Leo
06 Strange Kind Of Woman
07 Contact Lost
08 All The Time In The World
09 The Well Dressed Guitar
10 Lazy
11 No One Came
12 Don Airey Solo
13 Perfect Strangers
14 Space Truckin'
15 Smoke On The Water

Encores:
16 Hush
17 Roger Glover Solo
18 Black Night

[sotdude]

Strange that the only tune from the new CD on that set list is the bland single All The Time in the World (guess the record label is driving that one) and NO Highway Star (Gillan does struggle to sing that these days). Love seeing Fireball, Into the Fire (!!!!), Hard Lovin Man, Maybe I'm a Leo, and No One Came included-hope they plan on doing some US shows again this summer.

[gregory]

[QUOTELove seeing Fireball,][/QUOTE]
It's nothing new about Fireball song. They brought it back on stage in the 90s. As far as I remember, the Montreux set of '97 starts with F.
See, there's only one song from the new album in the set. It's a long time typical 'unwritten law' by them). The set is built of course almost totally on the old hits. And permanent Well-dressed guitar!) In 15 years he cannot take a risk to suggest something fresh...

[gregory]

Four words: Smoke On The Water. Three more words:Woman From Tokyo. Nothing wrong with versus and choruses. Plus, it's still Purple heaviness.

I don't feel this What Now album as a heavy rock thing. Sounds like mainstream rock music for me. Back To Back, Hell To Pay - both pityful, they simply can't cook a hit now! And what you are mentioning, these are really BIG songs, - but they had someone back then, who had a talent to write! And yes, long ago they sound like heavy blues-based rock.

[sotdude]

Didn't say it was new about Fireball-I just like the fact that they are still including it in the set as it was criminally neglected in their '80s set.

[JIF]

I don't feel this What Now album as a heavy rock thing. Sounds like mainstream rock music for me. Back To Back, Hell To Pay - both pityful, they simply can't cook a hit now! And what you are mentioning, these are really BIG songs, - but they had someone back then, who had a talent to write! And yes, long ago they sound like heavy blues-based rock.

You accused DP of writing "pop" songs with choruses on the new album. I just showed you that they've always done that.

[gregory]

You accused DP of writing "pop" songs with choruses on the new album. I just showed you that they've always done that.

...which absolutely doesn't explain the different spirit, different sense of rock in their classic albums. The verse-chorus thing now comes to the fore, as in regular pop-music. The 'rock' is now not more than decoration for the music.

[JIF]

...which absolutely doesn't explain the different spirit, different sense of rock in their classic albums. The verse-chorus thing now comes to the fore, as in regular pop-music. The 'rock' is now not more than decoration for the music.

I disagree. They still rock plenty.

[Guitarplyrjvb]

I agree that this is a good record, a step up from Rapture. Above and Beyond is one of the most interesting tracks Purple have ever done. Very proggy!