Deep Purple/ Splat !


BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

Deep Purple/ Splat !

Genre: Hard rock

Label: EarMusic

Rating: ****

Thirty seconds into the first song, and for the nth time, you're amazed by the sheer power of Ian Paice's drumming. 'Arrogant Man' begins with him and guitarist Simon McBride, before vocalist Ian Gillan sings, "Well, Billy couldn't read or write, he never read a book in his life, he looked like shit, face didn't fit, he only ever went out at night".

'Arrogant Man' is the perfect opener to rock legends Deep Purple's 24th studio album 'Splat !'. Like the rest of the 13-track record, it's loaded with energy, some dazzling solos, tight rhythms and crisp vocals. Keyboardist Don Airey and bassist Roger Glover complete the line-up, and for the sixth time, the renowned Bob Ezrin joins them as producer.

To be sure, Splat ! may not contain anthems of the 'Smoke On The Water', 'Highway Star' and 'Black Night' calibre. Gillan doesn't do the high notes he once did, but sails smoothly through the middle register, which has anyway been his strong point from the beginning. But what's striking about the album is its consistency and quality of musicianship. And, it's heavy!

Of the tracks, 'Diablo' talks of taking chances in life, and interestingly invites country artiste Keith Urban as guest guitarist. 'The Rider' softens things a bit in sound, with Gillan talking of contemporaries who resorted to excesses. 'The Lunatic' is similar in theme to 'Arrogant Man', beginning with the lines, "There was a time I liked him, now I don't know what to say; when I see him coming, I just look the other way".

Most songs are in the hard rock mould, but maintain the Deep Purple sound, with brilliant work by guitarist McBride and keyboardist Airey. Check out their opening and solos on 'Guilt Tripping', 'Third Call' and 'The Only Horse In Town', which talks of a man's association with a horse.

For variety, 'The Beating Of Wings' explores blues territory, with a neat guitar stretch. The album concludes with the title track, where Paice again is in full flow, and Glover has an outstanding bass run, with Gillian singing, "I lit up the wrong end, set the rocket in reverse, it blasted a hole through the centre of the universe".

Gillan and Glover are 80. Paice and Airey are 78. Along with the younger, 47-year-old McBride, they create such outstanding music at their age. They're the true rock highway stars.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Gig review/ Enrique iglesias

Image
BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Enrique Iglesias/ Live in Mumbai Genre : Pop/ Latino-pop Details : MMRDA grounds, Bandra Kurla Complex, October 29 and 309 Presented by : Eva Live Rating : ** 1/2 As he proved at his shows at the MMRDA grounds in Bandra Kurla Complex on October 29 and 30, Enrique Iglesias has some special talents. His voice can have the same volume whether his microphone is close to his lips or three feet away, or whether it's perched safely on its stand as he's dancing some 10 feet away. He can also trick the cameraman to show he's singing high notes on the giant screen when his mouth is shut.  Most of the audience, of course, didn't notice this brilliant improvisation of the art of ventriloqu-lipism. They had come to party, and a party is what they got. They had come to dance, and dance is what they did. The ladies in their early 40s wanted to remember their first real-life crush, and they did that secretly. They had come to sing along with their 'Hero', a...
Read more

Naren's indie round-up/ Jan 2023, Ep 4

Image
BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Kamakshi Khanna/ Breathe Label: Self-released  Rating: ***** Everything seems just right about Delhi-bred Kamakshi Khanna's new single 'Breathe'. She sings from the heart, vents out, expresses anxiety and self-doubt, creates an impact. Kamakshi has written the lyrics herself, using lines like, "Every day's a fight, but now I search for the light that was there inside". The main line goes, "I just have to breathe", and there's beauty in the way she sings 'breathe' each time. Add to that a crisp production, with gentle ukulele, subtle rhythms and Ajay Jayanthi's angst-filled strings. Anjali Kamat's illustrated video adds to the vibe. The best thing is that it's a song many will emotionally relate to in the quest for peace. Shehzad Ali & Siddharth Kasyap/ Ishqbaazi Label: SK Music Works Rating: **** Composer Siddharth Kasyap has maintained a good balance between fusion projects and pop tunes. His new song ...
Read more

Naren's indie round-up/ June 2024, Ep 4

Image
BY NARENDRA KUSNUR The Anirudh Varma Collective feat. Divyam Sodhi & Kavya Singh/ Mausam Label: Self-released  Rating: ***** Delhi-based The Anirudh Varma Collective has been doing some exceptional work, blending classical melodies with contemporary sounds in a rather subtle manner. The new song 'Mausam', from their forthcoming album, is another such gem. It's a song about longing, sung fabulously by Divyam Sodhi and Kavya Singh, who also complement each other very well. The lyrics by Likhari uses lines like, "Mausam badalta jaaye, balma na aaye". A highlight is Anirudh's arrangement, which makes good use of sarod, guitar and ghatam. All musicians get their space and the fusion is seamless. Captured live in the studio in Saubhagya Saxena's video, with a guest appearance by model Vrinda Chadha.  Utsavi Jha/ Kaise Kaise Label: first.wav Rating: *** 1/2 Singer Utsavi Jha has been releasing songs for the past four years. After 'Piya' in April, she ...
Read more