My idea here is that the government doesn't create VIA but continues to subsidize the losses of both CN and CP without letting them cut routes. Could that arrangment have continued longer than 1978? What are your guy's thoughts.
Shades of Deep Purple is the debut album by Deep Purple, released in 1968. The lineup is:
Rod Evans – vocals
Jon Lord – keyboards
Ritchie Blackmore – guitar
Ian Paice – drums
Nicky Simper – bass
And the Address:
For a first track, this is a solid opener. The organ intro is a cool and interesting way to kick things off. It’s an instrumental built around traded solos. Ritchie goes first, and while it’s definitely not bad, especially considering he’d go on to become one of the greatest guitarists ever, it’s not anything truly exceptional either. One thing worth noting is the bass: it’s very muddy in the mix, but still has a nice, thumping presence. Overall, a pretty good start to their catalog.
70/100
Hush:
One of the album’s biggest issues is the sound effects used at the start of tracks. it’s a strange choice and ends up hurting the overall experience. That aside, this is a great song. The groove, driven by the percussive organ and bass, is excellent, and the guitar fills cut through nicely even if they’re a bit piercing.
If there’s a weak link across the album, it’s Rod Evans. His voice isn’t bad, he actually has a bit of an Elvis-style croon, but it doesn’t really fit what the band seems to be aiming for. The “na na na” sections don’t do much for me, but the rest works. Being a cover of Joe South’s song, it’s interesting how different this version is. The lyrics are basically the only real similarity. The organ solo is solid, and it wraps up cleanly. It’s easy to see why this became their first hit.
80/100
One More Rainy Day:
This track leans much more into psychedelic pop compared to the first two songs. Once again, I’m not a fan of Rod’s vocals here. The lyrics aren’t bad, but they feel like the band is trying too hard to write something radio-friendly. The lack of solos really hurts the track. It never evolves or adds much variation. Easily the weakest song so far.
60/100
Prelude: Happiness:
This instrumental is heavily inspired by classical music and is driven mostly by organ. The guitar barely comes through and is hard-panned to the left, making it difficult to hear. Despite that, it’s still a really interesting piece and shows the band through a more progressive rock lens.
70/100
I’m So Glad:
This blues cover isn’t nearly as inventive as “Hush.” The lyrics are repeated over and over, and there’s not much here that other versions don’t do better. The one standout element is the guitar solo, it’s drenched in reverb and, again, hard-panned to the left, but it’s still very good and hints at where Ritchie’s playing would eventually go. It honestly feels like it was recorded in a single take. Aside from that, the song doesn’t change much before ending, though the inclusion of motifs from the prelude adds a bit of interest. Still, not a great track overall.
55/100
Mandrake Root:
This one leans more into a progressive style. The riff is very similar to “Foxy Lady,” and the organ dominates the mix to the point where it kind of overshadows the guitar. The vocals and lyrics are fine. This song improved significantly once Ian Gillan joined the band later on.
It transitions into an extended instrumental section that the band would keep using for years, even into the late ’90s. The organ solo feels very first-take and could have been stronger. Ian Paice’s drumming stands out here, the patterns are really cool, even if the bass drum is hard to hear. After a classical-sounding section, it shifts into the guitar solo, which is once again hard-panned left. Ritchie uses some interesting, almost Arabian-sounding scales before the track ends with a big drum fill. Some of his playing is noticeably sloppy, likely due to minimal takes. With better mixing and more time in the studio, this could have been much stronger. Still, a good track overall.
75/100
Help!:
Their take on the Beatles classic is surprisingly effective. Slowing it down into a more somber version is a really cool idea, and in some ways I actually prefer this interpretation. The solo section is original and interesting, but the guitar solo itself is rough, once again hard-panned left and sounding pretty unfocused, like he’s just bending whatever notes he lands on.
80/100
Love Help Me:
Ritchie’s guitar tone here is so sharp that it’s genuinely unpleasant at times. Beyond that, the song doesn’t have much going for it. Like “One More Rainy Day,” it feels like another attempt at psychedelic pop that doesn’t quite land. The drumming is a highlight, but that’s about it.
40/100
Hey Joe:
This cover starts with a marching band-style intro that feels unnecessary, like filler to stretch the album. Once it gets into the actual song, it’s fine but doesn’t do much new with the material. The guitar solo is once again hard-panned left, though it’s still decent. Overall, it feels like filler more than anything else.
60/100
Overall Score: 65.5/100
Overall, the album really suffers from a lack of polish, specifically not enough takes and poor production choices. It’s clear that everyone in the band is talented, but there are multiple moments where you can hear mistakes that likely could have been fixed with a bit more time. Some sections also feel stretched out, as if they didn’t have enough material.
The mixing is probably the biggest issue. The extreme panning of the guitar makes it hard to fully appreciate what Ritchie is doing, especially when it’s also buried in reverb. Jon Lord’s organ dominates the album, and a more balanced mix would have helped a lot.
For a debut, it’s not terrible, but it’s also not something that would be remembered if not for what later lineups of the band accomplished. I’ve seen people call this a precursor to heavy metal, but I don’t really hear that. If anything, it feels more like a stepping stone toward bands like Emerson, Lake & Palmer, especially with its classical influences.
I would like to start this by saying that this review is completely my opinion. I hope that people will read it fully and engage in civil discussion about it.
To begin, I will say this: I am a huge Deep Purple fan. I have listened to all their albums, and my personal favorites are the Mk III/IV lineup. That said, I don’t dislike the more recent material, in fact, I count a lot of the Morse era albums among my favorites. I also really enjoyed =1. It was the first new Deep Purple album I experienced as it came out, and it stayed on my turntable for months. I even saw them live that year, and I thought they sounded as good as ever. It felt like they were still capable of putting out genuinely strong material this late in their career.
That’s why Splat! is so disappointing.
Before this, I would have said their weakest albums were Infinite or Whoosh!. The Ezrin era overall has been weaker. Both of those have good songs and good moments, but are brought down by certain choices, like the spoken word sections or some uneven songwriting. Still, even those albums have songs that I come back to. That’s what I find different here, those albums had standouts, this one doesn't.
The biggest issue with this album is that almost every song has something I like, but also something that pulls me out of it. That pattern repeats across the entire record. Because of that, there isn’t a single track here that I would consider fully successful from start to finish.
Now onto Splat itself.
The album title is probably the worst they’ve had. Whoosh and Bananas are questionable, but Splat! takes it for me.
Arrogant Boy:
Starts off pretty good, but then goes into the part where Gillan starts moaning “Oh Billy,” and that’s where the song loses me. The proggy section in the middle is actually pretty solid, but overall it ends up being a weak opener. Compared to something like Show Me, it falls short.
Diablo:
Nothing major to complain about. I like the riffs and the solo trading, but it does feel a bit generic. It’s fine, just not memorable.
The Rider:
Was not expecting that opening. This is one of the better songs on the album. The solo really reminds me of something Ritchie Blackmore would have played, and the synth sound is interesting.
The Lunatic:
Another good one. The organ solo stands out, and I really like the unison riff section where they speed it up before ending with a nice fill from Roger.
The Only Horse in Town:
I haven’t really been able to connect with this one. The solo leans more into McBride’s own style, which I do like, but the song as a whole doesn’t stick with me.
Sacred Land:
I like the synth work here, and it’s a heavy track, but the lyrics don’t land for me. There’s something about them that comes off almost unintentionally comedic.
The Beating of Wings:
I like the groove on this one, especially with the electric piano. It’s not really a full blues track, but it has those elements, which is a nice change of pace.
Guilt Trippin’:
Probably the most interesting song on the album. The piano intro and verses are great, and hearing Gillan push into those higher, more aggressive vocals is impressive. But then it gets to the section before the solos where he goes into that “la la la” part, and it completely takes me out of it. The solo section is good, but I think a Hammond would have worked better here. This is probably the best song overall, but even this one has something that holds it back.
Scribblin Gibberish:
The opening groove is strong, but the lyrics kill it for me. Lines like “Gobbilty Goop” just make it hard to take seriously. The chorus also doesn’t really fit the rest of the song.
Jessica’s Bra:
I’m not really into the proggy style they’re going for here, and the slight Irish jig feel doesn’t work for me. The tapping solo is cool though.
Third Call:
I expected this to be faster based on the intro, but I like the groove it settles into. One of the better tracks, and the drumming stands out.
My New Movie:
Very forgettable. Nothing really grabs me, and I don’t like the lyrics.
Splat!:
The drum and bass intro is great and feels like something that was missing from a lot of the album. It actually put a smile on my face when I first heard it. The clavinet solo is one of the highlights of the record. It’s a good closer, but still not as strong as closers from earlier albums in this era.
The main reason I don’t like this album is that it never fully delivers. There are good ideas everywhere, and the band is playing well, but almost every track has something that I don't care for. The lyrics are a big part of that. A lot of them feel strange or awkward in a way that pulls me out of the music. Even when the instrumentation is strong, the lyrics can change how the song comes across.
I also think Gillan is the weak point here. On albums like Now What?!, his vocals still sounded incredibly strong, and you could barely tell his age. On more recent albums, I’ve started to notice that changing, and on Splat! it’s much more obvious. There are moments where his delivery really takes me out of the song.
To be clear, this isn’t a production or flow issue. The production is solid, and the album flows fine. It’s even supposed to be a concept album, but I don’t really feel that coming through. The problem is the songwriting and how the songs are put together.
When I compare this to albums like Infinite or Whoosh!, those albums have many of the same problems but they also have songs that I will still go back to.
That’s the difference. Splat! has a lot of moments I like, but no songs that I feel like revisiting. That’s why, for me, it stands as the weakest Deep Purple studio album. Not because it has no good parts, but because it never fully works.
This is all just my opinion, and I’d be interested to hear what others think.
This may already be common knowledge that i'm simply not aware of, but this is how I imagine the story goes
You are the sunshine of my life: Starts with two people happily in a relationship where they both feel equally about eachother.
Maybe Your Baby (10/10 banger btw): The guy in the relationship starts to suspect that his girlfriend is cheating on him, and is descending into paranoia. Lyrics suggest that the girl is cheating.
You and I: The guy reflecting on the good time of the relationship, but the somber attitude gives off the impression that the relationship is now over or on the outs. There is also the lines say that you may not be here forever which suggests this to me but idk.
Tuesday heartbreak: Lyrics suggest that the relationship is now over and that the girl has found another man. The upbeat attitude suggest the guy has gone through his sadness and reflecting and has now moved on, but he also still wants to be with her, and is maybe willing to get back together if she changes her ways? I'm not too sure about this.
You got it Bad Girl: This song seems to be directed at the girl who is now going through the bad parts of the breakup where she is realizing how bad it was to leave the guy and having her own reflection. The lyrics of this one more seem to suggest that the girl is refusing his love and is suffering because of it. Why is not really explained.
To be honest looking at the lyrics of all these songs I am somewhat doubting they're supposed to be connected, however ever since I first heard the album I thought that there was some kind of story going on and this is my best effort at explaining it. All these songs are amazing.
Does anybody know who plays the acoustic guitar? I know it is listed as fripp, but greg lake also played acoustic as he did in ELP. Parts of an ELP song "the sage" have the same note progression as the song which makes me curious if he maybe played the acoustic on here