Now What?!

Now What?! is a record on which Deep Purple sounds its long-held character in an extremely mature form through the interplay of organ and guitar, thick bass and supple drum groove. Welcoming the famous producer Bob Ezrin, it was highly praised critically. Rather than relying on flashy speed, each instrument carefully moves the songs as if in conversation. From the expanse of the opener “A Simple Song” and the catchy drive of “Hell to Pay” to the grand “Uncommon Man” and “Vincent Price,” a unique tribute to the actor, every song is fulfilling. A bluesy warmth, the powerful push of hard rock and a melodic afterglow coexist naturally throughout. Don Airey’s organ is especially lively. Its great appeal is fully savoring at once the deftness of playing and the polish of the songs particular to a band with a long career. It never lets maturity become stagnation or tedium, sounding it as the fun of ongoing rock. Showing off a veteran’s underlying strength, it is a powerful, refined late-period masterpiece of a hard-rock record.