Deep Purple =1 Deluxe Box Set Review – Simon McBride Arrives and the Purple Fire Still Burns

Deep Purple have been the soundtrack to my life since Christmas 1972, when, as a 13-year-old, I first heard “Never Before” on Radio One and realised that this band everyone at school seemed to know about was going to matter to me. More than fifty years later, here I am opening a brand-new Deep Purple album box set and still feeling that same sense of anticipation.

=1 is a hugely important album in the Deep Purple story. Released in 2024, it is the first studio album to feature guitarist Simon McBride, following the departure of Steve Morse. For many bands, a change of guitarist at this stage in their career could feel like a major disruption. With Deep Purple, though, there has always been that “roundabout” idea at the heart of the band: musicians may come and go, but the spirit remains.

That is exactly what happens here. =1 does not sound like a band trying to rewrite its past. It sounds like Deep Purple in the present day: Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Don Airey and Simon McBride playing with energy, humour, chemistry and confidence. Produced once again by Bob Ezrin, this is a modern Deep Purple album that still carries the essence of what made the band so exciting in the first place: guitar, Hammond organ, bass, drums and that unmistakable voice.

What Is Inside The Deep Purple =1 Deluxe Box Set?

The limited edition =1 box set is a very impressive physical package. Inside the box you get the CD and DVD edition, the vinyl album, three 10-inch singles, an art print, a lanyard, two guitar picks and an XL T-shirt. There was also the golden ticket promotion, with one box containing the chance to attend every Deep Purple show on the =1 More Time tour.

The CD/DVD edition is presented in a three-panel package. The CD contains the album, while the DVD features the Access All Areas documentary, which runs for around an hour. There is also a booklet with the lyrics for each track. Interestingly, there are no band photographs in the booklet, which surprised me slightly, especially as this is Simon McBride’s first album with Deep Purple. A proper portrait of the new line-up would have been a nice touch.

The vinyl version is a double album cut at 45 RPM, so do not accidentally put it on at 33 RPM unless you want Deep Purple to sound as if they have changed direction more dramatically than anyone expected. The sound quality on the vinyl is excellent, although because of the 45 RPM format, you will be getting up and down to turn the sides over quite a bit.

The three 10-inch singles are on black vinyl and feature live and catalogue tracks including “Pictures Of Home”, “No Need To Shout”, “Nothing At All”, “Lazy”, “Strange Kind Of Woman”, “Hush”, “7 And 7 Is”, “Throw My Bones”, “Time For Bedlam”, “Anya”, “Perfect Strangers”, “Smoke On The Water” and “Black Night”.

As a physical media package, it is exactly the kind of thing that makes collecting music special. You can buy the CD, you can buy the vinyl, and both are perfectly valid options, but the box set gives the album a sense of occasion.

Deep Purple =1 Review – First Impressions

After playing =1 multiple times on vinyl, CD and via Apple lossless streaming, my first reaction was very simple: as soon as it finished, I wanted to play it again.

That does not happen to me very often. I am always moving on to the next thing, especially with the volume of music I review, but this album pulled me straight back in. My expectations for Deep Purple are always high, and I will admit that I can find it difficult to be completely objective with this band. There are no bad Deep Purple albums in my world, although some are clearly stronger than others.

I was very enthusiastic about Turning To Crime when it came out, partly because of where we all were emotionally at that point, coming out of the pandemic and just grateful that Deep Purple were still creating music. But it is not an album I return to very often. =1 is different. This feels like a proper Deep Purple studio album with its own identity, and it is the most exciting Purple record I have heard since NOW What?! and Perpendicular.

The key thing is that =1 sounds effortless. It sounds like a happy band. It sounds like musicians who are still enjoying each other’s company and still enjoying the process of making rock music.

Simon McBride’s First Deep Purple Album

Simon McBride was always going to be under the microscope on this album. Replacing Steve Morse is no small task, and of course some fans will always compare every Deep Purple guitarist to Ritchie Blackmore. But Simon does something very clever here. He does not try to imitate anyone, but he understands the language of Deep Purple.

There is a blues-based edge to his playing, and at times you can hear flashes that may remind you of Gary Moore or Joe Bonamassa. But there is also a connection to the Steve Morse era, particularly in the way Simon handles some of the more modern Purple riffs and melodic guitar parts. He brings fire, but he also brings restraint. He can play fast, but he knows when not to. That is the sign of a very musical guitarist.

The guitar and keyboard interplay between Simon McBride and Don Airey is one of the album’s greatest strengths. There are several moments where they trade lines in that classic Purple question-and-answer style: organ, guitar, organ, guitar, each pushing the other forward. That tradition goes right back to the Blackmore/Lord dynamic, but here it sounds fresh rather than nostalgic.

Ian Paice Sounds Rejuvenated

One of the biggest surprises on =1 is just how alive Ian Paice sounds. Of course, Paice has always been one of rock’s great drummers, but on this album he is not simply holding things together. He is pushing the songs along, adding fills, colour and movement.

There are moments where his playing reminded me of the energy he brought to albums like Burn and Come Taste The Band. He makes it look easy, as he always has, but when you really listen to what he is doing here, there is so much creativity in the drumming. He sounds engaged, inventive and completely inside the music.

Track By Track

“Show Me” opens the album with a great guitar intro and a descending riff that gets better with every listen. It has a modern feel, but the Deep Purple DNA is absolutely intact. Don Airey adds a distinctive synth lead sound, and the interplay between guitar and keyboard immediately tells you that this new line-up works.

“A Bit On The Side” is a mid-paced rocker with a marching feel. Lyrically, Ian Gillan is in excellent form, and you can hear every word without needing the lyric booklet in front of you. There is a slight heaviness to the riff that, to my ears, even has a touch of Black Sabbath’s “Zero The Hero” about it in places.

“Sharp Shooter” is one of the early highlights. This is classic Purple: great verse, strong chorus, lovely backing vocals and a superb guitar part behind the keyboard solo. Three tracks in, I already felt very good about where this album was going.

“Portable Door” was one of the tracks many fans already knew before the album arrived, and it sits perfectly in the sequence. It has a little of that “Pictures Of Home” energy to it, with a Hammond-driven groove and a very compact arrangement. At under four minutes, it is in and out, but you can easily imagine it stretching out live.

“Old-Fangled Thing” has a definite Ian Gillan solo-band feel to it, especially for those who know tracks like “Sleeping On The Job” from Glory Road. It has that slightly quirky, humorous Gillan edge, but it also contains a funky middle section and a restrained, soulful Simon McBride solo.

“If I Were You” is a slower rock ballad with a lush Hammond backdrop and a beautifully lyrical guitar solo. McBride really shines here, playing with emotion and space. The ending moves somewhere unexpected, almost orchestral in feel, and shows that these songs are not always structured in the obvious verse-chorus-solo pattern.

“Pictures Of You” connects strongly with the Steve Morse era of Deep Purple, especially in the dampened guitar riffing and melodic flow. Gillan sounds completely comfortable, and the lyric is intelligent and easy to follow. There are also some lovely guitar textures that give the track extra colour.

“I’m Saying Nothin’” moves straight on from “Pictures Of You” and brings a laid-back rock shuffle with more of that keyboard-and-guitar conversation. There is a little “Into The Fire” atmosphere here, not in a copyist way, but in the feel of the riff and the weight of the playing.

“Lazy Sod” is one of the most immediately recognisable tracks on the album. It has a boogie shuffle and a riff that feels as if you have known it for years, even though you cannot quite place where from. There is a touch of “Demon’s Eye” about it, and live it could be tremendous. This is the kind of number where Gillan could leave the stage for a cup of tea while the band stretch it out into a full improvisational workout.

“Now You’re Talkin’” is, for me, one of the very best tracks on the album. In fact, part of me thinks it could have opened the record. This is fast, exciting, classic Deep Purple rock and roll, with an instrumental section that links back to the “Highway Star” and “Burn” tradition of high-energy guitar and keyboard interplay. There is also an Eastern scale feel in places, and Ian Paice channels the kind of rhythm that made me think of “Slow Train” from the Fireball sessions. This track has everything.

“No Money To Burn” is shorter and heavier, with a walking riff and a darker atmosphere. It acts almost as a bridge between the impact of “Now You’re Talkin’” and the emotional turn that follows.

“I’ll Catch You” is a beautiful ballad and one of Ian Gillan’s best vocals in years. Built around piano rather than organ, it has a heartfelt quality that brings “When A Blind Man Cries” to mind without trying to recreate it. Simon McBride’s solo is full of feeling and, at times, has a Gary Moore-like emotional pull.

“Bleeding Obvious” closes the album in progressive rock territory. It is the longest track and one of the most ambitious pieces here, with twists, turns, hard riffs, melodic sections and superb work from Don Airey. It has some of the progressive flavour of NOW What?!, but with an added heaviness. There are interconnecting riffs throughout, and that is one of the reasons the album reminded me, in spirit, of the classic Deep Purple writing approach from In Rock, Machine Head and Who Do We Think We Are. The songs do not just move from one section to another; they link, twist and shift.

The Access All Areas DVD

The bonus DVD, Access All Areas, is well worth having. It runs for around an hour and gives a very warm insight into the band on tour, backstage and in preparation.

One of the most important parts is the tribute to Steve Morse at the beginning. It is handled with real affection and respect, acknowledging what Steve brought to Deep Purple and how important he was to the band’s journey. That is essential, because it builds a bridge from the previous era into the Simon McBride era.

The documentary shows Simon fitting into the band, the crew setting up the shows, the backstage routines, the soundchecks and the sheer scale of what it takes to put on a Deep Purple concert. There are also snippets of live performances and a lovely section connected to “Let The Good Times Roll” from Turning To Crime, with a brass section being brought into the live show.

It is light-hearted, affectionate and genuinely enjoyable. It also reinforces what you hear on the album: this is a band that appears to be in a good place.

Vinyl, CD Or Streaming – Which Sounds Best?

I streamed the album in Apple lossless before the box arrived, and it sounded good. The vinyl sounds better, especially with the 45 RPM cut giving it plenty of space and detail. However, the CD is probably the version I will play most often, simply because I can hear the whole album in one go without having to keep turning the records over.

The production from Bob Ezrin is excellent. Compared with some earlier modern Purple albums, where the sound could feel a little compressed or cloudy, =1 has a very clear soundstage. Don Airey sits on one side, Simon McBride on the other, and the rhythm section has plenty of weight without overwhelming Gillan’s voice.

It sounds like Deep Purple live in your living room, with just enough production colour to give the album depth.

Final Verdict – Where Does =1 Sit In The Deep Purple Catalogue?

It is always dangerous to place a new Deep Purple album too quickly in the overall catalogue, especially when emotions are high and the box has only just arrived. But I can say this: =1 is the most exciting Deep Purple album I have heard in many years.

It captures the classic Deep Purple attitude without sounding like a museum piece. It respects the past without being trapped by it. Simon McBride fits beautifully, Don Airey is superb throughout, Roger Glover and Ian Paice sound locked in, and Ian Gillan delivers lyrics and vocals full of character, intelligence and warmth.

For those who still say “no Blackmore, no Purple”, I honestly think you are cutting yourself off from a whole world of brilliant music. Deep Purple have always evolved. That was part of the concept from the beginning. Different musicians have come in and out, but the core sound — Hammond organ, guitar, bass, drums and voice — remains.

=1 proves that Deep Purple are not just surviving. They are still creating, still taking chances, still sounding like themselves and still capable of making you press play again as soon as the album ends.

For me, this is a triumph. A superb Deep Purple album, a strong physical box set, and a very exciting beginning for Simon McBride as part of this legendary band.

Music is the healer and the doctor. Keep spinning those discs.

Read and watch the review for Simon McBride’s second album with Deep Purple Splat

Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine