Whoosh! is the twenty-first studio album by English rock band Deep Purple, released on 7 August 2020. Although he appeared on their next album Turning to Crime, this is the last studio album of original material to feature longtime guitarist Steve Morse, who left the band in July 2022.
Background The group collaborated with producer Bob Ezrin, who had also worked on their previous two albums. They enjoyed the recording and production. Its release was promoted by a series of press statements from singer Ian Gillan, such as "Another album?! Whoosh?!! Gordon Bennett!!!". He explained the album's title was chosen for its onomatopoeic qualities, and "when viewed through one end of a radio-telescope, describes the transient nature of humanity on Earth". He also said fans should simply listen to the album as an enjoyable experience.
The album was originally set to be released on 12 June 2020, but was later postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gillan said that was because distribution lines for physical media should wait until lockdowns eased and restrictions lifted.
Three songs from the album were released as digital singles, beginning with "Throw My Bones". The third, "Nothing at All", deals with the themes of Mother Nature, man's response to climate change and - in its accompanying music video - plastic pollution.
The instrumental "And the Address" first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1968 debut album Shades of Deep Purple. The only musician to feature on both recordings was drummer Ian Paice.
Release The album is divided into "Act 1" (tracks 1 to 6) and "Act 2" (tracks 7 to 12), with "Dancing In My Sleep" being a bonus track present on all editions. However, the double LP does not abide by this division, as "What the What" is the last track on side 2.
There is also a CD+DVD "limited edition" (in mediabook packaging) that includes a full performance of Live At Hellfest 2017 (92 min), and "Roger Glover and Bob Ezrin in conversation (60 min)." This is also included in the Whoosh Box Set.
Reception
The album received generally favourable reviews. Several publications noticed the album contained relatively short tracks and praised the economical songwriting style. A review in NME said the album sounded nothing like contemporary music of 2020, but suggested that "maybe that's a good thing".
With a peak position of number 4, it was the band's highest-charting studio album in the United Kingdom for 46 years.
Track listing
Personnel All information from the album booklet.
Deep Purple Ian Gillan – lead and backing vocals Steve Morse – guitar Roger Glover – bass guitar Ian Paice – drums Don Airey – Hammond organ, Moog voyager, ARP Odyssey, Kurzweil PC8K, Roland Fantom, Korg TR4
Additional musicians Saam Hashemi – programming on "Dancing in My Sleep" Ayana George, Tiffany Palmer – backing vocals on "No Need to Shout" Bob Ezrin – percussion, backing vocals
Production Bob Ezrin – producer, mixing Julian Shank – engineer, mixing Alex Krotz, Jamie Sickora – engineers Zach Pepe – engineer assistant Justin Cortelyou – mixing, tracking Jason Elliott, Justin Francis – mixing Bryce Robertson – tracking assistant Eric Boulanger – mastering John Metcalfe – orchestral arrangements on "Man Alive" Alan Umstead – conductor on "Man Alive" Nick Spezia – orchestra recording on "Man Alive" Ben Wolf – band photography Elena Saharova – landscape photography Jekyll & Hyde – cover art, design
Charts
Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for Whoosh! Chart (2020) Peakposition French Albums (SNEP) 8 Slovak Albums (ČNS IFPI) 28 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) 16
Year-end charts + Year-end chart performance for Whoosh! Chart (2020) Position Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) 56 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) 161 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) 26 Polish Albums (ZPAV) 68 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) 26
References