Now What?!

Now What?! is the 19th studio album by English rock band Deep Purple. It was released on 26 April 2013[1] and produced by Bob Ezrin. A dedicated official web site was also created by the band to post updates about the album. It was the band's first studio album in over seven years, as Deep Purple's previous studio album, Rapture of the Deep, was released in late 2005.

Now What?!
Studio album by Deep Purple
Released	26 April 2013
Recorded	2012
Studio	The Tracking Room, Anarchy Studios and Rainbow Recorders, Nashville, Tennessee, US
Genre	Hard rock
Length	57:06
Label	earMUSIC
Producer	Bob Ezrin
Deep Purple chronology
Rapture of the Deep (2005) Now What?! (2013) Infinite (2017)
Singles from Now What?!
"All the Time in the World" Released: 29 March 2013 "Vincent Price" Released: 7 June 2013 "Above and Beyond" Released: 24 October 2013 "Out of Hand" Released: 18 April 2015

On 26 February 2013, the album's title was announced.[2] Additionally, a new single featuring "Hell to Pay" and "All the Time in the World" was released in both CD and vinyl formats on 29 March 2013.[3] On May 6, 2013, the band confirmed that a new single "Vincent Price" would be released on 7 June as download, CD single and 7" transparent vinyl. The single would also include the previously unreleased song "First Sign of Madness", two tracks from the now unavailable Rapture of the Deep limited edition and the track's video-clip.[4]

The songs "Uncommon Man" and "Above and Beyond", which includes the lyrics "Souls having touched are forever entwined", are dedicated to founding member Jon Lord, who died in July 2012. "Uncommon Man" is partly inspired by the classical composition "Fanfare for the Common Man", and features a synthesizer-generated fanfare theme composed by Don Airey.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[5]
BW&BK	8/10[6]
Daily Express	4/5[7]
Metal Hammer (GER)	6/7[8]
Record Collector	[9]
Sputnikmusic	[10]
The Quietus	(favourable)[11]
Ultimate Guitar Archive	8.3/10[12]

Following its release, Now What?! was met with mostly positive reception from critics. AllMusic's Steve Leggett commented that the album sounded like a product of progressive metal's golden age, saying "Some things really shouldn't change, and Deep Purple recognize that. They haven't changed a bit, and the group's many fans are going to find this release comforting in that regard".[5] Sputnikmusic reviewer wrote that "fans of Purpendicular and the group’s last two albums will find several pleasing moments and the band should feel proud of the outcome too."[10]

The album appeared at No. 104 on Sputnikmusic's list of the "Best Progressive Rock Albums of 2013."[13]

Now What?! sold 4,000 copies in its first week in the US.[14]

Six months after its release, Now What?! was certified gold in Germany (100 000 copies sold).[15]

It was the first Deep Purple studio album to enter the UK top 40 albums charts since The Battle Rages On... in 1993.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Don Airey, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Steve Morse, Ian Paice and Bob Ezrin, except "It'll Be Me" by Jack Clement.

Standard edition

No.	Title	Length
1.	"A Simple Song"	4:39
2.	"Weirdistan"	4:14
3.	"Out of Hand"	6:09
4.	"Hell to Pay"	5:10
5.	"Body Line"	4:26
6.	"Above and Beyond"	5:30
7.	"Blood from a Stone"	5:18
8.	"Uncommon Man"	7:02
9.	"Après Vous"	5:24
10.	"All the Time in the World"	4:21
11.	"Vincent Price"	4:46

Deluxe Edition bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
12.	"It'll Be Me"	3:02

Deluxe Edition bonus DVD/Bonus Audio Content

No.	Title	Length
1.	"In Conversation (20 minutes)"	22:35
2.	"All the Time in the World (alternative radio mix)"	3:48
3.	"Perfect Strangers (live)"	6:42
4.	"Rapture of the Deep (live)"	5:17

Gold Edition bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
12.	"It'll Be Me"	3:02
13.	"First Sign of Madness"	4:26

Gold Edition Deluxe - Disc 1 bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
12.	"It'll Be Me"	3:02
13.	"First Sign of Madness"	4:26
14.	"Hell to Pay" (instrumental)	5:11
15.	"Après Vous" (instrumental)	5:23

Japanese Standard Edition bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
12.	"Highway Star" (live from the Hard Rock Cafe, London, UK, October 2005)	8:09
13.	"Perfect Strangers" (live from the Hard Rock Cafe, London, UK, October 2005)	6:41
14.	"All the Time in the World" (Alternative Radio Mix)	3:48

Japanese Deluxe Edition bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
12.	"It'll Be Me"	3:02
13.	"Smoke on the Water" (live from the Hard Rock Cafe, London, UK, October 2005)	6:50
14.	"Wrong Man" (live from the Hard Rock Cafe, London, UK, October 2005)	4:29
15.	"Hell to Pay" (Radio Edit)	3:42

The Now What?! Live Tapes

This is Disc 2 of the November 2013 "Gold Edition Deluxe" double CD.

No.	Title	Recorded at	Length
1.	"Strange Kind of Woman"	Rock in Roma, Ippodromo delle Capannelle, Rome, Italy, 22 July 2013	6:06
2.	"Hard Lovin' Man"	Skovdalen, Aalborg, Denmark, 8 August 2013	6:24
3.	"Vincent Price"	Skovdalen, Aalborg, Denmark, 8 August 2013	4:29
4.	"Contact Lost"	Skovdalen, Aalborg, Denmark, 8 August 2013	3:38
5.	"All the Time in the World"	Dieci Giorni Suonati, Ippodromo del Galoppo, Milan, Italy, 21 July 2013	4:56
6.	"No One Came"	Getaway Rock Festival, Gasklockorna, Gaevle, Sweden, 10 August 2013	5:21
7.	"Bodyline"	Rock in Roma, Ippodromo delle Capannelle, Rome, Italy, 22 July 2013	4:22
8.	"Perfect Strangers"	Getaway Rock Festival, Gasklockorna, Gaevle, Sweden, 10 August 2013	6:53
9.	"Above and Beyond"	Dieci Giorni Suonati, Ippodromo del Galoppo, Milan, Italy, 21 July 2013	5:29
10.	"Lazy"	Getaway Rock Festival, Gasklockorna, Gaevle, Sweden, 10 August 2013	8:22
11.	"Black Night"	Rock in Roma, Ippodromo delle Capannelle, Rome, Italy, 22 July 2013	9:03
12.	"Smoke on the Water"	Rock in Roma, Ippodromo delle Capannelle, Rome, Italy, 22 July 2013	7:18

Personnel

Deep Purple

• Ian Paice – drums, percussion
• Roger Glover – bass
• Ian Gillan – lead and backing vocals
• Steve Morse – guitar
• Don Airey – keyboards

Additional musicians

• Jason Roller – acoustic guitar ("All the Time in the World")
• Eric Darken – percussion ("Bodyline", "All The Time in the World")
• Mike Johnson – steel guitar ("All The Time in the World", "Vincent Price")
• David Hamilton – additional keyboards ("Uncommon Man", "Weirdistan", "Above And Beyond")
• Students of Nimbus School of Recording Arts – gang vocals ("Hell to Pay")
• Bob Ezrin – additional backing vocals & percussion

Production

• Bob Ezrin - producer, mixing
• Justin Cortelyou - engineer, mixing
• Li Xiao Le - assistant engineer
• Zach Allan, Jarad Clement - additional engineers (The Tracking Room),
• Rob Harris, Mike Airey & Nathan Sage - additional engineers (Rainbow Recorders)
• Greg Calbi - mastering at Sterling Sound, New York City

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2013) Peak position Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[16] 1 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[17] 33 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[18] 14 Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) 1 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[19] 18 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[20] 12 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[21] 8 French Albums (SNEP)[22] 57 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[23] 1 Greek Albums (IFPI) 13 Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[24] 7 Irish Albums (IRMA)[25] 87 Italian Albums (FIMI)[26] 12 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[27] 50 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[28] 1 Polish Albums (OLiS)[29] 5 Russian Albums (Blabbermouth)[30] 3 Scottish Albums (OCC)[31] 13 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[32] 19 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[33] 7 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[34] 2 UK Albums (OCC)[35] 19 US Billboard 200[36] 110 US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[37] 33

Year-end charts Chart (2013) Position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[38] 145 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[39] 93 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[40] 99

Certifications

Country	Organization	Year	Sales
Germany	BVMI	2013	Gold (+ 100,000)[15]
Russia	NFPF	2013	Gold (+ 25,000)[41]
Poland	ZPAV	2013	Gold (+ 10,000)[42]
Czech Republic	ČNS IFPI	2013	Gold (+ 2,500)[43]

Accolades

Publication	Country	Accolade	Year	Rank
Classic Rock	United Kingdom	"Classic Rock Albums of the Year 2013"	2014	13
Teraz Rock	Poland	"10 Best Albums of 2013"	2014	5
Revolver	United States	"Golden Gods Awards 2014"	2014	Comeback of the Year: Deep Purple[44]

References

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2. "Deep Purple: New Album Title Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 26 February 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
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