One Track Mind: Deep Purple, “First Sign Of Madness” from Now What?!: Gold Deluxe Edition (2014)

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Anyone with lingering concerns about the ability to rock of one Deep Purple — led by a trio in Ian Paice, Roger Glover and Ian Gillan who’ve been with the group since the late 1960s — is directed to this bonus track from their newly released Now What?!: Gold Deluxe Edition.

“First Sign of Madness” simply comes hurtling out, as guitarist Steve Morse and pianist Don Airey establish a floorboard-rearranging groove. But make no mistake, the legacy bunch isn’t just along for the ride: Paice and Glover provide a head-caving cadence, even as Gillan confirms that he’s lost none of his signature rock whine.

And it’s just one of the tasty additions to a Gold Deluxe Edition of 2013’s Now What?!, which already went gold in four countries while returning Deep Purple to the UK Top 40 for the first time in two decades. Also are 70 minutes of previously unreleased live recordings from the band’s summer tour, highlighted by key tracks from new album plus updates of older favorites like “Perfect Strangers” and, of course, “Smoke on the Water.”

“First Sign of Madness” was previously only available as part of the CD single for “Vincent Price.” The Gold Deluxe Edition of Now What?! also includes a cover of “It’ll Be Me,” originally recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis.

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Jimmy Nelson