(Un)Focused Definition Ep. 65: Missing Sun

It’s official: on Thursday we unpacked our son in his dorm room, said our goodbyes, and became empty nesters. One of the biggest gifts I could give him (besides paying for college) was letting him pick the tunes on the trip up, and so a portion of the playlist this week are the tunes he asked for to calm his nerves. The other songs are the ones I used to calm my nerves, and to help get through the emotional rollercoaster of missing his presence. Which means not a lot of commentary this week, hopefully things will get back to some semblance of normality for the next one.

ChrisAugust 30, 2025Leave a comment

Playlists

(Un)Focused Definition Ep. 61: Crawling Back

I’m starting to feel a little more solid. Maybe that’s the effect of two weeks on this medication, or the fact I’ve gotten at least seven hours of sleep the past two nights, or that I took a day off work. Probably a combination of all the above, plus a generous dose of Deep Purple. I have no idea why, but they’ve been a salve these past few weeks when it was getting harder and harder to concentrate on anything. I promise the playlist has other stuff besides them, though.

ChrisAugust 2, 2025August 2, 2025Leave a comment

Deep Purple: Whoosh! (2020)

Sometimes listening to nothing but new music – or music unfamiliar to my ears – can be a drain. I’m constantly trying to create context on the fly, thinking about what works, what doesn’t and where a particular song, album, or artist/band fits within my musical worldview, if at all. What I’m saying is sometimes I want to listen to music for comfort, where there is no greater picture to see, and just wrap myself in a warm blanket of music that simply exists to provide a good time. Enter once again Deep Purple, whose 2020 album Whoosh! took a while to get used it, but now can wash over me like a warm bath, leaving me clean and ready to tackle the next thing. Does it really need to be more than that?

ChrisMay 29, 2025Leave a comment

Playlists

(Un)Focused Definition Ep. 45: I Am Your AI DJ…

I’m rushing this one out because I’m about to leave for vacation and just want to shut the world out. So I went over to Apple Music and saw they had a “Station For You”. Station for me? AI algorithms it is. Let’s see what the machine powers think I want to hear at 3:30am because I can’t sleep due to crippling anxiety over every minute detail of getting to the airport, getting through security, getting on the plane, getting to my designation, getting through Customs and finding a way to my hotel. Maybe I’ll edit this later once I’m in a saner frame of mind…

ChrisApril 12, 2025April 26, 2025Leave a comment

Vinyl

Deep Purple: Machine Head (1972)

I know I’ve gone on record on multiple occasions citing my distaste for those people who think the only “real” Deep Purple was when Ritchie Blackmore was in the band, especially when considered against the man’s output for the past 30 or so years. What probably wasn’t as clear is that I still do consider his output – both in Deep Purple and other bands (well, really just early Rainbow) – as pretty damn great. He’s just not the sole reason to love Deep Purple, who have proved again and again that even with a rotating cast of guitar players they are capable of creating propulsive, lasting rock and roll. But just to reinforce the point that yeah, I dig Blackmore-led Purple, why not spend a few words on their biggest album, Machine Head?

ChrisFebruary 20, 2025February 21, 2025Leave a comment

Deep Purple: = 1 (2024)

Here’s a hot take even if it’s not a surprise with me: when it comes to Deep Purple, I more often than not reach for the later, Steve Morse era of the band. Sacrilege! Don’t I know that the only “true” Deep Purple HAS to have Richie Blackmore?! No, because honestly despite my enjoyment of early Deep Purple, Blackmore hasn’t had a really interesting riff or idea since 1987, and it’s a disservice to how this band has persevered, crafting intelligent, fun, and stadium-ready hard rock, particularly in the ir most recent decades partnership with Bob Ezrin as producer. With Morse leaving the band in 2022 to focus on his dying wife, the group found a kindred spirit in Simon McBride (formerly of Sweet Savage) to take the guitar reins. It makes for a different beast, but I’m happy to say the awkwardly titled = 1 continues to showcase a band not content to ride into the sunset just yet.

ChrisDecember 16, 2024December 16, 20242 Comments

Consuming the Tangible

We are what we consume

Tag: deep purple