DEEP PURPLE

I have read many negative reviews and comments about this album. They called it boring, unfinished, criticized for the lack of hits and usually mentioned Women from Tokyo as the only successful song. The appearance of such a weak album is usually explained by the accumulated fatigue after a tense tour and the growing confrontation between Ian Gillan and Ritchie Blackmore, which didn't benefit the creative process.

But I don't agree that this album is weak. Yes, it is inferior to In Rock and Machine Head, but it is definitely not weak. I don't understand why it is called unfinished. Listening to one of the fastest and most driving songs Smooth Dancer or the magnificent caustic Marylong or the expressive Super Trouper, I don't know how they can be improved more. All the elements of DP's style have already formed and embodied here, Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord still shine, in turns and together. Perhaps the perception was also influenced by the fact that DP was expected to continue the Machine Head's formula, where the drive and hard rock onslaught are perfectly balanced with keyboards, which were given a lot of scope for creativity. Yes, after all, a very high level was set by the previous albums.

The additional bonus tracks on the late reissue of the album are interesting first of all for the extended version of Women from Tokyo and the long First Day Jam, where Jon Lord seems to be rehearsing melodies for his next solo album.

This is definitely not In Rock Part II. This album is like a swinging pendulum, on the other side of the amplitude, between In Rock and Machine Head. It is understandable: there were many musical ideas, the band's style was just forming. Of course, hard rock had already firmly taken root in the basis of the music, but with daring experiments: long dives into blues, like in No No No or a symbiosis of country and rock'n'roll, like in Anyone's Daughter, or a hybrid of techno and pseudo-blues Demon's Eye. A lot of space is devoted to improvisations, especially in No No No and Fools. There is also a wonderful fast number Fireball, which is bored in solitude next to more diverse songs. It looks like it belongs on Machine Head. Another energetic The Mule, where Ian Paice shines against the background of a languid electric organ, looks appropriate. In each song, the musical competition between Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord continues, becoming a real decoration of the album. In what other hard rock band of that time were keyboards as full-fledged an instrument as the guitar?

The 25th anniversary reissue of the album contains several bonus tracks that belong there. They are quite interesting, but seem to be from another time. The rhythm of Freedom reminded me of the melody of Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison. Another cheerful rock and roll is Slow Train. All these songs are in the style of Deep Purple mark I, so I suspect that they could be the embodiment of old musical ideas. It is also interesting to listen to The Noise Abatement Society Tapes with the outright hooliganism of Jon Lord on keyboards. And the instrumental version of Fireball can easily be used instead of karaoke, to try walking in Ian Gillan's shoes.

This is one of the most diverse albums of Deep Purple. The next time the band will record such unexpected music in Come Taste the Band and Purpendicular, and in both cases this will coincide with a change of guitarist. Clearly not by chance. Hard rock fans may have been disappointed. After the big breakthrough of In Rock, many were probably expecting a continuation in the same style. But for those who appreciate unconventional musical techniques like me, this is exactly what you need.

When I listen to this album, I realize that there were many bands at that time that were doing something similar. Roughly the same mix of heavy rhythm and blues, psychedelia and the search for new musical forms can be heard in the debut album of Yes, which was released in the same year, or in The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack by The Nice, and even in Pink Floyd's Saucerful of Secrets, which were released a year earlier. This list of analogies can be continued for a very long time. In all of these albums, bold musical experiments are combined with simple, almost pop songs, and this is the difference between many albums recorded in the 60s. Certainly, in that decade, the bands sounded more similar to each other, while maintaining their originality. Such a contradictory feeling.

Yes, "musical nazis" still remember Deep Purple's first four albums, recorded in the pre-hard rock era. Although I have heard the opinion more than once that the most interesting music was created by DP Mark 1. However, opinions regarding different forms of art are always subjective. We will never know what kind of music the group would have performed further if it had not been influenced by the debut albums of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. But I suppose that this album can partially answer this question. The song Blind with a gorgeous part of either piano or harpsichord, and especially April with its innovative for that time combination of rock and classical music are very close to progressive rock (Concerto for Group and Orchestra is even closer, it must be admitted that even the founders of progressive at that time did not think of the idea of ​​recording with a symphony orchestra!) I think Deep Purple could well have become another trendsetter of progressive rock, and perhaps then this genre would have looked somewhat different. Heaven knows... Jon Lord's musical preferences and Ritchie Blackmore's undoubted talent were a great launching pad to take the band in a prog-rock direction. Or in some other direction. But we all know what happened a year later, and what path the band eventually took.

But this album remains one of the most interesting in the 60s for me. It sums up the first stage of the band's work and, together with the neoclassical composition of the same name, is a wonderful finale for it.

One of the origins of hard rock and all derivative styles. It all took shape here. Of course, the forerunners of the style were not Deep Purple, but Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Yardbirds, Kinks, Iron Butterfly, Vanilla Fudge, Mountain and many others, some more, some less. But it was Deep Purple, together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, who created the basis of the style at the turn of the 60s and 70s, and all subsequent hard rockers were largely guided by their legacy. This has long been well known.

In Rock clearly and intelligibly captures all the classic features of the genre: a high-speed guitar that strikes like lightning and deafens like thunder, powerful vocals, killer drums that can crush stones. Periodically, the keyboards come into play, sometimes intertwining with the guitar squall, sometimes unraveling, periodically coming to the fore, sometimes hiding behind the scenes. This is especially well heard in Speed ​​King, Bloodsucker, Flight of the Rat. The immortal Child in Time stands at the origins of all hard rock ballads, probably without it there would not be Scorpions and Foreigner as they are. It was in this album that the easily recognizable creative style of Deep Purple was revealed and fixed, where along with the frantic guitar of Ritchie Blackmore, the electric organ of John Lord and the sometimes soaring, sometimes growling, sometimes screaming voice of Ian Gillan are a full-fledged instrument. An indisputable starting point in the development of all heavy music in all its diversity and nuances. Each song is in its place, nothing superfluous.

The anniversary reissue of 1995 includes several bonus tracks, which in my opinion add almost nothing to the greatness of the album. Among them is Black Night, which we have already heard in this version. The piano version of Speed ​​King looks unfinished, but interesting from the point of view of spying on the studio sessions of the album. Cry Free and Jam Stew may have been recorded earlier, they are both in the style of DP Mark I. The purpose of including remixes of Flight of the Rat and Speed ​​King is unclear - I did not hear any noticeable differences from the original. The only really interesting addition is an extended version of Black Night without the cut instrumental interlude, which concludes the bonus part of the disc. It is because of this that I rate the bonus part of the disc 3 stars, not 2. The album itself is 5 stars, of course.

In my opinion, this album became the apogee of the band's work. In Rock, with its undeniable musical innovation, is too saturated with heavy guitar sound, in Fireball the band often boldly goes beyond the style. It seems that the band continued to search for its own style. And in Machine Head everything seems perfectly balanced: powerful drive, smashing guitar, sometimes giving way to keyboards, crystal clear vocals, and throughout the entire album - solid powerful fiery hard rock, striking into the very heart and taking out the soul. As if after creative searches, all five members of the band clearly understand what and how they want to play, and managed to convey this in their music, despite all the adventures that preceded the recording of the album (of course, everyone knows this story from the song Smoke on the Water). I do not see any weak or passable songs in it. Every song knows its place, the album rushes forward like a train on rails, starting with the expressive Highway Star (DP knew how to choose the right first song!) and ending with the equally fiery Space Truckin'.

I feel like I wrote a subjective review. I admit it. Machine Head is very special to me. The events in which we first discover music often influence its perception. At least that's how it is with me. Of all the Deep Purple albums, Machine Head was the first one I heard, this significant event happened around 1993. A little earlier, I took a small paperback book from a girl I knew, which contained information about all the Deep Purple albums, the history of the band, song lists, interview fragments. At that time, I heard only Child in Time and maybe Smoke on the Water. I don't remember why I first recorded Machine Head on an audio cassette, but it was destined to become my favorite. Even the recognized classics In Rock and Fireball are in its shadow for me, although I enjoy listening to them too. Machine Head was the breakthrough in Deep Purple's work for me, and for me he is number one forever. Five stars for sure.

I consider this album to be one of the most striking comebacks of bands in the history of rock. It is completely saturated with incredible energy and drive. All the elements of Deep Purple magic are still in place: inventive riffs of Ritchie Blackmore, powerful keyboard background of Jon Lord with periodic explosions of luxurious improvisations, mathematically precise rhythm of drums of Ian Paice and bass guitar of Roger Glover, and of course still clear and powerful vocals of Ian Gillan. This puzzle was especially successfully put together in the first song Knocking at Your Back Door, where the musicians take turns to play and set the tone for the entire album. This will happen again in the songs Perfect Strangers and Wasted Sunsets, which are also memorable for their original philosophical lyrics, not quite typical for Deep Purple. But the other songs are not weak either. It is worth noting the dashing A Gypsy's Kiss, very fast and driving. A later reissue of the album includes a wonderful lyrical instrumental Son Of Alerik, where Ritchie Blackmore's guitar sounds unusually soft and competes in sadness with Jon Lord's organ. In its style, it does not match the content of the album, but it is great to listen to on its own and is perfect for its finale.

I think that with this album Deep Purple once again set a very high standard, which was never surpassed later. It is worthy of standing in the same row with In Rock, Fireball, Machine Head. Of the subsequent albums, only The Battle Rages On was able to come a little closer to it. Of course, there were good albums later, but without Ritchie Blackmore it is a different story. Four stars without options.

This album is still being discussed and reviewed 50 years after its release. This is the best answer to the question of its greatness and significance not only for Deep Purple, but for the entire world of rock music. It is really difficult to add anything to the numerous reviews written here before me. I agree that this concert captured the band at the peak of their creative and performing abilities. Yes, they still have many great albums and concerts ahead, but there will never be a second In Rock and Machine Head. And the golden line-up of DP will last only a year to make another album with the eloquent title Who Do We Think We Are and then disperse for ten years.

But all this will come later. And here and now the band gives the best they can. A gorgeous interplay of keyboards and drums in Highway Star, charged with incredible energy. The sumptuous keyboard introduction to Child in Time, more expansive and majestic than the studio version, the irresistible attack of Blackmore's guitar that sings, howls and thunders, Gillan at his best vocally against a piercing electric organ that seems to scream along with him. Smoke on the Water is a great performance, a more extended version thanks to the guitar improvisation, and the following song The Mule consists mainly of a completely mind-blowing drum solo that stands on its own and is considered a benchmark. Strange Kind of Woman shows a great cross-over between Blackmore's guitar and Gillan's. Lazy begins with an expressive psychedelic organ introduction that then becomes more calm and disturbing. The song, which has few lyrics, is perfect for improvisation, and Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore take turns shining here for over 10 minutes. The final song of the concert, Space Truckin', starts similar to Lazy, but then the band goes off to explore exotic soundscapes for almost 20 minutes. From the seventh minute and for the next few minutes, the band sounds very reminiscent of The Nice, I wouldn't have told the difference if I didn't know better. The same tricks with the electric organ, the same clear, muscular, rich rhythm section

A great live album, without a doubt. DP gave it their all. Only seven songs, but it feels like we heard them all. Yes, Deep Purple demonstrated only a part of their incredible potential on studio albums, and fully revealed themselves in concert. It was then that it became obvious that hard rock is not only loudness, shaking long hair and smashing guitars on stage. However, Deep Purple did not fit into this style from the very beginning, as their first four albums, individual songs and solo projects of Jon Lord and Roger Glover eloquently testify. Yes, this is debatable. But the fact that they set a kind of benchmark that few have managed to achieve is indisputable to me.

I have mixed emotions about this concert. I bought this recording on videotape around 1995, when I was just getting to know Deep Purple. A year later they released a new album, without Ritchie Blackmore, and gave their first concert in my hometown of Kiev. There are different opinions about this period of creativity, but for me this concert will always remain one of the epochal events, at least because it was one of the first performances of the band that I saw.

But if I try to evaluate this concert objectively, then there will be no serious criticism from me. This performance captured Deep Purple at another sharp turn in their turbulent history. Ritchie Blackmore left the band in the middle of this tour, again his feud with Ian Gillan (I think everyone knows this story). But this did not affect the quality of the music. Yes, previous commentators have mentioned the twisted version of Highway Star with a slightly crumpled solo by Ritchie Blackmore, and we can recall the still not properly sung Women from Tokyo and Lazy (with a wonderful drum solo by Ian Paice as compensation). But we can say a few good words about the luxuriously played Perfect Strangers with a pompous organ introduction, or about the incredible Beethoven's Ninth, well known from Rainbow's live performances. How Jon Lord plays here, weaving together different themes - psychedelia, jazz, classical, electronica and even rock and roll! This composition seems to have been written for him.

It seems that some songs sound even better here than on the studio albums. This is the already mentioned Perfect Strangers, and also - Knocking at Your Back Door and Black Night, one of the first Deep Purple songs with Ian Gillan on vocals. They especially clearly feel the unique concert energy, when all the musicians merge into a single whole and sound like a single organism, understanding each other at a glance, competing with each other, and all for the sake of one thing - music. I would also like to highlight the beautifully played semi-acoustic version of Anyone`s Daughter and the magnificent Child Time, where Ian Gillan's voice soars into the sky like a spiral, and Ritchie Blackmore's guitar explodes like a firework of riffs and chords. Also memorable is the very energetic performance of Enya, one of the most unusual Deep Purple songs from their latest album at that time. It found room for beautiful keyboard and guitar improvisation. But the no less energetic The Battle Rages On is played almost the same way as the studio version.

What else could be interesting about this particular concert? Obviously, this was the last performance of the classic golden line-up of Deep Purple. Ritchie Blackmore will soon leave forever. It is also here that one of the last performances of Child in Time will be heard, which Ian Gillan could no longer sing with the full force of his vocal cords. A new stage will soon begin, and it is this concert that closes the previous page of Deep Purple history.

I read that this album was planned to be recorded with Joe Lynn Taylor, but the record company insisted on Gillan's return. This clearly did not contribute to the restoration of good relations between Blackmore and Gillan, perhaps this was reflected in the actual title of the album, although Blackmore later sarcastically called it "The cattle grazes on". We can only guess what this album would have sounded like with Joe Lynn Turner's vocals. Probably, it would have been a continuation of the same AOR in the style of late Rainbow and Slaves&Masters. Not so bad, although not the best that both bands created.

However, this album is not a masterpiece either. This is typical hard rock without any special emotions and sophistication, that is, the formula of the late Rainbow has still been preserved. Only the magnificent luxurious Enya stands out from the crowd, where DP briefly go beyond the style. The lyrics there are also original. But this is their only attempt to expand the musical framework. Jon Lord's keyboards are barely audible, and a number of songs are potential radio hits with catchy melodies and a minimum of instrumental flourishes. The energetic title track of the same name is especially successful, as are the driving "Time to Kill" and "Lick It Up". The wonderful minor-key semi-ballad "Solitaire" is also worth mentioning. Yes, it's not bad, but that's not the only reason we love Deep Purple. Three stars without any compromises.

Riding high off the smashing success of "In Rock" which propelled DEEP PURPLE into the realms of superstar status, the band became the hottest act in the UK and Europe and was obviously quite in demand for live performances and other promotional engagements which led to very little time in developing a proper follow up album that the record companies demanded with a cracking whip back in the day. During these busy times the strains of the band began to show with both Roger Glover and Jon Lord suffering physical ailments while Ritchie Blackmore and Ian Gillan butted heads about a great many things which would ultimately end the Mark I lineup shortly down the road.

Nevertheless the show must go on and DEEP PURPLE delivered the goods in 1971 with FIREBALL after releasing the non-album single "Strange Kind Of Woman" earlier in the year to keep the band in the public's eye. While commercially successful and keeping the band relevant, FIREBALL was a major departure from what was heard on "In Rock" and while that album was instrumental in cementing DEEP PURPLE as one of the big three in the development of heavy metal, FIREBALL on the other hand found the band toning things down a bit looking more to the world of bluesy hard rock without the fiery bombast. Yet even though considered the inferior sibling sandwiched between the band's two major powerhouses of its career, FIREBALL does have its charm and has its way of weaseling its way into your heart.

FIREBALL was released differently in the US and UK with the former featuring the single "Strange Kind Of Woman" and the UK version replacing it with "Demon's Eye." Like most early DEEP PURPLE albums, this one found a gussied up 25th anniversary edition with all the singles and non-album tracks as well as demos in abundance tacked on to the end. The album begins with the title track which is the closest thing to what was heard on "In Rock" and must have lulled the listener into a false sense of expectation as it featured the same heavy hitting drive with Ian Paice pummeling out his top dog drumming skills as one of classic rock's most competent drummers. The catchy riffs and haunting organ backing by Jon Lord found the usual Blackmore guitar soloing trading off with Lord's classical key contributions and the track remains the best known from the album.

However starting with the second track "No No No" things change quite a bit with a slowed down groove and a rather funky blues rock vibe that features slide guitar action and a rather repetitive verse / chorus / bridge type of song structure. While the album didn't quite appeal to me at first with songs like this stymying my enjoyment factor, subsequent exposures have proven to find this one as well as the album to sink in on a deeper level. I am now hooked. On the original UK version "Demon Eyes" occupied the third position and likewise offers the same sort of groovy boogie rock with a heavy dose of organ bombast that likewise offers a palatable enough hook to eventually sink your teeth into.

The one turkey on the album is the head scratching country folk honky tonk rocker "Anyone's Daughter" which sounds woefully out of place. An Ian Gillan penned lyric oriented track that unfortunately yields clunky lines such as "Why do i always get the kind of girl that i didn't oughta get." The track would be fine on an album by The Band but woefully out of place on a DEEP PURPLE album. Given it's awkward middle section that rather breaks up the continuity of the album, it would've made much more sense to place either the single "Strange Kind Of Woman" or its superior B-side "I'm Alone" in its stead.

The second side is the most dynamic and most interesting as the band offers a more sophisticated approach that borders on proto-prog with the stellar counterpoint-rich "The Mule" that served as the perfect gateway for Ian Paice's phenomenal drum solo on "Made In Japan." The track features a unique atmospheric overlay while Blackmore delivers some nicely delivered guitar wizardry along with really cool tones. "Fools" is probably my favorite track on the album with its trippy psychedelic intro that hypnotizes you before bursting into the satisfying chord progression that constitutes the main song structure. This track finds al the musicians as well as Gillan's vocals at top performance on FIREBALL. The closing "No One Came" is also a fascinating departure from anything DEEP PURPLE had released before with a simple riff acting as the backdrop for Gillan's narrative vocal delivers to discuss the ironies of being a famous rock star in a band and all the contradictions that come with the package with yet again more stellar performances by the band members.

While tamer than "In Rock" and a bit more esoteric sounding than the more familiar "Machine Head," FIREBALL is a strange little bedfellow next to its more famous counterparts that bookend it. Panned by the band itself as their weakest effort with the exception of Ian Gillan who is very fond of it, FIREBALL is one that started out mediocre for me but as i continued to listen to it consistently for a period of weeks it slowly unleashed its magic and once all comparisons between other albums dropped out of the big picture then suddenly i found myself loving this album a lot with the sole exception of "Anyone's Daughter" which i always gleefully skip without looking back! While this album will always linger in the shadow of the band's more popular albums, FIREBALL should have been titled "Curveball" because it delivers a totally different reaction than what your initial impressions are. It's an excellent album that i'm grateful i persisted in cracking the code because now it's one of my favorite DEEP PURPLE albums that i really can't get enough of when i'm in the mood for early 70s hard rock.