THE COMPACT DISC ANTHOLOGY

This is a very good compilation of the first Marks of the Purple (from I to IV).

What is missing ? Here and there a song or two from each album I suppose... I am missing some of their great cover songs from their debuts : "Hey Joe", "River Deep, Mountain High" to name a few. Their best Mark I song, April (the longest studio track of their whole catalogue) is missing, which is really a pity. It is Purple's most prog track ever released as well.

From Mark II ?

Some great forgotten songs as "The Flight Of The Rat", "Hard Loving Man", "Fools" and "Lazy". The albums "Stormbringer" and "Come Taste The Band" are really over represented. The selection of the songs is not always the best one for these. No "Comin' Home" nor "Lady Luck" from "Come" and no "Lady Double Dealer" from "Storbringer". Those songs were some of the best of these efforts.

Of course, there are none of the great Purple songs ignored here. Their best two ever (IMO) : "Child In Time" and "Highway Star" are here. The emblematic "Black Night" and "Smoke OnThe Water" as well of course. Since "Burn" & "Mistreated" are represented live, they could as well have chosen a live version for "Strange Kind Of Woman" which was a great moment of their concerts.

All in all, this compilation is very good, but since the CD format would have allowed about twenty minutes of additional music I will rate it four stars.