BURN

All I can say is that if you need a wakeup call at any time of the day put this baby on and just try to keep up with these guys. It's like none of their other albums in that there's really no attempt to be subtle at any point. Between Coverdale and Hughes the vocals cut through the fiery rock underneath and soar with unbridled youthful exuberance. Burn, Lay down stay down, and You fool no one will sear your speakers and Sail Away should have become an FM hit when it came out in 1974 but it just didn't get played enough to catch on. Purple has always been hard rock but the quality of the songwriting is a definite step up from some of the other offerings that came before and after this one. If I had to pick just one DP album to own, this would be the one I would choose. The only throwaway is A200, which sounds like John Lord insisting on getting to play with his new synth. But there may not be an album more aptly named than this one. Blackmore and the band literally blaze a scorching trail.