DEEPEST PURPLE - THE VERY BEST OF DEEP PURPLE

The compilation from my childhood, and my first touch with DEEP PURPLE. I got an impression this compilations was present in every home collection in former Yugoslavia, regardless of listeners taste for music. However, even if it deserves a special place in my heart I'll try to judge it fair.

First of all, you will notice something unusual about this LP after a few listenings: the length. That's right, this vinyl plays for 65 minutes! Like a double album! I think I never experienced a record with similar length, before or after. All I know I was annoyed because I was unable to tape it on a 60 min cassette. What a disappointment for a kid that just started to develop musically.

So what are these 60 and more minutes offering to a listener?

Twelve DEEP PURPLE tracks that vary in quality. Here are ubiquitous "Smoke On The Water" and "Child In Time", "Speed King" (without frenetic intro!) and "Black Night"; "Strange Kind Of Woman" and "Woman From Tokyo". I grouped these tracks in pairs because they often come together on compilations and live shows. Nice inclusion are "Highway Star", "Burn", "Stormbringer" and "Fireball". The only track I can't digest is "Demon's Eye" - I don't have a clue why this weak, dull, uninspired song is included here.

Anyway, as a compilation, it deserves three stars - it's not the best presentation of band's work but it isn't so terrible neither - and from the progressive point of view, that will be one star less. There is not a one song from the first DEEP PURPLE period! Having said that, this is not much more than a collectors item.