24 CARAT PURPLE

This Mark II compilation may be criticed but it is their very first compilation album (lots of more to come). One can of course argue with the track selection, but in order to fit all of their great Mark II songs, the record company should have released a double album. We would then have a fabulous masterpiece. So what do we have and not have here ?

The do's : the best (and only great) track from "Who Do We Think We Are ?" with "Woman From Tokyo", two good ones from "Machine Head" with : "Never Before" and "Smoke On The Water", one of the best track from "Fireball" (the title track), their hit single "Strange Kind of Woman" and three from their "In Rock" period with "Speed King", "Child In Time" of course and "Black Night" their hit single. Not bad, hey !

The dont's : some great Purple songs are not included. The album being real short, they could have added more songs like "Flight Of The Rat" or "Hard Lovin' Man" from "In Rock". "Fools" or "The Mule" from "Fireball" could also have been considered. Of course, "Machine Head" is quite forgotten : none of "Highway Star" (one of their best track ever), "Pictures Of Home" or "Lazy" are featured. But each song represented here is a a Purple classic (except "Never Before, probably). Four stars.