DEEP PURPLE

To me, this is the album (along with the following orchestral album) that tipped the scales for DP. Up to now they had been very progressive and experimental but probably not very profitable. When this approach failed to generate massive sales they turned to being a lot more ROCK oriented with the aptly named LP "Deep Purple in Rock." Not that there's anything wrong with that in any way, shape or form. I'm very glad these recordings are still around because you can hear the early prog influence that they were dispensing to impressionable young ears at the time. Not all of it works, but then you can say that about early Yes and Genesis albums, too. No matter what, you've got to dig Blackmore's highly "metallic" tones and the group's over-the-top arrangements. And the cover art rules.