30: VERY BEST OF

30 years in the making this compilation among over 50 other compilations of proto metal kings Deep Purple is actually one of the better ones. It jams in just over 77 minutes of solid gold Purple and in essence does not miss too much that makes this band great. All of the classics are here, namely Hush, Black Night, Speed King, Child In Time (edited), Strange Kind Of Woman, Fireball, Smoke On The Water, Highway Star, and Perfect Strangers. They don't include Knocking at Your Back Door though and why they had to edit Child In Time is beyond reason.

There are some odd choices here though that makes this quite a curio such as When A Blind Man Cries, Never Before, You Keep On Moving, Ted The Mechanic and Any Fule Kno That. These choices make this a lot different than other compilations previously. I like the fact they cram in 30 tracks to celebrate 30 years and of course you can't go wrong with this type of classic proto metal. An excellent compilation for those who can't be bothered collecting the albums, which are far superior. It is ideal for those who have not heard a lot from the band as it contains just about their best material.