DEEP PURPLE IN ROCK

Deep Purple In Rock is a highly significant album in the Deep Purple discography because of the shift in the direction that the band had undergone in 1969. Gone were Evans and Simple which meant that the famous MkII lineup was now in place with the new additions of Ian Gillan and Roger Glover. But musically the biggest difference had to do with Ritchie Blackmore's guitar that has now began to take over some of the space that was previously occupied by Jon Lord's organ sound. Blackmore's guitar is literally all over this release starting with an excellent performance of Speed King, a formula that the band would perfect with each consecutive album opener, the completely guitar dominated Into The Fire and finally ending the record on a guitar solo!

This album also marks the final chapter of Deep Purple's Proto-Prog era with the 10 minute suite called Child In Time. Although I personally prefer the much more spontaneous live version of this composition featured on Made In Japan there is really no denying that it is a gorgeous swan song to Lord's attempts at fusing classical music with rock. By 1970 other acts like King Crimson, ELP, Focus and Genesis have already started to shape this sound into the Symphonic Prog genre that we all know and love. There was really no need for Deep Purple to compete with these bands especially since their assets lay elsewhere.

To me, In Rock is a classic rock album that was playing in my parents home and so this music has definitely an important part in my upbringing. Still I never considered it as significant as the early albums like band-titled 1969 release nor the later albums like Machine Head and Burn. The music here is just too raw and unpolished which is something that I could never relate to. I gave the album a few spins today because it's been a while since I've heard this release in it's entirety and unfortunately wasn't even all that impressed by the best tracks like Child In Time and Speed King. They just don't sound right anymore and I can't really figure out the exact reasons for this.

Either way, In Rock is another important release for anyone exploring Deep Purple's discography which is well worth sinking your teeth into once you've heard the essentials like Machine Head and Made In Japan. Therefore a good, but non-essential album.

**** star songs: Speed King (4:18) Child In Time (10:15) Flight Of The Rat (7:52) Into The Fire (3:29) Hard Lovin' Man (7:10)

*** star songs: Bloodsucker (4:12) Living Wreck (4:30)