DEEP PURPLE IN ROCK

This was the first album by the "mark two" line up and it began with a blast. "In Rock" and "Machine Head" are definiely my two favourite Deep Purple albums and are also both among the greatest rock releases of all time.

Here the band had moved away from their psychedelic and orchestral rock style of the previous three albums. Belters like "Speed King" and "Flight of the Rat" were examples of thier new and pure heavy rock. The epic "Child In Time" is a must hear for lovers of classic hard rock. Ian Gillan's vocal range is absolutely amazing. Jon Lord's combination of classical and bluesy organ work is also an important part of their sound. He played his hammond organ through different amplifiers on this album so there is a good variety of sound in the songs.

I love the cover depicting the band in a rock sculpture which was inspired by the famous Mount Rushmore. I often wished that the single "Black Night" had been included on the album as it was recorded during the same sessions. Still, there isn't really much wrong with this release. It's a great one to play as loud as possible. 4.5 stars.