24 CARAT PURPLE

My dad has this on vinyl, I don't believe it's been released on CD. As far as rating, just look at it. 8 songs. Lacks Highway Star and Space Truckin'. Not exactly the greatest compilation you'll ever hear. However, my dad tells me all the time the tale of how he blasted Smoke On The Water the day he was moving out of his apartment. So um...if you don't have In Rock by the time you finish this review, I feel very sorry for you. You sad creature.

Not the best compilation of Deep Purple's career, but suffice to introduce the casual fan to their music. 8 perfect examples of what their sound represented. Opening with the classic rocker, Woman From Tokyo, we see how they maintained their commercial audience with rockin chords and a dreamy bridge solo reminiscent of Styx's Come Sail Away. However, not a very good prog-rocker. Fireball goes right into DP's heavier side of hard rock with Jon's cosmos of keyboard solos, as Strange Kind of Woman delves into the live genre with an incredible guitar and vocal interplay. Next appears Never Before (according to the vinyl, it sounds like a single edit): a funky, weird number that really should've been better off the album and switched with probably Space Truckin (why did they omit that?!). On to a live rendition of their first hit single in the Mark II era, Black Night, from the gigs in Japan in 1972 (classic DP) with a heavier beat than the original with Jon's drilling organ chords and Ritchie's crazy guitar whirls. Then, there's Speed King (don't know whether it's one of the three versions: the US edit w/o woffle and organ interlude, the edit on the 1980 compilation, or the entire uncut version). Wacky and headbanging music to listen to with Ian's trademark ear-splitting screams. Smoke On The Water, their only #1 hit, gets its credit due here, sparing us the boring studio version and replacing it with their slightly better live version on Made In Japan. Finally, topping it all off with Child In Time (not the original, but the live one also on MIJ), giving a rousing finale to a very generous intro (CD's almost 55 minutes in total) to Deep Purple.

Where do these dull and nasty compilations breed? Maybe from the record companies marketing section... My older cousin used to have this as a cassette on his car, and I don't think this gave me any kind of hint how good songs this band were capable to do. Same boring hard rock songs, no thank you for me.

I bought this cassette in 1977 after having 'Live in Japan' taped from LP by friends. It was a disappointment. Not only the same numbers were on the album, except from a few others, recording quality and was also less.

Recently I compared CD's from 'Live in Japan' and '24 Carat Purple'. In my opinion 'Live in Japan' is still so much better. If you're new in Deep Purple, buy the live one. Only if you're hard-core fan, buy '24'.

Ok, if you like the music is the MkII of the Purple... Here the better than the better one! Otherwise you will find this compilation a little cold. To my warning they do not suffice songs like "Child In Time", "Fireball", "Strange Kind Of Woman", "Black Night", "Speed King", "Smoke On The Water" (all 5 stars and evergreen songs) to do a big compilation. I recognize that it is a big disk. But alone for who it wants all of the Purple or die hard fans.

The first record I've ever heard of DP and a very exciting one. It was one of the first compilations which was put on a CD. Why is this album special. Because it put together the most amazing live recordings from MADE IN JAPAN and highlights from their studio material, all from the Mark II period. When the album came out it was more than another compilation, because of the live version of BLACK NIGHT, which was excluded from the original release of Made in Japan. In my opinion better than any other version of this song. Essential release for beginners and almost perfect choice of material....

This was a cheap DP compilation that many many of us must have bought. Its not a bad collection of DP songs but lacks many of the better ones. Sadly as with many budget releases the pressing is not very good and so I cannot recommend this particular compilation very highly although the material it contains deserves a 3 the poor vinyl quality pulls it down to a 2. Buy a DP compilation CD instead.

Probably there wasn't any teenager interested in classic rock in the former Yugoslavia during the 1970s who didn't own this "golden" collection of DEEP PURPLE hits. It was sort of a generational "must have". That said, it was probably a cheap choice for domestic label (Jugoton) to buy a licence and satisfy the growing hard-rock and heavy metal audience in ex YU, which served many socialist "hipster" kids until the mid 1980s. Although several key Purple albums had been issued in the country, "24 Carat" served as important introduction and induction into the Rock World. In retrospect, this collection seems rather random pick and many later and better CD compilations simply make this one outdated. I have pleasant memories of this title even though I never was a Purple fan. But, objectively this LP is only worth for DP collectors.

This album is an emotional adolsecent memory, it was the time that I (14 years old) started to revolt against my father (54 years old). He wanted to control everything and could not stand that the youth appreciated electric guitars and lots of decibels. So when I enjoyed Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Uriah Heep albums, he used to run into my room and yelled "stop that washing machine music!" .. Anyway, as I can remember this is one of the first LP's I bought and it fitted perfect to my mental state in those days: feeling good with heavy guitars, screaming singers and loud Hammond work! I am surprised about the different ratings (between 2 and 5), this is simply an outstanding historical document featuring a comprehensive selection of Deep Purple their progressive hardrock compositions. Just enjoy the great guitar riffs by Ritchie Blackmore, the powerful Hammond runs by Jon Lord, the great vocals by Ian Gillan and the dynamic and adventurous rhythm section by Roger Clover and Ian Paice in exciting 'classics' like Woman From Tokyo, Black Night and Smoke On The Water and let yourself carry away by the mindblowing Child In Time, I have heard it more than 1000 times and still get goose bumps! To me this album sounds as a good starter to check out Deep 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.

I think this compilation of Deep purple is interesting because of two tracks and those are: Strange kind of Woman (Live in Japan) because of the sensational duel between Ian Gillan and Ritchie Blackmore in the middle of the song. Fantastic performance anyway besides this aspect. Second is the best execution I've ever heard of Black Night. I often hear the studio version but that's hardly any good at all. This live version is really amazing and makes the song at least twice as good. The rest of the songs are other evergreens by DP (makes sense when the title is 24 carat). I also like Speed King and the ever brilliant Child in time. So all in all a great release by DP. 4 stars

This is one of the several compilations which are available from this band. It has several of my favourite DEEP PURPLE`s songs and almost every track is very representative of the Blackmore-Gillan-Glover-Lord- Paice line-up, which is considered by many people (including myself) as the best line-up this band had.

"Woman from Tokyo" was one of their last singles released by this line-up in the seventies (1973). Despite the band sounds a bit tired and forced to have a hit after their 1971-72 big sucesss brought by their "Machine Head" and "Made in Japan" albums, it is a good song. "Strange Kind of Woman" is very good and funny in some places. "Never Before" has very good drums by Ian Paice, one of the best drummers and one who seems to be forgotten or underrated as drummer. He also shines in "Black Night", one of the signature songs of this band, with also "Smoke on the Water". "Child in Time" is a very good Prog-Related song, with great vocals by Gillan. "Speed King" and "Fireball" are less important in their repertoire, I think. But as a whole I consider this compilation as a good selection of tracks more for the casual listeners or the new listeners of this band.

I think that this band never needed a second guitarist, because Jon Lord complemented very well Richie Blackmore`s guitar with the use of some distortion in his keyboards.

This compilation is the great one. Just don't forget, that this album was issued in 1975, in time when Deep Purple was still great acting band, not history. Another moment - it's a vinyl, produced in time when no-one had idea about CD-era. So -yes, it's too short for "Best of.." classic format, but it was usual fact in LP time.

But all other things are OK - you have there almost all great songs from the best band line-up and golden age of musicianship. For sure, we have many more different DP collections now, with much more bigger track list,better sound, etc. But don't you forget, that this album has it's historical value - it was made as eveidence of band stardom right in time.

So, for sure, you have no reason to have this album if you're not a DP fan. All songs are classic and presented on original albums or other compilations. And compilation with just 8 short songs looks a bit strange in nowadays. But for fans and collectors this album has it's value as artifact,evidence from Deep Purple glory days.

P.S. This was first ever DP album I listened still as schoolboy. And I remember it's golden cover and Gillan voice in "Child In Time"till now. In fact ,it was one of strong reasons for me to come to the world of rock music!