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DEEP PURPLE

Proto-Prog • United Kingdom


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Deep Purple biography
Founded in Hertford, UK in 1968 - Hiatus between 1976-1984 - Still active as of 2018

The archetypal hard rock band, hugely influential, and still alive and well after almost 40 years, DEEP PURPLE were formed in Hertford (England) in 1968. Their earliest line-up (known as Mark I) featured guitarist Ritchie BLACKMORE, drummer Ian Paice (who was to be the only constant member in all the numerous incarnations of the band), keyboardist Jon LORD, bassist Nick Simper and vocalist Rod Evans. Their first album, "Shades of Deep Purple", included a cover of JOE SOUTH's "Hush", which became a big hit in the USA. The following two efforts were definitely more progressive in tone, especially their third, self-titled album, which saw Lord's masterful, classically-influenced use of the B3 Hammond organ steal the limelight.

In 1969, Evans and Simper were fired, to be replaced by two former Episode Six members, bassist Roger GLOVER and legendary vocalist Ian GILLAN, who had also starred in the lead role in the original version of Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice's "Jesus Christ Superstar". This line-up, which is widely known as DEEP PURPLE Mark II, gave the band international renown - even though their first album, Lord's pet project "Concerto for Group and Orchestra" (recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) was poorly received.

With Gillan and Glover on board, DEEP PURPLE recorded a series of extremely successful albums, which saw them blend the progressive stylings of their first three albums with an increasingly harder-edged approach, like 1970' ground-breaking "In Rock". Their sound featured lengthy, dazzling duels between Lord's Hammond and Blackmore's Stratocaster, punctuated by Gillan's sky-high screams - nowhere better embodied than in their stunning, 1972 live album, "Made in Japan". In the same year, they released "Machine Head", one of the essential rock albums of all time, which featured the seminal riff of "Smoke on the Water" (inspired by a true episode happened during the recording of the album itself in Montreux, Switzerland), as well as other classics such as "Highway Star" and "Space Truckin'".

Unfortunately, ego clash...
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DEEP PURPLE discography


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DEEP PURPLE top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.31 | 645 ratings
Shades of Deep Purple
1968
3.22 | 622 ratings
The Book of Taliesyn
1968
3.62 | 715 ratings
Deep Purple
1969
4.36 | 1362 ratings
Deep Purple in Rock
1970
3.82 | 952 ratings
Fireball
1971
4.34 | 1366 ratings
Machine Head
1972
3.04 | 647 ratings
Who Do We Think We Are
1973
3.87 | 938 ratings
Burn
1974
3.10 | 689 ratings
Stormbringer
1974
3.23 | 590 ratings
Come Taste the Band
1975
3.54 | 689 ratings
Perfect Strangers
1984
2.92 | 442 ratings
The House of Blue Light
1987
2.70 | 367 ratings
Slaves And Masters
1990
2.82 | 381 ratings
The Battle Rages On...
1993
3.67 | 445 ratings
Purpendicular
1996
2.85 | 337 ratings
Abandon
1998
3.03 | 365 ratings
Bananas
2003
3.32 | 351 ratings
Rapture Of The Deep
2005
3.97 | 391 ratings
Now What?!
2013
3.60 | 186 ratings
InFinite
2017
3.68 | 138 ratings
Whoosh!
2020
3.21 | 66 ratings
Turning to Crime
2021
3.81 | 50 ratings
= 1
2024

DEEP PURPLE Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.30 | 350 ratings
Concerto for Group and Orchestra
1969
4.52 | 763 ratings
Made in Japan
1972
3.82 | 121 ratings
California Jamming
1974
3.48 | 246 ratings
Made In Europe
1976
2.19 | 87 ratings
Last Concert in Japan
1977
4.36 | 161 ratings
Deep Purple In Concert
1980
3.38 | 77 ratings
Live in London
1982
3.24 | 79 ratings
Scandinavian Nights [Aka: Live and Rare]
1988
2.89 | 105 ratings
Nobody's perfect
1988
3.38 | 36 ratings
In The Absence Of Pink: Knebworth 85
1991
3.89 | 53 ratings
Gemini Suite
1993
4.32 | 82 ratings
Live in Japan
1993
3.41 | 90 ratings
Come Hell Or High Water
1994
4.55 | 11 ratings
On Stage: Black Night
1994
4.55 | 11 ratings
On Stage: Highway Star
1994
4.36 | 11 ratings
On Stage 1970 -1985
1994
3.62 | 37 ratings
Live in California 1976: On the Wings of a Russian Foxbat
1995
3.28 | 23 ratings
King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Deep Purple In Concert
1995
3.47 | 28 ratings
MK III The Final Concerts
1996
3.71 | 52 ratings
Live At The Olympia 96
1997
3.26 | 84 ratings
In Concert With the London Symphony Orchestra
1999
3.89 | 27 ratings
Total Abandon
1999
2.62 | 33 ratings
This Time Around: Live in Tokyo '75
2000
4.11 | 9 ratings
Australian Tour 2001 - Wollongong
2001
3.38 | 16 ratings
Live At The Rotterdam Ahoy
2001
3.32 | 15 ratings
Kneel & Pray
2001
2.16 | 18 ratings
Space Vol 1&2 - Live in Aachen 1970
2001
3.35 | 17 ratings
Inglewood - Live in California 1968
2002
4.04 | 24 ratings
Live in Denmark 1972
2002
3.85 | 13 ratings
Perks And Tit
2004
3.73 | 37 ratings
Live In Paris 1975: La Dernière Seance
2004
3.13 | 7 ratings
Deep Purple with the London Symphony Orchestra and friends
2005
4.25 | 8 ratings
Australian Tour 2001 - Newcastle
2005
3.22 | 17 ratings
Live in Europe
2006
3.75 | 36 ratings
Montreux 1996
2006
3.79 | 28 ratings
Live at Montreux 2006
2007
4.10 | 10 ratings
Live at Montreux and in Concert
2007
2.76 | 20 ratings
NEC 1993
2007
3.74 | 27 ratings
Deep Purple with Orchestra - Live at Montreux 2011
2011
3.46 | 26 ratings
BBC Sessions 1968-1970
2011
4.47 | 34 ratings
Perfect Strangers Live
2013
3.89 | 9 ratings
The Now What?! Live Tapes
2013
4.00 | 26 ratings
The Official Deep Purple (Overseas) Live Series: Graz 1975
2014
4.10 | 31 ratings
Long Beach 1971
2015
4.06 | 18 ratings
From the Setting Sun... (In Wacken)
2015
3.79 | 19 ratings
...To the Rising Sun (In Tokyo)
2015
4.42 | 12 ratings
Long Beach 1976
2016
4.00 | 8 ratings
The Infinite Live Recordings Vol.1
2017
4.20 | 5 ratings
Live in Newcastle 2001
2019
4.33 | 6 ratings
Live in Rome 2013
2019
4.00 | 2 ratings
Live in London 2002
2021
4.00 | 2 ratings
Live in Wollongong 2001
2021
3.50 | 2 ratings
Bombay Calling - Live in '95
2022

DEEP PURPLE Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

2.60 | 11 ratings
Rises Over Japan
1976
2.62 | 12 ratings
The Videosingles
1987
4.63 | 16 ratings
Doing Their Thing
1990
4.08 | 12 ratings
Heavy Metal Pioneers
1992
4.54 | 24 ratings
Scandinavian Nights
1992
3.68 | 40 ratings
In Concert With The London Symphony Orchestra
1999
4.19 | 18 ratings
Total Abandon
1999
4.08 | 12 ratings
Bombay Calling
2000
4.50 | 4 ratings
Around the World 1995-1999
2000
4.00 | 17 ratings
New, Live & Rare - The Video Collection 1984-2000
2001
4.05 | 58 ratings
Come hell or high water
2001
4.16 | 44 ratings
Concerto For Group And Orchestra
2002
4.09 | 24 ratings
Perihelion
2002
3.66 | 34 ratings
Machine Head - Classic Albums
2002
4.64 | 11 ratings
Masters From the Vaults
2003
4.42 | 12 ratings
Live Encounters
2004
3.74 | 9 ratings
Rock Review 1969-1972
2004
3.63 | 8 ratings
Deep Purple's Made In Japan (Rock Milestones)
2005
4.78 | 51 ratings
"Live in concert 1972/73"
2005
4.17 | 44 ratings
Live in California 74
2006
3.29 | 5 ratings
Reflections
2006
4.09 | 26 ratings
Live At Montreux 2006
2007
4.50 | 12 ratings
Around The World Live Boxset
2008
4.60 | 5 ratings
Stormbringers - The Inside Story
2008
4.71 | 28 ratings
History, Hits, & Highlights
2009
3.90 | 20 ratings
Phoenix Rising
2011
4.69 | 13 ratings
Deep Purple with Orchestra - Live at Montreux 2011
2011
4.36 | 27 ratings
Perfect Strangers Live
2013
4.17 | 12 ratings
Deep Purple with Orchestra - Live In Verona
2014
4.40 | 10 ratings
From the Setting Sun... (In Wacken)
2015
4.31 | 13 ratings
...To the Rising Sun (In Tokyo)
2015

DEEP PURPLE Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.56 | 9 ratings
Best of Deep Purple
1970
4.40 | 20 ratings
Purple Passages
1972
4.43 | 23 ratings
Mark I & II
1973
3.35 | 50 ratings
24 Carat Purple
1975
3.40 | 30 ratings
Powerhouse
1977
3.16 | 15 ratings
When We Rock, We Rock, and When We Roll, We Roll
1978
4.38 | 29 ratings
The Singles A's and B's
1978
4.15 | 13 ratings
The Mark 2 Purple Singles
1979
2.94 | 68 ratings
Deepest Purple - The Very Best Of Deep Purple
1980
4.57 | 7 ratings
Fireworks
1985
4.25 | 8 ratings
Greatest Purple
1985
4.00 | 3 ratings
The Anthology
1985
4.00 | 3 ratings
The Best Of Deep Purple
1987
4.40 | 5 ratings
Black Night - Best
1990
2.87 | 20 ratings
Knocking At Your Back Door: The Best Of Deep Purple In The 80s
1991
3.00 | 2 ratings
The Best of Deep Purple In Brazil
1991
3.90 | 21 ratings
The Compact Disc Anthology
1991
1.72 | 10 ratings
Progression
1993
4.19 | 24 ratings
The Deep Purple Singles A's and B's
1993
4.33 | 3 ratings
I Successi
1993
4.33 | 6 ratings
Soldier of Fortune: The Greatest Hits
1994
3.23 | 11 ratings
Smoke On The Water - The Best Of
1994
3.80 | 10 ratings
Child in time 1984-88
1995
4.20 | 5 ratings
The Collection
1997
2.24 | 14 ratings
Purplexed
1998
2.51 | 37 ratings
30: Very Best Of
1998
3.29 | 8 ratings
Under The Gun
1999
4.40 | 10 ratings
Shades 1968-1998 boxset
1999
3.68 | 7 ratings
Anthems
2000
4.00 | 7 ratings
Extended Versions
2000
3.18 | 16 ratings
The Very Best of Deep Purple
2000
4.08 | 7 ratings
On the Road
2001
4.33 | 6 ratings
The Soundboard Series
2001
4.50 | 6 ratings
Collectors Edition - The Bootleg Series 1984-2000 (12 CD)
2001
4.40 | 5 ratings
Very Best Deep Purple Album Ever
2001
4.00 | 7 ratings
In Profile
2001
4.57 | 14 ratings
Listen Learn Read On
2002
3.33 | 8 ratings
20th Century Masters: The Best of Deep Purple
2002
4.00 | 10 ratings
Singles Collection 68/76
2002
4.40 | 5 ratings
Winning Combinations split CD
2003
4.60 | 5 ratings
The Essential
2003
4.71 | 7 ratings
Purple Hits - The Best of Deep Purple
2003
2.62 | 10 ratings
The Early Years
2004
3.00 | 2 ratings
New Live & Rare
2004
4.08 | 17 ratings
The Platinum Collection
2005
4.40 | 5 ratings
The Ultra Selection
2005
1.83 | 5 ratings
The Deep Purple Collection
2006
3.53 | 6 ratings
Higway Stars
2006
3.40 | 6 ratings
Greatest Hits (Steel Box Collection)
2008
3.25 | 4 ratings
Gold - Greatest Hits
2009
4.60 | 10 ratings
Singles & E.P. Anthology 1968-1980
2010
3.33 | 3 ratings
Essential
2011
4.00 | 3 ratings
The Deep Purple Collection
2011
4.42 | 12 ratings
Now What?! (Gold Edition)
2013
4.27 | 11 ratings
Hard Road: The Mark 1 Studio Recordings 1968-69
2014
4.33 | 3 ratings
The Vinyl Collection
2016
4.00 | 8 ratings
A Fire in the Sky
2017
3.00 | 2 ratings
Classic Songs Live in Concert
2017

DEEP PURPLE Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

2.71 | 23 ratings
Hush / One More Rainy Day
1968
3.56 | 16 ratings
Kentucky Woman / Hard Road
1968
3.35 | 18 ratings
Emmaretta / The Bird Has Flown
1969
3.44 | 16 ratings
River Deep Mountain High / Listen, Learn, Read On
1969
3.35 | 21 ratings
Hallelujah (I am the preacher) / April (part one)
1969
4.52 | 26 ratings
Black Night/Speed King
1970
4.28 | 18 ratings
Speed King / Into the Fire
1970
2.70 | 11 ratings
Deep Purple In Rock
1970
4.11 | 24 ratings
Strange Kind Of Woman/I'm Alone
1971
4.25 | 20 ratings
Fireball
1971
4.00 | 13 ratings
April
1972
4.60 | 15 ratings
Black Night
1972
3.55 | 19 ratings
Never Before / When a Blind Man Cries
1972
4.62 | 21 ratings
Highway Star
1972
3.86 | 14 ratings
Super Trouper / Blood Sucker
1973
4.31 | 16 ratings
Woman from Tokyo
1973
4.62 | 21 ratings
Smoke On The Water
1973
4.29 | 17 ratings
Burn
1974
3.83 | 12 ratings
Might Just Take Your Life
1974
3.42 | 12 ratings
Lady Double Dealer
1974
3.56 | 9 ratings
You Can't Do It Right / High Ball Shooter
1974
3.85 | 13 ratings
Stormbringer
1975
3.90 | 10 ratings
You Keep on Movin'
1975
4.33 | 12 ratings
Child in Time / Smoke on the Water / Fireball
1975
4.00 | 6 ratings
New Live & Rare Vol. 2
1976
3.63 | 8 ratings
El vuelo del pajaro (The Bird Has Flown)
1977
4.00 | 6 ratings
New Live & Rare
1977
4.22 | 9 ratings
Black Night
1978
4.25 | 8 ratings
Burn
1980
3.83 | 6 ratings
New Live And Rare Vol.3
1980
4.25 | 12 ratings
Knocking At Your Back Door
1984
3.90 | 10 ratings
Nobody's Home
1984
4.14 | 14 ratings
Perfect Strangers
1984
4.14 | 7 ratings
Deep Purple
1984
3.80 | 5 ratings
Off the Record Special with Mary Turner
1985
4.14 | 7 ratings
Smoke On The Water / Living Wreck / No, No, No
1985
4.17 | 6 ratings
Black Night
1985
3.21 | 9 ratings
Bad Attitude
1987
4.13 | 8 ratings
Call of the Wild
1987
3.33 | 9 ratings
Hush
1988
3.10 | 10 ratings
Love Conquers All
1990
3.73 | 11 ratings
King of Dreams
1990
3.25 | 4 ratings
Fire in the Basement
1990
2.67 | 3 ratings
Tour Brasil '91
1991
4.00 | 9 ratings
Anya
1993
3.75 | 8 ratings
Time to Kill
1993
3.75 | 8 ratings
Talk About Love
1993
2.68 | 10 ratings
The Battle Rages On
1993
4.00 | 6 ratings
Anyone's Daughter / Speed King
1994
4.22 | 9 ratings
Black Night
1995
3.60 | 5 ratings
Aviator
1996
2.80 | 5 ratings
Hey Cisco
1996
4.59 | 8 ratings
Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming - Vavoom: Ted The Mechanic
1996
2.33 | 3 ratings
The Turtle Island Shuffle
1996
2.80 | 5 ratings
Don't Hold Your Breath
1996
3.17 | 6 ratings
Any Fule Kno That
1998
2.60 | 5 ratings
Don't Make Me Happy
1998
2.60 | 5 ratings
Whatsername
1998
4.00 | 4 ratings
Black Night (live Australia 1999)
1998
3.25 | 4 ratings
Smoke on the Water (live '99)
1999
2.88 | 23 ratings
Days May Come and Days May Go: The 1975 California Rehearsals
2000
4.00 | 10 ratings
1420 Beachwood Drive: The California Rehearsals Pt 2
2000
3.33 | 3 ratings
House of Pain
2003
3.33 | 3 ratings
Haunted
2003
3.29 | 7 ratings
Rapture of the Deep
2005
3.00 | 3 ratings
Rhino Hi-Five: Deep Purple
2005
3.57 | 7 ratings
Well Dressed Guitar
2005
3.50 | 2 ratings
Clearly Quite Absurd
2006
3.33 | 3 ratings
Encore: Lucille / Maybe I'm a Leo
2012
3.57 | 7 ratings
All The Time In The World
2013
4.00 | 3 ratings
Vincent Price
2013
3.67 | 3 ratings
Above and Beyond
2013
4.50 | 4 ratings
Hell to Pay
2013
3.67 | 3 ratings
Out of Hand
2015
3.75 | 4 ratings
Johnny's Band
2017
4.00 | 12 ratings
Time For Bedlam
2017
4.11 | 9 ratings
All I Got Is You
2017
4.00 | 5 ratings
Limitless
2017
4.00 | 2 ratings
Throw My Bones
2020
3.75 | 4 ratings
7 and 7 Is
2021
2.88 | 8 ratings
Portable Door
2024
3.09 | 2 ratings
Lazy Sod
2024

DEEP PURPLE Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Who Do We Think We Are by DEEP PURPLE album cover Studio Album, 1973
3.04 | 647 ratings

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Who Do We Think We Are
Deep Purple Proto-Prog

Review by VladAlex

4 stars I have read many negative reviews and comments about this album. They called it boring, unfinished, criticized for the lack of hits and usually mentioned Women from Tokyo as the only successful song. The appearance of such a weak album is usually explained by the accumulated fatigue after a tense tour and the growing confrontation between Ian Gillan and Ritchie Blackmore, which didn't benefit the creative process.

But I don't agree that this album is weak. Yes, it is inferior to In Rock and Machine Head, but it is definitely not weak. I don't understand why it is called unfinished. Listening to one of the fastest and most driving songs Smooth Dancer or the magnificent caustic Marylong or the expressive Super Trouper, I don't know how they can be improved more. All the elements of DP's style have already formed and embodied here, Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord still shine, in turns and together. Perhaps the perception was also influenced by the fact that DP was expected to continue the Machine Head's formula, where the drive and hard rock onslaught are perfectly balanced with keyboards, which were given a lot of scope for creativity. Yes, after all, a very high level was set by the previous albums.

The additional bonus tracks on the late reissue of the album are interesting first of all for the extended version of Women from Tokyo and the long First Day Jam, where Jon Lord seems to be rehearsing melodies for his next solo album.

 Fireball by DEEP PURPLE album cover Studio Album, 1971
3.82 | 952 ratings

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Fireball
Deep Purple Proto-Prog

Review by VladAlex

5 stars This is definitely not In Rock Part II. This album is like a swinging pendulum, on the other side of the amplitude, between In Rock and Machine Head. It is understandable: there were many musical ideas, the band's style was just forming. Of course, hard rock had already firmly taken root in the basis of the music, but with daring experiments: long dives into blues, like in No No No or a symbiosis of country and rock'n'roll, like in Anyone's Daughter, or a hybrid of techno and pseudo-blues Demon's Eye. A lot of space is devoted to improvisations, especially in No No No and Fools. There is also a wonderful fast number Fireball, which is bored in solitude next to more diverse songs. It looks like it belongs on Machine Head. Another energetic The Mule, where Ian Paice shines against the background of a languid electric organ, looks appropriate. In each song, the musical competition between Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord continues, becoming a real decoration of the album. In what other hard rock band of that time were keyboards as full-fledged an instrument as the guitar?

The 25th anniversary reissue of the album contains several bonus tracks that belong there. They are quite interesting, but seem to be from another time. The rhythm of Freedom reminded me of the melody of Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison. Another cheerful rock and roll is Slow Train. All these songs are in the style of Deep Purple mark I, so I suspect that they could be the embodiment of old musical ideas. It is also interesting to listen to The Noise Abatement Society Tapes with the outright hooliganism of Jon Lord on keyboards. And the instrumental version of Fireball can easily be used instead of karaoke, to try walking in Ian Gillan's shoes.

This is one of the most diverse albums of Deep Purple. The next time the band will record such unexpected music in Come Taste the Band and Purpendicular, and in both cases this will coincide with a change of guitarist. Clearly not by chance. Hard rock fans may have been disappointed. After the big breakthrough of In Rock, many were probably expecting a continuation in the same style. But for those who appreciate unconventional musical techniques like me, this is exactly what you need.

 Deep Purple by DEEP PURPLE album cover Studio Album, 1969
3.62 | 715 ratings

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Deep Purple
Deep Purple Proto-Prog

Review by VladAlex

4 stars When I listen to this album, I realize that there were many bands at that time that were doing something similar. Roughly the same mix of heavy rhythm and blues, psychedelia and the search for new musical forms can be heard in the debut album of Yes, which was released in the same year, or in The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack by The Nice, and even in Pink Floyd's Saucerful of Secrets, which were released a year earlier. This list of analogies can be continued for a very long time. In all of these albums, bold musical experiments are combined with simple, almost pop songs, and this is the difference between many albums recorded in the 60s. Certainly, in that decade, the bands sounded more similar to each other, while maintaining their originality. Such a contradictory feeling.

Yes, "musical nazis" still remember Deep Purple's first four albums, recorded in the pre-hard rock era. Although I have heard the opinion more than once that the most interesting music was created by DP Mark 1. However, opinions regarding different forms of art are always subjective. We will never know what kind of music the group would have performed further if it had not been influenced by the debut albums of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. But I suppose that this album can partially answer this question. The song Blind with a gorgeous part of either piano or harpsichord, and especially April with its innovative for that time combination of rock and classical music are very close to progressive rock (Concerto for Group and Orchestra is even closer, it must be admitted that even the founders of progressive at that time did not think of the idea of ​​recording with a symphony orchestra!) I think Deep Purple could well have become another trendsetter of progressive rock, and perhaps then this genre would have looked somewhat different. Heaven knows... Jon Lord's musical preferences and Ritchie Blackmore's undoubted talent were a great launching pad to take the band in a prog-rock direction. Or in some other direction. But we all know what happened a year later, and what path the band eventually took.

But this album remains one of the most interesting in the 60s for me. It sums up the first stage of the band's work and, together with the neoclassical composition of the same name, is a wonderful finale for it.

 Deep Purple in Rock by DEEP PURPLE album cover Studio Album, 1970
4.36 | 1362 ratings

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Deep Purple in Rock
Deep Purple Proto-Prog

Review by VladAlex

5 stars One of the origins of hard rock and all derivative styles. It all took shape here. Of course, the forerunners of the style were not Deep Purple, but Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Yardbirds, Kinks, Iron Butterfly, Vanilla Fudge, Mountain and many others, some more, some less. But it was Deep Purple, together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, who created the basis of the style at the turn of the 60s and 70s, and all subsequent hard rockers were largely guided by their legacy. This has long been well known.

In Rock clearly and intelligibly captures all the classic features of the genre: a high-speed guitar that strikes like lightning and deafens like thunder, powerful vocals, killer drums that can crush stones. Periodically, the keyboards come into play, sometimes intertwining with the guitar squall, sometimes unraveling, periodically coming to the fore, sometimes hiding behind the scenes. This is especially well heard in Speed ​​King, Bloodsucker, Flight of the Rat. The immortal Child in Time stands at the origins of all hard rock ballads, probably without it there would not be Scorpions and Foreigner as they are. It was in this album that the easily recognizable creative style of Deep Purple was revealed and fixed, where along with the frantic guitar of Ritchie Blackmore, the electric organ of John Lord and the sometimes soaring, sometimes growling, sometimes screaming voice of Ian Gillan are a full-fledged instrument. An indisputable starting point in the development of all heavy music in all its diversity and nuances. Each song is in its place, nothing superfluous.

The anniversary reissue of 1995 includes several bonus tracks, which in my opinion add almost nothing to the greatness of the album. Among them is Black Night, which we have already heard in this version. The piano version of Speed ​​King looks unfinished, but interesting from the point of view of spying on the studio sessions of the album. Cry Free and Jam Stew may have been recorded earlier, they are both in the style of DP Mark I. The purpose of including remixes of Flight of the Rat and Speed ​​King is unclear - I did not hear any noticeable differences from the original. The only really interesting addition is an extended version of Black Night without the cut instrumental interlude, which concludes the bonus part of the disc. It is because of this that I rate the bonus part of the disc 3 stars, not 2. The album itself is 5 stars, of course.

 Machine Head by DEEP PURPLE album cover Studio Album, 1972
4.34 | 1366 ratings

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Machine Head
Deep Purple Proto-Prog

Review by VladAlex

5 stars In my opinion, this album became the apogee of the band's work. In Rock, with its undeniable musical innovation, is too saturated with heavy guitar sound, in Fireball the band often boldly goes beyond the style. It seems that the band continued to search for its own style. And in Machine Head everything seems perfectly balanced: powerful drive, smashing guitar, sometimes giving way to keyboards, crystal clear vocals, and throughout the entire album - solid powerful fiery hard rock, striking into the very heart and taking out the soul. As if after creative searches, all five members of the band clearly understand what and how they want to play, and managed to convey this in their music, despite all the adventures that preceded the recording of the album (of course, everyone knows this story from the song Smoke on the Water). I do not see any weak or passable songs in it. Every song knows its place, the album rushes forward like a train on rails, starting with the expressive Highway Star (DP knew how to choose the right first song!) and ending with the equally fiery Space Truckin'.

I feel like I wrote a subjective review. I admit it. Machine Head is very special to me. The events in which we first discover music often influence its perception. At least that's how it is with me. Of all the Deep Purple albums, Machine Head was the first one I heard, this significant event happened around 1993. A little earlier, I took a small paperback book from a girl I knew, which contained information about all the Deep Purple albums, the history of the band, song lists, interview fragments. At that time, I heard only Child in Time and maybe Smoke on the Water. I don't remember why I first recorded Machine Head on an audio cassette, but it was destined to become my favorite. Even the recognized classics In Rock and Fireball are in its shadow for me, although I enjoy listening to them too. Machine Head was the breakthrough in Deep Purple's work for me, and for me he is number one forever. Five stars for sure.

 Perfect Strangers by DEEP PURPLE album cover Studio Album, 1984
3.54 | 689 ratings

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Perfect Strangers
Deep Purple Proto-Prog

Review by VladAlex

4 stars I consider this album to be one of the most striking comebacks of bands in the history of rock. It is completely saturated with incredible energy and drive. All the elements of Deep Purple magic are still in place: inventive riffs of Ritchie Blackmore, powerful keyboard background of Jon Lord with periodic explosions of luxurious improvisations, mathematically precise rhythm of drums of Ian Paice and bass guitar of Roger Glover, and of course still clear and powerful vocals of Ian Gillan. This puzzle was especially successfully put together in the first song Knocking at Your Back Door, where the musicians take turns to play and set the tone for the entire album. This will happen again in the songs Perfect Strangers and Wasted Sunsets, which are also memorable for their original philosophical lyrics, not quite typical for Deep Purple. But the other songs are not weak either. It is worth noting the dashing A Gypsy's Kiss, very fast and driving. A later reissue of the album includes a wonderful lyrical instrumental Son Of Alerik, where Ritchie Blackmore's guitar sounds unusually soft and competes in sadness with Jon Lord's organ. In its style, it does not match the content of the album, but it is great to listen to on its own and is perfect for its finale.

I think that with this album Deep Purple once again set a very high standard, which was never surpassed later. It is worthy of standing in the same row with In Rock, Fireball, Machine Head. Of the subsequent albums, only The Battle Rages On was able to come a little closer to it. Of course, there were good albums later, but without Ritchie Blackmore it is a different story. Four stars without options.

 Made in Japan by DEEP PURPLE album cover Live, 1972
4.52 | 763 ratings

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Made in Japan
Deep Purple Proto-Prog

Review by VladAlex

5 stars This album is still being discussed and reviewed 50 years after its release. This is the best answer to the question of its greatness and significance not only for Deep Purple, but for the entire world of rock music. It is really difficult to add anything to the numerous reviews written here before me. I agree that this concert captured the band at the peak of their creative and performing abilities. Yes, they still have many great albums and concerts ahead, but there will never be a second In Rock and Machine Head. And the golden line-up of DP will last only a year to make another album with the eloquent title Who Do We Think We Are and then disperse for ten years.

But all this will come later. And here and now the band gives the best they can. A gorgeous interplay of keyboards and drums in Highway Star, charged with incredible energy. The sumptuous keyboard introduction to Child in Time, more expansive and majestic than the studio version, the irresistible attack of Blackmore's guitar that sings, howls and thunders, Gillan at his best vocally against a piercing electric organ that seems to scream along with him. Smoke on the Water is a great performance, a more extended version thanks to the guitar improvisation, and the following song The Mule consists mainly of a completely mind-blowing drum solo that stands on its own and is considered a benchmark. Strange Kind of Woman shows a great cross-over between Blackmore's guitar and Gillan's. Lazy begins with an expressive psychedelic organ introduction that then becomes more calm and disturbing. The song, which has few lyrics, is perfect for improvisation, and Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore take turns shining here for over 10 minutes. The final song of the concert, Space Truckin', starts similar to Lazy, but then the band goes off to explore exotic soundscapes for almost 20 minutes. From the seventh minute and for the next few minutes, the band sounds very reminiscent of The Nice, I wouldn't have told the difference if I didn't know better. The same tricks with the electric organ, the same clear, muscular, rich rhythm section

A great live album, without a doubt. DP gave it their all. Only seven songs, but it feels like we heard them all. Yes, Deep Purple demonstrated only a part of their incredible potential on studio albums, and fully revealed themselves in concert. It was then that it became obvious that hard rock is not only loudness, shaking long hair and smashing guitars on stage. However, Deep Purple did not fit into this style from the very beginning, as their first four albums, individual songs and solo projects of Jon Lord and Roger Glover eloquently testify. Yes, this is debatable. But the fact that they set a kind of benchmark that few have managed to achieve is indisputable to me.

 Come hell or high water by DEEP PURPLE album cover DVD/Video, 2001
4.05 | 58 ratings

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Come hell or high water
Deep Purple Proto-Prog

Review by VladAlex

4 stars I have mixed emotions about this concert. I bought this recording on videotape around 1995, when I was just getting to know Deep Purple. A year later they released a new album, without Ritchie Blackmore, and gave their first concert in my hometown of Kiev. There are different opinions about this period of creativity, but for me this concert will always remain one of the epochal events, at least because it was one of the first performances of the band that I saw.

But if I try to evaluate this concert objectively, then there will be no serious criticism from me. This performance captured Deep Purple at another sharp turn in their turbulent history. Ritchie Blackmore left the band in the middle of this tour, again his feud with Ian Gillan (I think everyone knows this story). But this did not affect the quality of the music. Yes, previous commentators have mentioned the twisted version of Highway Star with a slightly crumpled solo by Ritchie Blackmore, and we can recall the still not properly sung Women from Tokyo and Lazy (with a wonderful drum solo by Ian Paice as compensation). But we can say a few good words about the luxuriously played Perfect Strangers with a pompous organ introduction, or about the incredible Beethoven's Ninth, well known from Rainbow's live performances. How Jon Lord plays here, weaving together different themes - psychedelia, jazz, classical, electronica and even rock and roll! This composition seems to have been written for him.

It seems that some songs sound even better here than on the studio albums. This is the already mentioned Perfect Strangers, and also - Knocking at Your Back Door and Black Night, one of the first Deep Purple songs with Ian Gillan on vocals. They especially clearly feel the unique concert energy, when all the musicians merge into a single whole and sound like a single organism, understanding each other at a glance, competing with each other, and all for the sake of one thing - music. I would also like to highlight the beautifully played semi-acoustic version of Anyone`s Daughter and the magnificent Child Time, where Ian Gillan's voice soars into the sky like a spiral, and Ritchie Blackmore's guitar explodes like a firework of riffs and chords. Also memorable is the very energetic performance of Enya, one of the most unusual Deep Purple songs from their latest album at that time. It found room for beautiful keyboard and guitar improvisation. But the no less energetic The Battle Rages On is played almost the same way as the studio version.

What else could be interesting about this particular concert? Obviously, this was the last performance of the classic golden line-up of Deep Purple. Ritchie Blackmore will soon leave forever. It is also here that one of the last performances of Child in Time will be heard, which Ian Gillan could no longer sing with the full force of his vocal cords. A new stage will soon begin, and it is this concert that closes the previous page of Deep Purple history.

 The Battle Rages On... by DEEP PURPLE album cover Studio Album, 1993
2.82 | 381 ratings

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The Battle Rages On...
Deep Purple Proto-Prog

Review by VladAlex

3 stars I read that this album was planned to be recorded with Joe Lynn Taylor, but the record company insisted on Gillan's return. This clearly did not contribute to the restoration of good relations between Blackmore and Gillan, perhaps this was reflected in the actual title of the album, although Blackmore later sarcastically called it "The cattle grazes on". We can only guess what this album would have sounded like with Joe Lynn Turner's vocals. Probably, it would have been a continuation of the same AOR in the style of late Rainbow and Slaves&Masters. Not so bad, although not the best that both bands created.

However, this album is not a masterpiece either. This is typical hard rock without any special emotions and sophistication, that is, the formula of the late Rainbow has still been preserved. Only the magnificent luxurious Enya stands out from the crowd, where DP briefly go beyond the style. The lyrics there are also original. But this is their only attempt to expand the musical framework. Jon Lord's keyboards are barely audible, and a number of songs are potential radio hits with catchy melodies and a minimum of instrumental flourishes. The energetic title track of the same name is especially successful, as are the driving "Time to Kill" and "Lick It Up". The wonderful minor-key semi-ballad "Solitaire" is also worth mentioning. Yes, it's not bad, but that's not the only reason we love Deep Purple. Three stars without any compromises.

 Fireball by DEEP PURPLE album cover Studio Album, 1971
3.82 | 952 ratings

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Fireball
Deep Purple Proto-Prog

Review by siLLy puPPy
Special Collaborator PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic

4 stars Riding high off the smashing success of "In Rock" which propelled DEEP PURPLE into the realms of superstar status, the band became the hottest act in the UK and Europe and was obviously quite in demand for live performances and other promotional engagements which led to very little time in developing a proper follow up album that the record companies demanded with a cracking whip back in the day. During these busy times the strains of the band began to show with both Roger Glover and Jon Lord suffering physical ailments while Ritchie Blackmore and Ian Gillan butted heads about a great many things which would ultimately end the Mark I lineup shortly down the road.

Nevertheless the show must go on and DEEP PURPLE delivered the goods in 1971 with FIREBALL after releasing the non-album single "Strange Kind Of Woman" earlier in the year to keep the band in the public's eye. While commercially successful and keeping the band relevant, FIREBALL was a major departure from what was heard on "In Rock" and while that album was instrumental in cementing DEEP PURPLE as one of the big three in the development of heavy metal, FIREBALL on the other hand found the band toning things down a bit looking more to the world of bluesy hard rock without the fiery bombast. Yet even though considered the inferior sibling sandwiched between the band's two major powerhouses of its career, FIREBALL does have its charm and has its way of weaseling its way into your heart.

FIREBALL was released differently in the US and UK with the former featuring the single "Strange Kind Of Woman" and the UK version replacing it with "Demon's Eye." Like most early DEEP PURPLE albums, this one found a gussied up 25th anniversary edition with all the singles and non-album tracks as well as demos in abundance tacked on to the end. The album begins with the title track which is the closest thing to what was heard on "In Rock" and must have lulled the listener into a false sense of expectation as it featured the same heavy hitting drive with Ian Paice pummeling out his top dog drumming skills as one of classic rock's most competent drummers. The catchy riffs and haunting organ backing by Jon Lord found the usual Blackmore guitar soloing trading off with Lord's classical key contributions and the track remains the best known from the album.

However starting with the second track "No No No" things change quite a bit with a slowed down groove and a rather funky blues rock vibe that features slide guitar action and a rather repetitive verse / chorus / bridge type of song structure. While the album didn't quite appeal to me at first with songs like this stymying my enjoyment factor, subsequent exposures have proven to find this one as well as the album to sink in on a deeper level. I am now hooked. On the original UK version "Demon Eyes" occupied the third position and likewise offers the same sort of groovy boogie rock with a heavy dose of organ bombast that likewise offers a palatable enough hook to eventually sink your teeth into.

The one turkey on the album is the head scratching country folk honky tonk rocker "Anyone's Daughter" which sounds woefully out of place. An Ian Gillan penned lyric oriented track that unfortunately yields clunky lines such as "Why do i always get the kind of girl that i didn't oughta get." The track would be fine on an album by The Band but woefully out of place on a DEEP PURPLE album. Given it's awkward middle section that rather breaks up the continuity of the album, it would've made much more sense to place either the single "Strange Kind Of Woman" or its superior B-side "I'm Alone" in its stead.

The second side is the most dynamic and most interesting as the band offers a more sophisticated approach that borders on proto-prog with the stellar counterpoint-rich "The Mule" that served as the perfect gateway for Ian Paice's phenomenal drum solo on "Made In Japan." The track features a unique atmospheric overlay while Blackmore delivers some nicely delivered guitar wizardry along with really cool tones. "Fools" is probably my favorite track on the album with its trippy psychedelic intro that hypnotizes you before bursting into the satisfying chord progression that constitutes the main song structure. This track finds al the musicians as well as Gillan's vocals at top performance on FIREBALL. The closing "No One Came" is also a fascinating departure from anything DEEP PURPLE had released before with a simple riff acting as the backdrop for Gillan's narrative vocal delivers to discuss the ironies of being a famous rock star in a band and all the contradictions that come with the package with yet again more stellar performances by the band members.

While tamer than "In Rock" and a bit more esoteric sounding than the more familiar "Machine Head," FIREBALL is a strange little bedfellow next to its more famous counterparts that bookend it. Panned by the band itself as their weakest effort with the exception of Ian Gillan who is very fond of it, FIREBALL is one that started out mediocre for me but as i continued to listen to it consistently for a period of weeks it slowly unleashed its magic and once all comparisons between other albums dropped out of the big picture then suddenly i found myself loving this album a lot with the sole exception of "Anyone's Daughter" which i always gleefully skip without looking back! While this album will always linger in the shadow of the band's more popular albums, FIREBALL should have been titled "Curveball" because it delivers a totally different reaction than what your initial impressions are. It's an excellent album that i'm grateful i persisted in cracking the code because now it's one of my favorite DEEP PURPLE albums that i really can't get enough of when i'm in the mood for early 70s hard rock.

Thanks to Raff for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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