Deep Purple | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Deep Purple survived a seemingly endless series of line-up changes and a dramatic mid-career shift from grandiose progressive rock to ear-shattering heavy metal to emerge as a true institution of the British hard rock community. Once credited in The Guinness Book of World Records as the globes loudest band, their revolving-door roster launched the careers of performers including Ritchie Blackmore, David Coverdale, and Ian Gillan. Deep Purple were formed in Hertford, England in 1968 with an inaugural line-up that featured guitarist Blackmore, vocalist Rod Evans, bassist Nick Simper, keyboardist Jon Lord, and drummer Ian Paice. Initially dubbed Roundabout, the group was first assembled as a session band for ex-Searchers drummer Chris Curtis but quickly went their own way, touring Scandinavia before beginning work on their debut LP, Shades of Deep Purple. The most pop-oriented release of their career, the album generated a Top Five American hit with its reading of Joe Souths "Hush" but otherwise went unnoticed at home. The Book of Taliesyn followed (in the U.S. only) in 1969, again cracking the U.S. Top 40 with a cover of Neil Diamonds "Kentucky Woman." With their self-titled third LP, Deep Purples ambitions grew, however; the songs reflected a new complexity and density as Lords classically influenced keyboards assumed a much greater focus. Soon after the albums release, their American label Tetragrammaton folded, and with the dismissal of Evans and Simper, the band started fresh, recruiting singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover from the ranks of the pop group Episode Six. The revamped Deep Purples first album, 1970s Concerto for Group and Orchestra, further sought to fuse rock and classical music. When the project, which was recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, was poorly received, Blackmore took creative control of the band, steering it toward a heavier, guitar-dominated approach that took full advantage of Gillans powerful vocals. The gambit worked: 1970s Deep Purple in Rock heralded the beginning of the groups most creatively and commercially successful period. At home, the album sold over a million copies, with the subsequent non-LP single "Black Night" falling just shy of topping the U.K. pop charts. Released in 1971, Fireball was also a smash, scoring a hit with "Strange Kind of Woman." Plans to record the follow-up at the Casino in Montreux, Switzerland, were derailed after the venue burned down during a live appearance by Frank Zappa, but the experience inspired Deep Purples most enduring hit, the AOR staple "Smoke on the Water." The song, featured on the multi-platinum classic Machine Head, reached the U.S. Top Five in mid-1972 and positioned Deep Purple among rocks elite; the band consolidated its status with the 1973 studio follow-up Who Do We Think We Are and the hit "Woman from Tokyo." However, long-simmering creative differences between Blackmore and Gillan pushed the latter out of the group that same year, with Glover soon exiting as well. Singer David Coverdale and bassist/singer Glenn Hughes were recruited for 1974s Burn, and Gillan meanwhile formed a band bearing his own name. After completing 1974s Stormbringer, Blackmore left Deep Purple as well, to form Rainbow with vocalist Ronnie James Dio; his replacement was ex-James Gang guitarist Tommy Bolin, who made his debut on Come Taste the Band. All the changes clearly took their toll, however, and following a farewell tour, the group dissolved in 1976. Coverdale, meanwhile, went on to form Whitesnake, and Bolin died of a drug overdose later in the year. The classic lineup of Blackmore, Gillan, Lord, Glover, and Paice reunited Deep Purple in 1984 for a new album, the platinum smash Perfect Strangers. The House of Blue Light followed three years later, but as past tensions resurfaced, Gillan again exited in mid-1989. Onetime Rainbow vocalist Joe Lynn Turner was recruited for 1990s Slaves and Masters before Gillan again rejoined to record The Battle Rages On..., an apt title as Blackmore quit the group midway through the supporting tour, temporarily replaced by Joe Satriani. In 1994, Steve Morse took over the guitar slot (fresh from a stint in Kansas), and the revitalized group returned to the studio for 1996s Purpendicular, which proved a success among the Purple faithful. Abandon followed in 1998, as well as a 1999 orchestral performance released the following year as Live at the Royal Albert Hall. Deep Purple were given the box set treatment the same year with the four-disc set Shades: 1968-1998, which collected hits, demos, live takes, and unreleased tracks from throughout the years (touching upon all of Purples different lineups). Meanwhile, Blackmore kept himself busy after leaving the band by issuing a single album with his briefly resuscitated outfit Rainbow (1998s Stranger in Us All), before forming the Renaissance-inspired Blackmores Night with fiancée/vocalist Candice Night. Despite continuing lineup upheavals, Deep Purple remained active well into the 21st century. Keyboardist Lord departed the band in 2002 and issued several classical albums during the remainder of the decade; sadly, he died in 2012 after battling pancreatic cancer for nearly a year. Lords replacement in Deep Purple during the new millennium was Don Airey, and the band issued two surprisingly strong albums with a lineup of Gillan, Glover, Paice, Morse, and Airey: 2003s Bananas and 2005s Rapture of the Deep. The late 90s and early 2000s also saw the release of many archival releases and collections preserving the bands enduring legacy (Machine Heads 25th anniversary, Friends & Relatives, Rhinos The Very Best Of, and Days May Come and Days May Go: The 1975 California Rehearsals), as well as a slew of DVDs (Total Abandon: Live Australia 1999, In Concert with the London Symphony Orchestra, Bombay Calling, and New Live & Rare). The impressive and timeless-sounding Now What?!, produced by Bob Ezrin, appeared early in 2013. Surviving members of Deep Purple came together for a tribute concert held April 4, 2014 at Royal Albert Hall that marked the 45th anniversary of when Jon Lords "Concerto for Group and Orchestra" first debuted there. The event was chronicled on film and on two albums, Celebrating Jon Lord: The Rock Legend and Celebrating Jon Lord: The Composer, which appeared in the fall of 2014. The group returned to the same Nashville studio with Ezrin early in 2016. A pre-release single of the opening track, "Time for Bedlam," was issued in December. In January, Infinites title, cover, and track listing were announced. In an interview, Airey described the album as "a little heavier than the last one...a bit more prog." Infinite was released in April 2017 as a precursor to Deep Purples global "Long Goodbye Tour." Later that year, Rhino issued Fire in the Sky, a 40-track career retrospective that included at least one track from every studio album through 2013s Now What?! The Infinite tour was documented with the 2018 live release, The Infinite Live Recordings, Vol. 1. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 43 Title: Shades of Deep Purple Released: 1968-09 Tracks: 8 Duration: 43:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 And the Address (04:38) 2 Hush (04:25) 3 One More Rainy Day (03:38) 4 Prelude: Happiness / I’m So Glad (07:19) 5 Mandrake Root (06:09) 6 Help (06:00) 7 Love Help Me (03:49) 8 Hey Joe (07:26) |
| Shades of Deep Purple : Allmusic album Review : The usual perception of early Deep Purple is that it was a band with a lot of potential in search of a direction. And that might be true of their debut LP, put together in three days of sessions in May of 1968, but its still a hell of an album. From the opening bars of "And the Address," its clear that theyd gotten down the fundamentals of heavy metal from day one, and at various points the electricity and the beat just surge forth in ways that were startlingly new in the summer of 1968. Ritchie Blackmore never sounded less at ease as a guitarist than he does on this album, and the sound mix doesnt exactly favor the heavier side of his playing, but the rhythm section of Nick Simper and Ian Paice rumble forward, and Jon Lords organ flourishes, weaving classical riffs, and unexpected arabesques into "Im So Glad," which sounds rather majestic here. "Hush" was the number that most people knew at the time (it was a hit single in America), and it is a smooth, crunchy interpretation of the Joe South song. But nobody could have been disappointed with the rest of this record -- one can even hear the very distant origins of "Smoke on the Water" in "Mandrake Root," once one gets past the similarities to Jimi Hendrixs "Foxy Lady"; by the songs extended finale, they sound more like the Nice. Their version of "Help" is one of the more interesting reinterpretations of a Beatles song, as a slow, rough-textured dirge. "Hey Joe" is a bit overblown, and the group clearly had to work a bit at both songwriting and their presentation, but one key attribute that runs through most of this record -- even more so than the very pronounced heaviness of the playing -- is a spirit of fun; these guys are obviously having the time of their lives rushing through their limited repertoire, and its infectious to the listener; it gives this record much more of a 60s feel than were accustomed to hearing from this band. [The EMI/Spitfire re-release from 2000 is notably superior to any prior version of the CD, made from the original master tape (which had been sent directly to the groups American label, Tetragrammaton, leaving EMI with a vinyl dub, astonishingly enough), with textures far closer and crisper than have ever been heard before -- there are also five bonus tracks, two very early outtakes from their earliest sessions, an alternate version of "Help," a BBC recording of "Hey Joe," and a searing live U.S. television performance of "Hush."] | ||
 | Album: 2 of 43 Title: The Book of Taliesyn Released: 1968-10 Tracks: 7 Duration: 43:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Listen, Learn, Read On (04:05) 2 Wring That Neck (05:14) 3 Kentucky Woman (04:45) 4 Exposition / We Can Work It Out (07:04) 5 Shield (06:05) 6 Anthem (06:31) 7 River Deep, Mountain High (10:05) |
| The Book of Taliesyn : Allmusic album Review : Several months after the innovative remake of "You Keep Me Hanging On," Englands answer to Vanilla Fudge was this early version of Deep Purple, which featured vocalist Rod Evans, and bassist Nick Simper, along with mainstays Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, and Ian Paice. This, their second album, followed on the heels of "Hush," a dynamic arrangement of a Joe South tune, far removed from the flavor of one of his own hits, "Walk a Mile in My Shoes." Four months later, this albums cover of Neil Diamonds Top 25, 1967 gem "Kentucky Woman," went Top 40 for Deep Purple. Also like Vanilla Fudge, the groups own originals were creative, thought-provoking, but not nearly as interesting as their take on cover tunes. Vanilla Fudge did "Eleanor Rigby," and Deep Purple respond by going inside "We Can Work It Out" -- it falls out of nowhere after the progressive rock jam "Exposition," Ritchie Blackmores leads zipping in between Rod Evans smooth and precise vocals. As Vanilla Fudge was progressively leaning more towards psychedelia, here Deep Purple are the opposite. The boys claim to be inspired by the Bard of King Arthurs court in Camelot, Taliesyn. John Vernon Lord, under the art direction of Les Weisbrich, paints a superb wonderland on the album jacket, equal to the madness of Hieronymous Boschs cover painting used for the third album. Originals "The Shield" and "Anthem" make early Syd Barrett Pink Floyd appear punk in comparison. Novel sounds are aided by Lords dominating keyboards, a signature of this group. Though "The Anthem" is more intriguing than the heavy metal thunder of Machine Head, it is overwhelmed by the majesty of their "River Deep, Mountain High" cover, definitely not the inspiration for the Supremes and Four Tops 1971 hit version. By the time 1972 came around, Deep Purple immersed themselves in dumb lyrics, unforgettable riffs, and a huge presence, much like Black Sabbath. The evolution from progressive to hard rock was complete, but a combination of what they did here -- words that mattered matched by innovative musical passages -- would have been a more pleasing combination. Vanilla Fudge would cut Donovans "Season of the Witch," Deep Purple followed this album by covering his "Lalena"; both bands abandoned the rewrites their fans found so fascinating. Rod Evans voice was subtle enough to take "River Deep, Mountain High" to places Ian Gillam might have demolished. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 43 Title: Deep Purple Released: 1969-06-21 Tracks: 7 Duration: 44:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Chasing Shadows (05:34) 2 Blind (05:26) 3 Lalena (05:05) 4 Fault Line / The Painter (05:39) 5 Why Didn’t Rosemary? (05:04) 6 Bird Has Flown (05:36) 7 April (12:03) |
| Deep Purple : Allmusic album Review : This is a record that even those who arent Deep Purple fans can listen to two or three times in one sitting -- but then, this wasnt much like any other album that the group ever issued. Actually, Deep Purple was highly prized for many years by fans of progressive rock, and for good reason. The group was going through a transition -- original lead singer Rod Evans and bassist Nick Simper would be voted out of the lineup soon after the album was finished (although they werent told about it until three months later), organist Jon Lord and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore having perceived limitations in their work in terms of where each wanted to take the band. And between Lords ever-greater ambitions toward fusing classical and rock and Blackmores ever-bolder guitar attack, both of which began to coalesce with the session for Deep Purple in early 1969, the group managed to create an LP that combined heavy metals early, raw excitement, intensity, and boldness with progressive rocks complexity and intellectual scope, and virtuosity on both levels. On "The Painter," "Why Didnt Rosemary?," and, especially, "Bird Has Flown," they strike a spellbinding balance between all of those elements, and Evans work on the latter is one of the landmark vocal performances in progressive rock. "April," a three-part suite with orchestral accompaniment, is overall a match for such similar efforts by the Nice as the "Five Bridges Suite," and gets extra points for crediting its audience with the patience for a relatively long, moody developmental section and for including a serious orchestral interlude that does more than feature a pretty tune, exploiting the timbre of various instruments as well as the characteristics of the full ensemble. Additionally, the band turns in a very successful stripped-down, hard rock version of Donovans "Lalena," with an organ break that shows Lords debt to modern jazz as well as classical training. In all, amid all of those elements -- the orchestral accompaniment, harpsichord embellishments, and backward organ and drum tracks -- Deep Purple holds together astonishingly well as a great body of music. This is one of the most bracing progressive rock albums ever, and a successful vision of a musical path that the group might have taken but didnt. Ironically, the groups American label, Tetragrammaton Records, which was rapidly approaching bankruptcy, released this album a lot sooner than EMI did in England, but ran into trouble over the use of the Hieronymus Bosch painting "The Garden of Earthly Delights" on the cover; although it has been on display at the Vatican, the work was wrongly perceived as containing profane images and never stocked as widely in stores as it mightve been. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 43 Title: Deep Purple in Rock Released: 1970-06-03 Tracks: 7 Duration: 42:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Speed King (04:23) 2 Bloodsucker (04:11) 3 Child in Time (10:18) 4 Flight of the Rat (07:55) 5 Into the Fire (03:29) 6 Living Wreck (04:32) 7 Hard Lovin’ Man (07:10) |
| Deep Purple in Rock : Allmusic album Review : After satisfying all of their classical music kinks with keyboard player Jon Lords overblown Concerto for Group and Orchestra, Deep Purples soon to be classic Mark II version made its proper debut and established the sonic blueprint that would immortalize this lineup of the band on 1970s awesome In Rock. The cacophony of sound (spearheaded by Ritchie Blackmores blistering guitar solo) introducing opener "Speed King" made it immediately obvious that the band was no longer fooling around, but the slightly less intense "Bloodsucker" did afford stunned listeners a chance to catch their breaths before the band launched into the albums epic, ten-minute tour de force, "Child in Time." In what still stands as arguably his single greatest performance, singer Ian Gillan led his bandmates on a series of hypnotizing crescendos, from the songs gentle beginning through to its ear-shattering climax and then back again for an even more intense encore that brought the original vinyl albums seismic first side to a close. Side two opened with the searing power chords of "Flight of the Rat" -- another example of the bands new take-no-prisoners hard rock stance, though at nearly eight minutes, it too found room for some extended soloing from Blackmore and Lord. Next, "Into the Fire" and "Living Wreck" proved more concise but equally appealing, and though closer "Hard Lovin Man" finally saw the new-look Deep Purple waffling on a bit too long before descending into feedback, the die was cast for one of heavy metals defining albums. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 43 Title: Fireball Released: 1971-08 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:07:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Fireball (03:24) 2 No No No (06:53) 3 Demon’s Eye (06:09) 4 Anyone’s Daughter (04:43) 5 The Mule (05:21) 6 Fools (08:18) 7 No One Came (06:25) 8 Strange Kind of Woman (remix 96) (04:05) 9 I’m Alone (03:07) 10 Freedom (03:34) 11 Slow Train (05:35) 12 The Noise Abatement Society Tapes (04:15) 13 Fireball (take 1, instrumental) (04:07) 14 Piano Insert (00:57) |
| Fireball : Allmusic album Review : One of Deep Purples four indispensable albums (the others being In Rock, Machine Head, and Burn), 1971s Fireball saw the band broadening out from the no-holds-barred hard rock direction of the previous years cacophonous In Rock. Metal machine noises introduced the sizzling title track -- an unusually compact but explosively tight group effort on which Jon Lords organ truly shined. The somewhat tiring repetitions of "No No No" actually threatened to drop the ball next, but the fantastic single "Strange Kind of Woman" nimbly caught and set it rolling again, just in time for the innuendo-encrusted hilarity of "Anyones Daughter," featuring one of singer Ian Gillans first (and still best) humorous storylines to go with one of guitarist Ritchie Blackmores most uncharacteristic, bluesiest performances ever. "The Mule" opened the vinyl albums second side with what is perhaps Purples finest instrumental, and on the hyper-extended "Fools," the bandmembers proved they could flirt with progressive rock without plunging off its cliff (although the song could probably have done without its drawn-out middle section). And closing the album was the exceptional "No One Came," where intertwining instrumental lines locked together beautifully, Gillan wove another entertaining yarn that was part autobiography and part Monty Python, and the often underrated skills of drummer Ian Paice helped the song sound so unreservedly fresh and intuitive that one could almost be convinced the band had winged it on the spot. Sure, the following years Machine Head would provide Deep Purple with their commercial peak, but on Fireball, the formidable quintet was already firing on all cylinders. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 43 Title: Purple Passages Released: 1972 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:09:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 And the Address (04:37) 2 Hey Joe (07:01) 3 Hush (04:25) 4 Emmaretta (03:01) 5 Chasing Shadows (05:30) 6 Bird Has Flown (05:32) 7 Why Didn’t Rosemary? (05:04) 8 Hard Road (Wring That Neck) (05:14) 9 Shield (06:06) 10 Mandrake Root (06:06) 11 Kentucky Woman (04:43) 12 April (12:07) |
| Purple Passages : Allmusic album Review : A compilation of Deep Purples early work released to cash in on the groups Machine Head-inspired success, Purple Passages contains the highlights from their late-60s records, including "Hush" and "Kentucky Woman." | ||
 | Album: 7 of 43 Title: Machine Head Released: 1972-03 Tracks: 7 Duration: 37:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Highway Star (06:07) 2 Maybe I’m a Leo (04:52) 3 Pictures of Home (05:07) 4 Never Before (04:00) 5 Smoke on the Water (05:40) 6 Lazy (07:22) 7 Space Truckin’ (04:34) |
| Machine Head : Allmusic album Review : Led Zeppelins fourth album, Black Sabbaths Paranoid, and Deep Purples Machine Head have stood the test of time as the Holy Trinity of English hard rock and heavy metal, serving as the fundamental blueprints followed by virtually every heavy rock & roll band since the early 70s. And, though it is probably the least celebrated of the three, Machine Head contains the "mother of all guitar riffs" -- and one of the first learned by every beginning guitarist -- in "Smoke on the Water." Inspired by real-life events in Montreux, Switzerland, where Deep Purple were recording the album when the Montreux Casino was burned to the ground during a Frank Zappa concert, neither the song, nor its timeless riff, should need any further description. However, Machine Head was anything but a one-trick pony, introducing the bona fide classic opener "Highway Star," which epitomized all of Deep Purples intensity and versatility while featuring perhaps the greatest soloing duel ever between guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and organist Jon Lord. Also in top form was singer Ian Gillan, who crooned and exploded with amazing power and range throughout to establish himself once and for all as one of the finest voices of his generation, bar none. Yes, the plodding shuffle of "Maybe Im a Leo" shows some signs of age, but punchy singles "Pictures of Home" and "Never Before" remain as vital as ever, displaying Purple at their melodic best. And finally, the spectacular "Space Truckin" drove Machine Head home with yet another tremendous Blackmore riff, providing a fitting conclusion to one of the essential hard rock albums of all time. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 43 Title: Mark I&II Released: 1973 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:20:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Hush (04:22) 2 Mandrake Root (06:03) 3 Why Didn’t Rosemary? (04:56) 4 Hey Joe (07:21) 5 Wring That Neck (05:09) 6 Emmeretta (02:58) 7 Help (05:54) 8 Chasing Shadows (05:31) 1 Black Night (03:26) 2 Speed King (05:49) 3 Strange Kind of Woman (04:00) 4 Into the Fire (03:29) 5 When a Blind Man Cries (03:29) 6 Smoke on the Water (05:40) 7 Woman From Tokyo (05:47) 8 Highway Star [live version From Made in Japan] (06:46) |
 | Album: 9 of 43 Title: Who Do We Think We Are Released: 1973-01-26 Tracks: 7 Duration: 34:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Woman From Tokyo (05:49) 2 Mary Long (04:26) 3 Super Trouper (02:56) 4 Smooth Dancer (04:12) 5 Rat Bat Blue (05:26) 6 Place in Line (06:33) 7 Our Lady (05:09) |
| Who Do We Think We Are : Allmusic album Review : Deep Purple had kicked off the 70s with a new lineup and a string of brilliant albums that quickly established them (along with fellow British giants Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath) as a major force in the popularization of hard rock and heavy metal. All the while, their reputation as one of the decades fiercest live units complemented this body of work and earned them almost instant legendary status. But with 1973s disappointing Who Do We Think We Are -- the fourth and final studio outing by the original run of Purples classic Mark II lineup -- all the fire and inspiration that had made the previous years Machine Head their greatest triumph mysteriously vanished from sight. Vastly inferior to all three of its famous predecessors, the album revealed an exhausted band clearly splintering at the seams. Except for opener "Woman From Tokyo," which hinted at glories past with its signature Ritchie Blackmore riff, the albums remaining cuts are wildly inconsistent and find the band simply going through the motions. In fact, many of these dont so much resemble songs as loose jam sessions quickly thrown together in the studio with varying degrees of enthusiasm. "Mary Long" and "Super Trouper" are prime examples, featuring generic solos from Blackmore and organist Jon Lord, and uncharacteristically inane lyrics from soon-to-be former singer Ian Gillan. With its start-stop rhythm and Gillans fine scat singing, the energetic "Rat Bat Blue" is a memorable exception to the rule, but the yawn-inducing blues of "Place in the Line" and the gospel mediocrity of "Our Lady" bring the album to a close with a whimper rather than a shout. [A painfully revealing display of a legendary band grinding to a halt, Who Do We Think We Are was reissued in 2000 with the added incentive of seven bonus tracks and new liner notes by bassist Roger Glover]. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 43 Title: Burn Released: 1974-02-15 Tracks: 8 Duration: 42:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Burn (06:03) 2 Might Just Take Your Life (04:40) 3 Lay Down, Stay Down (04:21) 4 Sail Away (05:50) 5 You Fool No One (04:48) 6 What’s Goin’ on Here (04:58) 7 Mistreated (07:30) 8 “A” 200 (04:05) |
| Burn : Allmusic album Review : Although it shook the bands fan base to its core, the acrimonious departure of vocalist Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover served to rejuvenate Deep Purple in time for 1973s aptly named Burn album, which unquestionably showed huge improvement over their lackluster previous effort, Who Do We Think We Are. And in an interesting twist rarely attempted before or since, new recruits David Coverdale (vocals) and Glenn Hughes (bass and vocals, ex-Trapeze) traded lead singing duties on virtually every one of its songs -- an enviable tag team, as both possessed exceptional pipes. The phenomenal title track started things off at full throttle, actually challenging the seminal "Highway Star" for the honor of best opener to any Deep Purple album, while showcasing the always impressive drumming of Ian Paice. Up next, the intro to the equally timeless "Might Just Take Your Life," however simple from a technical perspective, remains one of organist Jon Lords signature moments; and the downright nasty "Lay Down, Stay Down" roared behind wildly careening starts and stops and a fantastic Ritchie Blackmore guitar solo which left no doubt as to who was the bands primal force, regardless of lineup. Moving right along, though it was rarely included in later-day greatest hits sets, "Whats Going on Here" was about as good a single as Purple ever wrote; "You Fool No One" was compelling for its sheer intensity; and the funky "Sail Away" was a sign of the bands direction in years to come. Lastly, the fantastic slow-boiling blues of "Mistreated" closed the album proper (lets ignore the records only throw-away track -- boring final instrumental "A 200") with a command solo performance from Coverdale, as nuanced and sensitive as it was devastating. So impassioned was the singers delivery, in fact, that the song would remain his personal, in-concert trademark with Whitesnake, long after his tenure with Deep Purple came to a close. Like the vast majority of Burn this songs greatness qualifies it for the highest echelons of hard rock achievement, and therefore ranks as an essential item in the discography of any self-respecting music fan. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 43 Title: Stormbringer Released: 1974-11 Tracks: 9 Duration: 36:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Stormbringer (04:06) 2 Love Don’t Mean a Thing (04:23) 3 Holy Man (04:30) 4 Hold On (05:06) 5 Lady Double Dealer (03:21) 6 You Can’t Do It Right (With the One You Love) (03:23) 7 High Ball Shooter (04:27) 8 The Gypsy (04:02) 9 Soldier of Fortune (03:13) |
| Stormbringer : Allmusic album Review : Stormbringer falls short of the excellence of Machine Head and Who Do We Think We Are, but nonetheless boasts some definite classics -- including the fiery "Lady Double Dealer," the ominous title song (a goth metal treasure), the sweaty "High Ball Shooter," and the melancholy ballad "Soldier of Fortune." Most of the other songs on the decent, if uneven, Stormbringer are not essential. Like Come Taste the Band, Stormbringer will be of interest to Deep Purples more enthusiastic fans, rather than casual listeners who would be much better off starting out with either of the above-mentioned studio projects or the live Made in Japan. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 43 Title: 24 Carat Purple Released: 1975 Tracks: 8 Duration: 52:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Woman From Tokyo (05:49) 2 Fireball (03:24) 3 Strange Kind of Woman (09:02) 4 Never Before (04:00) 5 Black Night (live) (04:52) 6 Speed King (05:52) 7 Smoke on the Water (live) (07:18) 8 Child in Time (live) (12:06) |
| 24 Carat Purple : Allmusic album Review : The first compilation conceived by Deep Purple as opposed to the bands record company, and its a flawless representation of the bands Mark II identity at its very best. The Made in Japan double live album consumes much of the single LPs body weight -- the epic renditions of "Smoke on the Water," "Child in Time," and "Strange Kind of Woman" are, after all, among Deep Purples most resonant moments. With "Woman from Tokyo," "Fireball," and "Never Before" peeling off singles, and "Speed King" excerpted from Deep Purple in Rock, 24 Carat Purple is truly a gold-plated depiction of the band at its all-time peak, before Ian Gillan and Roger Glover went their separate ways and an entire new journey kicked off with Burn. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 43 Title: Come Taste the Band Released: 1975-10 Tracks: 9 Duration: 36:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Comin’ Home (03:52) 2 Lady Luck (02:45) 3 Gettin’ Tighter (03:36) 4 Dealer (03:49) 5 I Need Love (04:22) 6 Drifter (04:01) 7 Love Child (03:05) 8 This Time Around / Owed to ‘G’ (06:07) 9 You Keep On Moving (05:18) |
| Come Taste the Band : Allmusic album Review : When Ritchie Blackmore departed Deep Purple in the mid-70s and formed Rainbow (which featured Ronnie James Dio), his replacement was Tommy Bolin. To be sure, Blackmore was a darn tough act to follow, but Bolin proved himself to be a fine guitarist in his own right on Come Taste the Band, his first album with Deep Purple. But unfortunately, Bolin didnt have exceptional material to work with -- decent and likable, but hardly exceptional. While sweaty yet melodic cuts like "Dealer," "Lady Luck," and "You Keep on Moving" are far from bad, nothing here is in a class with "Smoke on the Water" or "Highway Star." Deep Purples more hardcore devotees will want this album, though its far from the best representation of their 70s work. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 43 Title: Powerhouse Released: 1977 Tracks: 6 Duration: 43:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Painted Horse (05:18) 2 Hush (04:16) 3 Wring That Neck (live) (13:09) 4 Child in Time (live) (12:25) 5 Black Night (live) (04:56) 6 Cry Free (03:09) |
 | Album: 15 of 43 Title: The Deep Purple Singles A’s & B’s Released: 1978 Tracks: 12 Duration: 47:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Hush (04:22) 2 One More Rainy Day (03:39) 3 Emmaretta (03:00) 4 Wring That Neck (05:13) 5 Hallelujah (03:42) 6 April, Part 1 (03:56) 7 Black Night (03:25) 8 Speed King (04:26) 9 Strange Kind of Woman (03:50) 10 I’m Alone (03:05) 11 Demon’s Eye (05:20) 12 Fireball (03:25) |
 | Album: 16 of 43 Title: When We Rock, We Rock and When We Roll, We Roll Released: 1978 Tracks: 8 Duration: 43:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Space Truckin’ (04:34) 2 Kentucky Woman (04:47) 3 Hard Road (Wring That Neck) (05:17) 4 Burn (06:03) 5 Woman From Tokyo (05:32) 6 Hush (04:25) 7 Smoke on the Water (06:30) 8 Highway Star (06:46) |
 | Album: 17 of 43 Title: Singles A’s and B’s Released: 1980 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:17:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Hush (04:25) 2 One More Rainy Day (03:38) 3 Kentucky Woman (single edit) (04:04) 4 Emmaretta (03:00) 5 The Bird Has Flown (single version) (02:54) 6 Hallelujah (03:42) 7 Speed King (piano version) (04:26) 8 Black Night (03:26) 9 Strange Kind of Woman (03:51) 10 I’m Alone (03:05) 11 Fireball (single edit) (03:21) 12 Demon’s Eye (05:12) 13 Never Before (single edit) (03:30) 14 When a Blind Man Cries (03:32) 15 Smoke on the Water (03:47) 16 Black Night (live) (04:59) 17 Might Just Take Your Life (single edit) (03:35) 18 Coronarias Redig (04:54) 19 You Keep On Moving (single edit) (04:29) 20 Love Child (03:05) |
 | Album: 18 of 43 Title: Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple Released: 1980 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:18:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Black Night (03:26) 2 Speed King (05:04) 3 Fireball (03:24) 4 Hush (04:27) 5 Strange Kind of Woman (03:51) 6 Child in Time (10:18) 7 When a Blind Man Cries (03:33) 8 Woman From Tokyo (05:49) 9 Highway Star (06:07) 10 Space Truckin’ (04:34) 11 Burn (06:03) 12 Stormbringer (04:06) 13 Soldier of Fortune (03:14) 14 Demon’s Eye (05:21) 15 You Keep On Moving (03:35) 16 Smoke on the Water (05:40) |
| Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple : Allmusic album Review : While they started out in the late 60s as a psychedelic band, delved into progressive rock, and even recorded an album in collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Deep Purple achieved their greatest success as a strong, straightforward, hard rock band, anchored by the powerful guitar work of Ritchie Blackmore and the show-stopping vocals of Ian Gillan (and later David Coverdale). From 1970s Deep Purple in Rock to 1974s Stormbringer, Deep Purple were one of the most popular hard rock bands on Earth, and Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple captures the band at the top of their form on some of their best-known songs. Selections include "Smoke on the Water," "Space Truckin," "Highway Star," "Speed King," "Woman from Tokyo," "Fireball," and many more. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 43 Title: Perfect Strangers Released: 1984-11-12 Tracks: 10 Duration: 54:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Knocking at Your Back Door (07:04) 2 Under the Gun (04:34) 3 Nobody’s Home (04:00) 4 Mean Streak (04:20) 5 Perfect Strangers (05:21) 6 A Gypsy’s Kiss (05:12) 7 Wasted Sunsets (03:57) 8 Hungry Daze (04:56) 9 Not Responsible (04:45) 10 Son of Alerik (10:01) |
| Perfect Strangers : Allmusic album Review : Deep Purples definitive Mark II lineup reunited for 1984s Perfect Strangers. It is one of the better examples of a reunion album, although the bands uneasy camaraderie only lasted a few more years. "Knocking at Your Back Door" opens the album with a roar. Ian Gillans lyrics dont make much sense, but Ritchie Blackmores guitar riffs and Ian Paices thunderous drumming carry this song as well as the rest of the album. The robotic rhythm of the title cut relies on Jon Lords organ work. The 1999 remastered reissue features the bonus track "Son of Alerik." This fascinating, mid-tempo, ten-minute instrumental was the B-side of the "Perfect Strangers" 12" single in the U.K. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 43 Title: The Best of Deep Purple Released: 1987 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:12:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hush (04:25) 2 Lalena (05:05) 3 River Deep, Mountain High (10:09) 4 Help (06:00) 5 The Shield (05:57) 6 Listen, Learn, Read On (04:00) 7 Kentucky Woman (04:43) 8 Anthem (06:22) 9 Hey Joe (06:57) 10 Mandrake Root (06:09) 11 Bird Has Flown (05:35) 12 Im So Glad (07:15) |
 | Album: 21 of 43 Title: The House of Blue Light Released: 1987-02-01 Tracks: 10 Duration: 50:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bad Attitude (05:03) 2 The Unwritten Law (04:54) 3 Call of the Wild (04:42) 4 Mad Dog (04:33) 5 Black & White (04:39) 6 Hard Lovin’ Woman (03:24) 7 The Spanish Archer (05:31) 8 Strangeways (07:35) 9 Mitzi Dupree (05:04) 10 Dead or Alive (04:59) |
| The House of Blue Light : Allmusic album Review : Though it was considered a disappointment upon its release (indeed, its production was much too sleek at times, and it lacked the creative daring of Perfect Strangers), 1987s House of Blue Light has actually stood the test of time just as well, if not better, than its predecessor. The second effort from the re-formed Mark II lineup, this album showed Deep Purple searching for an 80s-flavored hit single, and by doing so, sounding uncomfortably similar to guitarist Ritchie Blackmores other band, Rainbow. Virtually all of the records first half suffers from this (especially "Unwritten Law" and "Bad Attitude"), but things improve with the Eastern-flavored melodies of "The Spanish Archer" and "Strange Ways." The eerie sound textures explored on the latter evoke memories of classic Purple, and finally allow some space for soloing from Blackmore and keyboardist Jon Lord. And the telltale lyrics to the equally interesting "Mitzi Dupree" (based on a true story), are vintage Ian Gillan, as the singer combines James Bond-style international intrigue with high comedy. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 43 Title: Дым над водой Released: 1989 Tracks: 8 Duration: 41:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Чёрная ночь (03:25) 2 Шаровая молния (03:21) 3 Космическое путешествие (04:29) 4 Ребенок в наше время (10:14) 5 Странная женщина (03:47) 6 Король cкорости (04:57) 7 Звезда над шоссе (06:04) 8 Дым над водой (05:37) |
 | Album: 23 of 43 Title: New, Live and Rare Released: 1989 Tracks: 8 Duration: 49:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Hush (04:24) 2 Painted Horse (05:18) 3 Cry Free (03:12) 4 Child in Time (12:26) 5 Strange Kind of Woman (04:03) 6 I’m Alone (03:05) 7 When a Blind Man Cries (03:32) 8 Wring That Neck (13:03) |
 | Album: 24 of 43 Title: Black Night: Best Released: 1990 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:17:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Highway Star (06:07) 2 Strange Kind of Woman (03:51) 3 Black Night (03:26) 4 Fireball (03:24) 5 Speed King (05:52) 6 Hallelujah (03:43) 7 Hush (04:22) 8 Woman From Tokyo (05:49) 9 Smoke on the Water (05:40) 10 Burn (06:02) 11 Stormbringer (04:05) 12 Child in Time (10:18) 13 Super Trouper (02:56) 14 April (12:03) |
 | Album: 25 of 43 Title: Slaves and Masters Released: 1990-10-05 Tracks: 9 Duration: 46:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 King of Dreams (05:28) 2 The Cut Runs Deep (05:42) 3 Fire in the Basement (04:43) 4 Truth Hurts (05:14) 5 Breakfast in Bed (05:17) 6 Love Conquers All (03:47) 7 Fortuneteller (05:48) 8 Too Much Is Not Enough (04:17) 9 Wicked Ways (06:34) |
| Slaves and Masters : Allmusic album Review : Deep Purple went through more than their share of personnel changes over the years. In 1990, their lineup consisted of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (who had returned to the Purple fold in 1984 after leaving the band to form Rainbow following the release of Stormbringer in November 1974), singer Joe Lynn Turner, keyboardist/organist Jon Lord, drummer Ian Paice, and bassist Roger Glover. Longtime Purple followers continued to hope that Blackmore -- who made promising contributions to the sound of 1984s reunion LP Perfect Strangers -- would help the band to reclaim the metal throne, but Slaves and Masters was hardly the album to further the cause. The songwriting is weak and pedestrian, and most of the time, the once-mighty Purple (who were at least 16 years past their prime) sound like a generic Foreigner wannabe. Even Blackmores input cant save this consistently disappointing CD, which only the most thorough collectors will want. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 43 Title: The Compact Disc Anthology Released: 1991-04 Tracks: 27 Duration: 2:31:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Hush (04:25) 2 Mandrake Root (06:09) 3 Shield (06:02) 4 Wring That Neck (05:12) 5 The Bird Has Flown (05:33) 6 Bloodsucker (04:08) 7 Speed King (05:52) 8 Black Night (03:26) 9 Child in Time (10:18) 10 Fireball (single edit) (03:21) 11 Strange Kind of Woman (live) (08:45) 12 No One Came (06:25) 13 Highway Star (06:07) 1 Smoke on the Water (06:47) 2 Pictures of Home (05:07) 3 Woman From Tokyo (05:49) 4 Smooth Dancer (04:12) 5 Sail Away (05:48) 6 Lay Down, Stay Down (04:18) 7 Burn (06:43) 8 Stormbringer (04:06) 9 Hold On (05:06) 10 Gypsy (04:02) 11 Mistreated (live) (11:42) 12 Gettin’ Tighter (03:36) 13 Love Child (03:05) 14 You Keep On Moving (05:18) |
 | Album: 27 of 43 Title: Knocking at Your Back Door: The Best of Deep Purple in the 80s Released: 1992-02-25 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:04:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Knocking at Your Back Door (07:04) 2 Bad Attitude (05:03) 3 Child in Time (10:36) 4 Nobody’s Home (04:00) 5 Black Night (06:07) 6 Perfect Strangers (05:21) 7 The Unwritten Law (04:54) 8 Call of the Wild (04:53) 9 Hush (03:32) 10 Smoke on the Water (07:46) 11 Space Truckin (05:39) |
| Knocking at Your Back Door: The Best of Deep Purple in the 80's : Allmusic album Review : Having closed out the 80s in much the same way as they had the 70s -- fractured by bitter feuding and giant egos -- there was little left to do for Deep Purples Mark II line-up and label Polydor but to issue this meager greatest hits collection, culled from a paltry two studio albums and one live release. Knocking at Your Back Door picks the best moments from 1984s Perfect Strangers, the worst from 1987s House of Blue Light, and tosses in a number of mediocre live renditions of some 70s favorites in an aural mish-mash of irritating proportions. In short, the predominantly solid material contained here barely stands up under such transparent commercialism, and no bargain bin discount can justify the purchase of this set. Most anyone would be better served by shelling out for the two albums mentioned above instead. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 43 Title: Progression Released: 1993 Tracks: 12 Duration: 57:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Perfect Strangers (single edit) (04:16) 2 Under the Gun (04:36) 3 Knocking at Your Back Door (single edit) (04:02) 4 A Gypsys Kiss (05:15) 5 Not Responsible (04:45) 6 Black Night (06:02) 7 Smoke on the Water (07:36) 8 Hush (03:32) 9 Bad Attitude (04:43) 10 Dead or Alive (04:43) 11 Hard Lovin Woman (03:27) 12 Call of the Wild (04:42) |
 | Album: 29 of 43 Title: Hush Released: 1993 Tracks: 9 Duration: 53:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Hush (04:25) 2 And the Address (04:35) 3 Prelude: Happiness / I’m So Glad (07:19) 4 Hey Joe (07:26) 5 Mandrake Root (06:09) 6 Help (06:00) 7 Love Help Me (03:49) 8 One More Rainy Day (03:38) 9 River Deep, Mountain High (10:13) |
 | Album: 30 of 43 Title: The Battle Rages On… Released: 1993-07-27 Tracks: 10 Duration: 49:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Battle Rages On (05:56) 2 Lick It Up (03:50) 3 Anya (06:32) 4 Talk About Love (04:06) 5 Time to Kill (05:44) 6 Ramshackle Man (05:33) 7 A Twist in the Tale (04:17) 8 Nasty Piece of Work (04:34) 9 Solitaire (04:42) 10 One Man’s Meat (04:38) |
| The Battle Rages On… : Allmusic album Review : Personality clashes are as much a part of Deep Purple as Ritchie Blackmores penchant for black clothing. A revolving door of members resulted in different lineups being given their own labels. The most popular version of Purple has always been the Mark II model: Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Roger Glover, and Ian Paice. This particular quintet has gotten together and had members leave in each of the past three decades, and The Battle Rages On... was that lineups contribution to the 90s. Following a brief stint where former Rainbow vocalist Joe Lynn Turner sang lead for Purple on the prior Slaves and Masters, Gillan returned for another go-round in 1993. Personal differences aside, The Battle Rages On... picks up on the kind of chemistry that made albums like Machine Head and Perfect Strangers classics. Three decades on, Blackmores range on guitar is still impressive as he goes from playing with an arrogant swagger on "One Mans Meat" to a fleet-fingered flamenco intro that kicks off the epic "Anya." Elsewhere, "A Twist in the Tale" plays out with the same kind of intensity as "Highway Star," while the hard-driving title track proved to be prophetic as Blackmore departed the band. | ||
 | Album: 31 of 43 Title: Smoke on the Water: The Best of Released: 1994 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:17:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hush (04:25) 2 Kentucky Woman (single edit) (04:04) 3 The Bird Has Flown (single version) (02:51) 4 Hallelujah (03:42) 5 Black Night (03:26) 6 Child in Time (10:18) 7 Speed King (Dutch single version: alternate take) (04:23) 8 Strange Kind of Woman (single edit) (03:46) 9 Fireball (single edit) (03:21) 10 Smoke on the Water (03:47) 11 Highway Star (06:07) 12 Never Before (single edit) (03:30) 13 Space Truckin’ (04:34) 14 Woman from Tokyo (single edit) (02:40) 15 Might Just Take Your Life (single edit) (03:35) 16 Burn (single edit) (04:31) 17 Stormbringer (04:06) 18 You Keep On Moving (single edit) (04:29) |
| Smoke on the Water: The Best of : Allmusic album Review : Deep Purple has been the subject of many greatest-hits compilations. This ten-track budget set from Warners Flashback label includes the original full-length versions of the bands biggest hits, like "Smoke on the Water" and "Woman from Tokyo," while also shining a light on early to mid-70s metal gems "Burn," "Fireball," and "Highway Star." The selection is decent, but some fans may question the inclusion of "Never Before" and "Stormbringer" over "Strange Kind of Woman" and "Speed King." For a more thorough trip through Deep Purples catalog, pick up The Very Best of Deep Purple on Rhino. | ||
 | Album: 32 of 43 Title: Child in Time Released: 1995 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:04:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Nobody’s Home (04:03) 2 Mean Streak (04:23) 3 Wasted Sunsets (03:57) 4 Hungry Daze (04:57) 5 The Unwritten Law (04:35) 6 Mad Dog (04:33) 7 The Spanish Archer (04:57) 8 Mitzi Dupree (05:04) 9 Woman From Tokyo (live) (04:02) 10 Child in Time (live) (10:25) 11 Strange Kind of Woman (live) (07:19) 12 Highway Star (06:08) |
| Child in Time : Allmusic album Review : Yet another in a long list of 90s Deep Purple compilations, Child in Time offers music that is neither rare nor particularly important. Sure, four awesome songs from Perfect Strangers are included -- which isnt entirely insignificant, as the 1984 smash LP ranks with Machine Head as one the groups finest achievements. The rest of the Child in Time track list includes five numbers from House of Blue Light and four live versions of classics like "Highway Star" and "Woman From Tokyo" culled from Nobodys Perfect. Why not include some live cuts that havent already appeared on a major release? Why not compile the best songs from Deep Purples entire post-1984 catalog? Perhaps the answers to questions like these have more to do with contractual agreements between the constantly feuding bandmembers. Ultimately, no amount of hand-wringing can make sense out a questionable disc like Child in Time. The material is good, but even casual fans of the group should already own Perfect Strangers, thereby making a full third of this CD redundant. Any newcomers are advised to pick up Machine Head and Perfect Strangers before purchasing anything else from Deep Purple, including this very questionable 1998 offering. | ||
 | Album: 33 of 43 Title: The Originals Released: 1995 Tracks: 22 Duration: 2:11:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 And the Address (04:38) 2 Hush (04:25) 3 One More Rainy Day (03:38) 4 Prelude: Happiness / I’m So Glad (07:19) 5 Mandrake Root (06:09) 6 Help (06:00) 7 Love Help Me (03:49) 8 Hey Joe (07:26) 1 Listen, Learn, Read On (04:05) 2 Wring That Neck (05:14) 3 Kentucky Woman (04:45) 4 Exposition / We Can Work It Out (07:04) 5 Shield (06:05) 6 Anthem (06:31) 7 River Deep, Mountain High (10:05) 1 Chasing Shadows (05:34) 2 Blind (05:26) 3 Lalena (05:05) 4 Fault Line / The Painter (05:39) 5 Why Didn’t Rosemary? (05:04) 6 Bird Has Flown (05:36) 7 April (12:03) |
 | Album: 34 of 43 Title: The Best of Rare Collection Released: 1995-03-22 Tracks: 25 Duration: 1:14:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Dawn (01:20) 2 Get Ready (02:06) 3 Saffron Dormouse & Lizzy Bee (01:23) 4 Harlequin Hare (01:25) 5 Old Blind Mole (01:13) 6 Magician Moth (01:34) 7 No Solution (03:23) 8 Behind the Smile (01:51) 9 Fly Away (02:17) 10 Aranea (01:38) 11 Sitting in a Dream (03:45) 12 Waiting (03:05) 13 Sir Maximus Mouse (02:39) 14 Dreams of Sir Bedivere (04:11) 15 Together Again (02:02) 16 Watch Out for the Bat (01:44) 17 Little Chalk Blue (03:45) 18 The Feast (01:48) 19 Love Is All (03:14) 20 Homeward (04:13) 21 Loose Ends (04:16) 22 Money to Burn (03:53) 23 Until Tomorrow I, II, III & IV (06:54) 24 Light of My Life (03:46) 25 She’s a Woman (06:39) |
 | Album: 35 of 43 Title: Child in Time: Best II Released: 1996 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:18:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Smoke on the Water (live) (07:07) 2 Lazy (live) (10:30) 3 Highway Star (live) (06:44) 4 Child in Time (live) (12:15) 5 Fools (08:18) 6 Flight of the Rat (07:52) 7 Hard Lovin’ Man (07:10) 8 When a Blind Man Cries (03:32) 9 Perfect Strangers (05:21) 10 Pictures of Home (05:07) 11 Space Truckin’ (04:34) |
 | Album: 36 of 43 Title: Purpendicular Released: 1996-02-21 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:07:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Vavoom: Ted the Mechanic (04:17) 2 Loosen My Strings (05:59) 3 Soon Forgotten (04:47) 4 Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming (07:31) 5 Cascades: I’m Not Your Lover (04:43) 6 The Aviator (05:21) 7 Rosa’s Cantina (05:12) 8 A Castle Full of Rascals (05:11) 9 A Touch Away (04:36) 10 Hey Cisco (05:53) 11 Somebody Stole My Guitar (04:09) 12 The Purpendicular Waltz (04:44) 13 Don’t Hold Your Breath (04:40) 14 Triskaidekaphobia (00:04) |
| Purpendicular : Allmusic album Review : Twenty-eight years after the bands inception, Deep Purple venture into the most adventurous album of their storied career. With guitar virtuoso Steve Morse, of ex-Dixie Dregs and Kansas fame, replacing the legendary Ritchie Blackmore (his second departure from the band), fans get the breadth of Morses influences. The scope of the music goes into uncharted beats like the finger-snapping "Hey Ciso" and "Rosas Cantina," and the acoustic-flavored Scottish highlander feel of "The Aviator." "Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming" is one of their best songs in years, beginning with a soft acoustic intro before being rocked up to the turbo-charged chorus full of lyrical wit. "A Touch Away" introduces fans to the bands first true ballad, a lovely piece of acoustic summertime fare. | ||
 | Album: 37 of 43 Title: Knocking at Your Back Door Released: 1997 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:15:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Knocking at Your Back Door (07:04) 2 Perfect Strangers (05:20) 3 Under the Gun (04:34) 4 A Gypsy’s Kiss (05:12) 5 Black and White (04:39) 6 Hard Lovin Woman (03:25) 7 Strange Kind of Woman (07:35) 8 Bad Attitude (04:58) 9 Smoke on the Water (07:42) 10 Nobody’s Home (04:00) 11 Hungry Daze (04:57) 12 The Spanish Archer (05:32) 13 Highway Star (06:07) 14 Woman From Tokyo (03:59) |
 | Album: 38 of 43 Title: The Collection Released: 1997-04-07 Tracks: 9 Duration: 42:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mandrake Root (06:09) 2 Wring That Neck (05:12) 3 Living Wreck (04:32) 4 Black Night (03:26) 5 Smoke on the Water (06:47) 6 Demon’s Eye (05:21) 7 Lady Double Dealer (03:21) 8 Comin’ Home (03:52) 9 Never Before (03:57) |
| The Collection : Allmusic album Review : This aptly named compilation collects highlights from some of Purples worst albums (mostly released in the late 80s and early 90s), including the bands brief hiring of erstwhile Rainbow singer Joe Lynn Turner, which, with no disrespect to Turner himself, was reviled as misguided and in very poor taste. Dont be fooled by the few 70s classics contained here -- all of which are uninspired live versions from the same era -- stay away. | ||
 | Album: 39 of 43 Title: Abandon Released: 1998 Tracks: 12 Duration: 56:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Any Fule Kno That (04:27) 2 Almost Human (04:26) 3 Don’t Make Me Happy (04:53) 4 Seventh Heaven (05:23) 5 Watching the Sky (05:25) 6 Fingers to the Bone (04:47) 7 Jack Ruby (03:48) 8 She Was (04:19) 9 Whatsername (04:26) 10 ’69 (04:59) 11 Evil Louie (04:55) 12 Bludsucker (04:27) |
| Abandon : Allmusic album Review : Deep Purple continued cranking out new albums into the late 90s, despite diminished audiences and little attention from the media. But as long as they continued to satisfy their hardcore fans, those factors didnt matter; Abandon should satisfy those fans. Granted, the band isnt as young and energetic as they once were, but they are willing to try new material, which cant be said about other aging hard rockers from the 70s. The addition of guitarist Steve Morse has revitalized the band and he sounds more a part of the band here than he did on his debut, Purpendicular. Abandon is a harder-rocking album than its predecessor, but theres a number of layers to their rock, as they occasionally stretch into challenging neo-prog territory. But the main thing about the album is that it hits hard and heavy -- harder than any Deep Purple album in recent memory and that makes a welcome revelation for hardcore followers. | ||
 | Album: 40 of 43 Title: Bananas Released: 2003-08-22 Tracks: 12 Duration: 51:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 House of Pain (03:34) 2 Sun Goes Down (04:10) 3 Haunted (04:22) 4 Razzle Dazzle (03:28) 5 Silver Tongue (04:04) 6 Walk On (07:03) 7 Picture of Innocence (05:11) 8 I Got Your Number (06:01) 9 Never a Word (03:46) 10 Bananas (04:50) 11 Doing It Tonight (03:29) 12 Contact Lost (01:29) |
| Bananas : Allmusic album Review : Bananas has every sign of being a disappointment. Jon Lords grandiose keyboards were always a focus but hes gone, its released in the heady age of Radiohead, and its got one of the oddest titles and the oddest cover art that ever graced a Deep Purple album. Surprise, its fantastic. New keyboardist Don Airey is an effective replacement, adding new sounds and styles and working the Hammond so well that an uncredited Lord appearance was rumored among fans. Lord has said hes not playing on the album, but he did contribute some writing on the excellent "Picture of Innocence" and "I Got Your Number." Those two tracks, followed by the winding and pastoral "Never a Word," add up to a strikingly impressive suite that bridges the more bombastic first half of the album with the looser and more playful second half. Thats right, "Deep Purple" and "playful" in the same sentence. The thunk and chug is still there, but Bananas often turns to mid-tempo boogie and blues, allowing Ian Gillans wry and witty delivery some deserved space while guitarist Steve Morses time in Kansas and the Dixie Dregs pays off as never before. The funky light reggae of "Doing It Tonight" is downright smoky-bar slinky-sexy, and if the band doesnt add it to every one of their encores for the rest of their career theyre nuts. Filled with hooks and songs that get better with each listen, theres little to dislike about Bananas. Certainly the urgent "House of Pain" could have benefited from punchier production, and theres a noticeable lack of lengthy solos throughout, but these are minor quibbles. Hipsters have already decided, and some hardcore fans will pine for the monolithic sound of Machine Head, but on Bananas Deep Purple sound comfortable, free to do what they want, and more than the sum of their parts than they have in a long, long time. | ||
 | Album: 41 of 43 Title: Rapture of the Deep Released: 2005-10-21 Tracks: 10 Duration: 50:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Money Talks (05:33) 2 Girls Like That (04:01) 3 Wrong Man (04:54) 4 Rapture of the Deep (05:56) 5 Clearly Quite Absurd (05:26) 6 Don’t Let Go (04:32) 7 Back to Back (04:04) 8 Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (04:19) 9 Junkyard Blues (05:31) 10 Before Time Began (06:29) |
| Rapture of the Deep : Allmusic album Review : Deep Purples 2005 album Rapture of the Deep generally maintains the quality of 2003s surprisingly sturdy Bananas. Its the second release from the re-energized lineup of vocalist Ian Gillan, guitarist Steve Morse, bass guitarist Roger Glover, drummer Ian Paice, and keyboardist Don Airey, who replaced the retired Jon Lord. The bands comfort level has increased, and after nearly a decade onboard, Morses stamp is all over the place. At first, this guitar genius presence was noticeable because of what it lacked -- the incredibly distinctive Fender Stratocaster electric guitar tone of Ritchie Blackmore. Thus, sometimes Deep Purple didnt sound like Deep Purple. However, the variety of tones Morse incorporates in his style gives the pioneering heavy metal quintet more sonic weaponry. Aireys long, respectable career as a journeyman keyboardist-for-hire pretty much guaranteed he would largely adopt Lords organ-based style, at least at first, but he has expanded his sound on Rapture of the Deep too. "Money Talks," "Girls Like That," and "Wrong Man" ride strong riffs and rhythms into decent grooves. "Rapture of the Deep" floats along on a lightly hypnotic wave. The mature ballad "Clearly Quite Absurd" has a lilting, controlled tempo, and its the biggest surprise on the album; Gillans singing is appropriately subdued while Aireys piano supplies the beauty and Morses gradually ascending riffs toward the end build the tension. "MTV" is a vicious, bile-spewing, all-out attack on how the modern music industry treats classic rock/heritage artists, although in 2005 Deep Purple clearly appeals more to VH1 Classic than MTV. Initially, the song risks biting the hand that feeds by correctly criticizing classic rock radio for not playing new music by veteran artists. The last verse is a cannon blast that pummels clueless, uninformed disc jockeys who, during interviews, butcher artists names ("Mr. Grover n Mr. Gillian"), get facts wrong (misinterpreting the Frank Zappa-inspired "Smoke on the Water" legend), and avoid in-depth discussion of new music (like Bananas) in order to record more station IDs. Rapture of the Deep -- Deep Purples first album for Eagle Records -- misses equaling Bananas by a notch or two, but its a good example of how many veteran artists still maintain creative vitality. | ||
 | Album: 42 of 43 Title: Now What?! Released: 2013-04-26 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:00:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 A Simple Song (04:39) 2 Weirdistan (04:11) 3 Out of Hand (06:10) 4 Hell to Pay (05:11) 5 Body Line (04:26) 6 Above and Beyond (05:30) 1 Blood From a Stone (05:18) 2 Uncommon Man (06:59) 3 Après vous (05:26) 4 All the Time in the World (04:21) 5 Vincent Price (04:46) 6 It’ll Be Me (03:03) |
 | Album: 43 of 43 Title: inFinite Released: 2017-04-07 Tracks: 23 Duration: 2:06:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Time for Bedlam (04:34) 2 Hip Boots (03:23) 3 All I Got Is You (04:41) 4 One Night in Vegas (03:23) 5 Get Me Outta Here (03:58) 6 The Surprising (05:57) 7 Johnny’s Band (03:51) 8 On Top of the World (04:01) 9 Birds of Prey (05:47) 10 Roadhouse Blues (06:01) 1 Time for Bedlam (04:59) 2 Fireball (03:26) 3 Bloodsucker (04:11) 4 Strange Kind of Woman (07:41) 5 Uncommon Man (06:40) 6 The Surprising (06:01) 7 Lazy (07:47) 8 Birds of Prey (05:47) 9 Perfect Strangers (07:10) 10 Space Truckin’ (05:02) 11 Smoke on the Water (06:40) 12 Peter Gunn / Hush (07:40) 13 Black Night (07:25) |
| inFinite : Allmusic album Review : No one, least of all Deep Purple themselves, expected the success of 2013s Now What?! It placed at number one on four European album charts and in the Top Ten of six other countries. It also sold exceptionally well: It was certified Gold in Poland, Germany (where it sold over 100,000), the Czech Republic, and Russia -- it was the bands first album to crack the U.K.s Top 40 charts in 20 years. For InFinite, Deep Purple re-enlisted producer Bob Ezrin. At this point, he is almost a sixth member. This the longest running lineup in their history. InFinite is a heavier and more expansive record than its predecessor, but its not as consistent. Ian Gillan is in excellent form -- still possessing intense expressive power and range, his falsetto remains intact four decades on. Don Aireys organ and keys -- so elemental in DPs musical architecture -- is physical, atmospheric, and dynamic. He and guitarist Steve Morse combine brute force with imagination and finesse. Ian Paice, who had a mini-stroke last year, seems to have recovered fully. Roger Glover remains a bassist whose musical signature is so dominant it is only rivaled by Black Sabbaths Geezer Butler. Things get off to a great start with "Time for Bedlam." Despite its slightly corny sci-fi spoken intro with Gillians voice put through a processor, it acquits itself with a massive swirling charge worthy of the bands glory years. It also features Gillans best lyrics -- he tends to go over the top elsewhere. Its followed by the commanding blues-rock boogie of "Hip Boots," where Gillans swagger rises above a biting mix of snare, kick drum, and dual leads from organ and guitar; but its actually Glover who drives the tune. On tracks such as "All I Got Is You" and "The Surprising," this outfit doesnt let the listener forget theyre the same band who delivered "Child in Time" and "When a Blind Man Cries." The latter is downright prog as it melds power ballad to metal in a gorgeous mix that includes wonderfully layered backing vocals and Aireys neo-classical keys that evoke the memory of Jon Lord. While the musical attack in "One Night in Vegas" offers a pumping barrelhouse blues piano woven into the hard rock bombast. "On Top of the World" has the craziest Gillan lyrics ever, but again, DPs crunchy choogle carries them to the finish line. The evocation of vintage psychedelia and Led Zeppelin in "Birds of Prey" makes it one of the more compelling tunes here. Unfortunately, there are two clunkers that sound like filler: the terribly clichéd "Johnnys Band" and a perfunctory read of the Doors "Roadhouse Blues." Otherwise, InFinite is a winner; it proves not only that Now What?! was no fluke, but that Deep Purple, even at this stage, still have plenty left to offer musically and creatively. | ||