Tuesday 15 October 2013

Scream Thy Last Scream


"Scream Thy Last Scream"

"Scream Thy Last Scream"  was recorded in the same sessions as "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun", on 7–8 August 1967 - during the period when Syd Barrett was cracking up. He had already been withdrawn from public appearances because he was was so odd and unreliable. But he was kept in the band because he was the main writer - and the obvious genius. The record company and the management wanted Syd for his potential. The record company wanted another hit single - so Syd wrote this. The record company listened, and thought it a little too weird, so turned it down. Syd only recorded a few more songs with Floyd before they all parted ways. The song was never released. His guitar playing on this is wonderful. The song is sung twice - a speeded up version by Syd, and a normal version by the drummer Nick Mason, who doesn't normally sing on Floyd songs. The different speed vocals are played simultaneously. Somehow it works! There were few like Syd. A true original, and a true musical genius.

The image used above is the cover of a 1999 bootleg release on the Dutch Zönophone label. "Vegetable Man" was intended to be the B-side if "Scream" was released as a single.

The studio version of the song remains officially unreleased, though it has appeared on bootlegs over the years. A live version recorded by the band with Syd at Rotterdam was intended for release on the Barrett rarities album Opel (1988), however Floyd blocked it. I understand that the quality of the intended release was better than that available on bootlegs, but even so, I understand the reluctance of Floyd to allow that to be released. The Rotterdam concert was at the Hippy-Happy Fair on 13 November. There are other live recordings from Floyd's European tour. Scream live at Gyllene Cirkeln in Stockhom, 10 September 1967. This is the instrumental break, slightly extended; vocals can't be heard. This is also how it appears on a fuller recording of the concert. Scream at the Star Club in Copenhagen,  Denmark - some faint vocals at the start - sounds like two voices, then quickly into the instrumental break. For me, Denmark is the best of the unofficial live versions. Though the best live version overall is the BBC one, recorded for their second Top Gear appearance with John Peel and an in over his head Tommy Vance who comments at the end: "The incredible sound of the Pink Floyd along with Ray Barrett".


Monday 14 October 2013

Out Demons Out


The delightfully wild and hairy Edgar Broughton Band

In the early 70's, if you had five or more hippies gathered together in a field at night, within an hour they'd have rolled a few joints, lit a campfire, and started an "Out Demons Out" chant banging together empty beer cans! Ah, those were the days!




Out Demons Out



Wednesday 25 September 2013

Johnny Cash (original)



This 2013 page is no longer updated - see Johnny Cash album by album for latest (2020) version. 







When Johnny Cash died in 2003, one of the last of the mythical titans who strode the Earth in the 1950s and created modern music passed away. Rock music from its inception brought together folk, country, blues and popular music, so the early greats often had their feet in one or more of these styles. Cash was inclined more toward toward country and folk music than the blues, and was passionate about writing and singing songs about neglected areas of America - prisoners, poor people, Native Americans, railways and farms. He had a rich gravelly bass-baritone voice, and a rough, gravelly down to earth attitude that earned him respect from many quarters. This was a man who didn't take bullshit, and was prepared to stand up for those who didn't have a voice, and who throughout his career, from early in the 1950s up to his last tours, played for free in prisons. By the time he became famous for it in the late 60s, he'd already been doing it for over a decade.

Cash had three carers. He started at Sun Records in 1955 and had several rockabilly hits which continued into the early 60s when he switched to Columbia records. During the mid 60s he released a stream of gospel and Americana albums that, while sometimes interesting, were not consistently top quality, and lost him his main audience. The audacious live album At Folsom Prison, and its follow up At San Quentin, found him a new and wider audience; but through a succession of weak albums in the 70s this second career waned, and by the 80s he had became something of a has-been, recording mainly nostalgic country albums in collaboration with other aging country singers. By the 90s he was out of a recording contract, when Rick Rubin of American Recordings signed him up, and he entered his third, and for many, his greatest career. His voice, while no longer quite as powerful, was richer, and more emotional. And, for the first time in his career, he had a bold producer who moved him away from simplistic chug-a-chug tunes, into more sparse, sympathetic and beautiful arrangements. He was still recording with Rubin until he died - the recordings infused with his own knowledge of his impending death.

Cash was a prolific musician, releasing several records a year during the Sixties. During his career from 1954 to 2003, he released 96 official albums and 153 singles on several record labels. If all the collaborations and compilations and box sets released in various countries are totaled there are reckoned to be over 4,000 cataloged releases - not counting bootlegs.

His notable recordings are the albums he made with Rick Rubin for American Recordings from 1994 to his death in 2003, and the two live prison albums in the Sixties. Apart from these records, opinions will be divided as to what is interesting and what is too weak to listen to. This is my selection of what I feel are the more interesting and worthwhile of his albums, and the most useful of the many compilation albums.



Albums 

With His Hot and Blue Guitar
(1957)

A solid and impressive debut album. This is a collection of a number of his major recordings with his first recording company, Sun Records, and was the first LP released by Sun (Elvis' first album in 1956 was with RCA). It contains "Cry! Cry! Cry!", his first single, released in 1955; "Folsom Prison Blues", also from 1955; and "I Walk the Line" from 1957, his first Country Music No 1, and his first Popular Music top 20; it also contains his cover of Rock Island Line.

Wikipedia
BestEverAlbums: Cash's 5th best album, and the 6th best album of 1957.
AllMusic: 9
Score: 5

The Fabulous Johnny Cash
(1959)

All the songs recorded in a three week period and then released as a purposeful album, this - Cash's first Columbia LP - has a unity that gives it a strength and focus. There's also some decent individual songs: Don't Take Your Guns to Town, Frankie's Man, Johnny; and I Still Miss Someone.

Wikipedia
BestEver Albums: Cash's 10th best album, and 25th best album of 1958.
AllMusic: 9
Score: 4

Songs of Our Soil (1959)

Felt by some to be a concept album, as many of the songs relate to death in some way. Contains Five Feet High and Rising, and The Man on the Hill. Competent songs, but not great.



Wikipedia
Ranked by BestEverAlbums as his 20th best, and 49th of 1959. 
4 stars on AllMusic.
My Score: 3

Cash dressed as a cowboy, inserting a bullet into a gun
Ride This Train  (1960)
Intriguing album of railway songs each introduced with spoken narratives and sound effects. No great songs, and not for repeated listening, but an interesting idea. Cash released a number of albums in the Sixties which collected together songs (some traditional, some written by Cash) on a single theme exploring some folk aspect of America: working men, railways, Native Americans, etc - he regarded this and Bitter Tears as two albums he felt proud of.  The intro to Loading Coal is interesting and has a bite, and the song has an attractive chug along beat.

Ranked by BestEverAlbums as his 21st best, and 38th of 1960. 4 1/2 stars on AllMusic.
My Score: 3



Blood, Sweat and Tears
(Feb 1963)
One of Cash's themed Sixties albums - this one on working men. Fairly weak.


Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash
(Aug 1963)

A collection of the singles released on Columbia between 1959 and 1963. The album reached No 1 on the Country charts and was in the top 30 of the Popular charts. Contains Ring of Fire, and Peace In The Valley.
Ranked by BestEverAlbums as his 25st best, and 57th of 1963. 4 stars on AllMusic. My Score: 3


Bitter Tears (Ballads of the American Indian)
(1964)


Another of the themed albums Cash released in the Sixties - this one on Native Americans. As with the other  themed albums the idea is interesting, and sympathetically (if unimaginatively) executed; however the songs are weak. Cash has a rich and evocative voice, so it's pleasant to listen to him sing-speak his way through these songs, but there's little depth, originality, or power here. I like that he made them, and this one was the most popular at the time - reaching into the top 50 of the main charts, but they are not great albums.

Ranked 11th best, and 29th for 1964 on BestEverAlbums, 4 1/2 stars on AllMusic.
My score: 3


Cover shows a close up of Cash's face, looking at the camera.
At Folsom Prison 
(1968)        
Classic. Without a doubt one of Cash's best albums, and some feel it is his best. The energy and focus of the performance is tangible, the songs are strong, the atmosphere is electric, the concept of performing in prison (not for soldiers in Vietnam or a President and his friends) and releasing an album of that performance is audacious, and consolidates and validates Cash's folk theme albums exploring some of the darker and more forgotten aspects of America. This is a true outlaw album in its empathy and affection for the thieves and murderers in the prison, and apparent contempt for the jailers and  prison authorities. Cash had been giving performances in prisons since 1957, and had previously played at Folsom, and that experience gave him the confidence which is displayed throughout the performance, where he takes an arrogant and contemptuous stance toward the prison itself, which is fully appreciated by the prisoners. The album propelled Cash into the mainstream and made him a legend. When I was a young hippy I had the San Quentin album and loved it - and in many respects I still feel it the more attractive, stronger and listenable album; however, Folsom Prison is a true landmark album - one of the greatest albums of all time.
Ranked 1st best and 207th of all time on BEA. 5 stars on AllMusic. My score: 9


At San Quentin
(1969)
Classic. It's possible to debate until the cows come home which is the better album, San Quentin or Folsom. Both were best sellers, though San Quentin was the more popular, and produced bigger hit singles. That may be due to the film that accompanied the album, and partly due to the growing fame of Cash from the success of Folsom. Or it may be due to the power of the San Quentin song, and the reaction of the audience. Cash played the song again, and on the original (better) vinyl release this was followed by A Boy Named Sue, and then finishes up with Peace In The Valley and Folsom Prison Blues. Rarely has there been such a powerful side of an album. On the other hand, Folsom came first, and much of this album is a repeat of the atmosphere and tone of that landmark album. I had this album and played it often so I have an intimate familiarity with it. I prefer the cover, and I prefer the songs, and there is such an electric atmosphere that sizzles on the second side that for me this is slightly the better album. But, really, it's very close.
Ranked 3rd best, and 27th for 1969 on BEA.  5 stars on AllMusic. My score: 9



Hello, I'm Johnny Cash
(1970)
A mature album of decent songs. This is a somewhat lost album: it is out of print, and a number of sources, such as BEA, don't list it. This is sad - the album was well liked on release, making the charts in both North America and the UK, and it's unclear why it has slipped into relative obscurity. This is Cash's first album since The Fabulous Johnny Cash in 1959 which is not composed of compilations of past releases, nor on a rickety theme (death, railways, Indians, etc). Cash's singing is mature and assured, and the song choices are good, included with four Cash originals are songs by Merle TravisKen JonesTim Hardin and Kris Kristofferson. Best song is probably the opener, Southwind, which though at core has the primitive Cash chug, chug sound, also has interesting counterpoint and interweaving rhythms, and great control and use of Cash's voice.
BEA - not listed. AllMusic: 4 stars. My score: 4


The Survivors Live  (1982)
Cash with Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins live onstage in Germany at an apparently unscheduled and unrehearsed get together when Cash noticed the other two in the audience and called them up onstage. All three had played together in 1955 during the Million Dollar Quartet session with Elvis Presley, and would again in 1986 for the Class of '55 album with Roy Orbison. Survivors Live is a loose, rocking album with some energy. Good fun.
Score: 3

Highwayman
The Highwaymen 
Highwayman  (1985)

The Highwaymen
were a Country music supergroup involving Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson. Highwayman was the first of three albums they released. It has some strong songs. Though there is some uncertainty of how best to present four strong and individual singers together (they don't harmonise well, and the usual approach is for them to take one verse each, which makes for awkward disjointed listening), there is something attractive about the concept of these four aging music rebels getting together to sing songs such as Committed to Parkview, about being in a rehab centre, and The Last Cowboy Song, about "the end of a hundred year waltz". It's a knowing, nostalgic album which pitches itself carefully to its own aging audience.
AllMusic: 4 stars. My score: 3


Heroes
Johnny Cash & Waylon Jennings Heroes
(1986)

A collaboration with Waylon Jennings. A solid album of decent if a bit maudlin songs done well. During the Eighties most of Cash's best output was in collaborations with others.
AllMusic score 4 stars. My score: 3



Class of '55: Memphis Rock & Roll Homecoming
Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, & Carl Perkins  Class of '55
(1986)

Cash, Lewis, Orbison and Perkins all return to the Sun recording studio with a film crew to make a documentary about themselves, and a record of old and new music. An interesting and at times a powerful moment. Tracks include Perkin's Birth of Rock and Roll; Lewis's Sixteen Candles;  and Cash's We Remember The King.
AllMusic score: 3 stars.  My score: 3


American Recordings
American Recordings
(1994)
For the first time in his recording history Cash made a studio album with a strong producer who understood Cash's strengths and how to deliver them to a modern audience. Accompanied by some bold and evocative videos this sparse album of Cash's voice and guitar and a selection of great songs is a powerful statement, and the start of a collaboration between Cash and Rick Rubin that would result in several great albums up to Cash's death in 2003. Stripping him of his chug-a-chug backing band with its simplistic Country music associations was a master-stroke. Here is the man with his superb voice and delivery, and he clearly transcends style and categorisation. Some of the song choices are inspired - Tom Waits's Down There By The Train,  Leonard Cohen's Bird On A Wire, Nick Lowe's   Silbersdorf 's  Delia's Gone, and some of Cash's own songs, like Redemption and Like A Soldier.

Ranked his 6th best by BEA. AllMusic score: 4 1/2 stars. My score: 8

Listening again some months after doing the above assessment, and while in general I like the style, and some of the songs, I'm not quite seeing this as an 8, so I'm moving it down to 6.



Unchained
(1996)
All the American Recordings albums are strong, and this, the second, is not bad, though is weaker than the first. Rubin backed Cash with the rock band Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and while that does work, creating a sound much stronger than the chug-a-chug of  the majority of Cash's pre-American Recordings material, it doesn't work as well as having Cash simply accompany himself on acoustic guitar.
Ranked his 7th best by BEA. AllMusic score: 3 1/2 stars. My score: 4


American III: Solitary Man
(2000)
Getting old and weak now, there was a four year gap before Cash was well enough to make another American Recordings album. A little more sparse than Unchained, with a bolder and perhaps more appropriate selection of songs, this could be considered as slightly more successful than Unchained, though opinions will vary. It works better for me. And Cash's voice has acquired a  fragility in the painful cracks of its strength that is really quite compelling. What is clear at this point is that Rubin is good for Cash, and what they produced together is a monumental body of work. Some of the performances here could make a grown man weep.
Ranked his 4th best by BEA. AllMusic score: 3 stars. My score: 5


American IV: The Man Comes Around
(2002)
The fourth American Recordings album is widely seen as the best - but that is possibly more to do with it being the one that contains Hurt, than because people have genuinely listened to all the recordings and felt this is the best. Because, Hurt and Personal Jesus apart, this album isn't as successful as the previous three. The song choices are weaker, and the arrangements are drifting toward mainstream country, so in places this sounds like any number of the records he released in the Sixties and Seventies, and sometimes weaker, as his voice is very weak now, and while it fits on certain songs like Hurt, sounds rather uncomfortable for a whole album. Go back and listen to the first American Recordings album to remind yourself what this voice was capable of when still strong and the song choices and arrangements were also strong and bold. His singing of Bridge Over Troubled Waters is painful in ways it shouldn't be, and it's sad for all the wrong reasons. By the time you get to Danny Boy (if you've listened that far) you're going to be feeling very uncomfortable. Dreadful.
Ranked his 2nd best by BEA. AllMusic score: 2 1/2 stars. My score: 2 (for the two great songs)


My Mother's Hymn Book
(2004)
Originally part of the Unearthed box set which gathered together unreleased material from the American Recordings sessions, and was released shortly after Cash's death, it was later released separately. Cash had been intensely interested in gospel music from the beginning of his recording career, and over the years had released a fair amount of material, sometimes as individual songs, or as complete albums. But this is is best gospel work, and Cash himself was very pleased with the recordings. There's a pleasant warmth and sincerity about this album, which is in marked contrast to the forced sentimentality of The Man Comes Around. This is not to say it's a great album - but gospel singing was very much part of the man, and if you want to check it out, this is the album to listen to.
Ranked his 30th best by BEA. AllMusic score: 4 1/2 stars. My score: 2


American V: A Hundred Highways
A Hundred Highways and Ain't No Grave are from the last sessions that Cash recorded - they were released after his death. He was dying and knew it. His wife died during the recordings. His voice is no longer what it was, and sounds weak and tired and resigned. These are interesting and at times very moving recordings as they are the last recordings of an almost mythical artist - the last of the titans who strode the world in the 1950s and formed modern rock music. The songs choices are not as cheesey or inappropriate as on The Man Comes Around - though there's nothing here with the quality or power of Hurt from that album. 
Ranked his 8th and 18th best by BEA. AllMusic score: 4 stars and 4 stars. My score: 3



Voice
Gravelly and instantly recognisable. Cash's voice is rich with poignancy and rugged honesty. His voice is limited, and at times he struggles to stay in tune, even to sing at all, his voice occasionally dragging down to a spoken drawl - yet with the strength of conviction he manages to bring, and the emotional intensity he somehow drags into his songs, he is proof that the best singers don't always need to be able to sing.
8/10

Image
All American Renegade. The Outlaw. The Man In Black. The man of the people. Rugged, tough, liberal, earthy and honest. He was around at the start of rock and roll, and though his main love was Country, he remained associated with Rock, and respected by a Rock audience, particularly during the Sixties with his San Quenton album, and then again at the end of his life with Hurt.  His legend is huge.
7/10

Lyrics
Down to earth, straight, not clever or poetic, but at times quite effective.Country.
5/10

Music
Welcomed by rock audiences, came out of Sun Records with Elvis, but essentially a country artist. There's a rockabilly roughness and edge which males him more attractive than the average mainstream country artist, but the music is fairly limited plunky-plonky, and doesn't develop. With Cash it's all about the image and the voice.
4/10

Impact/Influence
The music and the lyrics are not going to be copied by anyone as there's nothing to copy. But the rough, tough, outlaw attitude has made an impression. The prison albums are something special.
6/10

Importance
He bridged the gap between rock and country. He linked music to social issues. He was the Man in Black. He's more important than Elton John.
6/10

Popularity
6/10

Star quality
6/10

Emotional appeal
His voice is raw emotion.
8/10

Legacy
7/10

Total = 63

Best albums:

At San Quentin  (1969)
At Folsom Prison  (1968)
American Recordings  (1994) - Score: 6
With His Hot and Blue Guitar  (1957)
Hello, I'm Johnny Cash  (1970)
Unchained  (1996)
The Fabulous Johnny Cash (1959)


Best compilations

There are various compilations - from big comprehensive box sets, through multi-disc offerings of narrow periods - such as his time with Sun Records, to single-disc top hits. The comprehensive sets are for hard core fans who have a lot of time on their hands.

   The best three-disc selection is: 

This covers his period with Sun and Columbia. It includes the major hits from the 50s and 60s, and a representative selection of his work from the 70s and 80s. Quite useful, and quietly respected.

   The best two-disc selection;

Similar to the other Essential, but condensed onto two discs and with slightly different selections. This one includes later work, such as The Wanderer, the song he did with U2 in 1993, but nothing from the American Recordings. A popular choice.

   The best single-disc selection:

The big songs from 1955 to 2002, On one disc. Obviously opinions will vary on what to include on a single disc, but this is a great choice, and I don't think there's a better one available (apart from my own selection - below). 


Johnny Cash 80 minute CD
(If downloading from YouTube and converting to MP3 for a CD burn, some tracks may have additional silence at the end that will need trimming to fit onto a single CD)

Cry, Cry, Cry (1955)
I Walk the Line (1956)
Get Rhythm (1956)
Don't Take Your Guns to Town (1958)
Five Feet High and Rising (1959)
Frankie's Man, Johnny (1959)
The Rebel - Johnny Yuma (1960)  (from Ride This Train)
Ring of Fire (1963)
Jackson (1967)
Daddy Sang Bass (1968)
Folsom Prison Blues (First recorded 1956 - this is the live prison version from 1968)
Wanted Man (1969)
Peace In The Valley (First recorded 1963 - this is the live San Quentin version 1969)
We Remember The King (1986) (from Class of '55)
Delia's Gone (1994) (from American Recordings)
Bird On A Wire (1994)   (from American Recordings)
Like A Soldier (1994)   (from American Recordings)
I Won't Back Down  (2000)   (from American III: Solitary Man)
One (2000)   (from American III: Solitary Man)
Personal Jesus (2002)   (from American IV: The Man Comes Around)
Hurt (2002)   (from American IV: The Man Comes Around)
Alloa Oe  (2003)  (from the posthumous American VI: Ain't No Grave )


*************

*Cash at Glastonbury in 1994. Not a great performance, but interesting.

*A decent discography at AllMusic (Wikipedia discographies are not as helpful as the AllMusic ones as Wikipedia split up the live and studio albums)


Kitchen Table Music Blogs
Best Of The Best

82 April 2019 

Saturday 31 August 2013

Deep Purple album by album


Classic Deep Purple: Gillan - Glover - Lord - Blackmore - Paice


Deep Purple are a band mostly associated with being one of the bands responsible for forming the music genre we now call Heavy Metal - they are part of the "Unholy Trinity" of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. There are notable different line-ups of Deep Purple, which are numbered Mark I, Mark II, etc. The first line up released three albums and four singles, including "Hush". This version of Deep Purple was a psychedelic rock band, influenced by Vanilla Fudge, as exemplified by "Hush". The second line up, regarded as the classic line up, recorded six albums - a classical music album, a highly popular live album, and a series of three studio albums that took the band from heavy melodic rock into the forefront of Heavy Metal, though the band mainly stayed on the rock side of the blurry dotted line between rock and metal. The first of those albums, In Rock, is a fast, energetic album that has stood the test of time, and is an album that could and should be enjoyed by all. The rest of the albums are of interest to fans of  classic rock, though offer little to the general listener. After the classic line up broke up, the band went on under a variety of line ups, making a subtle variety of commercial rock/metal which included at times a funkier aspect and/or a more poppy aspect. The classic line up came back together, but then gradually changed into other line-ups.  While much of the band's later output is liked and respected (they managed to retain a focus on classic rock while at the same time incorporating more contemporary rock aspects, so there are very few albums that are regarded as substantially below par), it is the albums the classic line up released in a four year period in the early Seventies that are regarded as their best and most significant. In most polls In Rock comes top as the best Deep Purple album. 

The rhythm section of Paice and Glover have been the most consistent members of the band, with Paice being the only member to be with the band from start to finish playing on every album and tour.  However, it has been those who have played keyboard, lead guitar, and vocals who have been most influential on the sound of Deep Purple, and while there have been skillful occupants of those roles, it is widely acknowledged that Gillan, Blackmore, and Lord are the true architects of the classic Deep Purple sound.   


Albums




Shades of Deep Purple  (July 1968)

You can detect that this is the same band who would later emerge as the heavy rockers of In Rock, but on the whole this is largely indifferent Sixties heavy pop / progressive rock / psychedelic rock material, though it does contain "Hush", originally released by Billy Joe Royal. There are some similarities to The Nice ("Bonnie K" 1967), though that's more likely due to similar interests and instruments than actual copying as The Nice were just starting up. Other bands that had a clear influence include Cream - "Sunshine Of Your Love" 1967, Hendrix - "Can You See Me" 1967, and Vanilla Fudge - "You Keep Me Hanging On" 1967, and the band cover a Cream track and a song, "Hey Joe", done by Hendrix. On the whole, while not being anything ground-breaking, and a little disjointed, it's a professionally made and listenable album with a clear intent to make progressive music rather than something simply commercial; and "Hush" is a fine track.

Released17 July 1968
Recorded11–13 May 1968
StudioPye Studios, London
Genre
Length43:27
LabelTetragrammaton
ProducerDerek Lawrence

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."And the Address" (instrumental)Ritchie BlackmoreJon Lord4:38
2."Hush" (7)Joe South4:24
3."One More Rainy Day"Lord, Rod Evans3:40
4."Prelude: Happiness/I'm So Glad"Blackmore, Evans, Lord, Ian PaiceNick Simper/Skip James7:19
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Mandrake Root"Blackmore, Lord, Evans6:09
6."Help!"Lennon–McCartney6:01
7."Love Help Me"Blackmore, Evans3:49
8."Hey Joe"Billy Roberts7:33

Remastered CD edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
9."Shadows" (album outtake)Lord, Evans, Simper, Blackmore3:39
10."Love Help Me" (instrumental version)Blackmore, Evans3:30
11."Help" (alternate take)Lennon, McCartney5:24
12."Hey Joe" (BBC Top Gear session, 14 January 1969)Roberts4:06
13."Hush" (live US TV, 1968)South3:53


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 8
Score: 3 1/2

File:Taliesyn.jpg
The Book of Taliesyn (Oct 1968/June 1969)

The band's second album is more of the same. The playing is crisp and professional, and in places you can recognise some of the guitar riffs and organ sounds of the classic Deep Purple, but on the whole the playing lacks depth and excitement, the songs are poor, and the whole thing is a little boring. The band were given a little more time to record this album, and some of the song choices and arrangements suggest that the band are trying to be adventurous and interesting, but the end result feels somewhat ponderous, earnest and pretentious. Though the band were making the songs longer and more complex, the resulting sound, with the exception of "River Deep, Mountain High", the band's audacious cover of the Phil Spector classic, is less heavy and exciting than the first album, and feels more like a side step into baroque pop, like the Zombies Odessey and Oracle album or Scott Walker's Scott 2, rather than a move towards the hard rock which would lead to In Rock, and the start of Heavy Metal. So this feels like a step backwards from the first album both in terms of musical progress and listenability.

ReleasedOctober 1968 (US)
June 1969 (UK)
RecordedAugust and October 1968
StudioDe Lane Lea Studios, Kingsway, London
Genre
Length43:57
LabelTetragrammaton
ProducerDerek Lawrence

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Listen, Learn, Read On"Ritchie BlackmoreRod EvansJon LordIan Paice4:05
2."Wring That Neck" (instrumental, titled "Hard Road" in the USA)Blackmore, Nick Simper, Lord, Paice5:13
3."Kentucky Woman" (Neil Diamond cover)Neil Diamond4:44
4."(a) Exposition"
"(b) We Can Work It Out" (The Beatles cover)
Blackmore, Simper, Lord, Paice,
John Lennon, Paul McCartney
7:06
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Shield"Blackmore, Evans, Lord6:06
6."Anthem"Lord, Evans6:31
7."River Deep, Mountain High" (Ike & Tina Turner cover)Jeff BarryEllie GreenwichPhil Spector10:12

Remastered CD edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
8."Oh No No No" (studio outtake, December 1968)Bert Berns (aka Bert Russell), Mike Leander4:25
9."It's All Over" (BBC Top Gear session; 14 January 1969)Berns, Leander4:14
10."Hey Bop a Re Bop" (BBC Top Gear session; 14 January 1969)Blackmore, Evans, Lord, Paice3:31
11."Wring That Neck" (BBC Top Gear session; 14 January 1969)Blackmore, Simper, Lord, Paice4:42
12."Playground" (remixed instrumental studio outtake; 18 August 1968)Blackmore, Simper, Lord, Paice4:29


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 7
Score: 3


Deep Purple  (Sept 1969)

Though still largely in the same mould as the previous two albums, this - the last with the original line up - is clearly a bridge between the pop/rock band and the heavy rock band that Deep Purple would become with In Rock. The guitar playing and organ, especially on the more extended, largely instrumental sequences, is at times quite exciting - with a rocky groove that moves it out from under the progressive/psychedelic umbrella into the more direct, riffing sound of heavy rock. The cover of Donovan's  "Lalena" sounds like "Child In Time", though Rod Evan's voice is clearly too soft, and if the band were to progress into a heavier sound they were right to drop him and seek out a more appropriate singer. This is a much more accomplished, interesting and satisfying album than the previous two. While "April" is too diverse to work (blending, in three extended sections, rock and classical music), it does show the ambition and musicianship of the band - Lord and Blackmore in particular. "Bird Has Flown", which in an edited version was released as a single, sounds like an outtake from In Rock. Interestingly the band did a recording for the BBC of "Bird Has Flown" with new singer Ian Gillan on vocals - and it shows what a difference he makes. "Why Didn't Rosemary?" is a good rocking track, and is probably the most satisfactory and successful on the album. Overall this is a surprisingly attractive and accomplished if patchy and occasionally flawed album.

Released21 June 1969 (US)
September 1969 (UK)
RecordedJanuary–March 1969
StudioDe Lane Lea Studios, Kingsway, London
Genre
Length44:34
LabelTetragrammaton (US)
Harvest Records (UK)
ProducerDerek Lawrence

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Chasing Shadows"Ian PaiceJon Lord5:34
2."Blind"Lord5:26
3."Lalena" (Donovan cover)Donovan Leitch5:05
4."Fault Line" (instrumental)Ritchie BlackmoreNick Simper, Lord, Paice1:46
5."The Painter"Blackmore, Rod Evans, Lord, Simper, Paice3:51
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Why Didn't Rosemary?"Blackmore, Evans, Lord, Simper, Paice5:04
7."Bird Has Flown"Lord, Evans, Blackmore5:36
8."April"Blackmore, Lord12:10

Remastered CD edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
9."The Bird Has Flown" (Alternate A-side version)Lord, Evans, Blackmore2:54
10."Emmaretta" (Studio B-side)Lord, Evans, Blackmore3:00
11."Emmaretta" (BBC Top Gear session, 14 January 1969)Lord, Evans, Blackmore3:09
12."Lalena" (BBC radio session; 24 June 1969)Leitch3:33
13."The Painter" (BBC radio session; 24 June 1969)Blackmore, Evans, Lord, Simper, Paice2:18


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 9
Score: 4



Concerto for Group and Orchestra (Dec 1969)

Ian Gillan was brought in as singer to replace Rod Evans, and he brought with him Roger Glover from their band  Episode Six. The focus of the album is on the classical music and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It seems to work OK as a piece of orchestral music - at times sounding like a film score. But it sounds a bit crude when the band do their bits. Admire the ambition to fully develop the contemporary interest in combining classical and rock music, which was something of a trend at this period, and formed the basis of symphonic prog rock, but, to be fair, as a rock album, this sucks, and as a classical record, this sucks. This is a curiosity, nothing more.

Film of the concert

Released20 December 1969
Recorded24 September 1969
GenreClassical crossoverprogressive rock
Length59:26
LabelTetragrammaton (US)
Harvest (UK)
Polydor (Canada)
ProducerDeep Purple

Original release on vinyl
No.Title
1."First Movement: Moderato — Allegro" 
2."Second Movement: Andante Part 1" 
3."Second Movement: Andante Conclusion" 
4."Third Movement: Vivace — Presto"

2002 Remastered Edition
No.TitleLength
1."Intro"3:28
2."Hush"4:41
3."Wring That Neck"13:24
4."Child in Time"12:02
5."First Movement: Moderato - Allegro"19:21
6."Second Movement: Andante"19:11
7."Third Movement: Vivace - Presto"13:09
8."Encore: Third Movement: Vivace - Presto (Part)"5:52


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 6 
Score 2 1/2 


  
"Black Night" (June 1970)
1970 TV appearance. 



In Rock (June 1970)

One of the most popular rock albums ever made. Exciting back in 1970, and still thrills and delights today. Fast rocky music played by accomplished musicians who understand music structure and texture. There have been a number of strong claims made for this album in terms of its importance in creating "Heavy Metal" - but in truth it was part of a wider development of which Led Zeppelin, Cream, Black Sabbath, etc were a part. It really did not appear significant at the time, as other bands were also pushing and exploring fast, melodic, heavy rock music. But it did strike me and my friends as fast and exciting - with great rushes of sound that could be quite euphoric. None of us regarded it as a great album - I think we all were interested in a range of other bands and musicians that made Deep Purple less interesting by comparison  (Led Zeppelin, Captain Beefheart, Velvet Underground, Hawkwind, etc), but we found it very enjoyable, even if  we also found it a little limited. I think that still holds true today - this is an album I enjoy rather more than respect. The decent single "Black Night" was recorded at the end of the album sessions, but not included on the album itself. 

Despite my carping, this is a classic album and essential listening for everyone, but especially teenage boys! The opening track "Speed King" works perfectly - a woosh of excitement. "Bloodsucker" is a little lumpy with some simple, jerky progression on heavy British blues, with each one taking their turn - a bit of electric guitar, a bit of organ - a little obvious and old fashioned, with nods to The Nice, but Gillan saves it with some dramatic screams here and there. "Child in Time" is a lovely riffing piece, but it doesn't develop and so tends to outstay its welcome. And it was an uncredited copy of It's A Beautiful Day's "Bombay Calling" - such borrowings have been common in music throughout history - it is only in recent years that lawyers have been urging musicians to sue each other, so the lawyers can make some easy money. Lawyers, politicians, and dog breeders should all be put on a spaceship with the controls set for the heart of the Sun.

The musicianship in Deep Purple is good, but lacks creativity. There are elements that come across a little too much like the  Jesus Christ Superstar album, which was recorded around the same time, and in which Gillan played Jesus. The band hit the notes predictably and cleanly, and stop and start in a theatrical manner. Yet, at it's best, when it flows, "Child in Time" boogies along in a manner which has become very common in hard rock bands like Skynyrd's "Freebird".

An enjoyable and influential album; while theatrical and limited, it induced a breathless excitement in all the teenage boys who listened, many of whom went on to form their own bands.  Yeah - a classic. 

Was it original, and the start of heavy metal? Nope. I could list loads of albums here that were recorded before or around the same time as In Rock, which also (or more so) contain the definitive elements of  metal, such as Man's 2oz of Plastic With a Hole in The Middle (1969),  Golden Earring's Golden Earring (1970), Uriah Heap's Very 'Eavy Very 'Umble (1970), etc In truth, that was a sound that was around at the time, and Deep Purple were part of it. But their success, and the success of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, has those three bands singled out as the unholy trinity of heavy metal. And that's fine. But it's not accurate. 

American Woman (Jan 1970) - The Guess Who;  Atomic Rooster (Feb 1970) &  Death Walks Behind You (Sept 1970) - Atomic Rooster; Defrosted (June 1970) - Fijid Pink;  Enigmatic (Jan 1970) - Niemann; Fire and Water (June 1970) - Free; Blue Cheer (Dec 1969) - Blue Cheer; Fun House (July 1970) The Stooges; .... 

"Child In Time" live 1970; "Speed King" live 1970; 

Released5 June 1970 
RecordedOctober 1969 – April 1970
Studio
Various
Genre
Length43:30
LabelHarvest
ProducerDeep Purple

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Speed King"  (14)5:49
2."Bloodsucker" (27)4:10
3."Child in Time" (26)10:14
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Flight of the Rat"7:51
2."Into the Fire" (23)3:28
3."Living Wreck" (87)4:27
4."Hard Lovin' Man" (29) 7:11


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 9
Score: 8

Fireball  (Sept 1971)
Fireball  (25th Anniversary release)

I didn't like this album when it came out. The cover didn't work for me - I felt it looked cheap and cheesy. I'm more accepting now of both the music and the cover, though I still feel that the music is simply fast without tension or focus. It seems fast purely for its own sake - and it sounds like what it really is: a hastily thrown together follow up to In Rock. The single from the same recording session, "Strange Kind of Woman", is OK, though is clearly an attempt to redo "Black Night". The album lacks imagination, ideas, and touch. It is musical noise, and even the band don't like it. However, it went to Number 1 in the UK and several other countries, and is generally respected among fans of the band.  "Anyone's Daughter", a sort of Dylanesque humorous country ramble should not have been allowed to be recorded. The album starts well, and is listenable, but is not as exciting as In Rock nor as commercially appealing as the next album Machine Head

ReleasedJuly 1971 (US)
September 1971 (UK)
RecordedSeptember 1970 – June 1971
StudioDe Lane Lea Studios and Olympic Studios, London,
The Hermitage, UK
Genre
Length40:30
LabelHarvest
ProducerDeep Purple

All songs written by Ritchie BlackmoreIan GillanRoger GloverJon Lord and Ian Paice.


Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Fireball" (17) 3:25
2."No No No" (132) 6:54
3."Demon's Eye" (40)5:19
4."Anyone's Daughter" (68) 4:43
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."The Mule" (33)5:23
2."Fools" (51)8:21
3."No One Came" (24) 6:28

25th Anniversary Edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
8."Strange Kind of Woman" (A-side remix '96) 4:07
9."I'm Alone (single B-side)" 3:08
10."Freedom" (album out-take) 3:37
11."Slow Train" (album out-take) 5:38
12."Demon's Eye" (remix '96) 6:13
13."The Noise Abatement Society Tapes (Midnight in MoscowRobin HoodWilliam Tell)"Traditional4:17
14."Fireball" (take 1 – instrumental) 4:09
15."Backwards Piano" (Reversed piano solo at the end of "No One Came.") 0:56
16."No One Came" (remix '96) 6:24


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 9
Score: 4

Machine Head  (March 1972)

The TV series Classic Albums did a program on this album. The track "Smoke On The Water" has become the band's most famous track, and for many fans this is the band's best album - it seems to be the band's best known album, and has acquired a huge, seemingly over enthusiastic reputation. It's slick, commercial, and appealing - with most of the elements associated with popular hard rock. The essential sound propelling the album is a basic keyboard driven boogie that is the heart of "Smoke On The Water", and is repeated in various other songs, much as Lloyd Webber finds an appealing hook for his main song in a theatrical show, and that hook will echo in other songs. Not sure if the band or Webber are doing it deliberately, or it's just that that sound is what is in their head as they are creating the music, so it keeps emerging in various forms. Certainly if you like the hook, then you like the whole album. But if you find that the hook, though charming, is a little too repetitive and overused on "Smoke On The Water", then listening to the whole album is unlikely to be a rewarding experience.  I didn't like the cover at the time, and I still don't like it. But I'm fonder of the music today than I was at the time. Nostalgia, an awareness that music today is not as good as it once was, a lowering of standards, or an acceptance that I was too fussy back then, and this is actually not that bad? Who knows? 

Boogie rock was popular at the end of the Sixties and in the early Seventies. Canned Heat (Future Blues - 1970) and Humble Pie (Performance - 1971) are possibly the two main bands associated with it. 

User reviews on ProgArchives; Lester Bangs for Rolling Stone 1972; ClassicRockReview 2012; Progrography; Keno; PowerOfProg;  


Detailed information and photos of the burning of the Casino that inspired "Smoke On The Water". 

Released25 March 1972
Recorded6–21 December 1971
StudioGrand Hotel (Montreux, Switzerland) with the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
GenreHard rock
Length37:46
LabelPurple
ProducerDeep Purple

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Highway Star" (2)6:05
2."Maybe I'm a Leo" (31) 4:51
3."Pictures of Home" (12) 5:03
4."Never Before" (118)3:56
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Smoke on the Water" (1)5:40
2."Lazy" (5) 7:19
3."Space Truckin'" (6) 4:31


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 10 
Score: 5

Made In Japan  (Dec 1972)

A popular and highly regarded live album. Seven tracks spread out over two albums, averaging around 10 minutes each. The last one, "Space Truckin",  taking nearly 20 minutes. Typically Seventies rock, including drum solo. The band generate a good rocking boogie. Nothing adventurous or clever, but solid, undemanding, "heavy", and entertaining.  The title of "Space Truckin'" put me in mind of Grateful Dead's "Truckin'" from the same period, and Purple's appealing heaviness and straightforward approach is a noticeable comparison.  Rather more similar hard rock live albums from 1972 are Bloodrock LiveEat A Peach (The Allman Brothers),  Greasy Truckers (starting with the awesome and under-rated Man band from Wales, and finishing with the also somewhat neglected space rockers Hawkwind), Live At The Paramount (The Guess Who), Live In Europe (Rory Gallagher), and Slade Alive!. I'm not entirely convinced that Purple stand out from that crowd - their music fits right in with the heavy and fast rock approach of the time. But, other than The Allman Brothers, they became more successful and more acclaimed.  

At the end of the day it's a basic rock album, quite approachable, undemanding, and commercial. It's enjoyable, and that's all it wants to be. Fast, rocky, slick, and exciting. 

Released8 December 1972
RecordedFestival Hall, Osaka,
15 and 16 August 1972
Nippon Budokan, Tokyo,
17 August 1972
Genre
Length76:44
LabelPurple
Producer

Side one
No.TitleRecording date and locationLength
1."Highway Star"Osaka on 16 August6:52
2."Child in Time"Osaka on 16 August12:25
Side two
No.Title...Length
3."Smoke on the Water"Osaka on 15 August7:32
4."The Mule"Tokyo on 17 August9:50
Side three
No.Title...Length
5."Strange Kind of Woman"Osaka on 16 August9:36
6."Lazy"Tokyo on 17 August10:51
Side four
No.Title...Length
7."Space Truckin'"Osaka on 16 August19:42

2014 CD Deluxe Bonus Disc
The Encores: 2014 Martin Pullan Remix 
No.TitleLength
1."Black Night (15 August)"6:58
2."Speed King (15 August)"8:28
3."Black Night (16 August)"6:58
4."Lucille (16 August)"9:03
5."Black Night (17 August)"8:01
6."Speed King (17 August)"7:19



Wikipedia
AllMusic: 9 
Score: 6 

Who Do We Think We Are  (Jan 1973)

For masochists only. Even Deep Purple fans avoid this album. The band were tired and stressed. Ian Gillan and Roger Glover left after this album. To be fair it's not awful, but it is subpar. The opening song "Woman from Tokyo" became popular when the classic line up reformed later. 

Released13 January 1973 (US) 
RecordedJuly 1972 in Rome, Italy and October 1972 in Frankfurt, West Germany, with the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
GenreHard rockblues rock
Length34:27
LabelPurple
ProducerDeep Purple

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Woman from Tokyo"5:48
2."Mary Long"4:23
3."Super Trouper"2:54
4."Smooth Dancer"4:08
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Rat Bat Blue"5:23
2."Place in Line"6:29
3."Our Lady"5:12


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 4 
Score: 3 



Burn  (Feb 1974)

New singer Coverdale replaces Gillan, and bass player Glenn Hughes replaces Glover - this is now Deep Purple III. The band have slowed down, and have developed a grungier sound with less crisp clarity on the lead guitar which is quite fat and fuzzy. This is less hard rock, and more bluesy heavy metal. It progresses quite predictably. The main difference in music approach to Mark II is the funk that Hughes brings to the bass, which adds something of interest.  Coverdale's voice is richer, but not as strong or energetic and exciting as Gillan.  Overall, as a basic hard rock album this is pretty good. 

Released15 February 1974
RecordedNovember 1973
StudioMontreux, Switzerland with the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
Genre
Length41:37
LabelPurple
ProducerDeep Purple

All tracks are written by BlackmoreCoverdaleLordPaice and Hughes, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Burn" 6:00
2."Might Just Take Your Life" 4:36
3."Lay Down, Stay Down" 4:15
4."Sail Away"Blackmore, Coverdale5:48
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You Fool No One" 4:47
2."What's Goin' On Here" 4:55
3."Mistreated"Blackmore, Coverdale7:25
4."'A' 200"Blackmore, Lord, Paice3:51




Score: 5

Stormbringer  (1974)

This is a more varied and musical album than I expected - there's good rocking blues, and funk, and folk-rock, along with the traditional rock boogie that Deep Purple were best known for. The guitar is back to a cleaner style - fast picking interspersed with sustained notes, rather than blurred chords. Coverdale, though less exciting, is a more varied and interesting singer  - more traditional blues rock than Gillan's musical theatre voice.  This is a mature album. Good sound and musicianship. What lets it down is there are no great songs. The songs are OK and listenable, but there's no "Speed King", "Child In Time", or "Smoke On The Water" here. Not popular with fans of the band or classic rock, and not typical of Deep Purple (more like Free - Essential Free), but a decent album non-the-less.  "Soldier of Fortune" has proved to be a popular song, and, to a lesser extent, the title song "Stormbringer".

ReleasedNovember 1974 
RecordedAugust–September 1974
StudioMusicland Studios, Munich, Germany
The Record Plant, Los Angeles
Genre
Length36:31
LabelPurple
ProducerMartin Birch & Deep Purple

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Stormbringer"BlackmoreCoverdale4:03
2."Love Don't Mean a Thing"Deep Purple4:23
3."Holy Man"Coverdale, Hughes, Lord4:28
4."Hold On"Coverdale, Hughes, Lord, Paice5:05
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Lady Double Dealer"Blackmore, Coverdale3:19
2."You Can't Do It Right (With the One You Love)"Blackmore, Coverdale, Hughes3:24
3."High Ball Shooter"Deep Purple4:26
4."The Gypsy"Deep Purple 4:05
5."Soldier of Fortune"Blackmore, Coverdale3:14


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 4 
Score: 6 


  


Come Taste The Band  (1975)

Only two original members after Blackmore left.  This is the only album with Tommy Bolin  on guitar, and the last with Coverdale and Hughes. After this the band split up for 8 years. The classic line up reformed in 1984, and various versions of the band have continued to recorded and tour since then. This is a smooth, commercial, middle-of-the-road hard rock. It's quite listenable, but it lacks excitement and edge. 

Released10 October 1975
Recorded3 August – 1 September 1975
StudioMusicland Studios, Munich, Germany
GenreHard rockfunk rock
Length37:16
LabelPurple
ProducerMartin Birch & Deep Purple

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead VocalsLength
1."Comin' Home"Tommy BolinDavid CoverdaleIan PaiceCoverdale3:55
2."Lady Luck"Jeffrey Craig Jeff Cook, David CoverdaleCoverdale2:48
3."Gettin' Tighter"Bolin, Glenn HughesHughes3:37
4."Dealer"Bolin, CoverdaleCoverdale, Bolin3:50
5."I Need Love"Bolin, CoverdaleCoverdale4:23
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead VocalsLength
6."Drifter"Bolin, CoverdaleCoverdale4:02
7."Love Child"Bolin, CoverdaleCoverdale3:08
8."This Time Around / Owed to 'G'"Hughes, Jon Lord / BolinHughes / Instrumental6:10
9."You Keep On Moving"Coverdale, HughesCoverdale, Hughes5:19


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 7
Score: 4 

  
Made In Europe (Oct 1976)

It's a live Deep Purple 4 album recorded in Europe. It's surprisingly flat despite all the guitar and  organ technics. I think Purple really needs Gillan's whoops and screams. And I could do without the drum solo. 


ReleasedOctober 1976
Recorded4 April 1975 in GrazAustria,
5 April 1975 in SaarbrĂĽckenGermany and
7 April 1975 in ParisFrance
GenreHard rockheavy metal
Length45:47
LabelEMI/Purple (UK)
Warner Bros. (US)
ProducerDeep Purple & Martin Birch

All songs written by Ritchie Blackmore and David Coverdale except where noted.

Side 1
No.TitleStudio alb.Length
1."Burn" (Blackmore, Coverdale, HughesLord, Paice)Burn (1974)7:32
2."Mistreated" (interpolating "Rock Me Baby)" (Joe JoseaB.B. King)Burn (1974)11:32
3."Lady Double Dealer"Stormbringer (1974)4:15
Side 2
No.TitleStudio alb.Length
4."You Fool No One" (Blackmore, Coverdale, Hughes, Lord, Paice)Burn (1974)16:42
5."Stormbringer"Stormbringer (1974)5:38




Wikipedia
AllMusic: 5 
Score: 3 1/2 

   
The classic Purple reform



Perfect Strangers (Oct 1984)

After a break of nearly ten years, the "classic" line-up reform the band and release this album of typical 80s pop-rock mush. Listenable, but not engaging. Falls back on lead guitar clichĂ©s while the rest of band plod along. Classic line up, but not classic rock. "Perfect Strangers" is an OK track. Hmm. To be fair, not classic, but at the same time, not bad if you like commercial well mannered rock. 


Released29 October 1984
RecordedAugust 1984
Studio"Horizons" in Stowe, Vermont, USA with Le Mobile Studio
GenreHard rockheavy metal
Length40:02
LabelPolydor
ProducerRoger Glover, Deep Purple

All songs by Ritchie BlackmoreIan Gillan and Roger Glover except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Knocking at Your Back Door"7:09
2."Under the Gun"4:40
3."Nobody's Home" (Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Jon LordIan Paice)4:01
4."Mean Streak"4:26
Side two
No.TitleLength
5."Perfect Strangers"5:31
6."A Gypsy's Kiss"4:14
7."Wasted Sunsets"3:58
8."Hungry Daze"5:01

9."Not Responsible"                                          4:53
10."Son of Alerik" (Blackmore)                         10:01



Wikipedia
AllMusic: 5 (moved from 4 to 6 after complaints by some fans - I've averaged the score)
Score: 4 

 
The House of Blue Light (1987)

Fairly ordinary Eighties hard rock - this is perhaps less poppy and commercial than the previous album, but continues to deal with rock guitar clichĂ©s.  I like it less than the previous album as it is less melodic, as though the boys are trying to be serious and mean and HARD, though they also deal in Eighties pop rock such as "Call Of The Wild". It doesn't work for me - it feels false and forced, and no track really stands out. 

Released16 January 1987[1]
RecordedApril–September 1986
StudioThe Playhouse, Stowe, Vermont, USA with Le Mobile Studio
GenreHard rockheavy metal
Length50:38
LabelPolydor
ProducerRoger Glover, Deep Purple

All tracks written by Ritchie BlackmoreIan Gillan and Roger Glover, except where noted.

No.TitleLength
1."Bad Attitude" (Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord)5:04
2."The Unwritten Law" (Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Paice)4:54
3."Call of the Wild" (Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord)4:48
4."Mad Dog"4:36
5."Black & White" (Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord)4:39
6."Hard Lovin' Woman"3:25
7."The Spanish Archer"5:31
8."Strangeways"7:36
9."Mitzi Dupree"5:05
10."Dead or Alive"5:00


Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 6
Score: 3 1/2 





Slaves and Masters (Oct 1990)

Gillan is sacked due to friction with Blackmore, and Joe Lynn Turner, who had sung in Rainbow with Blackmore and Glover, was brought in. It's acceptable mainstream hard rock with all the expected clichĂ©s - high pitched extended guitar licks, solid drum and bass, and a wailing but melodic singer. It is accomplished and acceptable without being interesting or exciting. It sounds like any commercial hard rock band rather than the proper classic Purple. Play it and forget it.  "Slow Down Sister", a bonus track, is probably the best track. 


Released23 October 1990[1]
RecordedEarly to mid 1990
Studio
GenreHard rock
Length46:51
LabelRCA
ProducerRoger Glover

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."King of Dreams"Ritchie BlackmoreJoe Lynn TurnerRoger Glover5:26
2."The Cut Runs Deep"Blackmore, Turner, Glover, Jon LordIan Paice5:42
3."Fire in the Basement"Blackmore, Turner, Glover, Lord, Paice4:43
4."Truth Hurts"Blackmore, Turner, Glover5:14
5."Breakfast in Bed"Blackmore, Turner, Glover5:17
6."Love Conquers All"Blackmore, Turner, Glover3:47
7."Fortuneteller"Blackmore, Turner, Glover, Lord, Paice5:49
8."Too Much Is Not Enough"Turner, Bob Held, Al Greenwood4:17
9."Wicked Ways"Blackmore, Turner, Glover, Lord, Paice6:33
2012 Friday Music remastered edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."Slow Down Sister"Blackmore, Turner, Glover, Lord, Paice5:57
11."Love Conquers All" (single edit) 3:25


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 4 
Score: 4 

 


 
The Battle Rages On... (1993)

And so the classic lineup get together again. The record company wanted Gillan back to take advantage of the 25th anniversary. Blackmore didn't agree at first, but then accepted a quarter million pound fee to have Gillan back in the band. Reports are that there was tension during recording of the album as Gillan was adapting the already written and rehearsed songs so that they would be heavier, while Blackmore preferred them to be more melodic.  It's listenable as a standard hard rock album, somewhere poised between classic and commercial. There are, after all, some attempts to make it sound heavy. But it's not interesting, and soon outstays its welcome. Best track is the title track, which leans a little more toward metal than is normal for this essentially main stream hard rock band.   


Released19 July 1993
RecordedMay 1992 – March 1993
Studio
Genre
Length50:17
LabelRCA
ProducerThom PanunzioRoger Glover

All tracks are written by Ritchie BlackmoreIan Gillan and Roger Glover, except where noted

No.TitleLength
1."The Battle Rages On" (Blackmore, Gillan, Jon LordIan Paice)5:56
2."Lick It Up"3:59
3."Anya" (Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord)6:32
4."Talk About Love"4:11
5."Time to Kill"5:49
6."Ramshackle Man"5:34
7."A Twist in the Tale"4:17
8."Nasty Piece of Work" (Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord)4:43
9."Solitaire"4:42
10."One Man's Meat"4:38


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 6
Score: 4 




Purpendicular (1996)

This album is by what is considered to be Deep Purple 7 - there was a Deep Purple 6, but that version didn't record an album. The new guitarist, Steve Morse, is accomplished, and can play all the right notes in the right order in a variety of ways, but there is a lack of feel both in his playing and in the sound of the album as a whole. Accomplished, professional, good sounding, but lacking in authenticity and passion. 


ReleasedFebruary 1996
RecordedFebruary – October 1995
StudioGreg Rike Productions
GenreHard rock
Length62:16
LabelRCA
ProducerDeep Purple


All tracks are written by Ian GillanRoger GloverJon LordSteve MorseIan Paice

No.TitleLength
1."Vavoom: Ted the Mechanic"4:16
2."Loosen My Strings"5:57
3."Soon Forgotten"4:47
4."Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming"7:29
5."Cascades: I'm Not Your Lover"4:43
6."The Aviator"5:20
7."Rosa's Cantina"5:10
8."A Castle Full of Rascals"5:11
9."A Touch Away"4:36
10."Hey Cisco"5:53
11."Somebody Stole My Guitar"4:09
12."The Purpendicular Waltz"4:45


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 6 
Score: 4 

 
Abandon (1998)

Opening  track is attractive funky classic hard rock. This is a professional album - well played and produced, with a classic hard rock core, yet allowing new elements to colour the proceedings. There's nothing really essential here, but it is pleasing to hear an accomplished older band stretch themselves a little. 


ReleasedMay 1998
RecordedSeptember 1997 – February 1998 [1]
StudioGreg Rike Studios, Altamonte Springs, Florida
GenreHard rockheavy metal
Length56:18
LabelEMI Switzerland
ProducerDeep Purple & Roger Glover

All tracks are written by Ian GillanRoger GloverJon LordSteve MorseIan Paice, except where noted

No.TitleLength
1."Any Fule Kno That"4:29
2."Almost Human"4:26
3."Don't Make Me Happy"4:56
4."Seventh Heaven"5:25
5."Watching the Sky"5:26
6."Fingers to the Bone"4:47
7."Jack Ruby"3:48
8."She Was"4:19
9."Whatsername"4:26
10."'69"4:59
11."Evil Louie"4:56
12."Bludsucker" (Ritchie Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord, Paice)4:27



Wikipedia
AllMusic: 6 
Score: 4 
  


Bananas (2003)

New keyboard player. Same old band. It's been five years since the last album, and the band members (the remaining classic era members that is) are now mature and settled, so this sounds like a settled family album. The rhythm section of Pace and Glover do their bit as they always have, but it's not their bits that have got fans excited over the years and returning for more - it's always been the guitar, keyboards and voice. And here those three things are solid, mature, impressive, but boring. And this is the weakest bunch of songs the band have penned in their entire career. The AllMusic reviewer likes it, and it sold reasonably well. 


Released25 August 2003 [1]
RecordedJanuary–February 2003
StudioRoyaltone Studios
Genre
Length51:25
LabelEMI
ProducerMichael Bradford

All tracks are written by Ian GillanRoger GloverSteve MorseDon Airey, and Ian Paice, except where indicated

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."House of Pain"Gillan, Michael Bradford3:34
2."Sun Goes Down" 4:10
3."Haunted" 4:22
4."Razzle Dazzle" 3:28
5."Silver Tongue" 4:03
6."Walk On"Gillan, Bradford7:04
7."Picture of Innocence"Gillan, Glover, Morse, Jon Lord, Paice5:11
8."I Got Your Number"Gillan, Glover, Morse, Lord, Paice, Bradford6:01
9."Never a Word" 3:46
10."Bananas" 4:51
11."Doing It Tonight" 3:28
12."Contact Lost"Morse1:27


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 8 
Score: 3 


Rapture of the Deep (2005)

Likeable album, quite rocky and melodic, though with metal touches to add colour and depth. This is an experienced, professional, and accomplished band who simply lack drive, ambition, and creativity. But for playing the same old in the same old way, staying largely within their and their fan's comfort zone, they are very good. I'm OK with this album. It's not one I'm going to select to play (if I'm playing Purple it's gonna be In Rock), but when it's on it's listenable and attractive. 


Released24 October 2005 (EU)
1 November 2005 (US)
RecordedMarch–June 2005 
StudioChunky Style Studios
Genre
Length55:48
LabelEdel
ProducerMichael Bradford

All songs written by Ian GillanRoger GloverSteve MorseDon Airey and Ian Paice, except where noted

No.TitleLength
1."Money Talks"5:31
2."Girls Like That"4:02
3."Wrong Man"4:53
4."Rapture of the Deep"5:58
5."Clearly Quite Absurd"5:25
6."Don't Let Go"4:32
7."Back to Back"4:03
8."Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye"4:18
9."Junkyard Blues"5:32
10."Before Time Began"6:30


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 7
Score: 5 

Now What?! (2013)

Heavier and more metal than the average Purple album. Not really my thing. Too sombre, serious, lacking in ideas, and true energy. I kind of feel that Blackmore and Lord are missing. Now and again, as with "Hell To Pay", there is a return to the classic 70s Deep Purple, but it also sounds like so many other chug a lug hard rock bands that have come (and gone) since In Rock was released. That the best bits of this album are 1970 clichĂ©s that don't match, let alone exceed, the originals, is an example of how non-essential it is. It's an album I'm struggling to keep listening to.  


Released26 April 2013
Recorded2012
StudioThe Tracking Room,
Anarchy Studios ,
Rainbow Recorders
Genre
Length57:06
LabelearMUSIC
ProducerBob Ezrin

All tracks are written by Don AireyIan GillanRoger GloverSteve MorseIan Paice and Bob Ezrin, except "It'll Be Me" by Jack Clement

Standard edition
No.TitleLength
1."A Simple Song"4:39
2."Weirdistan"4:14
3."Out of Hand"6:09
4."Hell to Pay"5:10
5."Body Line"4:26
6."Above and Beyond"5:30
7."Blood from a Stone"5:18
8."Uncommon Man"7:02
9."Après Vous"5:24
10."All the Time in the World"4:21
11."Vincent Price"4:46


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 8
Score: 2 1/2 
   
Infinite (2017)

Still heavy, and still returning to their own hard rock clichĂ©s (the band's, not the individual members, as guitarist and keyboard player are simply copying Blackmore and Lord), this veers around like a shopping trolley unsure if it should indulge in commercial hard rock or the more cultish and respected heavy metal. Sometimes it rocks quite playfully, at other times it tries hard to be serious and menacing. Admiration for the energy and ability of the remaining geriatrics in the band, as well as the tribute band skills of the newer members, this is at times a lively and attractive listen, but it's far from essential, even though it proved commercially popular.  


Released7 April 2017
Recorded2016
Studio
Genre
Length45:37
LabelearMUSIC
ProducerBob Ezrin

All tracks are written by Don AireyIan GillanRoger GloverSteve MorseIan Paice and Bob Ezrin, except where noted

Standard edition
No.TitleLength
1."Time for Bedlam"4:35
2."Hip Boots"3:23
3."All I Got is You"4:42
4."One Night in Vegas"3:23
5."Get Me Outta Here"3:58
6."The Surprising"5:57
7."Johnny's Band"3:51
8."On Top of the World"4:01
9."Birds of Prey"5:47
10."Roadhouse Blues" (writers: Jim Morrison music by The Doors)6:00


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 7
Score: 3 1/2 

   
Woosh! (2020)

Apart from Rapture (2005), I've not really got on with the post-Blackmore and Lord albums. Indeed, I don't think I have really got on with Purple since Blackmore left.  This album  has not altered my experience. It's rocky with the standard hard rock nudging into funk or metal with nostalgic digs into the past that the band have been doing for years. 


Released7 August 2020
Studio
Genre
Length51:29
LabelearMUSIC
ProducerBob Ezrin

All tracks are written by Deep Purple and Bob Ezrin except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Throw My Bones" 3:38
2."Drop the Weapon" 4:23
3."We're All the Same in the Dark" 3:44
4."Nothing at All" 4:42
5."No Need to Shout" 3:30
6."Step by Step" 3:34
7."What the What" 3:32
8."The Long Way Round" 5:39
9."The Power of the Moon" 4:08
10."Remission Possible" (instrumental) 1:38
11."Man Alive" 5:35
12."And the Address" (instrumental)Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord3:35


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 8
Score: 4 

  
Turning To Crime (2021)

Covers album. Fair enough, everyone does one at some point, especially at the end of their career. Interesting to see the choices, as well as hear the interpretations. It is what it is. Moderately entertaining, though there is also much here which is cringe-worthy. 


Released26 November 2021
StudioReal World Studios (Wiltshire)
Genre
Length49:45
LabelearMUSIC
ProducerBob Ezrin



No.TitleWriter(s)Original artistLength
1."7 and 7 Is"Arthur LeeLove2:28
2."Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu"Huey "Piano" SmithHuey "Piano" Smith3:15
3."Oh Well"Peter GreenFleetwood Mac4:21
4."Jenny Take a Ride!"Bob CreweMitch Ryder4:36
5."Watching the River Flow"Bob DylanBob Dylan3:02
6."Let the Good Times Roll"Sam Theard, Fleecie MooreLouis Jordan 4:22
7."Dixie Chicken"Lowell George, Fred MartinLittle Feat4:43
8."Shapes of Things"Jim McCartyKeith RelfPaul Samwell-SmithYardbirds / Jeff Beck Group3:40
9."The Battle of New Orleans"Jimmy DriftwoodJohnny Horton2:51
10."Lucifer"Bob SegerThe Bob Seger System3:45
11."White Room"Jack BrucePete BrownCream4:53
12."Caught in the Act"7:49



Wikipedia
Score: 3 


Discography


Top Ten Albums


In Rock (June 1970) - Classic
Machine Head (March 1972) - Classic 
Made In Japan (Dec 1972) - Classic 
Fireball (Sept 1971) - Classic
Burn (Feb 1974) - Purple 3
Perfect Strangers (Oct 1984)
Who Do We Think We Are (Jan 1973)
Stormbringer (1974) - Purple 3

Bubbling under

Deep Purple  (Sept 1969)
Shades of Deep Purple  (July 1968) 
The Battle Rages On... (1993) 
Now What?! (2013)
Infinite (2017) 
Made In Europe (Oct 1976)  
Woosh! (2020)  
Sources:
Alt77 

My selection

In Rock (June 1970) - 8 (Classic)
Made In Japan  (Dec 1972) - 6 (Classic)
Stormbringer  (1974) - 6 (Purple 3)
Machine Head (March 1972) - 5 (Classic)
Burn  (Feb 1974) - 5 (Purple 3)
Rapture of the Deep (2005) - 5 
Fireball  (Sept 1971) - 4  (Classic)
Deep Purple  (Sept 1969) - 4 
Come Taste The Band  (1975) - 4 
The Battle Rages On... (1993) - 4


Top songs


Highway Star (71)
Smoke On The Water  (48) 
Burn  (47) 
Child In Time  (44) 
Perfect Strangers  (33) 
Black Night  (26)
Fireball (25)
Speed King  (19) 
Hush  (18) 
Lazy  (16) 
Pictures of Home   (15)
Woman From Tokyo  (16) 
Space Truckin'  (15) 
Soldier of Fortune  (14) 
Stormbringer  (8) 



70-80 Minute CD 
Strange Kind of Woman (4.05)
Highway Star (6.06)
Smoke On The Water (5.41)
Child In Time (10.19) 
Black Night (4.47)
Fireball (3.24)
Speed King (5.53) 
Hush (4.25) 
Into The Fire (3.30) 
Perfect Strangers (5.45) 
Bloodsucker (4.08) 
The Mule (9.48)
Wring That Neck (4.29)



Summary
[Note: Aspects which go toward final score are given a rough percentage figure of how much that aspect may have influenced the overall score. However, some bands may well exceed that percentage, particularly if their main focus is in that area.]

Voice/Musicianship (15%)
Without a doubt the band can play and sing. The downside is that there is little range, variety, or creativity. But what they do, they do well. 

Image/Star quality (5%) 
They have a positive image as one of the originators of heavy metal, and as a leading classic rock band. But, as with their musicianship, this is a fairly limited image. 

Lyrics/Music (20%)
The lyrics are clear and unpretentious. The music is the same. They do the job in a professional way. 

Impact/Influence (10%)
Highly regarded as a significant influence on hard rock. 

Popularity (5%)
Classic hard rock fans like them. The albums they released in the Seventies and Eighties have gone gold in several territories, and sometimes (though not often) platinum.

Emotional appeal (5%)
It's more about the rock. 

The group tried psychedelic rock, a bit of prog, working with an orchestra, and then rock. The rock worked, so they stuck with it. For the rest of their career. They also appeared to like it. 

Art (5%)
The early band had art aspects and ambitions, but after In Rock, it was heads down, let's boogie. 

Classic albums/songs (5%)
In Rock is a classic. "Smoke On The Water" is a classic. There are views that Machine Head, from which "Smoke" comes, is also a classic. that's not a view I share, but it has to be acknowledged. 

Originality/Innovation (5%)
Though they are regarded as one of the originators of Heavy Metal, there is not a lot of innovation or originality in what they do. The Concerto album is probably their most innovative. But after In Rock, they just settled into repeating that for the rest of their life. 

Legacy (10%)
While they are known as part of the Unholy Trinity of Hard Rock and Metal, they are generally seen as the minor third, and were inducted into the Hall of Fame decades after the other two. 


Total:  47/100


Links
Useful fan website:  Deep-purple.net
Wikipedia article: Deep Purple
The official website:  Deep Purple.com
Rolling Stone: Deep Purple biography
AllMusic:  Deep Purple biography  
BestEverAlbums: Deep Purple 
SetLists: Deep Purple  
Hall of Fame (2016) 
Freaky Junction Play A Tribute To Deep Purple (1972) - Thin Lizzy with a Gillan type singer and Lord type keyboardist
Re-Machined: A Tribute to Deep Purple's Machine Head (2012) - Various artists, including Iron Maiden, Metallica, The Flaming Lips, and Carlos Santana 
Rock Aid Armenia "Smoke On The Water" (1989) 

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Kitchen Table Music Blogs
Best Of The Best
62   Jan 2020