Deep Purple

Track Listings

1. Chasing Shadows

2. Blind

3. Lalena

4. Fault Line/The Painter

5. Why Didn't Rosemary?

6. Bird Has Flown

7. April

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Digitally remastered 1998 Japanese reissue on Teichiku oftheir third album in a miniaturized gatefold LP sleeve.Originally released in 1969 on the Tetragrammaton label, itfeatures all seven original tracks.

Tracks:

Hush
Kentucky Woman (Single Version)
Black Night
Speed King (U.S. Album Version)
Child In Time
Strange Kind Of Woman
Fireball
Demon's Eye
Highway Star
Smoke On The Water
Space Truckin'
Woman From Tokyo
Burn
Stormbringer
Knocking At Your Back Door

Album Description

The only newly remastered single-disc compilation featuring all of the hits during the band's heyday. Includes 15 full-length singles, live cuts, and album tracks from 26 albums released between 1968-1984!

Customer Reviews:

The Title Says It All.......2007-06-06

This is a great intro to one of rock's greatest band. For a single CD, this is the one to one. It truely is the very best of purple.

A tale of two concerts.......2007-05-16

For whatever reason, the footage of the Copenhagen concert rarely shows Ritchie Blackmore playing, even during his intros or solos. Somebody needs to track that cameraman down and slap him silly. The New York concert footage is better, but the majoity of the tracks on this DVD come from the Copenhagen show. Overall this DVD is a disappointment, enjoyable sometimes, but a disappointment nonetheless.

The very, very, very best?.......2007-02-02

Well, yes and no! There're a couple of things that you should know about this release: first, the liner notes claim that this is the first collection of the CD era, which is not entirely true, since the previous "Deepest Purple" compilation was already available (However, the remastering is most welcome!). And that's probably my only complaint (I would actually rate this item with 4 and a half stars, but since the format won't allow me to do that...) about this compilation: it offers very little additional material, only 3 songs that were not included in "Deepest...".

Its title notwithstanding, this CD is a "greatest hits" compilation and not (necessarily) "The Very best", but semantics aside, there are a couple of exceptions of songs that were not issued as singles (Space Trucking and Child in Time, for instance...). I originally didn't care much for the covers of "Kentucky Woman" and "Hush", but I understood their inclusion here since those were the first hits the band scored with in the U.S (the territory this CD is meant for). But the tunes eventually grew on me, leading me to get their first 3 records.

It's a shame that no additional material from the band's second coming in the 80's could be included though, but that is simply a record company issue: the latter part of Purple's catalog was released with a different record label. In the end, this is a great compilation, and if you want to have a taste of some of Purple's best material, this is a good place to start. However, if you, like me, were looking for a more comprehensive package, including music from all the lineups (including the criminally underrated Mk IV, completely ignored here...), you might be a bit disappointed...You can always get the boxet "Shades", but... that's a different tale... But casual fans looking for nothing but the hits rejoice: here they are!!! And for roughly 8 bucks, you can't really ask for more...

Rock And Roll At Its Best.......2006-12-07

One of the biggest and best bands of the late 1960s' / early 1970s' classic rock movement was undoubtedly Deep Purple. Featuring some of the finest musicians rock hard to offer as well as one of the best lead singers ever (Ian Gillan), in their heyday they were truly a force to be reckoned with.

This 16 track colection collects all of Deep Purple's most popular hits, such as "Hush", "Kentucky Woman", the epic "Child In Time", "Highway Star", the legendary "Smoke On The Water" (a song that joins "Stairway To Heaven" and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" as one of the echelons of overplayed classic rock anthems, which is not to say it's a bad song), "My Woman From Tokyo" and many others. The sound quality is fantastic, and the liner notes make for a really good read.

I highly recommend this collection.

A solid Deep Purple sampler.......2006-10-16

This is a pretty good collection for a single disc. But really, shouldn't one of the greatest hard rock bands of all, deserve more than this. But if you are just starting out with your exploration of Deep Purple it's good enough. But, also be sure to pick up their 1972 live album, Made In Japan. Deep Purple became legendary through their concerts back in the day and this CD will give you a clue why. Having both, The Very Best of Deep Purple and Made In Japan, should help paint a semi clear picture of this great band.

Average customer rating:

Classic Rock Collection
Heavy Metal Classic!
Do I even need to go "In-Depth"?
A guilty pleasure
Simply The Best

Machine Head
Deep Purple
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Fireball
Deep Purple in Rock
Made In Japan: The Remastered Edition
Who Do We Think We Are
Burn

ASIN: B000002KHB
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Highway Star
Maybe I'm A Leo
Pictures Of Home
Never Before
Smoke On The Water
Lazy
Space Truckin'

Amazon.com

Home of "Smoke on the Water" and "Highway Star," Machine Head blends proto-metal density with epic arrangements, resulting in a record that's far more grandiose than the sum of its parts. --Jon Wiederhorn

Customer Reviews:

Classic Rock Collection.......2007-07-04

This is a must have to round out your classic rock collection. Highway Star and Smoke on the Water were big hits in the early 70s. Really enjoy listening Highway Star while riding my Harley.

Heavy Metal Classic!.......2007-02-08

Deep Purple hit their peak with this one...Every song's a winner.
Too bad "Smoke on the water" gets so much airplay, at the expense of the other songs. Did you EVER hear "Lazy" on the radio? Blackmore, Gillan, Paice, Glover & Lord - The whole was greater than the sum of its parts.
The drumming is unbelieveable on this album!

Do I even need to go "In-Depth"?.......2007-01-07

Seriously, 3 of the 7 songs on this album are classic hard rock anthems! Smoke On The Water, Highway Star, and Space Truckin'! Nuff said!!!! Deep Purple pretty much invented heavy metal. It was either them or Ozzy.

A guilty pleasure.......2006-11-29

Best hard rock album ever? Uh, NO. I'm sorry, but I fail to see what the big deal about this record is. Smoke on the Water's cool (obviously), and I like Highway Star, Lazy and Space Truckin' too. But this is a disposable album, I mean listen to songs like Maybe I'm a Leo, Never Before or Pictures of Home and you'll see what I mean. Ritchie Blackmore lacks the creativity, sheer virtuosity, and personality of Jimi Hendrix, but he's a passable guitarist, and he has a way with a riff (Smoke on the Water, for instance). The rest of the group's faceless, though, and the record offers no surprises. with the exception of the harmonica solo on Lazy. I'll admit that caught me off-guard. And the less that can be said about the lyrics, the better. But if you're willing to look past all those flaws (and trust me, there are lots), you'll find it's a fun headbanging indulgence meant for occasional spins.
Recommended listening for hard rock fans (I hate the term metal - it calls to mind those awful hair-metal, death-metal and nu-metal bands)
Back in Black (AC/DC)
Appetite for Destruction (Guns 'n' Roses)
Paranoid (Black Sabbath)
Houses of the Holy (Led Zeppelin)
Are You Experienced? (Jimi Hendrix)
Disraeli Gears (Cream)
All are miles ahead of this.

Simply The Best.......2006-11-21

Ahh, Machine Head! I remember when this came out. I bought the cassette, and within 4 years had literally played it to shreds. Then I bought another cassette. It was one of the first cd's I ever bought, but the first cd was pretty poor sound quality. I found a German cd at a used record store, and the sound quality was excellent. Then, there was the 25th anniversary cd, which was top notch, too. All in all, I figure Deep Purple owes me a gold record for the amount of money I've spent on Machine Head. And it's been worth every penny.

"Highway Star" is a great way to start an album Awesome. All of the songs are great here. "Smoke On The Water" and "Space Truckin'" are the popular ones, but I've always been partial to "Maybe I'm A Leo."

This is one awesome album. If you don't own it, why not?

Average customer rating:

Excellent CD
A Respectable Comeback
Love My Perfect Stanger
My Favorite Purple Disc
A Milestone!

Perfect Strangers
Deep Purple
Manufacturer: Island / Mercury
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The House of Blue Light
Who Do We Think We Are
In Rock: 25th Anniversary (UK)
Come Taste the Band
Burn

ASIN: B00000JBFW
Release Date: 1999-06-22

Tracks:

Knocking At Your Back Door
Under The Gun
Nobody's Home
Mean Streak
Perfect Strangers
A Gypsy's Kiss
Wasted Sunsets
Hungry Daze
Not Responsible
Son Of Alerik

Customer Reviews:

Excellent CD.......2007-06-16

Perfect Strangers is the perfect CD. There is not a single track that I skip over on this CD and that is rare for me. The entire CD is classic. The sound is superb, the musicianship is tight and the CD simply rocks. If you like classic rock, get your hands on this CD. It will be worth it to you and you will have a hard time taking it out of the CD player.

Rock on

A Respectable Comeback.......2007-05-27

I remember waiting for this album like waiting for Xmas; And while only a handful of tracks could be considered 'classic Deep Purple', every song is solid, and all the players are in fine form. Blackmore is his usual unusual self, complete with angular, odd-scales, blues flurries, and his trademark, stinging vibrato; Ian sounds right at home, and the band just seems to follow close behind. This has been recently remastered(I don't know about the paticular version I'm reviewing, but I know it's out there...), so it sounds even better. And for being close to 25 years old, it still sounds great to me. A good CD to introduce younger listeners to these guys...it's old, but not that old.

Love My Perfect Stanger .......2007-01-13

I love this cd so much. I recommend that anyone who likes Deep Purple pick up a copy.

My Favorite Purple Disc.......2007-01-11

This album brings back a lot of memories for me. A friend of mine and I took a driving trip from Michigan to New Orleans shortly after this album came out, and it was constantly on our playlist during the drive. By 1984 many people had pretty much written Deep Purple off. They had not released an album as a band since 1975. Blackmore formed Rainbow, Gillian had his own band as well as a stint with Black Sabbath, and Glover and Paice had joined Whitsnake. Deep Purple had effectively dropped off the radar. "Perfect Strangers" would see the return of the mark II lineup of Glover, Blackmore, Gillian, Lord, and Paice and would prove to be one hell of a comeback. Personally this is my all time favorite Deep Purple album. Every song is great, the music is a perfect mix of the classic purple sound with an updated (for its time) contemporary feel. Two big AOR hits came from the album, the opener "Knocking At Your Back Door" and the title track "Perfect Strangers" Both songs rank with the best the band has ever done in fact the song "Perfect Strangers" is one of the best songs of the 80's in my book. The rest of the album is all great too. "Wasted Sunsets" is a ballad that Ian Gillian just kills. His voice is perfect for the song as he does what he does best belting it out. "Hungry Daze" is a rocking look back at the band's history and a look forward to their future. "Under The Gun", "Nobody's Home", "Mean Streak" "Gypsy's Kiss" and "Not Responsible" are all excellent as well. I got to see the band on this tour and the show was as good as the album. Sadly Deep Purple would follow "Perfect Strangers" with the lousy "House Of Blue Doors" which was a huge letdown after this one, and would be the last album from the mark II version of the band.

A Milestone!.......2006-12-11

Should you ever meet someone who's ranting about "the eighties" and the supposedly "bad" music of that decade... just put on this GREAT record!
The songs are well crafted, perfectly recorded and the whole album is absolutely NOT "trendy". With that I mean that you could never tell it was made in 1984. Clearly you can spot it's not from the seventies... but listening back to it, NOW, I notice how it hasn't aged a bit!
...and it features the most classic lineup of the band!
You just couldn't ask for more!! ;-)

Average customer rating:

About "Who do we think we are"
Who did Gillian and Glover think they were quitting this band?
Classic Stuff
You Might Also Want to Get..
Awesome!!

Who Do We Think We Are
Deep Purple
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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In Rock: 25th Anniversary (UK)
Fireball
Burn
Stormbringer (UK)
Come Taste the Band

ASIN: B00006BTAN
Release Date: 2002-08-06

Tracks:

Woman From Tokyo
Mary Long
Super Trouper
Smooth Dancer
Rat Bat Blue
Place in Line
Our Lady
Woman From Tokyo - ('99 remix, bonus track)
Woman From Tokyo - (bonus track, alternate take)
Painted Horse - (bonus track, studio outtake)
Our Lady - ('99 remix, bonus track)
Rat Bat Blue - (bonus track, writing session)
Rat Bat Blue - ('99 remix, bonus track)
First Day Jam - (bonus track, instrumental)

Album Description

Digitally remastered reissue featuring 7 bonus tracks, 'Woman From Tokyo' ('99 remix & Alt. Bridge), 'Painted Horse' (Studio Outtake), 'Our Lady' ('99 remix), 'Rat Bat Blue' (Writing session & '99 remix) & 'First Day Jam' (Instrumental). 2002.

Customer Reviews:

About "Who do we think we are".......2007-05-04

I think this album is way to floppy and poppy and the source and force from In rocks/Fireball and Machine head has completely gone. This band was one of the first in the catagory of Heavy metal, and this last DP mark 2 line up from 1973 is not. All the problems in the band surely determains that in this album,and that's why I only give it 1 star. Sorry, but if you want the spirit back in the band with dp mark 2 line-up Buy "Perfect stangers" & "House of blue light" which is one of my favorits...these 2 albums have everything and Gillians voice is better than ever:-)

Who did Gillian and Glover think they were quitting this band?.......2007-02-16

The forgotten Mark II lineup album is possibly their best next to In Rock. Considering the circumstances recording the album, "Ritchie and Ian were not speaking", this is a very underrated effort. Rat Bat Blue, Mary
Lond and Our Lady are among the many highlights.

Classic Stuff.......2007-01-11

This album from the Mark II version of Deep Purple is best known for the huge hit "Woman From Tokyo" that starts out the disc. When people talk about the classic Deep Purple albums usually this is not one of them that gets mentioned, but I think it is underrated. The album would prove to be the last for the mark II lineup as tensions were high at the time of its recording. Every song here is good "Mary Long", "Super Trouper", "Smooth Dancer", "Rat Bat Blue", "Place In Line" and "Our Lady" are all classic purple. The whole band is in fine form instrumentally and Gillan's voice at its peak. I have had a love hate relationship with many of Deep Purple's albums over the years, but this one is one of their best in my opinion.

You Might Also Want to Get.........2006-11-24

...the Audio Fidelity version of this if you are fussy about sound quality. While this remaster will satisfy the average customer, and the bonus tracks are great, Warner Bros did a crappy job remastering this. The Audio Fidelity version, which is also available here on Amazon, was done right. It only contains the original album, but it's never sounded better.

Awesome!!.......2006-11-23

There isn't an album that has grown on me over the years as much as this one. Sure, I liked it when it came out, but after the incredible Machine Head album, I was probably expecting more than any album could deliver.

As the years have gone by, this one just keeps going up my list. And then, when the remastered version with bonus tracks came out, it just went even higher up my list. The original songs have been carefully remastered, and sound better than ever, unlike most remastered cd's. The bonus material is very solid.

If you're a Deep Purple fan, getting this one is a no brainer. If you don't know much about Purple, give this one a try. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Average customer rating:

Perhaps THE Seminal Hard Rock Album
Calling all Old Rockers!
The best ever,forever.
good album
One of my favorites, with reservations. . .

In Rock: 25th Anniversary (UK)
Deep Purple
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Who Do We Think We Are
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ASIN: B000005RQT
Release Date: 1995-06-16

Tracks:

Speed King
Bloodsucker
Child In Time
Flight Of The Rat
Into The Fire
Living Wreck
Hard Lovin' Man
Black Night (Original Single Version)
Studio Chat
Speed King (Piano Version)
Studio Chat
Cry Free (Roger Glover Remix)
Studio Chat
Jam Stew (Unreleased Instrumental)
Studio Chat
Flight Of The Rat (Roger Glover Remix)
Studio Chat
Speed King (Roger Glover Remix)
Studio Chat
Black Night (Unedited Roger Glover Remix)

Album Description

1995 release on EMI, the 25th anniversary edition of their classic 1970 album 'In Rock'. Features the original eight tracks plus 12 bonus tracks, all digitally remastered & on afull color picture CD. The clear jewel case lid is embossed with replica autographs of the band's members at the time inblack. The bonus tracks include studio outtakes, Roger Glover remixes and studio chat by the band! Contains 'Speed King', 'Child In Time' and 'Black Night'. The full title is 'In Rock: 25th Anniversary Edition'.

Album Details

Deep Purple's 1970 Release / 1995 Anniversary Re-release Captures the Band in an Emerging State Musically and with their Classic Line-Up in Place: Ian Gillan on Vocals, Ritchie Blackmore on Guitar, Jon Lord on Keys, Roger Glover on Bass and Ian Paice on Drums. This Special Edition Contains Nine Tracks Not on the Original Release: Six Tracks of Studio Chatting, a Few Remixes of Album Tracks and an Unreleased Instrumental ("Jam Stew"). All Tracks Digitally Remastered.

Customer Reviews:

Perhaps THE Seminal Hard Rock Album.......2007-06-24

In terms of MOST IMPORTANT '70's CDS, I'd only place Rainbow Rising and perhaps Black Sabbath's Master of Reality on a par with this album. As far as influencing the neo-classical genre, this album is THE seminal prototype of the genre. Zeppelin was far more folk/blues, and Black Sabbath were concerned more with creating a new genre (you know which).

It's doubtful there would have been Scorpions, UFO, Van Halen, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Yngwie Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore, Dio. or pretty much ANY "hair metal" band from the '80's without this release. I realize the benefits of "hair metal" are disputed (I certainly dispute them), but it was an obviously influential genre (particuarly in terms of guitar playing).

As great as their later release, Machine Head, was and is, this is FAR harder, and keyboardist Jon Lord's influence from the great Classical Composer Gustav Mahler is evident on many of the tracks. Just in terms of overall music composition and scheme, his release never sounds overly removed form the early 2oth century wave of Viennese "Atonal" masterpieces (see Arnold Schoenberg's mid-period, Anton Webern, etc).

Don't miss this, even if you're not "wild" about hard rock. This is an essentia; ROCK album, and it would astonish me to hear too many protests over that assertion.

Calling all Old Rockers!.......2007-05-14

Deep Purple in Rock, gotta be a favorite for any old heavy metal rocker, but you know I think that the younger rocker too may enjoy this, as its hard core rock, not to be listend to lightly, be prepared to hurt your ears, coz this one should be played very loud! enjoy. A+++++

The best ever,forever........2007-05-12

There is no words ,35 year of knowing and loving ,steel is my # 1.

good album.......2007-05-07

This is a good album for those enjoy deep purple. Tracks like speed king, and child in time worth the album.

One of my favorites, with reservations. . ........2007-04-28

Don't get me wrong: I LOVE DEEP PURPLE. They were my first fave hard rock band, and at least eight of their LPs still get my fingers moving and my steering wheel banging! And IN ROCK is one of those. My only beef is that the guys never have given props to the San Fransisco band IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY. That band's first LP was released in 1969, a full year before IN ROCK. Now, given Purple's predilection for Progressive Rock flourishes within a hard rock framework, listen to the song "Bombay Calling" from the first IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY album, and then listen to "Child In Time" from IN ROCK. WAY too close for comfort. I'm not calling it thievery, because musicians listen to other musicians and absorb influences organically. I'd just like to see David LaFlamme in the songwriting credits for CHILD IN TIME. Both songs are great, both bands produced fine work, just give credit where credit is due.

Now, as to this 25th Anniversary edition of IN ROCK: lovely job of remastering, and a great selection of bonus tracks! This is definitely the one to own and treasure. One of Purple's best, and, really, one of my faves.

Average customer rating:

great album..and a greater one.
If You're Looking for the Best Sounding Machine Head...
a classic made even better.
Essential for any fan of hard rock music.
Machine Head in 3D...Better than the Original!

Machine Head
Deep Purple
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

In Rock: 25th Anniversary (UK)
Who Do We Think We Are
Made In Japan: The Remastered Edition
Fireball
Burn

ASIN: B00000DGRX
Release Date: 1998-11-17

Tracks:

Highway Star
Maybe I'm A Leo
Pictures Of Home
Never Before
Smoke On The Water
Lazy
Space Truckin'
When A Blind Man Cries (B-Side)
Maybe I'm A Leo (Quadrophonic Mix)
Lazy (Quadrophonic Mix)

Tracks:

Highway Star
Maybe I'm A Leo
Pictures Of Home
Never Before
Smoke On The Water
Lazy
Space Truckin'
When A Blind Man Cries

Amazon.com

Deep Purple were on the eve of breaking wide open when the quintet made Machine Head, a record that launched a heap of hard-rock hits, not to mention the bulk of the live album Made in Japan. No fewer than three classics were unveiled here: "Highway Star," "Space Truckin'," and their biggest hit ever, "Smoke on the Water." Ritchie Blackmore's crunchy guitar was becoming the group's trademark, and the throb that opens "Smoke on the Water" went miles in concretizing his place in the pantheon of 1970s guitar deities. But the story here is the second disc, which is composed of remixes by Roger Glover that introduce long-dormant, more-energized variations on the originals and revive separate solos. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

great album..and a greater one........2007-02-26

This album was one of the first hard rock albums I ever heard. I found a cassette tape of this one day and listened to it. I was only 13 at the time, but I loved it! It stayed in my tape collection for years. I had bought the original CD and now I've bought this. Is it worth it? YES!

Disc one is the original album and its never sounded better. Needless to say, i have sold my original CD of this. The second disc is remixes. There is a noticeable difference especially in the bass and the drums. The vocals sound much cleaner and the music is more balanced and a bit deeper.

'Highway Star' has always been a great song and in its remixed version sounds much better. The beginning intro here should really have been left on the original. There is only one small bit of melody during the solo here that i wish they would have kept in. And its good to hear that the cymbal crash on the end has been left to ring out. The original always seemed to be get clipped off a bit too soon.
'Maybe I'm A Leo' is a bit of a slower song and has a great riff. I remember listening to this intro 100 times when i first heard this because the drums sounded so strange and off beat to me. When my ears finally got used to it, I loved it.
'Pictures Of Home' is my favorite. The lyrics were always incredible and the remixed version here is much better. 'Never Before' always seemed like a weak song to me. It's a bit too much like a pop song and why this was ever considered as a single is beyond me. A decent song, but not as great as the others.

'Smoke On The Water' is, of course, the best known song here. This remix features a different guitar solo, but i still prefer the original. There is a reason this solo was replaced. But it is interesting to hear nonetheless.
'Lazy' had a great organ solo intro that eventually turns into a great blues song. This is another highlight of the album.
'Space Truckin' is a bit of a simple song, but it does have interesting lyrics and this remix makes it sound like a new song.

This CD is a must buy. The remixes for the most part are superior to the original and this is just a great hard rock album anyway. Buy this. This is a five star album all the way!

If You're Looking for the Best Sounding Machine Head..........2007-01-02

A hybrid SACD version is also available here on Amazon. It will play on standard CD players as well as SACD players, and the standard CD layer sounds even better than this anniversary edition. I have both since I want the best sounding Machine Head available and the second disc of Roger Glover remixes in this anniversary edition. This is a good sounding remaster of the original album, but it can't hold a candle to the hybrid remaster.

a classic made even better........2006-12-17

Machine Head needs no introduction. It is THE album with THE song. You know which one I'm talking about. Anyway, the first disc is the original album along with When A Blind Man Cries, an excellent bluesy B-side, and quadrophonic (whatever that means) remixes of Lazy and Maybe I'm a Leo. I didn't notice much difference between those remixes and the originals. The first disc would be worth five stars by itself, as anyone who's heard it knows.

But then there's the second disc, with each of the eight songs remixed by Roger Glover, DP's longtime bassist. There are some pretty noticeable changes, but they aren't bad by any means. On most of the songs, you get to hear the band warming up for a few seconds before doing the song, and the original faded out endings are played through till the band stops. Oh yeah, there are a few new guitar solos in there too. The new version of Smoke on the Water beats the old one by a mile, and I really like that I can hear Ian Gillan screaming at the end of Highway Star. And don't forget there's a bunch of liner notes detailing the story of how the band made the album.

Buy this. If you just own the original version, you're missing out.

Essential for any fan of hard rock music........2006-10-16

Deep Purple's Machine Head is essential for any fan of hard rock music.

Buying this two disc version is worth every penny. To hear these songs remixed was amazing. It made the album sound as if they recorded it just yesterday. Simply stunning!

Highlights: The remix, of course. Get it and enjoy!

Machine Head in 3D...Better than the Original!.......2006-04-20

The remastered disc one is an improvement over the vinyl and nonremastered versions as the bass is more prominent and punchier and the high end is crisper and cleaner. But the story of this release is disc two. There is a VERY, VERY NOTICEABLE improvement over the original. I have often criticized Roger Glover for his inadvertent attempts at sabotaging Deep Purple albums such as House of Blue Light or The Battle Rages On with his flat, lousy production where all the instruments were compressed together so that none could be heard distinctly. But I have to give credit where credit is due. Glover's remixing job on disc two has to be the best remixing job I have ever heard. Each and every instrument can be heard with such crystal clarity that it gives a three-dimensional quality to the sound. When there is a solo, whether it be guitar, keyboards, harmonica, drums or bass, the instrument just JUMPS out of the speakers at you. It sounds as if the group is performing "live" in front of you. And there are nuances in the music I have never heard before, such as the strange, ghostly, slightly echoey, slightly reverbed effect in the guitar solo in Highway Star. I swear I can hear Ian Gillan's high-range screaming in the backround as Highway Star is ending. The explosive drum solo in Space Trucking comes at you from all directions and will leave your head spinning. The tape hiss and the slightly muffled high end have been cleaned up. The vocals, which on all previous versions had at times been mixed a little weakly so that the lyrics were not always decipherable, can all be heard clearly here, but they haven't been boosted so much that the overall mix sounds out of whack. The power of the drums can be felt with force and the high end is so crisp and lifelike it is as if Ian Paice is bashing the cymbals right in your face. In short, this is a PERFECT remixing job. Disc two is worth its weight in gold. It is rare that a remix adds such a clarity and depth to the music that it is far superior to the original in every respect. Forget about the vinyl or nonremastered versions. I have always liked this album very much, but only through this disc two remix do I now fully appreciate what an awesome and powerful album this is as a whole new dimension has been added to the sound. Please, get this NOW. You will wonder how you ever got by with the slightly muffled, slightly muddy previous versions of this album all these years.

Average customer rating:

MARK 2 LINE UP - MADE IN JAPAN
WOW - I forgot just how good it can get!
Driving a semi into space and never comin back!
The promise of 70's hard rock is delivered
The best live album ever

Made In Japan: The Remastered Edition
Deep Purple
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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In Rock: 25th Anniversary (UK)
Burn
Who Do We Think We Are
Machine Head
Machine Head

ASIN: B000005RU2
Release Date: 1998-06-30

Tracks:

Highway Star
Child in Time
Smoke on the Water
Mule (Drum Solo)
Strange Kind of Woman
Lazy
Space Truckin'

Tracks:

Black Night
Speed King
Lucille

Amazon.com

Judging by the thick chugging that Deep Purple pull off as they enter "Highway Star" on this classic 1972 set, this band was of an era that appreciated size in sound. Ritchie Blackmore's guitar and Jon Lord's keyboards owned the evenings on the quintet's Japanese tour, giving the band a front-end density that kept drummer Ian Paice's snap heavy and loud. On tour in support of the album Machine Head, Deep Purple indulged in some great long-form jams, reaching into the 10-minute range for most of the main set and closing with the now-famed live read of "Space Truckin'." There's a reason this is regarded by many as one of hard rock's cornerstone live recordings. It's a boiler. This gold version of the title offers superior sound quality for a higher price than the standard-issue CD. --Andrew Bartlett

Album Details

25th Anniversary Edition Includes a Remastered Double CD Set which Feature Three Bonus Tracks which Were Not on the Original.

Customer Reviews:

MARK 2 LINE UP - MADE IN JAPAN.......2007-05-31

This is the famous line-up of Mark 2; Ian Gillan on vocals, Ritchie Blackmore on guitars, Roger Glover on bass, Jon Lord on keyboards and Ian Paice on the drums.

This is absolutely one of the best recorded live albums for me. Recorded live in Japan in 1972! Just buy the album and listen! If you own it in vinyl (LP) like me, it's better that you own it also in the form of a CD coz it's expanded with extra tracks like Black Night, Speed King and Lucille. These songs didn't appear in the first release of the album and even in the first release of the CD.

This is my third copy of this album already. I've got my first copy in the mid 70s and again in the 80s. Actually in the Philippines it was released as Made in Japan Volume 1 and Volume 2 in separate album.

All songs in the LP Volume 1 and 2 are in one CD only in this edition and the other CD contains the extra tracks from the same Japanese tour in 1972.

WOW - I forgot just how good it can get!.......2007-02-02

Perhaps I should thank those kids who stole all my CD's from my car. Cause now as I am replacing them, I'm also listening to some of the old classics. And Made in Japan is a classic!

Favorite song on the cd is Child In Time. But the entire CD is great!

If you like hard rock from the old days, this is a must have!

Driving a semi into space and never comin back!.......2006-12-19

This is fun and heavy music. Ian Gillian screams his head off, Ritchie Blackmore goes nuts with vibrato and tremolo on his Stratocaster, Jon Lord goes into intergalactic space and back with incredible Hammond electronic organ effects, and Roger Glover and Ian Paice somehow hold it all together in Japan. This is Deep Purple.

The music could easily fly over the edge with a lesser group, with such silly material as "Strange Kind of Woman" (a trite "girl I gotta have ya" rock song) or "The Mule" (with some totally bizarre lyrics flying into a drum solo), but Deep Purple somehow transform the fluff into amazing and deep music. I'd dare any other band out there to try this.

The high points are "Highway Star", which kicks things off with a bang, and "Lazy" and "Space Truckin'", which feature Jon Lord's bizarre virtuosity and cutting-edge analog modulation of the classic Hammond organ. The sound, although strange and definitely "70's", somehow holds up remarkably well 35 years later.

Everyone is in excellent form on the album. They hold their own and play well together.

Very good liner notes provide a glimpse into the concert, the band, and even how this was marketed at the time as the greatest concert ever recorded. That bold claim is not too far from the truth, even today. Speaking of recording, the sound is excellent, as it always has been, with excellent balance and clarity.

The three encores are an interesting, but not essential, addition. They're enjoyable, but unfortunately, they turn what could have been 1 CD into 2 CDs, making this more a little more expensive.

Overall, this is music that goes way over the top and rarely seems to come back, and it might not be for everyone. But if you enjoy hard rock and virtuosity, this is an essential purchase.

The promise of 70's hard rock is delivered.......2006-11-09

This could be one of the only hard rock cd's you ever need.

Fantastic from start to finish, this set shows everything that was right (and excessive) with the music scene in the early 70's.

Beyond any rating system

The best live album ever.......2006-10-16

This album alone, should put Deep Purple in the rock and roll hall of fame.

Made In Japan puts most live albums to shame, even the really good one's! A legendary band at their peak captured on tape forever. There is a god! This Remastered Edition is only better in that it has the great encore Black Night included on a three songs bonus disc.

Get it, turn it up and enjoy!

Average customer rating:

Very Good!
Deep Purple's Burn lacks POWER
A Deep Purple Classic !!
David Coverdale Rocks
It's funky, it's bluesy and it rocks!

Burn
Deep Purple
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Who Do We Think We Are
Stormbringer (UK)
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Come Taste the Band
In Rock: 25th Anniversary (UK)

ASIN: B0007ZEO4G
Release Date: 2005-05-03

Tracks:

Burn
Might Just Take Your Life
Lay Down, Stay Down
Sail Away
You Fool No One
What's Going On Here
Mistreated
'A' 200
Coronarias Redig (2004 Remix)
Burn (2004 Remix)
Mistreated (2004 Remix)
You Fool No One (2004 Remix)
Sail Away (2004 Remix)

Customer Reviews:

Very Good!.......2007-06-13

Not being a huge Coverdale fan, I was unsure what I would think after my first listen to "Burn". I can tell you I was very shocked at how much I like this CD. The remastering sounds great, however they could do without the remixes, they add very little. There is a nice size booklet with the telling of how they found Hughes and Coverdale, the leaving of Gillian and Glover and the making of the Album.

Deep Purple's Burn lacks POWER.......2007-05-24

I'm sure a lot of Deep Purple purists will not find this review helpful, but to young vintage hard rock jedis out there who crave the bombast of bellbottomed madmen with battered Gibsons and Marshall stacks AND are curious about the Burn album, should find this review PLENTY helpful.

[...]

'Burn' is a funk album, plain and simple. If you are expecting this to
sound anything like 1970's 'In Rock' or EVEN 1973's 'Who Do We Think We Are' from the year prior, you'll be in a for a painful letdown. Think of early Stevie Wonder (superstition era) being forced to sing and play Sabbath chords at gunpoint and you have this album.
Now let me make clear, I don't have anything against funk when it is done right. Those craving pure, guitar-based funk should look to early Funkadelic (Maggot Brain and Free Your Mind..), Sly and the Family Stone, or even Grand Funk Railroad (Closer to Home, Grand Funk) However, It just doesn't sound right for Deep Purple.
The song 'Burn' is great. It is fast, aggressive and full of virtuoso. But it serves as a cushion to take the edge off the mediocrity of the rest of the songs. Guaranteed, if this album kicked off with a different song like the embarassing 'Lay Down Stay Down', a bewildered headbanger of old would have tossed the vinyl across the room shattering it to pieces. 'Might Just Take Your Life'? HAHAHA. Sounds like a menacing title track doesn't it? Actually, it sounds like it should have been a better opening theme song for 'Sanford & Son'. 'Sail Away' is a bit interesting, but still lacks any real energy. 'What's Going On Here?' is an ironic tune to be on the album, because.. frankly I was wondering the same thing. A-100 is an instrumental which sounds like nothing else on the album, more like a corny Tangerine Dream experiment; definitely not a song to choose to sum up the Deep Purple sound in general!
Now the song, 'Mistreated' is great as it is a strong blues workout with a memorable riff and David Coverdale sings great on it too. Thankfully, Glen keeps his mouth shut on this track because elsewhere, he sounds like an impoverished kid who was just let into Candyopolis at the mall. In other words, it's obvious he's excited to be in Deep Purple. Sample a live version of 'Burn' where he shrills like a cat being tortured with a blowtorch during the verses and you'll know what I mean. Anyways, 'Mistreated': great track. Very much comparable to 'Since I've Been Loving You' on Zeppelin III.
I don't mean to discredit Coverdale and Hughes as musicians in general because Coverdale was great in Whitesnake and Hughes was AWESOME in Trapeze. But 'Burn' as an album is just not up to par with the rest of the Deep Purple catalog, with the exception of the next album, Stormbringer, which was just as bad; killer opening song, the rest stinkers. Ritchie Blackmore then realized he was hanging with fellows who wanted to be the next Bootsy Collins, so he left and formed Rainbow.

Hooray for Ritchie.

A Deep Purple Classic !!.......2007-04-26

The album,"Burn" is a very unique album .First of all,David Coverdale is the lead singer on this album .Notice David Coverdale's unique vocal
range on ,the title track,"Burn".The keyboard playing by Jon Lord is
exquisite .This album ,as many other reviewers have correctly
pointed out ,is a progressive rock album which expanded the musical boundaries for Hard Rock .Ritchie Blackmore's guitar playing on ,the album ,"Burn" undoubtedly proves that he is as adept at playing guitar as Jimmy Page and Brian May .Buy this album !!

David Coverdale Rocks.......2006-11-15

Great version of the band here. There is a big discussion going on about the presence of funk on Burn. In the traditional blues, rock sense I guess you could say there's a funkier sound with this line up but it isn't funk in terms of parliment or mainstream disco (prevalent at the time).

This is still a straight ahead rock and roll cd that can in no way be lumped in with anything else. The title track and Sail Away are two stand out tracks.

It's funky, it's bluesy and it rocks!.......2006-10-16

Released in early 1974, with Blackmore, Lord and Ian Paice plus new upstarts, David Coverdale on vocals and Glenn Hughes on bass and vocals. The band were really at their musical peak here, and this resulted in a great album. The vocals are not on the same level as Ian Gillan, but are still very good indeed. As one critic wrote: It was the ultimate tribute to Ian Gillan, by replacing him with not one, but two vocalists.

What is great about the Burn album, it's not a bunch of songs that were trying to be top 40 hits, like so many bands, but an album that goes from start to finish in grand fashion. It's funky, it's bluesy and it rocks.

Average customer rating:

you keep on movin'
Great Album
Purple Grooves!
Forget Bolin vs Blackmore: This is a Hard Rock Classic!
Purple goes out in style

Come Taste the Band
Deep Purple
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Stormbringer (UK)
Who Do We Think We Are
Burn
In Rock: 25th Anniversary (UK)
Bang

ASIN: B000005RTG
Release Date: 1998-06-30

Tracks:

Comin' Home
Lady Luck
Gettin' Tighter
Dealer
I Need Love
Drifter
Love Child
A) This Time Around/B) Owed To 'G' (Instrumental)
You Keep On Moving

Album Description

1990 EMI reissue of the band's top 50 1975 album for the label & the only studio album they cut with ex-James Gang guitarist Tommy Bolin replacing Ritchie Blackmore. Nine tracks, including 'Lady Luck', 'Dealer' and 'Love Child'.

Album Description

Album Details

Come Taste the Band Was Released in 1975, Shortly after the Departure of Original Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who Was Replaced by Ex-James Gang Axe-Slinger Tommy Bolin. Features David Coverdale (He who Would Go on to Form and Front Whitesnake) on Vocals and "Come Taste" Was Produced by Martin Birch. Includes "Comin' Home", "Lady Luck", "Dealer" and Six More.

Customer Reviews:

you keep on movin'.......2007-07-12

It's a shame Come Taste the Band has been ignored compared to other Deep Purple albums. What we have here is a pretty darn good album that should appeal to anyone who's a fan of 70's classic rock. Just because the lineup is different from the classic one does NOT mean the music on this album should automatically be criticized. Please don't let peoples negativity encourage you to avoid it (though thankfully, most of the people here on amazon are rather kind to the album).

I really can't find one complaint with the music here. Well okay, sometimes some of the guitar riffs sound like something Bad Company would do (think "Rock Steady") but Deep Purple were always more talented than that band (no disrespect to Bad Co.) and there's certainly more activity between the band members on this album compared to anything early Bad Company would have done. That makes Come Taste the Band, though stripped down hard rock, sound full and exciting like the rest of Deep Purple's catalog.

The only thing that bothers me is the absense of keyboards. I think I can hear SOME keyboards playing in a couple of the songs, but it's nothing like Deep Purple had done in the past, featuring lengthy jams. That's the only thing I miss.

"Comin' Home" starts off the album the right way, featuring a really good middle section that's nothing but a big, memorable guitar jam. Tommy Bolin really is just as good as Mr. Blackmore in most areas. At least, his solos are just as good.

If there was ever an album that sounds perfect for truck drivers, it's this album. Every truck driver in the world should be required to own Come Taste the Band. "Lady Luck" reminds me of Bad Company (sorry for bringing up the comparison again) with a great chorus. "Gettin' Tighter" is a perfect "Driving late at night on a quiet empty Nevada highway" song (though I've never done that, seeing as how I live on the east coast in Pennsylvania).

"I Need Love" is very catchy. I love that riff. "Love Child" is another rocker that features a memorable riff (and no, it's not related to the Diana Ross and the Supremes song- though I bet some of you were thinking it was a cover version!)

Doesn't "This Time Around" remind you of walking through a ghost town in a desert? It sure does! I love the instrumental second half. "You Keep on Movin" again reminds me of travelling down a highway, but this time through Maryland (let's keep it close to home, mister).

Overall, yeah, it's not a masterpiece but it's a quality hard rock album. Probably in my top 5 favorite Deep Purple albums, if I were to make a list of them.

Great Album.......2007-07-06

I believe that this Purple album was the most wide open and evenly distributed amongst the band members in term sof songwriting,music etc.
It showed that new directions were open for exploration and once Purple put their toes in they proved what a phenomenally adaptable and flexible powerhouse they could be.
It is not altogether a debate between the guitarist's but Tommy Bolin as the members og the band themselves have said brought well needed laughter and new ideas with him.
Of course as we all know he also brought a drug habit that would cause his passing at such an early age,and night sof brilliance followed by those of absolute averageness that the other memebers tried to cover,but could not given the state of Tommy's smack addled arm.
He also had a cohort namely Glenn Gughes who was on the slide chemically himself,so it makes it even more amazing that such a brilliant album cam efrom a band carrying so much negative luggage and Tommy Bolin also being given a contract that guaranteed some of his latest tracks from his solo work was given space in every performance and on the album.
So on top of the fact he was trying to step into Blackmore's not inconsiderable boots he was an American with a terrible drug habit and solo material that he could not possibly hop eto promote properly while with Purple,although of course being in Purple gave him the exposure that any musician would have dreamed of.
Do yourself a large favour and buy the rehearsal Cd's of Purple from this time which are awesome and also the superbly salvaged Days May Come put out by the ever brilliant Tommy Bolin Archives to get a taste of how great this band were live during thi sphase of Puple's existence.

Purple Grooves!.......2007-02-02

Come Taste the Band was the last studio record Purple did in the 70's. And it is a great example of how a million people CAN be wrong... all those fans who ignored it because it didn't feature Ritchie Blackmore don't know what they're missing. You, my friends, on the other hand, if you are reading this, is because you're interested, and I can promise you that if you keep reading and ultimately decide to purchase this record, that interest will be duly rewarded!

In 1975, shortly after completing an european tour in support of "Stormbringer", founding member, guitarist and resident tyrant (don't get me wrong, i'm a huge fan of his music, but the guy has serious issues...) Ritchie Blackmore left the band. An established act like Purple has 2 choices in such a situation: call it a day, or soldier on with a replecement. Purple chose the latter, and faced with that, they had 2 ways to go too: either choose an imitator and try to recapture the original sound and glory of the band, or forge ahead in a new direction. Again, they chose the latter, bravely enough. Rumor has it they originally set their sights on Jeff Beck, but unable to get him, went with a rather "risky" choice: a young yank named Tommy Bolin, with more of a background in Jazz/blues/funk/fusion than (hard) rock.

What did they come up with? Instead of telling you first what you're gonna find here, i'm gonna tell you what you are NOT gonna find here: you're not gonna find "Highway Star", or "Space Trucking", or "Burn" or even "Stormbringer" for that matter. Meaning that those songs driven by a big, nasty guitar riff are gone. That's not a bad thing, it just IS. With the departure of Blackmore, the remaining members were given ample space to unfold their talents, and they certainly show it here: Paice never drummed better, Lord is there filling in for Ritchie with his ever immortal Hammond B3, Hughes is in fine shape both as a bassist and singer, Coverdale sings his lungs off and Bolin, while not sounding like Ritchie Blackmore (he didn't even try, which was a bold decision...) makes a strong impresion throughout.

The band was, at least at the moment of the writing and recording of this album, rejuvenated and reinvigorated, and it really shows. My only observation would be about the vocals: how come there are only a few tandem vocals here? Coverdale sings the lion's share while Hughes sings two solo numbers ("Getting Tighter" and "This Time Around"), but the only song where they truly sing together is "You Keep on Moving". The tandem vocals are one of the features that originally fascinated me about Mk III, so I was hoping to get some more of those here. Still, their individual performances are consistently top-notch.

Try to imagine a cross between "Strange Kind of Woman" and "Might Just Take your Life" and you are halfway there! Most of the songs are rather carried through by the monster grooves that the band creates: "Coming Home", "Lady Luck", "Getting Tighter" and "I need love" (the latter being one of my favorites) are the best examples of this. Then you have a few songs that are a little more guitar driven, but here again they are different: instead of big classical scales (a trademark of Blackmore), the guitar riffs have a bluesier, "Hendrix-ier" feel to them, like the case of "Dealer", "Drifter" and "Love Child" (which is a bit reminiscent of Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker"). And then you have 2 succesive HUGE songs to top it all: "This time around/owed to G" , which is a two part song, the latter being an awesome instrumental that takes us back to those jams the band became famous for, and "You Keep on Moving", a song that can remind you a bit to "Child in Time" by its atmosphere, with the harmonies of Coverdale and Hughes being a high point. This album is awesome!!!
So what was the problem, then? Was it too funky? Nope, actually Stormbringer is way funkier than this. Was it too soft? Nope, the record rocks big time. Was it "less good" than previous records? Most definitely not! The reason is very simple: any band that experiences that many lineup changes is bound to lose (at least some of...) its identity, whether they realise it or not. And that's what happened here. Add to that the substance abuse issues that both Bolin and Hughes had, that would end up causing the implosion of the band and the death of Bolin shortly thereafter, and you realise that it just wasn't meant to be.

The bottom line: if you liked Stormbringer, you will LOVE this record! So if you don't have Stormbringer, i would recommend you to get that first. If your favorites are albums such as Burn and Machine Head, this may be a little odd for you. But i honestly recommend you to get it either way. If you like good, groovy rock, you should love this one too! Great music is great music, and you should give it a try! I'm a diehard, and this is without a doubt one of my favorites.

Forget Bolin vs Blackmore: This is a Hard Rock Classic!.......2006-10-27

I bought this album almost 15 years (as best I can recall) after last hearing it. In short, I am amazed! While Deep Purple have been one of the most consistently adrenalizing hard rock bands around, I'd always dismissed this album as a bit of a late career mis-fire. On reflection, I suspect this album originally disappointed because my (then) adolescent ears simply wanted more Blackmore...or at least someone who sounded like him. Now, after many intervening years of a much broader range of musical styles (although never drifting too far from a central love for good guitar), coming back to this album is like discovering a brand new (and very, very good) band. There are strong elements of the old Deep Purple evident. However, Bolin's playing has so modified their intrinsic sound, that there is really little to compare between this album and Burn or Stormbringer. At one level, his scatter-gun slide work gives the overall sound a more "American" tone, but I think its more than that. After a few listens, it becomes obvious that the rhythm section (Hughes and Paice) are playing around rhythms in a way that the Blackmore pseudo-classical approach could never have accommodated. I don't intend to bag the latter in anyway...its more that the sound of the Bolin line up is just so far removed from the Blackmore line up that they simply do not warrant comparison. THAT is what I didn't get 12 or 15 years ago!

In terms of the album itself, I'd simply say that if you have disregarded it in the same way I have, you should give it a listen with fresh ears...it contains track-after-track of truly great band performances. However, if you really want to experience that backbone-stiffening, aggression-inducing rush that the best hard rock gives you; crank your stereo, skip straight through to The Drifter (Track 6) and dig it! It just doesn't get much better than that!

Purple goes out in style.......2006-10-17

A great album from a band that had changed a lot since Machine Head. Only drummer Ian Paice and keyboardist Jon Lord remained, and the once new guys, singer David Coverdale and bassist/singer Glenn Hughes were not the new guys any more, but the upstart guitarist Tommy Bolin was. Bolin was replacing the amazing Ritchie Blackmore, what pressure.

Back in the summer of '75, I was so nervous to hear what Deep Purple were going to do, without Blackmore. Well, surprise! Come Taste The Band album kicked butt, and it still does to this day. I also thought it was a much, much better album than Presence by Led Zeppelin, and I still do!

Highlights: You Keep On Moving, Gettin' Tighter, Drifter and Comin' Home

Average customer rating:

A follow up to a classic...not bad.
House with no blue
This isn't your father's Deep Purple
One and a half stars for Spanish Archer . . . .
My favorite Deep Purple album

The House of Blue Light
Deep Purple
Manufacturer: Umvd Special Markets
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Perfect Strangers
Purpendicular
Stormbringer (UK)
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ASIN: B00000JBFX
Release Date: 1999-06-22

Tracks:

Bad Attitude
The Unwritten Law
Call Of The Wild
Mad Dog
Black & White
Hard Lovin' Woman
The Spanish Archer
Strangeways
Mitzie Dupree
Dead Or Alive

Customer Reviews:

A follow up to a classic...not bad........2007-06-11

No question, "Perfect Strangers" is a Deep Purple classic. "The House of Blue Light" was the follow up. Not all the songs are classic Purple, or even in the vein of "Perfect Strangers," but as a whole the album is pretty solid. For me, Bad Attitude, Strangeways, Mitzie Dupree, and Dead or Alive are the highlights of this album. Gillan's vocal work is, for the most part, excellent, especially on Mitzie Dupree. The Unwritten Law could have been a good song if the vocals weren't incredibly...stupid, for lack of a better word. The tensions between Gillan and Blackmore resulted in some pretty darn good guitar playing from Ritchie (Dead or Alive) and vocals from Ian trying to bridge the gap ("...why don't we call it a day before we call it a nightmare, darlin'?") or lashing out ("...you think I'm chained up, but I'm just tied down"). Overall, "The House of Blue Light" is a consistent, if sometimes unspectacular, album.

House with no blue.......2007-05-12

Great title but where is the blues ??? no likee....

This isn't your father's Deep Purple.......2007-03-15

I my humble opinion this was the best of the reunited Deep Purple. Perfect Strangers was a great album but the music was cut from the same cloth that much of the early Deep Purple and Rainbow for that matter. The thing that was great about the original Mark II two lineup was that from "In Rock" to "Fireball" to "Machine Head" to "Who Do We Think We Are" the sound and music on each of the albums was very different. There was growth and adventure in the development of each album. The House of Blue Light returned to an attempt to be creative. Granted these won't be the songs that will talk about forever or hardly at all twenty years later but they are great in their own rights. Songs like "The Spanish Archer", "Hard Lovin' Woman", "Strangeways", "The Unwritten Law", and "Dead or Alive" show a real stepping outside of the box with the style of the band. It was unfortunate that this album and tour were marred by the fighting within the band however as has always been the case with the band, the music is seemingly at it's best when there is tension from within. I have heard the album termed as an "experimental" album and I would have to agree and say that this was a successful experiment.

One and a half stars for Spanish Archer . . . ........2006-12-29

I'm not sure what DP was trying to be on this effort, but it didn't work. Maybe they weren't trying too hard to be anything at all, which would explain the insipid songwriting and mostly forgettable performances.

The opening two tracks, "Bad Attitude" and "Unwritten Law", are decent -- no memorable riffs or great performances, but listenable. "The Spanish Archer," featuring some interesting guitar work by RB, is far better than that. The rest are hardly worth mentioning. Songs like "Dead or Alive" and "Mad Dog" have plenty of energy but no life. (The blue lights are on but nobody's home?) Overall, these songs sound almost like each musician was recorded separately and the tracks were later mixed.

"Perfect Strangers," which preceded this, is one of Deep Purple's best albums, and "The Battle Rages On" is very good. As far as "The House of Blue Light" goes, get "Spanish Archer" for your IPOD and then close the door.

My favorite Deep Purple album.......2006-10-30

Talk about an underrated album, from an underrated legendary band.

When most famous groups reunite (like Cream or Pink Floyd) they do it for a one-off show, or a small reunion tour and then it's goodbye! But NOT Deep Purple, once they reunited it was stated: We are in it for the long haul. Boy, they weren't kidding!

This was the follow up to their famous reunion album "Perfect Strangers." I always found this album, "The House of Blue Light" to be even better. Of all the rock music I bought back in the 80's only a handful are still played in my house. This being one of them.

Ian Gillan has to be one of the most underrated lyricists in all of rock music. Next to Ozzy and Robert Plant, Gillan's lyrics are like Bob Dylan, or Dylan back in the 60's. Anyway, the rest of the band are brilliant as ever. For being an 80's sounding rock album it has held up much better than all the other hard rock outfits of that era.

Highlights: The Unwritten Law, Dead Or Alive, The Spanish Archer and Strangeways

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