Very Best Of - Deep Purple Album Review

Deep Purple

Album Review

Amazing what adverts can do.

This album reissue of the 1998 original is a simultaneous release with the digital download of Deep Purple’s hit Hush, featured on the current Jaguar TV ad, both available from March 24. It brings the heavyweight rockers back into the limelight all over again, and it’s great to hear them.

This ‘very best of’ captures DP’s scintillating brand of heavy rock. You’d better be ready, because in most part this is a white knuckle ride, as in the early 70s they were credited as being the loudest live band in the Guinness Book of World Records with a reading of 117 decibels, since smashed by The Who with 126 decibels in 1976.

My love affair with them began with Fireball, a blistering single from late 1971; with drums pounding at 240 beats per minute, I was hooked. Their earliest work was based on pseudo-classical keyboard flourishes that evolved into gigantic riffs and soaring bluesy solos. Hush, a cover of Joe South’s memorable song, gave them their first American hit, but it would be another 20 years (1988) before it charted in the UK, reaching a lowly 62. Their chart success in the UK has been book-ended by one song – the mighty Black Night, first in 1970 (reaching number 2, their highest position) then 1995 (number 66). This collection isn’t just about singles though, as only four others made the grade. Featured on their 1972 classic album Machine Head, Smoke On The Water has one of rock’s most memorable riffs, ever. Its central theme, a four note ‘blues scale’ melody harmonised in parallel fourths played by Ritchie Blackmore rustles up a storm while revealing the true story of the burning casino on Lake Geneva. Strange Kind Of Woman was their second single, and their second biggest success. Never Before was also on Machine Head but stayed outside the Top 30. One curious omission from this stellar album is Space Truckin’, but beefy Highway Star and earth-shattering Speed King make up for it. By the mid-70s their ‘commercial’ star had waned, principally due to line-up changes and below-par albums with Perfect Strangers, recorded by the DP classic ‘Mark 2’ reformed line- up of singer Ian Gillan (the only rock singer to match Led Zep’s Robert Plant) Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Ian Paice and Roger Glover failing to return them to past glory, languishing at 48. Two of their greatest moments were album tracks Child In Time and When A Blind Man Cries. The former had strong elements of musical theatre combined with stratospheric riffs and solos by Blackmore. This format suited Gillan perfectly as he’d already sung in Jesus Christ Superstar. His dazzling vocal dexterity defies belief. Not even Plant could match it. The latter was originally a B-side of Never Before. It showed a more subtle (and melodic) side to the rockers, highlighted this time by Blackmore’s beautiful solo. One of their most stylish singles (which didn’t chart UK) was dirty rocker Woman From Tokyo from their fourth album Who Do We Think We Are, 1972.Lord opts for piano instead of organ, with startling results. For me the slide began with Burn, though it remains popular with fans. You Keep On Moving, Ted The Mechanic and Any Fule Kno That are their weakest songs.

They’re still going strong, but not the complete Mark 2 line-up.

File under: Some of the greatest moments in Rock history.

Elly Roberts