When I was growing up in the 80s, every sentence that mentioned Zep and Sabbath also included Deep Purple. Zep maintained its reputation, Sabbath’s reputation improved, and Deep Purple . . . kind of vanished.

Crap or not crap?

I saw them as a high school senior in Long Beach, California in the 80s. Ian Gillan on vocals. Good show. Everyone on the arena floor was standing on their seats. I was about 40 rows back or so, and every time Ian Paice hit his kick drum, my windbreaker would billow out behind me from the air displacement.

Nope, this one doesn't work.

"In Rock" and "Fireball" are up there with the best of 70's metal. They were definitely the godfathers of speed/thrash.

Anyone on here that knows me in person knows my feelings about this band.

Fundamental for me, in my understanding of rock music. Heard more Purple, Crimson, Floyd and Zeppelin as a kid than almost anything else.



1 of only 2 songs I've karaoked

If this was the only thing they had?



It would be an easy "N/C..."

It's not the only thing they had...

A talented and fun band. I like the foil of having John Lord playing musical wizard against some of the purposefully dumbest riffs of all time, and Ritchie Blackmore is my preferred early hard rock guitarist.

Masters of kinetic energy - seemless precision, almost machine-like intensity.

I think Blackmore's refusal to play the game has hurt their rep now, but he's one of the greatest guitarists. He set the stage for more - more speed, more technique, more power - all underpinned with a relentless, almost megalomaniacal logic. He's the root of all speed and shred that came in the 80s, though unlike much of that scene, he was matched by a killer band.

Also think that there were too many egos, too many disputes, too many lineup changes and spin-offs (Rainbow's Rising is as brilliant as the best D.P material), but even amongst a particularly muddled back catalogue, In Rock, Fireball, Machine Head, Made In Japan and Burn are enough to secure their position into the pantheon.

N.C.

Pretty much a setup band for the kind of hard rock/metal that I hate. Crap.

Also, Ian Gillan was right up there with Halford. For those who've only heard "Smoke on the Water" and "Hush," queue up "Speed King" or "Pictures of Home."