From: garyp@tull.eng.sun.com (Gary Parker) Newsgroups: alt.rock-n-roll.classic Date: 16 Mar 1994 00:27:36 GMT
Can we talk about Deep Purple for a sec? I see from many people that they're highly thought of. I, too, am/was a Deep Purple fan.
I go back a long way with Purple. (I'm 43). I used to think
they were gods. To this day, I think the best Purple stuff is the first 3 Tetragrammaton
lps. Overwrought in places, sure. But there's just so much good stuff on those
albums, it didn't matter:
The Shield, Blind, Wring that Neck, Help, One More Rainy Day, Kentucky
Woman, April. Real songs, not just riffs.
The Concerto For Group and Orchestra was fantastic. I even saw the 'Purps do it live in 1970 ('71?) ['twas 1969, I believe - Trond] with the L.A. Philharmonic in Los Angeles.Got to shoot the shit with the band backstage. Back then, Purple was nowhere, insofar as being popular goes, and they were thrilled that the 20 or so kids hanging out to meet them took the trouble. (Still got the program, which is signed and also I have a poster that I (ahem) "appropriated" from the Hollywood Bowl entrance, hyping the show.
When they switched gears into "In Rock", I was ecstatic. To me, as a band, that was Purples high-water point. I spent hours in front of the stereo with my guitar, learning those riffs. I still can't believe how tight the band was in those days and how complex the music.
But...to me, that ended Purples creative period. I remember thinking that somewhere along the line they got fed up with having no commercial success and decided to musically "sell-out. I also think that this is when Blackmore took over the band and started hammering riffs into songs.
I think it began with" "Fireball." I remember how disappointed my friends and I were when that album came out. It took me months to learn "In Rock" on my guitar...I think I had the entire Fireball album figured out the 2nd nite I had it. It was just so simple and plain. Later, I thought stuff like "Smoke on the Water" was terrible, but it was stuff like that that made 'em big bucks, but to me, it was so transparent what they were doing. Jeez, even Blackmore used to call "Smoke" "junk". (I did however think that "Made in Japan" was a great live album and "Machine Head" definitely had some great momemnts).
Regarding the fascination with Ian Gillian. Great pipes, sure. But how long can you listen to those lyrics he used to "write"? ("The rolling truck stones thing just outside"....p.u!)
Anyway, the 'Purps reputation obviously lingers on. I can't speak for the later stuff...I bailed with "Come Taste the Band". Maybe I'm missing something in the later stuff that would help me understand the continued fascination with the Purps, I dunno.
So I guess what I'm saying is, I'm a little surprised by the continued loyalty to a band whose best days were (IMHO) over 20 years ago.
Thought? Flames?
Gary Parker