For me it is Deep Purple all day long. Five of the best musicians ever assembled, all extremely talented. Deep Purple in rock was way ahead of its time.
Gots to go with Zeppelin. "In Rock" is great, no doubt, but I feel the dynamics of the Zep album are hard to beat. "How many more times" rocks, and builds up so amazingly, it is an explosion that set many little guitar heads into overdrive!!!!! Me amongst them!
In each case and to be fair, In Rock was a PURE rock album while Led Zeppelin I was mostly a blues album with some heavy rock but not the main emphasis. I love them both but In Rock is my favorite DP album after Machine Head.
For me they are quite different albums and shouldn’t be compared as to which is best. Led Zep 1 is rooted in the Blues a real passion for the band . Deep Purple in Rock is a totally different album. All about power and a wonderful mix of John Lord on Hammond organ and Richie Blackmore on lead guitar. Both great albums in their own right .
In Rock - when it came out I was at school & it was loud and heavy and exploding with virtuosity - for our ears it was a new music - Zeppelin 1 was a great listen but was largely a reimagining of the Chicago blues (as Willie Dixon was to successfully claim)
Deep Purple was great, but I remember where I was and what I was doing when I first heard Zepp1 on the radio in 1969. Zepp1 was such a refreshingly new sound. It was almost a religious experience for me.
LZ did this great album of covers with a tribute Steve Marriott singer. Deep Purple did a masterpiece with original tunes, singer and great musicianship by all members.
I love both albums. No denying that LZ1 was great but it had more foreshadowing of greater things to come. Deep Purple In Rock is just sexy power to 11. The sound swaggers into the amps and doesn't let go of your ears until it's done. My vote is Deep Purple.
"In Rock" gets my vote too. There's no denying the power of LZ1 but that squalling intro to "Speed King" is a great statement of intent. While Jimmy Page was more consistent, Ritchie Blackmore was my first guitar hero and remains my top hard rock guitarist. "In Rock" and "Rising", which I got to see Rainbow touring, are the best examples of his studio playing. I've watched countless live clips of the Mk II Purple line-up from the early '70s, before the rifts started to appear, and they're off the charts especially the interplay between Blackmore and Jon Lord.. My favorite Zep albums are the more diverse ones, namely LZ3 and "Physical Graffiti".
I went to see Deep Purple play at the St. Georges Hall in Liverpool back in 1970. Sadly, they had a breakdown on the M1 motorway, turned up late and couldn't play. Fortunately, me and a few others were invited backstage. Ritchie Blackmore sat mysterious and unapproachable, albeit present, in a corner dressed entirely in black fringed suede with a wide black suede hat, with what you could barely see of his ashen face looking down at the floor (naturally P.O'd) ..reminded me of Strider at the Prancing Pony when he was first approached by Frodo (LOTR) Conversely, Ian Paice was buzzing and showed us how to play drum rolls on a table top,.. flam paradiddles and ratamacues.. It certainly took the sting out of our disappointment!
Led Zeppelin 1 has some of my favorite songs. Dazed and Confusion, You Shook Me, How Many More Times, etc. I grew up listening to Deep Purple In Rock, Blood Sucker, Speed King, Child In Time and many more. Add King Crimson debut album would compliment 1969 very well indeed...
There was actually over a year between Led Zeppelin, January (US) March (UK) 1969, Deep Purple in Rock June 1970. It was about 6 months between Led Zeppelin II and In Rock. The things is, if it were perhaps not for Led Zeppelin, there might have been no Deep Purple or Black Sabbath as we know them, as the members of both bands have stated on record, that it was Led Zeppelin and Plants voice, that turned their heads and made them want to pursue a heavier sound and that Led Zeppelin really opened the door for them. As for the albums, Deep Purple in Rock, Led Zeppelin II and Fire and Water were my seminal albums, that changed my musical landscape and future. In Rock really blew me away when I first heard it, as did II, not so much I but over time Led Zeppelin became my favourite band and nowadays and for decades, I definitely listen to Led Zeppelin I way more than In Rock, but In Rock definitely had the greater affect on me originally, just not quite as great as II did.
Deep Purple had a hit in black night. Black Sabbath is also in the charts with Paranoid. So that being said, Black Sabbath was always going to be what you heard on their debut album. They want to be the opposite of the Beach Boys. Deep Purple, on the other hand, wanted to blow Zeppelin's doors off with in rock. They heard Zeppelin and took it a stage further, less blues based. So your point is well spoken about Purple, but Sabbath had their own plans. They are pretty tight, lipped if Zeppelin influenced them or not. Tony is a shrewd operator. Told Ronnie not to talk about other bands on interviews. Ronnie, of course, did what he wanted. Blackmore is a blabbering mouth. admitting, he ripped off the rift from a ricky nelson song summer time for Black Knight. One thing about Blackmore is that he's painfully honest. You'll never hear Paige, or Iommi talk about that. 😂 Whose songs they borrowed riffs from. Point we done rock on 🤘
In Rock, because hearing those screams on Child in Time used to freak me out. I was eight years old at the time and my father had got a tape (on EMI's budget reissue label Fame) among others.
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I have deep affection for both albums from my teen years. In Rock must have the edge here because the core band of Purple had been maturing over a number of albums, finally unleashing this beast. Led Zep 1 was a band finding its feet after being together for less than 6 months. Little did we know they would morph into the juggernaut they became,, eclipsing all others.
"In Rock" by a country mile. LDZ 1 is a tad derivative and bombastic lacking the textures of the later albums. Arguably Beck's "Truth" is a better template but Plant was was waiting in the wings.
Both are wonderful. Each band has superb musicians. I prefer Blackmore's superb technique over Page's The other musicians are pretty much equal - overall I prefer Deep Purple
I don't understand the hate that "Fireball" gets. "Shoe-shine music"? I don't know what that means but I'm sure it's not a compliment! Fireball is by far my favourite Deep Purple album - maybe just because it's not as overplayed as the others but that said it's ALWAYS been my favourite. "Fools" is definitely my favourite song by DP.
The "squeeze my lemon ..." lyric from The Lemon Song is also used word-for-word in Robert Johnson's Traveling Riverside Blues recorded in 1937 (which Zeppelin also covered), a typical Blues double-entendre or innuendo of the period. I don't know if this predates the British 'lemon/plums' phrase. Given Zeppelin's early and frequent appropriation of American Blues, I'm more inclined to believe Johnson was their primary inspiration.
DeepPurple any and every day of the week for me. Page certainly has his strengths (especially when it comes to production and orchestration) but as he himself admits when it comes to soloing ability and virtuosity he can't even get close to Blackers, and that's before you even start to consider the immense contribution of Jon's organ sound. Always preferred Paicey's style over Bonham's and when you look at the vocal department for me Gillan wins hands down. In all their incarnations I love Purple and they are still with us producing great music after over 50 years. Zeppelin did some truly great stuff (especially on Houses of the Holy), but they came and went in such a short time. I have everything by both bands but to this day play Purple probably 10 times more than Zeppelin.
For decades I would have said Zeppelin 1, I always thought it more inventive and expansive; but now interestingly, after all these years, I would definitely go for "In Rock", and by some distance. It's suddenly become cooler, rockier, groovier, more unhinged and vital and a hundred times more exciting. In fact, it makes Zeppelin's album sound a bit twee in comparison. Yep, it blows it out of the water. In the audience of the broader rock world, Zeppelin would win hands down, and they're definitely the historical darlings for your average rock critic, but for the committed fan of heavy rock, it's In Rock all the way. Purple rule! Footnote: I believe that "Look at Yourself" is an even better album, and that's by the eternally unfashionable 'Heep.
Okay -- the opening 50 seconds of "In Rock" kicks ass! That's it for me. I have always found Gillian's wailing worst that Platt's. Give me "Zeppelin #1" anytime. Excellent blues originals and interpretations. Superior engineering mix.
I love classic rock. My parents taught me well!😊😊. Funny, but I own deluxe editions of both those albums. They're both excellent albums! I would give the nod to Led Zeppelin I, but just barely.
Zep 1 was 75% cover tunes, so purple win on originality but overall id rather listen to zep. Child in time is still awesome though kinda like an early prototype for Achilles last stand and i still love the intro to speed king, a cacophony of noise heralding the age of the power chord.
I completely agree. Zep coving Joan Baez babe I’m going to leave you or Jake Holmes dazed and confused can’t be compared to original work. Led Zepplin was the best cover band of all time.
For pure polish and consistent energy, by comparison, 'In Rock' nails it for me. Even though it was DP's second iteration, there aren't many bands who enter a debut lead singer with practically every song a blistering chart stopper AND an established signature sound. From '71 on though, all bets were off and Led Zep gave DP a run for their money. One thing that is overlooked today is that Deep Purple more often than not made very danceable party records.
Child in Time on In Rock makes that album the winner over the first Led Zep album for me even if the beginning was lifted from It's A Beautiful Day's Bombay Calling.
Gotta go with Zeppelin. The 1st 2 notes of Good Times Bad Times shake the ground and soul. Deep Purple is great too. Speed King opening with Blackmore’s blistering guitar grabs you and they’re off. Can’t go wrong with either album.
Deep Purple just shades it because Zeppelin would make an even better follow-up to their debut. The Purple album has real feral energy, attitude and attack. They're off the leash from the get-go and it never lets up. Really impressive statement of intent, and Child in Time is a rock masterpiece. Arguably their best studio album.
The Led Zeppelin's debut album is a brilliant declaration of intent and foreshadows what a dangerous band to reckon with they would become later. However, I would prefer Deep Purple In Rock, it is a mature album from the band that found their feet and spearheaded with the fiery and explosive rock
LZ are great, but DP have a craziness to their sound that I've always loved. That coupled with the fact that prime Ian Gillan was an absolute beast, and Ritchie Blackmore is a genius, and DP is the clear winner for me. I even prefer Ian Paices drumming honestly, but it's sacrilegious to say that
Nothing beats the In Rock album, it is one of a kind, when God heard Ritchie play, He knew he mad a mistake, he gave Ritche the talent that should have been devided over 10 others!
I think this discussion very much depends on which side of the atlantic your on Barry. Zeppelin I feel, were always the more diverse of the two bands however, lets bare in mind that the first Zeppelin album consisted of a throw back from the Yardbirds days, with dazed and confused, and is pretty much a heavy blues album following on from Cream. In rock on the other hand, I feel is more origional and a more interesting listen and for me, is more of a blue print for modern day hard rock.
"In Rock" for me. More original and interesting song ideas. The murky production sounds old as f***, but it's part of the charm, I guess. Zeppelin got better on subsequent albums, Purple not so much (very arguably).
Every song on in rock is rock music pure.Lz deviated on this album with a few hated songs. But in rock every song is rockin and i love all of them was 12 yrs old and i could hum all the songs in rock everyday.
LZ 1. In Rock is great, but there's less memorable songs on In Rock. ( except Child In Time and Speed King) But that first raw bluesy, h e a v y, Page-powered first album I just think is better because of the production. Bottom heavy, emotional, OMG vocals from Plant. LZ 1 by a hair. as much as I love Deep Purple their magnum opus would be Machine Head. Which I believe is a perfect album.
Thank you for the analysis! I have been a purple fan since I was gifted machine head when I was 4:years old. I feel they are ignored by most people and zepplin is more marketed especially in the states. But zepplin is very based in blues, even many plagiarism of such, while purple is very hard and unique with the keyboards and guitar other bands didn't use.
In Rock for me too. A good analysis of the positive vibes in each album in your video. Blackmore's wish to create drama was well and truly put into practice despite that rather Iron Butterfly style production which you mention. Page deserves credit for his strategic nurturing of his project whilst Purple, were at the mercy of record company executives, dark forces and two alpha males who just needed to talk more. Nevertheless this inherent anger came through on vinyl, particularly on In Rock and later on the visceral classic which was Made in Japan. Damn shame in my opinion because Purple, blessed with Jon Lord's finesse, had the potential to become the primary driving force in the burgeoning rock scene. That didn't stop them releasing another beaut in the shape of Machine Head, every bit as good as ZOSO in my opinion. Perhaps worth your nine yards on these two?
Oh so many years ago, the dawn of my love of British Rock. These were embryo albums that spawned the birth of so many great bands of the era. Uriah Heep, Jethro Tull, Judas Priest, Free and so many more. We were spoiled for choice in those late 60s, 70s years. Which one album is the best, does it really matter? Just enjoy both, and the many classics that followed. Halcyon days.
Both these albums set my musical compass for the next fifty years, bolstered by Uriah Heep and to a lesser extent, Black Sabbath. I went off these bands after 5 or so albums as their sound changed to suit the times, particularly the eighties. But I still love that raw early-70s hard rock sound, sadly missing in the NWOBHM era, but resurrected in more recent albums by new bands, and of course the eternal U-Heep!
I got into both these bands later and IMO did better albums. However, for me you can't beat the sound of JL's Hammond organ and RB's guitar so Purple gets my vote.
Deeple Purple and Uriah Heep along with Wshbone Ash always seemed to take 2nd, 3rd and 4th fiddle. Over the years and reapraising everything, Zepplin was the first and gereatest band I have ever seen, but I have enjoyed Deep Purple better. Wishbone Ash are totally underated, but Uriah Heep in all its forms still kicks ass and makes albums as good as if not as better as Demons and Wizards and Magicians Birthday, Take a look at Yourself and Salisbury. In Rock takes this by a mile, it was so ground breaking and yes Keyboard do make hard, heavy an metal music.
Definitely In Rock. You only have to listen to Speed king and especially the intro and your eardrums blown away. Flight of the rat, child in time and hard lovin man. All in all a powerhouse of an album. LZ1 is an album full of old blues songs, revamped and sounding heavier.
Sweet Child in Time was/is a rock masterpiece. But for me, I loved Led Zeppelin back in the day. Maybe because I saw them, and Jon Bonham was so (blanked) up he literally passed out at the drums! Another memorable event at this concert was Jimmy Page bowed his guitar with a violin bow, it was so amazing to a 16-year-old kid. I'd never seen anything like that before. Thanks for your thoughts.
Interesting take on it. Nice one. Must admit I don't compare albums much but you really know your stuff. My own preference is Deep Purple in this case, thought theur early albums were great. Didn't really get into Zep till album 3 and 4. Music is great, love it.
You nailed it. In Rock hands down. If they switched managers back then I feel Purple Mk2 would have lasted much longer and their success even greater. Purple made it in spite of bad management.
0:03 Excellent video. Thanks!!! I have to say that fireball is one of my favorite purple recordings. The other day I couldn't get fools out of my head. I feel this album is so underated. In rock is a gem and led zeppelin s first album is stunning!! My vote is deep purple.
At the time I listened to both albums when they were released. I preferred the Deep Purple as it was something a bit different from the standard blues form of rock which John Mayall, Free, Taste etc were also producing. However, with Led Zeppelin 2, all that changed. All hail the New King.
Deep Purple had been recording together for a while before IR and Zep had only met about 8 weeks before going in to record LZ1. I’d say that IR has the edge overall on song construction quality but LZ1 has a superior recording quality ( more ambient and “ warmer”). Impossible to evaluate or compare songs like “ Hard Lovin’ Man” with “ How Many More Times” ( both album closers) tbh. You have to admit LZ1 sounds like a band that have been together a lot longer than two or three months!! I love them both, just like my children.😂
Ritchie Blackmore only went along with John Lord's Concerto project in return for an agreement to turn the heavy dial up to 11 on their next record. The result was In Rock - in my humble opinion the greatest true rock statement ever committed to vinyl. The production is perfect for the material (less is more). From the moment the cacophony of Speed King shakes the room, you are under assault. The technical skill, call-and-return, eccentric English lyricism, banshee wailing and staggering lead guitar add up to something life changing and honestly magical. Every song is stupendous, raw, indelible ... Gotta black breast, Chinese eyes ... Got an English brain gonna make me wise ... Baby I'm a mystery but you know I gotta live ...
In Rock all the way, tho Led Zep I is the reason why it happened. Blackmore said himself that after hearing that first Zep album, he wanted to play "heavy rock".