My 10 Favourite DEEP PURPLE Albums | Ranked 

As a drummer myself, I think that Ian Paice is the closest that heavy rock has ever come to Buddy Rich. He has a sharpness on cymbals and hi&hats as well as lightening fast snare drum work ( even at incredibly low volume) as well as finesse,that is more of common place in jazz and swing than heavy rock. His bass drum work at times is as impressive as Bonham, but Paice is not as dominant on toms and bass drum that is more of the norm in heavy rock. He is extremely underrated even among drummers. Paice and Barrimore Barlow are criminally underrated in rock music overall.

interesting. Thanks! I will have to check out some of these I am not familiar with. I love Who Do We think We Are as a great song and groove album.

I must say such a great journey through your thoughtful review of your greatest DP albums . Quite enjoyable. I come at this differently because of age as starting in 1969 I was purchasing Purple albums as soon as I could get them as they were released.

Awesome video Andy -- FWIW as a former graphic designer, I'm watching and thinking "you could do another video on Top Ten Worst album covers -- Fireball and Burn and Come Taste the Band in particular are so horrendous to me that it's comical EDIT: at 26:05 In Rock is great -- and another example of hilarious album cover artwork IMHO 😆

Bang on about 'live In London' great recording

Agree mostly but as a jazz rock fan you have to listen to Steve morse deep purple surprised you never mentioned that😀

Sorry for my english . i love made in Europe and i think the performance of you fool no One and lady double dealer are great

Very good .. :-)

Do not underestimate 'Whoosh!', their last album of originals. I did not think ANY song, on the previous two DP studio albums (Infinite / Now What?!), were better than a 3.5/5. With Whoosh, however, eight songs out of 12, I thought, were a 4.0/5 or better. That is how good this album is, and it deserves to be heard.

I'm a big fan of the Hammond organ, especially in jazz. Therefore, Jon Lord's Hammond organ playing was the main reason I got into Deep Purple. The Mk 3 line-up is my favourite. The Coverdale and Hughes vocal interaction was tremendously exciting and gave the band a new energy. 'Burn' (1) and 'Stormbringer' (2) are my favourite Purple albums. Some of the funky and soulful elements of those albums were carried over into the excellent Paice Ashton Lord band.

Andy... with all do respect..I can't believe you don't like Who Do We Think Are! In my opinion it's one of their best albums... It's basically a fusion record..I suggest you give it another listen... cheers! 🍻

the MK2 version is my favorite lineup. Their musical chemistry was off the charts. They have the best catalog. Purple is clearly a live band. One of my favorite rock bands. Jon is my favorite hard rock keys player. His work on the Hammond is legendary. As a young drummer Paice was a huge influence. His triplets on the ending of Flight of The Rat blew me away. And then the roll around the kit. I patterned my fast snare rolls after him.

My top 5 ranking would be: 1.) Made In Japan 2.) Fireball 3.) Who Do We Think We Are 4.) In Rock 5.) Machine Head Jon Lord's (studio) keyboards never sounded better than on Rat Bat Blue & Smooth Dancer from WDWTWA? & it baffles me how not everyone agrees 😁

Totally agree with IN ROCK as number one!!! I am old enough to have bought it when it came out and it felt so cool carrying it to school to play in our music lesson!!! (A whiile later I took SPLIT by the Groundhogs!!!!) I saw Gillan live when they where a true fusion band. I think it was Ray Fenwick on guitar.......

I totally agree about "Deep Purple in Concert" - better than Made in Japan. I bought it in a Paris supermarket in 1981, during my "gap year"....just before I went to see Rainbow (supported by Def Leppard) with thousands of French people! Also, I agree totally about Mk 2 live stuff - incredible!

I like Machine Head, the worst song on the album is Smoke on the water. I like Fireball, the worst song on album is Fireball. In Rock not that great album, has only 2 great (could be the greatest Deep Purple songs ever) Child in time and Hard lovin' man. And I like first 3 albums a lot, especially Deep Purple. And I like a lot Purpendicular and Slaves and Masters. And I have listened to Stormbringer more than any other album in my life. Not influenced by others, just my perception.

A Good friend of mine (a guitarist) saw Sabbath and Zep and Purple live in 1970 - he states that Purple were head and shoulders better than the others live. I have always regarded Zeppelin as a supreme studio band - I have a load of bootlegs by them - but generally the studio version is superior. I think it says a lot that Zeppelin and Sabbath avoided live albums (The Song Remains The Same is a clear indication why it - is solid but uninspiring.) BTW Andy I cannot argue with YOUR ranking - I may move one or two higher or lower - but generally you are spot on.

My Top 10 1. Fireball 2. Deep Purple 3. Burn 4. Who Do We Think We Are 5. In Concert 6. Made in Japan 7. In Rock 8. Cum Taste the Band 9. Book of Taliesyn 10.Machine Head

Live In London 1974 is truly a fantastic concert. You were right to include the live albums, Deep Purple in the early seventies were a phenomenal live band.

Thank you Andy. Here is my ranked list: 10. Concerto for Group and Orchestra 9. Come Taste the Band 8. Stormbringer 7. Deep Purple (third album) 6. Who Do We Think We Are 5. Burn 4. In Rock 3. Machine Head 2. Fireball 1. Made In Japan Honorable mention: Made In Europe

Another great list Andy, Totally agree with No1, Mark 2 actually created their own GENRE with this album. A genre of which only they ever played. Quite simply the greatest group of rock musicians ever.

Got to admit I’d rate fireball in my top 3 Purple albums absolutely love it 🔥🎸🎸🎸👌😎

I’d really like you tell us the scoop of what Robert Plants problem was with Deep Purple, Gillan and especially Coverdale.

Hit the nail on the head when you said that bit about the music we love being not only about incredible music but also incredible music we hear at the right time that will stay with you forever, hence why most of my favourite bands and albums are from when I started getting them in 1974 to around 1984 and then again when I discovered jazz and fusion in the early 2000s. As far as Deep Purple are concerned they are my joint favourite band of all time alongside Yes & ELP and I'd have to agree that while I think their most recent albums are really rather good their 70's output trump everything and their live albums are the dogs doodahs. Because of the stylistic changes between each of the 'marks' i to iv I also dont try to rate say a mk3 against a mk 2 as to me although they are the same band they are different beasts, however having said that each mk has a range of total excellence down to really good but not quite as excellent as the best (or my favourite) one. So for the mk 2 studio I'd have In Rock at the top and either Fireball or Who do We Think we are at the bottom of the list, for mk 3 studio albums I'd have Burn above Stormbringer - if putting them all in silos next to each other Come Taste the Band would be somewhere close to Burn and In Rock, as it is as you say a fantastic album. Incidentally there were a couple of CDs released back in 2000 of band rehersals with Tommy Bolin from 1975 - one was called Days may come Days may go, the other was 1420 Beachwood Drive, have no idea if they are still available though. I have to agree that live is where its at though, and I've accumulated a ton of both official and unoffical (aka bootleg) recordings of theirs. I also bought the In Concert set when it came out - and nowadays you can get the 1972 (not73) BBC recording separately though not ( I dont think) the 1970 - possibly because Gillan's voice cracks when going for the high notes in Child In Time - however there are other great 1970s live recordings available such as Live in Stockholm. There are 2 official Tommy Bolin era live albums - Tokyo 75 (Last Concert in Japan) and Long Beach 76 (On the Wings of a Giant Foxbat), the better of the two is Long Beach due to the Tokyo show being the one where Tommy had fallen asleep on his arm so wasnt functioning as well as he could have. Made in Europe is rightly in your list, however, if you havent already, for the full monty you may want to get hold of either or both of their Live in Paris and Live in Graz albums or , if still available, their 'Mk3 The Final Concerts' double CD that was a compilation of songs from Graz and Paris - though you do get two versions of Mistreated ! I also have the Live in London also with the '57 minutes of hard rockin' music' tag on the top right of the cover, essential to have alongside Made in Europe to hear a couple more of the Mk 3 songs from Burn live. Bold move having the Concerto in there, another anomaly but an essential part of the Purple story, particularly the CD version that has Hush, Wring that Neck and Child in Time that were first put out on Powerhouse. I have to admit that I also have a fondness for the three mk 1 albums, quite psych influenced prog, with plenty of Jon Lord's keyboards taking centre stage. Knowing you are partial to the funk you may or may not be aware of the first post Purple band Lord and Paice were in - Paice Ashton Lord or PAL, with Tony Ashton on keys alongside Jon Lord, and vocals, and Bernie Marsden on guitar and vocals. Very nice album it is too. And there is also Glenn Hughes' first post Purple solo album Play Me Out where he gets back together with his ex band mates from Trapeze and lays down some funky rock.

I agree 100% with putting Deep Purple in Rock at number one. In Concert is a criminally underrated album. Perfect Strangers is worthy of an honorable mention. It's never been released as a live album, but Deep Purple's performance at the 1974 California Jam beats out Made in Europe: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KJ-CMPqvzQU.html

Andy, I completely agree with you that “in Rock” is their best album. My only complaint is the production quality. I just don’t get it? I put on “Into the Fire” the other day and it’s so distorted. I’m sure you know what I’m referring to but otherwise yes, it’s one of the greatest rock albums of all time!

Yes … In Rock is their best album. They were on a mission with it … do or die and you can hear it. Someone said that if it was rerecorded with todays tech you couldn’t make it sound better .. it sounds so … DEEP and PURPLE 😀 Agree with all you said about it. Hard Lovin’ Man is about as full on live as they ever got in the studio. Crank it up and you are THERE in the room with the best rock band on the planet 🌎. Ritchie’s solo on Child in Time is possibly his best. No one could play like Ritchie in that era, with that intensity, edge mayhem and control. As a kid in 1970 my first albums were Beatles Abbey Rd, Led Zepp’ 1 and In Rock (and I often listened to our only other album of my sister’s The Supremes Greatest Hits … those bass lines and melodies and harmonies) These albums mutated my DNA 🧬 and Purple have always been my favourite band . 😀 Saw them on the Machine head tour, aged 14 at Green’s Playhouse Glasgow (later - the Apollo) Still the best musical experience I have ever had. A close 2nd is The concerto for group and orchestra live. I think you have to be in the audience to really appreciate that piece. It was composed as an antagonistic meeting between disparate entities which find some way of living together. It was also composed FOR a live performance … a perfect set up for any Purple enterprise. It all makes sense when you sit in a room with those entities … and of course creative tension between Blackmore Gillan and Lord made that band what it was. They split in 73 when they, had outsold every act on the planet 🌎 … but that’s Deep Purple. Purpindicular is a great album of theirs from 1992

If you like DP live check out Live in Graz. It’s Mark 3 bts easily the their best live album. Blackmore is on fire.

Ian Paice's best was ,IMO , when Tommy Bolin joined ... he is so groovy ...

It's so sad that "Who do we think we are" from 1973 don't get any attention...it's actually a great album...

Favorite songs Mary Long Fools Living Wreck Storm bringer Burn Child in Time the Shield BIind Listen, Learn, Read On Pictures of Home You Keep On Moving

I've heard many live shows from the era but the version of Wring that Neck (Hard Road in USA) from the BBC 1970 concert is special, it's my favourite Deep Purple track, thanks for highlighting that release. The cd reissue adds Maybe I'm a Leo, Never Before & Smoke on the Water to the March 1972 concert. It is interesting to hear the Smoke riff get no recognition as the concert was recorded before Machine Head was released, a similar situation to Zep playing Stairway on their Apr 71 BBC In Concert, 6 months before LZ4 was released.

"It's a little contentious, but that's what you came for..." - I wouldn't have it any other way. ;-)

1 Machine Head 2 Deep Purple in Rock / Made in Japan The rest Fireball /Who DWTWA / PS / Burn

I love this band, but two albums, Stormbringer and Slaves And Masters, were horrible. Just my opinion.

The Concerto is a great album.... and thanks for pointing it out to people. By the way, thanks for leading me to remember what I really liked about the band....

My favorites are: In Rock, Perfect Strangers( tune, ) and The Book of Taliesyn

A lot of the early albums were hard to find in US. Need to find #10 at some point. Saw them once in mid 80s reunion tour. Fantastic show, they played Child In Time. Wish the egos didn’t get in the way again, seems to happen to all my favs. Excellent as always, didn’t know for sure that you were a fan.

Burn and Bolin's Come taste the band only on 8 and 7....?, they are 3 and 4 on my list ... after In Rock and Made in Japan

Great video as usual! And I’m not a huge Deep Purple fan… Thanks

Ian Gillan remains the absolute best Metal or Hard Rock Vocalist in history. The way he was pitch perfect, and could match any note on any instrument with his Voice. Klaus Meine of German band Scorpions was inspired exclusively by Ian Gillan . Despite the gentlemen practically being peers on the music scene, Meine wanted to be just like Ian Gillan.

What I don't like so much about In Rock is the lyrical nonsense

The only one I've not got or heard is In Concert I'll have to dig that out, I honestly thought you were gonna put another live album at no. 1 you really tricked me ha ha

My formative years Deep Purple story: As a youth and early teen years, my family spent summer weekends camping next to a lake in our parked camper trailer, along with 100 other weekend campers. Friday night until late Sunday afternoon it was summer fun for dozens of kids, and our parents happy not being their customary constant source of entertainment. The lake campgrounds was also low rent housing for a number of nearby college students (Kent state University, specifically). A short distance from our camper lot lived a pair of college students in a large tent. Nearly every minute of their waking hours they played rock music through a stereo system, with 8 track tapes as the music source. Because they were in a tent, with next to zero sound muffling, we heard whatever they played loud and clear. Likely because of limited budget, they didn't have many tape selections. In fact, for that entire summer of 1972, they played just 3 or 4 tapes, literally on a loop. Two of those tapes were recent releases - David Bowie Ziggie Stardust, and Deep Purple Machine Head. Had the music sucked (yodeling?), it would have been most annoying for me, but the 3 or 4 tapes I heard all summer I actually liked! To this day, Machine Head still doesn't sound dated, nor do I tire of hearing it! It was the beginning of a lifelong love of the band, cemented a year later at age 14 when I first heard Made In Japan, the spark for my yearning to learn an instrument (guitar/bass).

Love the video and that era of the 70's -best guitar tones and great time to be a rock star. - How about an episode on "the Sweet" and of course, Mick Tucker, one of the best drummers of the 70's

Love DP. My first was “Machine Head” and it wasn’t “Smoke On The Water” that hit me first, it was “Lazy” and “Space Trucking”. Ian Paice should definitely be talked about with Bonham. Not only could he play the heavy stuff but also the jazz and funk stuff. His technique, and especially his feel, was/is truly wonderful. I loved both the mark III and IV bands as well. It’s a shame they didn’t have enough time with Bolin to see what that band could do. There’s a really interesting album called “Days May Come And Days May Go” that was recorded during rehearsals with Bolin in ’75. A lot of jamming that shows where that band could have gone.

Love this band. Musical chemistry beyond compare. MIJ is the greatest live album of all time IMO. MH and IR are my fave studios LPs. I love CTTB but it is just like a Bolin era James Gang. Bolin was great but he was no Blackmore in terms of rock playing and composing.

Love Richie, Jon and Ian, a fantastic musical group but even though I love them in not a massive fan of the singing. Gillan's screaming is kind of embarrassing, it sounds pretty dated now. My fav album from a singing and song perspective is Burn. Pretty pleased Ritchie went into Rainbow after that although Lord was missed. Perfect strangers was a bit of a return to form. Purple and sabbath about zep as musicians for me, but zep wins on songwriting variety and vision.

Compilations of metal/ rock in Macro were terrible but awesome. That's how I got into Uriah Heep, Motorhead and Gary Moore

Interesting about your love for live albums. I think Purpendicular is a fine release, even though it is Morse on guitar. Catchy songs throughout.

Bloodsucker is my favorite as well.

Andy disappointed none of the Steve Morse era included

i love the self titled 69 album. great vibes, great proto prog, great orchestral work. and bosch artwork. classic

"You get the Ian Gillan, deh deh deh DEAAA" LOL. 12:23 True. One thing I dislike about Purple is when Glenn Hughes sings or yells in his highest pitch. Sounds Spinal Tap to me. I don't know why so many Brit singers when for the high screech back in the 70's. I guess Robert Plant from Zepp I started it all. And Gillan with Child in Time.

Tommy Bolin is one of the most elegant guitar players I have ever heard, what a good taste in resolving his solos and love how he incorporated brazilian music into a lot of his tunes

Completely agree about Come Taste The Band. The playing is amazing all round. Bolin is playing bass on 'Comin' Home coz Glenn Hughes was off his nut that day! Ian Paice is brilliant

I remember when In COncert came out, and as fan as we were of Made In Japan, specially that first LP recorded in BBC was face melting. The only thing that came close was when we actually got a full 1970 show in the form of Scandinavian Nights a few years later.

If you listen to the deluxe release of In Rock and Fireball they also include unknown outtakes like Freedom, Slow Train, Jam Stew and Cry Free, proof even the unknown tracks are brilliant.

That's a really interesting list. 'In Concert' would make my top 10 to, but not above Made In Japan. I had 'In Concert' on double cassette. I recently bought it again on CD - fantastic stuff. I like 'Made In Europe' and if 'Paris 1975' hadn't been released on the 'Deep Purple (Overseas) Live Series' it would make my top 10, up high, but 'Paris 1975' is better. I'm looking for a copy of 'Live in London' at the moment as I had it on vinyl back in the 80s. Regarding Gillan (the band), I agree. I first saw them at the Hemel Hempstead Pavilion and they were great. Ian Gillan played that venue like it was Wembley. He was fantastic. My favourite singer.

Hi Andy, Much appreciated, very well done. Your ‘right Music on the right time’ remark is spot on. & that’s why for me Made in Europe ranks higher than Live in London (4-5 years later for me). For you & others who also have a special Mk3 spot, try the (more obscure) Live in San Diego 1974 and ofcourse Live in Paris and Live in Graz, both 1975 which both gave input for Made in Europe and you’ll find some extras. Finally I totally agree with the reasonable position of Come taste the band. & for live versions, with Tommy Bolin, check out This time around (Japan with an injured Tommy) and Long Beach 1976. They certainly have their moments. Keep up the good works Andy!

I totally agree with the comment regarding listening to music at the right time, etc. I was living in Peru when I heard DP for the first time at 12 or 13 years old with This Bird Has Flown and Hush, both of which I really liked. Next time I heard them was with Machine Head when we moved to Mexico...it absolutely blew my mind, never heard anything like it, Balckmore's virtuosity, the really tight rythm section with Paice's drumming and Roger's bass, Lord's fantaatic Hammond and of course, Ian's screaming voice. They instantly became my favourite band, soon to be joined by Yes...both still are. Albums always arrived several months late in Mexico. For whatever reaaon, I heard In Rock after M. Head...it had such an impact on me that it is my Number 1. I haven't heard Blackmore at this level in any other album, studio or live. I think I bought it 3 or 4 times just figuring out the Highway Star solo (scratching them out), just to find out later that my favorite DP song and solo is Lazy. The Mark II lime-up is my favorite but I have to admit that I also enjoyed the Mark I with the first two songs I mentioned plus others like April, Painter, Why Didn't Rosemary, and Lalena I was shocked when Ian and Roger were replaced by Coverdale and Hughes ans took Burn with a lot of skepticism, but now it's number 2 for me...I really love David's deep voice, so different from Ian's. Third one is In Rock...the Bloodsucker riff is one of the best in rock music and Speed King is amazing. I also enjoyed the line up with Stveve Morse, another much admired virtuoso. Fortunately, we can now hear anything we want instantly...would have lovwd to have that facility in the 60s and 70s, as well as tabs amd You Tube tutorials. By the way I'm still trying to nail the Highway Star solo, specially the part in 16th notes!

My Choice of the beste Deep Purple Albums is (from worst to best): 10. Now What?! 09. 1974 Paris Live 08. 1993 Stuttgart Live 07. Infinite 06. In Rock 05. Whoosh 04. Burn 03. Made in Japan 02. Fireball 03. Machine Head

Great video and great list, Andy. I'm a big fan especially of the Coverdale/Hughes era, as you obviously are too, and I'd strongly recommend the two live albums that have come out covering 2 of the 3 concerts that were compressed into the Made In Europe album - Live in Graz and Live in Paris. You really can't go wrong with any of the MKII-IV albums, though.

David Byrne's excellent book 'How Music Works' points out that studio versions originally existed to give fans who couldn't get to gigs some idea of what the band/artist sounded like in their natural environment, i.e. live. Deep Purple were one of the last bands to embody that spirit, as implied by your review of Machine Head. That's also why there was a cascade of live Purple albums in the 70s, while Zep took ages just to come up with one and Sabbath took so long that it was called 'Live At Last'. The March 1972 (not 73) side of In Concert and Made In Japan were recorded a few months apart but are very different (as are RU-vid recordings from the same year), showing that they were still improvising. In Concert's Space Truckin' is the best ever. Live shows now are often just faithful reproductions of the 'definitive' studio recording with a bit of spectacle thrown in to remind the audience that they're not at home listening to the CD.

I was a bit stunned you dismiss the three Mark 1 albums out of hand, being really more 'prog' than their subsequent stuff. Not an uncommon attitude, I find, but I really love especially Book of Talesyn, and Shades is just full of bangers. Almost no live recording of this band! - just one bad sounding gig opening for the Archies or the Monkees or some such nonsense. Anyway, threw on my copy of "In Concert" after hearing you!

The first track I heard with Deeo Purple was Lazy from Made in Japan. It was played to me because Ritchie played a tune from Hugo Alfvén’s Swedish Rhapsody nr.1. in that song. We in Sweden thought it was amazing that they could incorporate that tune in the music. It was a well known tune in Sweden but probably not abroad. What we didn’t understand was that it was a joke. Ritchie was supposed to start playing the main riff again but instead he played this tune witch was totally off. We know that now because we heard the versions from the two other nights that was recorded and he only did it on this version they used for the album. He must have surprised the other members in the band and I can see them laughing on stage.

That "fireball" album cover looks decidedly more like a sperm to me,should've been called "spunk bubble",that's way more accurate....

Interesting list for sure. A couple of corrections for you. 1, Ian Gillan didn't join Deep Purple from Jesus Christ Superstar. He got that gig after the Concerto album, which leads me on to correction number 2, it's pronounced Con sherto, not Con sheerto.

next to LZ, GOAT ...

Great to hear Paice given due credit for his "Purple paces". The other heavy rock band whose live albums, especially one, define the group perhaps more than most studio albums, is UFO.

.y favourite rock band and drummer therein . ❤️

Rod Evans then went on to make a record with Captain Beyond better than anything that Deep Purple has ever done (and I do like Deep Purple, don't get me wrong). My favorite Purple record had always been Machine Head - there is no doubt they are great live; but I just love the perfect sound of this record. However, it's been a while that Came Taste the Band surpassed Machine Head to my ears. Great video, as always. Best.

Fireball has my favourite Deep Purple track, The Mule.

I love that Come taste the band made the list! Their dark horse record…in Rock rightly at #1 great video

Can’t believe you put Come taste… above Burn. Each to their own I suppose. Good to see Live in London is high on the list.

There’s an interview with Ritchie from an old radio show called Alexis Korners Guitar Greats where Ritchie says he saw Zep at Mothers in Birmingham and was blown away by Robert Plant and that’s why they went down the road with Gillan

1. Machine Head 2. Stormbringer 3. Fireball 4. In Rock 5. Deep Purple 6. Come Taste The Band 7. Purpendicular 8. The Book Of Talysin 9. Slaves And Masters 10. The Shades of Deep Purple 11. Perfect Strangers 12. The Battle Rages On 13. Burn

Tom Bolin was a fantastic guitarist & I really like Come Taste the Band" unfortunate that he struggled w/ drug addiction. Big fan of Glenn Hughes. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!

Great job Andy. I am a fan of deep purple these are your choices so why say it’s contentious? You love those albums. I love In Rock and Machine Head albums and Burn and Stormbringer. The live albums I love Made in Japan, don’t know the others will have to check them out! Thanks my wallet continues to be destroyed on records … 😁🎸🥁

My favourite band of all time. Love your choices of live and studio but I always consider you need studio and live separate as so many live ones for a top 10. The live ones are like greatest hits and is cheating a bit and where they were at their best. Made in Japan is my desert island album..incredible stuff and Ritchie's solo on Highway Star is definitive. When Ian Paice comes back in for the end of Space Truckin' I just have to turn it as loud as possible...awesome stuff.. In rock is my fave studio album then Machine Head. Made in Europe is OK but cobbled together and should have been a double. Just go hear Live in Paris 75 for whole show (some of which is on LIE). I have the triple vinyl of this it is incendary!!! And as for Live in London..once again it is incomplete, you just gotta hear the double live full set album. You Fool No One is edited and the version of Space Trucking is simply awesome. I taped the whole show off Radio 1 in concert back in 1974. Live in london 1974: 1-1 Burn 7:45 1-2 Might Just Take Your Life 5:17 1-3 Lay Down, Stay Down 5:29 1-4 Mistreated 15:28 1-5 Smoke On The Water 9:13 2-1 You Fool No One 20:22 2-2 Space Truckin' 31:02 And Live in Paris 75: Burn 9:46 Stormbringer 5:13 The Gypsy 6:11 Lady Double Dealer 4:36 Mistreated 12:49 Smoke On The Water 11:11 You Fool No One 19:31 Space Trucking 21:22 Going Down 5:19 Highway Star 11:33

As much as I like to be "contrarian" with my favorite album of a particular artist from time to time, when it comes to Deep Purple I have to go chalk with "Machine Head" as my favorite album. It's just such a legendary album and awesome front to back, it's one of the best albums of all time. 1. "Machine Head" 2. "Burn" 3. "House of Blue Light" 4. "Perfect Strangers" 5. "In Rock" 6. "Come Taste the Band" 7. "Slaves and Masters" 8. "Fireball" 9. "Stormbringer" 10. "The Battle Rages On"

My top five would include: Burn, Stormbringer, Machine Head, Live in Japan and Come Taste the Band. I'm glad it made your Top 10 too. Nos. 6-10 may change depending on the mood I'm in, I love a lot of the recent work like Whoosh, Now What?!? Made in Europe suffers from the sound, but it's good if someone wants to learn the bass part. I prefer the later issued "Live in Paris 1975", it contains the complete final Blackmore concert with Mk III.

You’re absolutely right. With Deep Purple you have to listen to the live albums. That’s where everything came together. The intensity is off the charts. You Fool No One from Made in Europe is insanely heavy. In Concert was recorded in 1972 from the early part of the Machine Head tour. It’s got Maybe I’m a Leo on it.

My Deep Purple top ten is very simple: All of the band's first ten studio albums from Shades of Deep Purple to Come Taste the Band included (I'm not counting live albums as I'm sticking to original studio tracks). I never liked their comeback in 1984 or what followed. For me Deep Purple is their debut in 1968 to their breakup in 1976 and that's enough for me. If I had to choose just one of their albums, I would say Deep Purple in Rock because it was the first one I heard in 1970/71 and it is still as striking as when I discovered it. Ian Paice is an incredible drummer, agile, powerful but with a nuanced, swinging jazzy drum playing.

Just ordered in concert 2012 mix on cd can't wait thanks for your insightful review they were a super group no one could top 👍 My honorable mentions Perfect Strangers and Who do we think we are

The first Deep Purple album is 'In Rock' followed by 'Machine Head' ... LOL .. Yes it IS ... :-)

I don't think Moon had a spare bass drum ... Moon used anything he could get hold of , but Bonham allegedly tried a second bass drum, which was stolen by his band mates ... I could imagine, it was that bass drum he used on Fireball ... 😉😃

Just wondering, Andy, did you see them at the Arena in October? We went, I'm glad we did, but my husband saw them in the early 70s and I'm so jealous! I do agree with your rankings, and I'm glad to see that DP In Concert is up so high - I am one of those sad old gits who taped those "Sight and Sound In Concerts" from the radio with a little Philips cassete recorded and a hand held microphone held up against the speaker cone!

Great list, my list would be a little different but only in order. Fireball comes and goes with me, Anyone's Daughter is awful but Fools may be the best thing they ever did, very prog (like Child In Time). I completely agree about the live stuff, even the Last Concert is so powerful despite Tommy's problems on the night. Made In Europe should have been a double, there are separete concerts from that tour out now which are much better because of they have the whole show. keep up the great work.

Very enjoyable, very knowledgeable,tks.

I watch and listen because you don't list them as others do .. and you have a reason .. whether others agree or not .. subjectivity with a reason is so much better than just bigotry. I heard Made In Japan before I heard Machine Head ... consequently, I have listened to Machine Head three times in 50yrs .

Hi Andy! Purple is one of the bands i grew up with, and it´s still after all thes years a band i listen to. My top five would be - at the moment: 1. In Rock 2. Machine Head 3. Stormbringer 4. Burn 5. Fireball Great show as usual.

I totally agree that Live In London 1974 is one of Deep Purple's best - - albeit little known and seldom heard - - live albums. I had seen it occasionally in record stores for years but had initially ignored it because I already owned Made In Europe. Then one day I purchased it on a lark simply because I could not find anything else at the record store that I wanted at the time. What a revelation it was for me when I got home and heard how fiery and exciting a live performance it was! Also, I would concur that the In Concert 1970 & 1972 BBC live album has some noteworthy performances that rival or even surpass the material on Made In Japan, but on my CD copy of it the editing/post-production is amateurish - - I can literally hear the pronounced glitches in the tape where the host's between-song chatter was removed.

I fully agree with In Rock being at number 1. I bought it in 1970 when it was just out, and I've looked for an album I liked better for years. This didn't happen until Liquid Tension Experiment 2 in 1999. Since then In Rock has been my number 2 of all time. Still looking though.

Iconic Band - "Come taste the band" my fave. Wish Bolin had lived on to make more albums with Purple.......and with Lenny, Tony, Dejohnette, Michael Giles, Narada, Mike Clark etc. I believe he was destined to play and eventually find peace in the Paul Motian Electric BeBop Band

Hi Andy, I really enjoyed your list, I have been a big Purple fan for over 45 years and I too place "In Rock" at the top of their catalogue. I can echo your comments on most of the other albums, although, I have not heard the "In London" album but "Concerto", "Made in Japan" and the excellent "IN Concert" are all favourites of mine, I love Deep Purple live. Deep Purple more than any other rock band I can think of really developed their studio versions on stage through amazing improvisation.

"You have to hear the right music at the right time [to finally get it]." True. I'm a big music fan. It wasn't until I hit 52 that I finally appreciated Deep Purple and live Cream.

Totally with you on Concerto, one of the first Purple albums I got. The video gives lie to the fact that the orchestra was not into it. During one Blackmore solo, even some of the older string players are into it. A lot of toe tapping in the orchestra. Not taking anything away from any of the other albums, Come Taste The Band still blows me away. Like you, I am a fusion fan so this was heaven. A second Mark IV album would be fascinating. Getting Tighter was actually the first Deep Purple song I learnt on guitar!

Loved them since 1972. No other band has so many underrated albums.

The only DP album I owned was Made in Japan, it’s the album that really got me into exploring live rock.