Deep Purple by this point was in the right place and the right time musically. At the dawn of the 1970s, there was a market for Progressive Rock set there by releases such as King Crimson’s In The Court Of The Crimson King. Deep Purple released this, their first really good album, in 1970. Let’s take a listen to this and see how it fares today.

We begin with Speed King which has a load of overdriven and awesome sounding guitars here, alongside some drum rolls. Ritchie Blackmore shows himself to be a fine guitarist and musician here. Shortly into it, the guitars stop and we have some rather interesting keyboard organ parts play a solo. Without warning, the song then kicks back in. A really great tune to hear, this is fun and interesting listening. After some time, the tunes fades into a keyboard and guitar solo rivalry that is truly great. The rest of the band eventually seeps back in throughout this solo. A very catchy and different piece of music, this is really amazing. Vocals by Ian Gillan here are really awesome. A very incredible listen from start to finish.

Next is Bloodsucker which begins with an interesting riff and cool singing over the rest of the band. It is an incredible and awesome listening experience, and the riff-heavy music here is excellent. Bear in mind that Deep Purple, along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, was considered the starting point of Heavy Metal. This song has a great sense of beauty and musicality about it and has some interesting structures that are well done here. The guitar and keyboard solo here are pretty cool to listen to, as they take turns to fill in space. Towards the end, the main song section returns, all the way to fade out. Awesome.

Child In Time comes next. It begins with an eerie keyboard melody and hi-hats being played. This is a really great song from the start, and Ian Gillan’s vocals sound very determined and emotional here. This is a ten-minute long piece, so strap in your headphones/speakers and away we go. A wonderful and lovely piece to listen to, this is really awesome to hear. The harmonies are legendary here. It builds up to an amazing crescendo, which is extraordinary and emotional. It then goes into a syncopated part of guitars, organs and drum rolls, before launching into an amazing guitar solo. This is really great listening and is a definite highlight of this album. Ritchie Blackmore’s frenetic guitar playing carries this piece along with an awesome guitar solo that is a must-listen here, sounding absolutely incredible. Some superb sounds carry this along, until the soloing ends in an instant. The primary section of this song returns, and the main section of this song has some really wonderful musicianship in it, particularly Ian Gillan’s vocals. A truly extraordinary piece of music and it builds up towards the end. The climax at the end is weird but is brilliant. It builds up and releases in a passionate way. Awesome.

Flight Of The Rat begins with some really awesome riffing, before going into a really awesome classic song. A great piece with some superb guitar playing, and a musical sensibility to boot. The singing and musicianship here is first class. A fun and rather Pop listening experience for Deep Purple, it is ultimately very, very good. After some time, it goes into a really great keyboard solo that sounds insane. This is really brilliant sounding and has a definitely great piece of musicianship about it. A guitar solo that is amazing then comes along with some strange effects on it that emerge. In the middle of this song, some really top wah-wah guitar parts, before going back into the previous section at the drop of a hat. The guitar playing is really great, as we move onto a mainly drum led section. At the end is a drum part that gets faster and faster, before finishing in a frenzied climax, and we finish this song, nearly eight minutes long.

Following is Into The Fire which sounds really great, with a catchy guitar riff and organ part being played together. Ian Gillan’s singing here is really awesome, and this piece sounds like a short Pop/Rock piece that is really cool. A great piece of heavy music, even if it is not quite Heavy Metal. The guitar solo here by Ritchie Blackmore is great, and we have a brilliant song, although it is not one of the main songs here. A great and energetic listen.

Next is Living Wreck which begins with drums, leading into a drum and guitar-led groove that is superb. A fine listening experience, although very much a Pop/Rock piece by Deep Purple. The guitar playing is really excellent here, and Ritchie Blackmore reveals himself to be a great guitarist. The organ sounds throughout are menacing as well, and the guitar solo here sounds pretty insane. Some drum rolls in this piece are really energetic and spot-on, too. Towards the end, an organ solo that sounds incredible emerges, going all the way through to the fade-out.

Hard Lovin’ Man is the last piece here, beginning with some awesome drums, percussion and guitars. A lone bass guitar melody emerges before guitar riffs enter. This is excellent listening and has some really great musicality on it. This is a brilliant and top listen from Deep Purple. After a couple of minutes, a rather odd organ sound enters, which sounds pretty intense. A fine and fantastic listening experience. In the middle, a gong sound changes the song at a drop of a hat. The guitar playing in particular here is very frenetic, and Ritchie Blackmore deserves his place in Rock history for being a guitar great. Ian Gillan’s singing returns for a bit, before a mindblowing guitar solo finishes off this song, with the rest of the band fading in and out. It ends with Ritchie Blackmore sounding a lot like Jimi Hendrix. Great stuff.

This is a really good listen from Deep Purple, and is no doubt a classic album. The only real flaw here is that some of the material is quite lengthy. Still, that can be easily overlooked and this album deserves its place in Rock history as a classic. A very awesome album regardless. Fans should check out re-releases, which include the underrated song Black Night. Awesome all the way.

Intense.

8/10