Deep Purple – Deep Purple In Rock (1970)
Awesome Original Artist of the week logo by Sarca @ caughtmegaming
Excellent CROSSOVER logo edit by LeBrain @ mikeladano.com
Check out Mike’s site for his review of Deep Purple In Rock!
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[Album 531/1001]
Without hearing a note, based on the cover alone, the album, Deep Purple In Rock, was already off to a promising start.
It’s likely tied with Rush’s Moving Pictures for the best literal album cover on the 1001 list thus far.
Can you tell which one of the images below is currently a popular tourist destination in South Dakota (and which one really ought to be someday)?
Yet the album cover is a somewhat ironic design for a couple of reasons:
a) Unlike their Mount Rushmore counterparts, these Mount Purple faces aren’t familiar to me
In a game of Name that Tune, I’m fairly confident I could spot a Deep Purple tune from a great distance.
In a game of Match the Band Member’s Name with his Rock Face on this cover, I have absolutely no faith in my ability, from any distance!
Was their ‘look’ even important at the time, did the fans care?
Some groups, it feels like the ‘look’ is half of the b(r)and appeal, but I wouldn’t have thought that was the case with Deep Purple.
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b) Was the band lineup ever really (*impending groan warning*) set in stone?
I gather this was already the second set of Deep Purple personnel (there’s a fascinating graphical breakdown of all the different lineups on Wikipedia).
It’s referred to as the “classic” lineup, so I suppose if there’s a group configuration to be commemorated in such a grand manner, this is the one.
I just find it unusual that such a permanent membership declaration was made for what would become such an ever-changing group.
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Though I imagine the cover art was partially in jest, upon actually listening to the music, I’m beginning to think it’s somewhat less ironic and maybe even somewhat apt.
For starters, the album does/they do in fact rock; it’s not just a clever name.
And secondly, the slightly immodest cover doesn’t feel so ridiculous when I think about their musical legacy.
Why were Washington/Jefferson/Roosevelt/Lincoln chosen as the 4 heads to be featured on Mount Rushmore? I gather they were chosen for their role in “preserving the Republic and expanding its territory.”
What did Deep Purple contribute to the world of music?
Well, with albums like this one, the band preserved the Rock genre & helped expand its territory into brand new genres such as Heavy Metal.
Like many Presidents, they weren’t universally adored at the time.
But also like the 4 gentlemen on Mount Rushmore, it would be tough to form a coherent argument stating that they made anything less than a significant contribution to the (music) world.
Especially when you consider rock-solid releases like this one, deserving of their status as stone-cold classics.
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Verbalize the Positive
Thanks for reading this review by yours truly, a Deep Purple fan, but admittedly, a Deep Purple tourist.
Please take a moment to check out Mike Ladano’s review of Deep Purple In Rock.
Or as I like to think of it, a Deep Purple review from the lens of a proper Deep Purple Tour Guide.
Thanks for the crossover-collaboration today Mike!
1001albumsin10years 
hahaha..look at Mikeys Noggin in that Logo!
That pic should be on a T-shirt!
I’d wear that shirt proudly!
I have always wished that the faces of Deep Purple were as well known as (say) the faces of Zeppelin, or Sabbath. I always wished for an Ian Gillan action figure, actually.
It was something I hadn’t considered until this week – and then was really surprised that I had no idea what the band members looked like.
At least I’m learning more about what the band sounds like – and I’m liking it, loving the driving organ sound especially!
The interesting them to be about the members is what they call the “Deep Purple Family Tree”. Purple leads directly into Rainbow, Whitesnake, Steve Morse Band, and Black Sabbath just to name the most notable ones.
That’s an impressive family tree, Christmas reunions would have some nice sing-a-longs!
All I can say is that I hope they didn’t have to re-chisel Mount Purple every time the lineup changed.
“That’s me changed the singer”
“He’s left. Bassist too.”
“FFS”
Mount Sabbath would have been worse though, especially in the 80s.
Canada’s Mt. Helix has about 40 faces on it, some too small to see!
Has the lead singer been constant throughout? Perhaps his face would still be regulation size!
Yes he is the only constant, so regulation size works for me!
I’m pleased that I decoded FFS right away (at least I think I did) – If I was responsible for mountain chiseling, I’d have that reaction for sure!
I recall, back in time, playing ‘Child in Time’ on the public radio program I did for a few years. At the end, into the kind of stunned silence that ensues when you’ve listened to that amazing song at high volume, all I could muster was “Well, after a climax like that, all you can say is ‘pass me a cigarette'”. Ah, live radio.
Haha, well played Bruce!
I would have enjoyed hearing that program (especially if I’d caught that particular segment live 😀 )
I admire stations & DJs that play the 10+ minute tracks – the day after Elton John performed in Kingston, the DJ said, I’m not sure if I’m allowed to play this, but it was so good live that I simply have to play it, and then the next 10+ minutes were filled beautifully by the funeral for a friend/love lies bleeding combo!
Great Elton choice! On public radio (perhaps a bit like College radio in the US) there is much more flexibility. I span side-long prog pieces on a number of occasions (and not just because I was a smoker back then and needed a hit!).
I’ve looked at that ‘Deep Purple Band Members’ Wiki… talk about being overwhelmed! Yikes!
As I said over at Mike’s place, I have this one and I dig it a whole lot (and I still couldn’t tell you who is who on the cover).
Which I suppose is a compliment to the band’s music – there’s a line in a new-ish weezer track where Rivers sings, “don’t want my music to be less well known than my face.”
So DP has definitely succeeded in having well known/well respected music, just surprisingly never really achieved that instant face recognition!
I’m guessing the music on the last 1000 or so Weezer albums are definitely less well known than his face!
I have a live bootleg from a brief period when Joe Satriani was on guitar in 1993. Incredible!
Did he do any studio albums?
No. Joe had solo commitments and couldn’t stay. Steve Morse came aboard in ’94 and they immediately started writing.
HAD to share this with you Geoff. This is the inside tray of the new Deep Purple album Infinite. Think this is a homage to In Rock? I definitely think so!
I believe that’s definitely an In Rock reference – nice!
I saw that! Well done!
‘Twas Mike who helped me into Deep Purple. I consider this as it should be. In Rock is a monster of a record. Just awesome!
I remember when I did a Top 5 “D” Artists a few years ago, I foolishly omitted Deep Purple. Now that I’ve heard a few of their albums, I won’t make that mistake again!