Deep as it gets.

My affair with Rock music started on a cold December day when I listened to what would turn out to be my first Rock song, which was "Smoke on the water performed live in Oslo, Norway " By a band called Deep Purple.

My first reaction when I finished listening to the track was : "Oh! God! This is what I always wanted in my music" I won't be exaggerating( though people say I often do that) if I say that I may have rewinded and played the tape at least a score of times to really swallow the enormity of the spectacle.
The fact that it was a much quicker interactive performance added to the song's instant charm. Later I discovered that the Band 's music revolved around this maddening fanaticism for bold stage overtures , theatrics and an equal or far greater intensity in their music.
Blackmore was a Genius, Gillan a romantic , Paice the foundation. The Band has had around 5 lineups. But none of this has dented it's credibility as an unrelenting rock machine over the years.

Through and through a Hard rock act , the band stands out for it's slower and more melodic compositions. Black night, Smoke......, Mistreated, Lay down stay down, The mule etc are classics.

As a band Deep Purple can't claim too high a status, probably because of Blackmore's infamous superciliousness which led to a chronic recurrence of rifts in the Band 's extended history. As musicians though, Deep Purple was a rich storehouse.
The Band's music reflects a great degree of variation and variety. All albums produced in the 1980's for eg. are a clear departure from the Band's material from the early 70's. Interestingly of all the bands which originated in the glorious 60's Only Deep Purple managed to register those subtle changes in their style which helped them to merge with the decade in which they found themselves.

For all those who are new to the rock scene I would suggest a crash course of sorts in which the newcomer ought to listen to at least 3 songs from each of the Band's albums till date. This will be a good foundation for anyone who wishes to appreciate the origins and transition of Hard rock as a genre.

Sammy Recommends:

albums- Machine head, Nobody's Perfect, California jamming ( vocals by Coverdale), Abandon.
songs- Smoke on the water, Mistreated, You fool no one, The mule, Fingers to the bone, Knocking at your backdoor, Black Night......frankly the list is endless...tragically I haven't found a "best of" collection album as yet which covers the essential sound of this Band.