Deep Purple

Spurred by the passing of the “Purple One,” and using that as a keyword, an old Deep Purple album came up.

Bought it on Amazon. $3.99 for the CD. Some tracks just sound right through a Marshall amp?

Deep Purple’s album Machine Head paved the way for the various versions of “metal” as we know it today. Deep Purple was part of the unholy triumvirate of Led Zep., Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple those who blazed the trail for more modern variants of the music now called Metal.

Made In Japan (The Remastered Edition) [Live] – Deep Purple

One my recent twitter fascinations is “Black Metal Cats,” wherein kitten images are paired with Black/Death Metal lyrics. Frequently, the cat images are Maine Coons, and those bad boys have the perfect countenance for Death Metal.

This is more about roots, and not about cats, or variations on themes in Metal today.

That album — I never owned the album, and I think most of the early oeuvre of Deep Purple predates my driver’s license, so that says something juvenile, in itself.

The 20–minute version of “Space Trucking,” with its drums, drum solo, organ solo, and riffs on riffs? A far cry from the days when music is packaged in a user–specified, consumer–oriented container that’s sanitized and timed for a commercial break.

“Highway Star” is a perennial road–music classic, and while I’m sure I have most of these songs in other formats, a clean rip of the complete album is worth it, for me.

All analog. Maybe now, it’s been “digitally remastered,” but who knows? Does it matter?

Artistic differences of epic proportions, played out agains the backdrop of modern media and music industry gossip, an induction to the hall–of–fame, and public bad blood? Ill will.

These are our roots, baby.

Previously noted.

That “Made in Japan” album — says it was a double album? I can’t say, I don’t recall, but the long versions with the live — almost jazz–like — solo work? Makes the price of admission worth it. Speaks to an era and time, I suppose, but good music? Good tunes, know no bounds in time and space.

Or Space Trucking

Made In Japan (The Remastered Edition) [Live] – Deep Purple