Deep Purple’s Greatest Part II

Part 2 of the list moves on from the band’s early years, and ventures into the period where the band gained an iconic status in the kingdom of Rock N’ Roll. The previous list stopped at the golden album ‘Machine Head’, so this list picks up from there, crossing the band’s period of hibernation from 1976 to 1984, and goes a little further.

(1) Woman From Tokyo

‘Woman From Tokyo’ is a hidden treasure that appeared on the often-neglected 1973 album – Who Do We Think We Are. It is unlike anything Purple had done before, using a more passive approach to the song rather than the high velocity approach used by the band most often than not.

(2) Burn

‘Burn’ is the title track of the 1974 album, which was the first album to feature vocalist David Coverdale and bassist Glen Hughes, who replaced former members Ian Gillian and Roger Glover respectively. The song would become one of the most beloved songs from Coverdale era.

(3) Soldier Of Fortune

Rock music to the average listener, generally means loud distorted guitars and vocalists screaming their lungs out. But rock music is much more than that. It is also slow, quiet and beautiful at times. ‘Soldier Of Fortune’ has become one of the greatest ballads ever to come out of the 70s, easily comparable to another brilliant ballad ‘Stairway To Heaven’.

(4) Stormbringer

The song appeared on the 1974 album of the same name, which would become one of the significant albums in the band’s history, as it would lead to the exit of the master guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who grew upset with the new direction the band was heading. The track is one of the better tracks that appeared on the album that is considered one of the bands weakest.

(5) You Keep On Moving

This was the last song that David Coverdale would record with the band, and it was also the last release from the band before their eight-year hiatus. The track is good evidence of the funk and soul elements that were brought into the band with the entry of Coverdale and Glen Hughes. The song has a catchy feel to it, though loyal fans wouldn’t dare compare it to the band’s early works.

(6) Under The Gun

‘Under The Gun’ was part of the long awaited comeback album of the band – Perfect Strangers, which also marked the comeback of legends Ritchie Blackmore and Ian Gillian into the band. The song and the album saw the band adopt a new sound, with less emphasis on synthesizers and more riff oriented music. The song would definitely not be the band’s finest, but it was such a treat considering the long gap in between the band’s previous works.

(7) Nobody’s Home

‘Nobody’s Home’ easily falls into the more refined works by the band, after their comeback in 1984. The track though lacking in its rawness, is characterized by a mature audio experience, that would be expected from well aged musicians.