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Deep Purple

What an explosive album this is! When I first heard this record, I was immediately blown away by the downright heaviness it possesses. This is an album that took hard rock to a new level, a level that many bands would soon follow. One thing that surprises me is how little radio play this gets. Once in a great while 'Child In Time' might come on, but for the most part this album is ignored while 'Machine Head' gets most of the recognition. Nothing wrong with Machine Head, but you would think radio stations could at least acknowledge how powerful and influential 'In Rock' is. Could you imagine what people must have been wondering when this album first came out? I, for one, wouldn’t know what to think! Knowing me, I would probably be too scared to listen to it. At least this album is now receiving due appreciation among hard rock lovers.

I’ve never heard Deep Purple flat out rock like they do here. Pure, adrenaline-rushing excitement is what’s in store for you! Even if you hate hard rock/heavy metal, I encourage you to seek this out. Let this be the one hard rock album to own. If you live in North America, I suggest you seek out an import, because this version of In Rock has the first minute or so of 'Speed King' removed. 'Speed King' starts out intensely, a perfect heavy metal song if there ever was one. That first minute will blow your mind, trust me! It’s unlike anything else released at the time. The rest of the song cooks with amazing guitar techniques. 'Bloodsucker' continues to smoke your speakers with excellent vocals from Ian Gillan. Nobody had that vocal range (except maybe Ronnie James Dio) and its a perfect tone for this album. 'Child In Time' is a song everyone can admire, even non-Deep Purple fans. Awesome guitar work and amazing keyboards! It can be a bit depressing at times but it's still a must hear for everyone. Don’t be turned off by the time length. The ten minutes fly by rather quickly. Ian Gillan’s at his best too.

'Flight Of The Rat' continues the wicked heavy metal aggression. I always thought the mid-section to 'Under The Sun/Everyday Just Comes And Goes' by Black Sabbath sounded nearly identical to this song. Maybe it’s just a coincidence? Then again, toward the end of the next track, 'Into The Fire', I hear a guitar riff similar to the one at the very beginning of 'Cornucopia' - so maybe there is more to these coincidental circumstances. Anyway, 'Into The Fire' is a pure and simple rocker that makes way to the next song 'Living Wreck' with more brutal guitar pounding. A great song to sing along to. The final song here is 'Hard Lovin’ Man'. Some claim this to be usual Deep Purple filler. Not me. As a matter of fact, this song reminds me of really tall mountains with dangerous steep cliffs. Usually songs that put pictures in my mind I instantly take pleasure from. This song is along the lines of 'Flight Of The Rat' but I find it more entertaining mainly because of the tight keyboards present. This is one of the kings of all hard rock albums. Buy it now.

Share Your Views?

Readers Comments John Keane jkeane@snet.net I couldn't agree more. I'm a 49 year old rock guitarist and "In Rock" had a big influence on me as a musician back then. Blackmore became a guitar god to me from then on. It was so heavy for its time. To me, it's the best ever hard rock album. David Charlton charltond@charisps.com My favorite album. My lead guitarist turned me on it in 1969. A definite guitar lovers album, but I'm a drummer. Flight of the Rat is my favorite song. It took me a while to learn but is a lot of fun to play. I don't know of another album that showcases the individual talent of each of the members. This is definitely their best album although later albums were more popular. The anniversary version has the single left off the American album and old and updated mixes. John David rocke-d@spray.no This album is a killer! Deep Purple are for me one of the greatest bands ever. I love this one, but "Burn" and "Machine Head" are probably even better. "Slaves and Masters" is a good one too.