Fans of good ole' DP Mark II may roll their eyes. But I rate this album as an all-time classic up there with "In Rock" and "Machine Head". Aside from some heavy classical music influences on "Blind" and "April", and the fact that Rod Evans isn't a "screamer", this VERY MUCH sounds like a 70's Deep Purple album. "Chasing Shadows" is a percussional tour de force for Ian Paice. "The Painter" is an absolutely rippin' hard rock number with tremendous organ and guitar solos and frenzied rhythm section. "Why Didn't Rosemary" is a classic bluesy shuffle in the vein of "Wring That Neck" or "Strange Kind Of Woman". Rod Evans has a terrific voice for the ballads. He's a genuine crooner!!! Their beautiful cover of Donovan's "Lalena" is one of the best things he ever sang. (Which is saying a lot if you've ever heard Captain Beyond). "April" is a long, three movement track that dips DEEPLY into classical music. But it's hauntingly sad and beautiful. The interweaving of Ritchie's superb guitar and Jon's sombre organ is a classic moment that reveals the VERY high caliber musicianship of this group. Musicianship is what this album is all about! It is the best album this lineup did. There are no weak tracks and the beauty is that it will appeal as much to fans of progressive rock as hard rock. Lord and Blackmore are way to talented to just limit to straight "heavy metal". This work showcases every dimension of the group, and is a great fusion of classical, blues, jazz, progressive and hard rock music. It has a "depth" that their heavier albums never captured. The bonus tracks on the CD are all very good. The alternate version of "Bird Has Flown" is more punchy and aggressive. A real treat. The BBC versions of "Emmaretta" and "Lalena" are solid. The singles version of "Emmeretta" also surfaces in remastered glory. This tune had "hit single" written all over it. The detailed booklet is full of great historical info. For anybody who thinks that "Hush" was what the 1st DP lineup was all about, you really need to hear this CD. If you only ever listen to one album by Mark I, this is the one.

Deep Purple's self-titled third album sets itself apart from the previous two in the fact that "Shades of Deep Purple" and "The Book of Taliesyn" had been given attention on the strength of the hit remakes of songs `Hush' and `Kentucky Woman' (respectively), while this album did not yield a hit single. It doesn't quite fall into the "Album-rock" category either, due to the fact that the material did not receive enough airplay or limelight. It is also the last album before co-founders Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, and Ian Paice turned Deep Purple into a much more heavy metal-oriented band by the firing of Rod Evans and Nick Simper and the hiring of Ian Paice and Roger Glover. But "Deep Purple" is a fascinating album, and as DP scholar Simon Robinson's informative liner notes put it, "a stir to the imagination."
All of the main attractions of the first recording line-up of Deep Purple are in play; dramatic arrangements with hues of psychedelia, experimentation, and British 60s sensibilities, but what's most notable is that you can hear Ritchie Blackmore literally aching to cross over into heavy metal, dying to break through with his striking guitar work. "Deep Purple" contains both elements that are trademarks of the Mk I era and of the soon to come Mk II hard rock era. A gorgeous cover of Donovan's `Lalena' is so well performed that it should have been the band's third straight remake-turned-hit, and embodies the early group's attempts at pop, while the experimentation is rampant in Ian Paice's heavy percussion of the opener `Chasing Shadows' (featuring Rod Evans pouring his heart out on vocals). In fact, there's not one song on the album that doesn't display some form of experimentation, either in songwriting or in studio dabbling, such as Blackmore's stirring guitar and backward effects on `Fault Line,' which foreshadow the same techniques used on `The Mule' from the 1971 "Fireball" album. Flashes of hard rock imagery run all throughout the album, whether it's in short bursts or broader strokes. `The Bird Has Flown' and `Why Didn't Rosemary?' are definitive tracks from this era, and keyboardist Jon Lord's input is priceless, especially his string and woodwind arrangements in the 12-minute `April.' This song outlines Deep Purple's often overlooked contributions to the progressive rock field (which are all boldly proven in their first three records), as it winds from a pretty opening to often erratic strings and finally a slightly more rock oriented finale.
As told in this remaster's copious liner notes, DP's first three albums were diluted by the success of their musical crossroads in 1970, with the release of the groundbreaking "In Rock" LP and the arrival of Ian Gillan and Roger Glover. Hopefully these lavish remasters will shed some light on these great albums. The bonus tracks here contain versions of a single, `Emmaretta,' and live or alternate versions of album cuts. "Deep Purple" is an essential piece, as tt was evident that one musical taste was going to defeat the other, and something had to give.

I never thought they gave Rod Evans enough credit, but what can you do. This is the third album by Purple and laid out pretty nicely too. The songs seem a little darker in this set, but still good. It's still textured with the 'Summer of Love' theme, at least I think so. My favorite track is actually a 12 minute take on spring 'April', the rest are good, not my favorite album by these guys and yes I like Gillan better and think 'In Rock' is their best album. Overall, it was worth the purchase, take a listen to the samples, you'll see what I mean.

After reading the review by Bud Sturguess I feel there is little else to say that is important about this phenomenal album's place in DP history. Instead I'll get personal. It was 1984 and I had just heard about Deep Purple. I already had Perfect Strangers, Machine Head and In Rock and was trying to find anything else I could on cassette. One store out of all the places I checked had a copy of the third album on cassette and I snathced it up. Expecting to hear the heavy thunder of the other albums I was surprised by the tinny sound of the guitar on the first track. But was I disappointed? Not at all. There was something to this album that is not on any other DP album. The incredible drum/bass rhythm combo of Paice and Simper on Chasing Shadows is remarkable. Jon Lord's harpsichord playing at the end of Blind was almost inspiring enough to make me want to start playing that instrument. Rod Evans goes from deep melancholy soulful vocals to an appreciative effort towards achieving a good hard rock vocal style. Ritchie's wah-wah pedal gets a great work out and his soloing on this album should have made him a guitar god before the decade passed. As Sturguess pointed out, every track on this album pushes toward experimentation, and this is an excellent example of early progressive rock. The orchestral arrangements are a great touch and the whole 12 minutes of April are enjoyable. After many subsequent Deep Purple albums that rocked out, this one still remains one of my favourites.

Now come on. We all know this is the greatest DP lineup.
From the strange Chasing Shadows beat to the orchestral beauty of April, this Disc has got it all going on. Every tune is a total experience in the way only DP AND rICHIE bLACKMOORE can do. Blows away everything during this era of R&R.
Any questions??? Buy this CD NOW!!!!!!