In the spring of 1970, Deep Purple released a milestone in the history of hard rock/heavy metal with their fourth studio album 'In Rock'. Except for the first two Black Sabbath records that sandwiched the release of this one, there was no more important lp in the history of metal then this momunment to aural destruction. This album changed the future of heavy music and defined the difference between late '60's hard rock and '70's metal. Purple's new lineup with singer Ian Gillan and bass player Roger Glover had particpated in the previous year's recording with the Royal Philharmonic so this was their debut proper with the band. And what a debut!!!! Demolishing what was an eccentric classical-psychedeilic sound into a guitar dominated sonic assault, Ritchie Blackmore effectively took musical control of the band and cemented his name among rock's guitar immortals. Highlights include the album opener "Speed King" and for some bizarre reason the opening minute and a half of the song was edited out for US release. Are you kidding me??? Thank God it's now available on this edition. The crash and burn into followed by Lord's piece set you up for the dynamics of the song and the entire record! "Child in Time" is a flawless display of virtuousity as both Gillan and Blackmore pull out all the stops. "Hard Lovin' Man", "Into the Fire", "Bloodsucker", "Living Wreck" and "Flight of the Rat" (great solo from Ian Paice!) fill an album with no filler! Seven cuts and they all count. Purple would conquer their homeland with this record and pre-release single "Black Night" which appears along with several bonus cuts on this 25th anniversary issue. Many people feel that 'Machine Head' is better but I think that's nonsense!. 'In Rock' rips your head off and stomps it into the ground! Mercy!

THE BAND: Ian Gillan (vocals), Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Jon Lord (keyboards), Roger Glover (bass), Ian Paice (drums & percussion).

THE DISC: (1970) Originally 8 tracks long clocking in at approximately 47 minutes. This digitally remastered (UK) version released in 1995 adds 12 bonus tracks bringing the total listen to just over 78 minutes. This is the band's 4th album. Included with the disc is a 22-page booklet containing song titles/time/credits, numerous photos (some unreleased); a brief insight to the making of and happenings during the time the album was made - by Roger Glover and (writer) Simon Robinson (with quotes from Gillan and Lord as well); and the discography of "In Rock" in various countries. Label - EMI Records.

COMMENTS: After purchasing the "Machine Head" and "Fireball" deluxe anniversary packages... I couldn't wait to get my mitts on "Deep Purple In Rock". Every song is a fast paced rocker here with the exception of the ten minute "Child In Time" - one of my favorite slow rockers... and one of Gillan's many highlights vocally, as well as Lord's wonderful slow intro and Blackmore's guitar solo once the song picks up. For some reason, I was thinking Roger Glover cold fix the original tapes and make these songs sound like they were recorded last year. Not so. The sound is still as muddy as ever. In many places, Ian Paice's cymbals & hi-hat are non-existent. Lord's organ/keyboards are mixed so poorly at times it's tough to distinguish between his high notes and Blackmore's high notes. Disappointing to say the least - it still sounds like a.m. radio. I grew up with Deep Purple and I have 17 of the discs. "In Rock" was easily not my favorite, but it was definitely top 5 due to great songs like "Black Night", "Speed King", "Flight Of The Rat" and "Child In Time" (check out the live version of this song on "Made In Japan"... I'll go out on a limb and claim it's better than the studio version here). "Black Night" and "Speed King" made it to most of their greatest hits compilations, while "Child In Time" made it to a few. The bonus tracks are a plus. Though the sleeve will have you salivating at "12" bonus tracks, it's really only "6". The other "6" are intro's to each song lasting on average 20-30 seconds each. Various chit-chat and Blackmore fooling around on his guitar. These 6 bonus songs sound great... slightly different, and much improved sound over the original 8 tracks. 2 of the tracks are unreleased - "Jam Stew" and "Cry Free"... both treats! Two bonus versions of "Speed King", and an unedited remix of "Black Night" are the highlights. In my opinion, the back photo is very telling... Glover is front and center and the backbone of the band - perhaps the glue keeping the 5 members together (knowing how Blackmore and Gillan got along). For me, this is a very good album, but the poor sound quality keeps me from rating it any higher. The lone track "Child In Time" and the bonus songs make this a must-have disc.

When I first heard IN ROCK, I thought it was just a lot of noise. But later I heard the full-length version of "Speed King" on THE ANTHOLOGY album, and was blown away! I couldn't believe Warner in the US has released the LP with such poor sound quality-- AND snipped off the entire intro! (Think of a '007' film without the pre-credit sequence.) When I heard about this package, I HAD to get it. I was NOT DISAPPOINTED!!! I've gotten in the habit of playing their first 5 albums back-to-back in sequence. Simply put, this is one colossal epic GRAND FINALE. And the funny thing is-- they were ONLY getting started!! (Put another way-- anyone who gets the US version has NO IDEA what they're missing.)

The album, "In Rock", by Deep Purple, was a milestone in early progressive rock history; a gem showcasing British hard rock at its best and an example of this particular genre that was strongly influenced by classical music. It was the first studio album by a new line-up of the band that attained great success commercially, producing four(4) solid studio albums while touring the world almost nonstop. The new members of the band were Ian Gillan on vocals and Roger Glover on bass, and what a difference their addition made to the sound of the band. Just take a listen to the song, "Child In Time", a timeless masterpiece of more than ten minutes in length.

Just prior to releasing the album, "In Rock", the first studio album for this renown line-up of the band, Deep Purple recorded a unique presentation of their work with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The work was performed (and recorded for later album release) in September of 1969. Entitled, "Concerto for Group and Orchestra", the work reflected the band's strong initial ties to classical music, and it was a wonderful foretaste of things to come. It certainly drew attention to the band. With the presentation of its first work together as a band at a prestigious venue, namely, The Royal Albert Hall in London, Deep Purple began to forge something new and worthwhile in progressive rock, a path that blended the unique talents of its members, all of whom were accomplished musicians. Specifically, the band's music was highlighted, and driven, by organist Jon Lord; by the guitar of a true guitar virtuoso in Richie Blackmore; and now, by the strong vocals of a new member of the band, Ian Gillan, who oftentimes wailed and screamed to complement effectively the sheer volume of the music that his bandmates produced. After all, these were the wonderful beginnings of hard rock in all of its glory! Nevertheless, and astonishingly as it may seem, the band was not alone on this particular path in rock music history. Other bands were likewise breaking new ground in 1969 in the progressive rock music field just ahead of the release of Deep Purple's album, "In Rock." The Moody Blues were already well-established; King Crimson's initial line-up of that year would become a short-lived new-comer; and Yes, having had just released its second album, was still going through personnel changes. Led Zeppelin, although not a part of the progressive rock music scene, was nevertheless establishing its name in hard rock in 1969, but the band was coming from a different direction musically, drawing its inspiration from the blues.

Another prominent band at that time in the progressive rock music field, The Moody Blues, also had an opportunity to record their music with an orchestra, specifically, The London Festival Orchestra. The renown line-up of the band with Justin Hayward and John Lodge recorded their initial album, "Days of Future Past", with the aforementioned orchestra in 1967. However, the band decided to play all of the instruments themselves for their second effort, namely, the album, "In Search of a Lost Chord." Here, The Moody Blues played thirty-three different instruments, including the mellotron. This relatively new instrument duplicated, to some degree, the wonderful sounds of an entire philharmonic orchestra. Taking the mellotron into the studio, and afterwards, on the road, on the concert circuit, meant that the band was able to trailblaze, at its own pace, free from being dependent upon a philharmonic orchestra, its unique sound in progressive rock music. As a result, by 1969, The Moody Blues had already established themselves as innovative musicians in the progressive rock music field and more, with the release of each new album, The Moody Blues continued to broaden their horizons musically and add to their ever-growing fan base. Unsurprisingly, The Moody Blues broke new ground in 1969 with the release of two phenomenal albums, namely, "On The Threshhold of a Dream" and "To Our Children's Children." Both of these albums are worth a listen. Significantly, the popularity of these two albums marked a broadening acceptance in 1969 of progressive rock music, and in regards to The Moody Blues, the mellotron became an integral part of their music. Nonetheless, the stage was set for the following year when the well-known line-up of The Moody Blues would release their fifth album, "A Question of Balance", continuing their strong ties with classical music, and Deep Purple would release their gem, "In Rock."

It is important to note here that Deep Purple followed a slightly different path from the one taken by The Moody Blues. While The Moody Blues preferred softer sounds and vocals that produced memorable ballads and love songs, and at times, the band even added passages of read poetry on their albums, Deep Purple followed the direction of ever-louder music, levels that prompted its singer, Ian Gillan, at times, to wail and scream! While Deep Purple headed towards the branch of progressive rock music that would eventually be labeled as "hard rock", The Moody Blues embraced an entirely different vision. The band set the controls for their somewhat mystical journey pointed towards the heavens. On this preset course, The Moody Blues, that is, their music and their lyrics, actually became, at times, heaven-bound, especially when their music was surrounded by, enriched with, and propelled by, the outworldly sounds of the mellotron.

King Crimson was another band that, at that time, was forging new paths in progressive rock music. King Crimson made its public debut in the summer of 1969 at a free concert in London's Hyde Park with the Rolling Stones, and soon thereafter, the band released its five-song masterpiece, "In the Court of the Crimson King." The album quickly became a true phenomenon, influencing many musicians at that time. Like The Moody Blues, King Crimson used the mellotron; like Deep Purple, the band had a true guitar virtuoso in Robert Fripp; and like the individual members of The Moody Blues, King Crimson employed the services of a multi-instrumentalist in Ian McDonald. Like The Moody Blues and Deep Purple, King Crimson was strongly influenced by classical music, but the band's music also reflected its ties to jazz and folk music. Like The Moody Blues, King Crimson placed considerable weight on the lyrics of its songs, employing the noted lyricist, Peter Sinfield. However, this initial (and stellar) line-up of the band was to become short-lived, and as a result, it unfortunately only created this one well-received album.

During this period of time, another band was likewise beginning its journey on a path that, with the passage of time, would prove to be extraordinarily successful. The band was Led Zeppelin. Like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin's music was oftentimes loud, hence the label, "hard rock", but unlike Deep Purple and other progressive rock bands at that time, Led Zeppelin's music was based on the blues and, to some extent, on British folk music. As a result, Led Zeppelin followed a slightly different path within the hard rock genre than Deep Purple, but its music had such an ever-growing appeal that its popularity influenced many bands both, established and those bands that were just starting out. Like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin had a true guitar virtuoso in Jimmy Page who, in the early years of the band, played his electric guitar with a violin bow as a novelty and also to produce special effects. Much like the supergroup, Cream, that preceded them, Led Zeppelin continued to electrify the blues and while the band was reformulating this process, it began to establish its own style, a style that, along with the band, Black Sabbath, and several other bands at that time, began to mold yet another branch of rock called, "heavy metal." Led Zeppelin released its initial album, "Led Zeppelin", in January of 1969, and its second album, "Led Zeppelin II", later in the year. Both of these albums profoundly changed the rock music landscape forever that year.

The 25th anniversary remaster not only has much better sound quality than the old vinyl release, but contains several bonus tracks which were not on the american version of the album, making it the definitive version of this classic record and worth the extra money.