I've always been pretty detail oriented when it comes to music. My CDs are still alphabetized, and I'll often edit the meta information on MP3s to make sure they're as accurate as possible. Back around the time I borrowed this Deep Purple tape from a friend I had decided that my handwriting wasn't enough for labeling purposes, and got out my Dad's manual type writer so I could properly label my cassettes.
The fidelity on my second generation copy of Deepest Purple: The Very Best Of Deep Purple is very lo-fi. It's hard to tell whether this is due to some aging, or whether the tape always sounded like this. Still, it's appropriate. 70's rock discovered by a kid in the mid-80's and then rediscovered twenty years later shouldn't sound all that pristine anyway.
"Strange Kind Of Woman" jumps out at me right away. It sounds vaguely familiar, but I'm not sure if it's because I knew the song or whether it's because I was better acquainted with Deep Purple's mid-80's reunion albums like Perfect Strangers and The House Of Blue Light, which could have featured a slight rewrite of this.
I like the organ on "Child In Time." Ian Gillian's vocals shine over the simple backdrop. I'm reminded that Mr. Gillian played Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ Superstar. Of course, just a year or two later he was fronting Black Sabbath. Quite the diverse singer and set of ethics.
"Woman From Tokyo," "Highway Star," "Space Truckin'" and "Smoke On The Water" are the most memorable songs for me. Listening to this after all of these years, my main challenge is to try to spot the David Coverdale-fronted songs. I think "Stormbringer" is one of them.
What a strange career David Coverdale has had. Deep Purple where he replaced Ian Gillian for a few records. Whitesnake. And then those projects where he blatantly pretended to be Robert Plant alongside Jimmy Page.
"Woman From Tokyo" sounds great, well, except for the humorous Spinal Tap stonehenge moment in the middle of it.
Side B begins with "Highway Star," and what a bad ass song that is. Nobody is going to take his car, his girl or his...head? "Nobody going to steal my head/I'm on the road again." Good to know. I'm guessing this song is on Machine Head. Just a hunch.
The David Coverdale songs sounded good. Better than I might have thought. But at the same time I'm not going to run out and get the expanded remasters of Burn or Stormbringer anytime soon.
"Smoke On The Water" ends the compilation. And we all know that one. Even the kids. A new generation is probably learning it on Rock Band as we speak. But I rather enjoyed hearing Deep Purple on my lo-fi cassette tape (this was no Maxell XL 90) I dubbed off a friend all those years ago. It gave it some authenticity. Made it feel like it came from its time, which I think was part of the allure in the first place.
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