Deep Purple

Deep Purple have never quite been placed in the revered 1960s canon that includes the Who, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, or any of the other British rock bands who continue to reunite in various configurations to tour and even periodically release new albums, but given that the group has always been a riveting and brilliant live act, part prog, part heavy metal, part funky R&B, and imminently theatrical, that second-tier designation seems like both an oversight and a shame…

One of the progenitors of heavy metal and British prog rock, Deep Purple had several different distinct lineups during the band's run, and there was always a shuffling of personnel, it seems, which makes the overall consistency of Deep Purple's recorded legacy pretty impressive, especially in retrospect. This three-disc set takes a particularly unique approach to the band's history, presenting instead a parallel one, with tracks from various bandmembers' projects in other guises and bands. Serious fans of this iconic band will find these discs fascinating.

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, but their musical approach has changed over the years. Originally formed as a psychedelic rock and progressive rock band, they shifted to a heavier sound with their 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock. Deep Purple, together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, have been referred to as the "unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid- seventies". They were listed in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as "the globe's loudest band" for a 1972 concert at London's Rainbow Theatre and have sold over 100 million albums worldwide.

One of the progenitors of heavy metal and British prog rock, Deep Purple had several different distinct lineups during the band's run, and there was always a shuffling of personnel, it seems, which makes the overall consistency of Deep Purple's recorded legacy pretty impressive, especially in retrospect. This three-disc set takes a particularly unique approach to the band's history, presenting instead a parallel one, with tracks from various bandmembers' projects in other guises and bands. Serious fans of this iconic band will find these discs fascinating.

Who Do We Think We Are is the seventh studio album by the British band Deep Purple, released in 1973. It was Deep Purple's last album with singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover until Perfect Strangers came out in 1984…

Led Zeppelin's fourth album, Black Sabbath's Paranoid, and Deep Purple's Machine Head have stood the test of time as the Holy Trinity of English hard rock and heavy metal, serving as the fundamental blueprints followed by virtually every heavy rock & roll band since the early '70s…

As a present to their fans, particularly the ones on the Internet, the band decided to put out another live album - such live releases now tallying in double figures, unprecedented for any rock band. Unedited, undubbed and with a three-piece horn section blowing in on four tunes at the Olympia in Paris, Deep Purple are in their best habitat - exhibiting raw power, free-for-all jamming and charging into the new numbers culled from Purpendicular. Reinvigorating the classics, namely "Smoke On the Water," "Speed King" and "Highway Star," the veterans still prove they can mess with the best on stage.

Deep Purple went through more than their share of personnel changes over the years. In 1990, their lineup consisted of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (who had returned to the Purple fold in 1984 after leaving the band to form Rainbow following the release of Stormbringer in November 1974), singer Joe Lynn Turner, keyboardist/organist Jon Lord, drummer Ian Paice, and bassist Roger Glover…