The most underrated Deep Purple album, according to Ritchie Blackmore
Ritchie Blackmore is one of the most inventive and innovative guitarists to ever pick up a six-string, and the work of the bands he was in is a clear reflection of that.
Throughout his time with Deep Purple, he was always trying to get new ideas out there based on what was inspiring him in any given moment.
Due to an affinity with classical music, there was a period where the band were trying to merge rock music with that classical sound, and there were a few acts who influenced Blackmore when it came to exploring this style, one of whom he stumbled upon when he was 15.
“My interest in classical music overall is what led me in the direction of trying to combine blues, rock and classical ideas into the stylistic statement,” he explained, “At the age of 15, I saw a band that did rocked up classical tunes, called Nero and the Gladiators. They all wore togas, and you would think they must have looked really silly, but it worked.”
That changed when the band decided to explore much harder rock alternatives with their record Deep Purple in Rock, where Blackmore opted to move away from that classical sound when he came across the work of Mountain. He loved their heavy approach to music, and as a result, decided that he wanted to make an album which was more of a reflection of that style.
“I really loved Leslie West’s playing,” he said, “I remember being in a place in Germany, and Ian [Paice] and I were out drinking together […] In those days, you could go to a club and listen to the new records in their entirety that had just come out. Paice and I heard ‘Mississippi Queen’, and we both went white! We were thinking, ‘Who the hell is that?!’ It had such a big sound! For three guys, it was incredibly heavy.”
The album that Deep Purple made as a result of that influence is widely celebrated as one of their very best. When you start looking into great guitar work and the music you should listen to if you nurse an interest in good rock music, In Rock is right up there. The record is solid, each band member brings their A game, but it also has an edge to it that separates it from rock albums of a similar calibre.
Despite the record going down in history as a must-listen for rock lovers, it didn’t originally take off in the States, and Blackmore still stands by the fact that it was incredibly underrated in the grand scheme of things. He attested that their album Machine Head was much better received, which he always found a touch unfair.
“Machine Head [1972] I thought Gillan was singing great and the band was playing great, two great LPs,” said Blackmore, “I think Deep Purple in Rock was underestimated, especially in America. They only know Machine Head and I think Deep Purple in Rock had the edge [of] Machine Head. We did it very quickly and very naturally, and it was fun to make those two LPs.”
