Smartly slipcased, this two-CD package rounds up the last will and testament of the Mark Three incarnation of
Deep Purple -- that is, the
David Coverdale,
Glenn Hughes fired lineup that ended with
Ritchie Blackmore's departure to form
Rainbow in 1975. Released in 2002 as a stop-gap following former bassist
Roger Glover's late-'90s remastering of the earlier
Deep Purple albums, but before he agreed to supervise similar restorations of the later discs, it is a utilitarian offering. There are no bonus tracks, despite there being a number to choose from, and the actual packaging offers no variation on the existing single discs. Nevertheless, Burn, at least, indicates just how powerful this lineup of the group was, with highlights ranging from the title track -- the first song the band completed with the new members; to the
Blackmore showcase "Mistreated," and onto the distinctly
Free-influenced "Sail Away."
Free's
Paul Rodgers was
Deep Purple's own first choice as vocalist, and it is interesting to hear how that partnership might have sounded. Stormbringer, recorded with
Blackmore more or less a passenger, is somewhat less inspiring -- indeed, once past "Gypsy" and "Soldier of Fortune" (still a regular in
Blackmore's own live set 25 years later), the album is very much Hard Rock By Numbers, a chilling prediction of the
arena rock sound that would flow out elsewhere, later in the decade. And how ironic is that? Most metal groups of the '80s and beyond cite "Smoke on the Water" as the ultimate
Deep Purple song. So how come they all ended up reworking "High Ball Shooter"? ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide
