Deep Purple - Fireball (7 tracks) +Album Reviews

30-something Years On...

Paul Mark Provencher | Morgantown, WV USA | 11/10/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was fourteen when I started buying music in earnest. All that hard-earned paper-route money went directly to Columbia House for orange eight-track cassettes and a junky player and speakers.

All that gear is long gone and the eight-tracks were sold on to a friend so I could upgrade to turntable and better speakers. There are a few albums I had on eight-track that I still can't find anywhere, but for the most part I was able to get the ones that mattered.

This is one. Imagine, it's 1971 and I'm getting home from my paper route and stuffing this album into the eight-track. It was incredible stuff at the time. Today we can sit and berate the quality of the recording though it's not that bad, and chuckle at some of the lyrics (it does get a little out there at times) but this was made at an interesting time in history and indeed music was undergoing some incredible change. Recording studios were just starting to really get the hang of more complex mixes, and playback devices (the eight-track notwithstanding) were becoming affordable and capable of some decent home high-fidelity.

I just put this onto CD from LP. As I listened to it playback the first time I was questioning why on earth I was transcribing this. Then when I played it back to check to see if the CD came out OK, I started to remember the album and even some of the times I had listened to it way back when.

This music is a part of the soundtrack of my life and for that reason alone it might be why I like it so much. It's possible I cannot be objective in saying this is a five-star recording. All I can say is that as I listen to the third playback I am remembering why I liked it so much all those years ago.

If you are just sinking your teeth into Deep Purple, or indeed, music of the Seventies, then this may be a bitter pill. But if you grew up during the period this music was made, and like me, had this as backdrop to your growing up, you will welcome it back like the old friend that it is.

"

The strongest DP album ever made

Mr. Jumps | denver | 12/25/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All songs on this record are excellent. Some may like Machine Head better, but to me this record has the greater depth. It gets stronger towards the end of the record, good for car if you have the amplifiers to detonate it."

Fireball by Deep Purple

Robert Shearmire | Arkansas City, Ks. | 07/09/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fireball I think it is a great CD. What I want to say there is no question that Made in Japan is one of best live or studio albums ever. FIREBALL HAD 2 OF THE 7 SONGS ON MADE IN JAPAN!!!!!!!!"

Deep Purple at its Mark II best

Evil Overlord | 03/11/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"F5 *

Although usually disregarded, Fireball was in fact one the Mark II lineup's best album. They showed more balance and cohesion than in their first album ("In Rock"), along with a lighter sense of humour. With only seven tracks, virtually all over 5 minutes long, this was album-oriented rock at its best. Gillan's vocals, Lord's keyboard's, Blackmore's guitar, and Glover/Paice's solid backing makes this one of the absolute best Deep Purple albums, if one of the lesser-known. Every track is strong. Of particular note, the lyrics here (probably written by Gillan and Glover), are more confident and substantially more interesting than the largely simplistic texts of "In Rock". The anniversary edition has several strong additional tracks. In short, a must for fans and casual listeners alike.

Key tracks:

"Fireball" - the opening track is, as was usual for Mark II, full of energy, with excellent solos.

"No, no, no" - of particular note for the lyrics and the terrific, slow guitar solos throughout.

"Demon's eye" - a solid rock song, of particular note for its keyboard solos.

"Anyone's daughter" - giving equal room to keyboard and guitar solos and humorous lyrics, this is one of Deep Purple's best songs of all time. While mostly ignored, it's an amazing showcase for the band's ability to put together catchy, fun music, and for Lord and Blackmore's terrific instrumental skills - not in playing faster and faster, but in playing good music. Sadly, this is one of the short tracks on the album - if only this had been giving an extended, 10 minute treatment!

"Fools" - a hard rock song with biting social commentary - something for which Deep Purple was not well known, but carried off well on this album. An appealing, calm, slightly classical, instrumental bridge forms the center of the song.

"No one came" - another example of the band's humor coming to the fore. "No one came for miles around, and said 'Man, your music is really hot'". The fun, clever lyrics are the centerpiece of this song; the music is good, but not outstanding, and the solos are flat. But the lyrics make up for it.

"Strange kind of woman" - a non-album track that's a great addition - excellent music, fun lyrics.

"I'm alone" - a throwback to the early Mark II, before they quite figured out what they wanted to be.

* Where F# is a rating of how much of a fan you need to be to appreciate the album. F1 is an indication that only diehard, compulsive collectors are likely to want the album. F5 indicates that a complete newcomer to the band would appreciate it."

Simply the Best

Benjamin C. Pendleton | Boulder City, NV | 05/05/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, most people simply are too stupid to recognize great rock-n-roll. I accept that. But since when has a rock group produced such masterpieces? Jon Lord's organ and piano playing on this album are unsurpassed. His organ play on "No One Came" is perhaps the best rock organ ever. (On a related note, "No One Came" is the best hard rock song ever produced...and f-u if you don't believe me). Ian Gillian is equally the greatest voice in rock-n-roll history. Unfortunately, he has never been aptly recognized by the public. Mark my words: Some day...years from now...this album will be the Beethoven's 5th Symphony of rock."

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	Deep Purple Fireball Genres: International Music, Pop, Rock, Classic Rock, Metal Track Listings (7) - Disc #1 Fireball No No No Strange Kind of Woman Anyone's Daughter The Mule Fools No One Came Great collection at a great price.
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