Deep Purple In Rock - Song by Song

[Charger]

Oh yes! Things return to the GREATNESS again with Into The Fire!

One of their heaviest tunes. Also something where I've always picked up some heavy blues elements...almost Sabbath like in both tone and delivery. Something of a proto-heavy metal track this one for sure!

It's a short little number but it still packs quite the punch and holds it's own against the bigger numbers on the album.

[Zzzptm]

@KDC: Yes, let's do Black Night as the last track, as it's a great single!

[Zzzptm]

Living Wreck

Kicks off with a drum shuffle and then it's a tune in a similar vein as Into the Fire. It's scratchy and dirty... "You took off your hair, you pulled out your teeth..." holy crap, you got my interest now with a line like that!

Blackmore's solo is trippy, which fits in nice with this song about a real damage case. Ian Paice's drumming is fantastic on this track.

[Charger]

Living Wreck is another great track indeed. I like the drum intro, Jon's little keyboard screech that leads to Ritchie's very funky riff.

Ian's vocal work is top notch as well. Another very heavy bluesy number.

Drum work on this one is brilliant as well indeed! Some incredible fills from Paicey!

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Living Wreck

It's a solid effort. But like the rest of side 2 I have difficulty getting excited about it. Musically it's nice and yes the drums are good here. The lyrics are quite funny though.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Hard Lovin' Man

Musically this is (mostly) quite a good song, a nice riff and solo for sure, but Lord's discordant keyboards irritate me, and it's one of Gillan's worst vocal performances.

[Charger]

This great album comes to a close with another one of my absolute favourites by the name of HARD LOVIN' MAN!

The song kicks of with a bit of a weird intro that leads to a subtle bass riff, but once the galloping riff kicks in you know you're in for a great ride. The vocal melody is great and Ian belts out some crazy screams. The solo section is very unique starting with Jon using some stranger tone from his Hammond...quite experimental but it still works. Ritchie's guitar solo that follows is also quite "happy" sounding with a crystal clear tone which isn't all that common for him. But it does feature some a-class playing from the man....especially during the outro solo which is just wild.

This is also (most likely) the first ever song to feature the galloping riff...so basically without this song there wouldn't be a band called Iron Maiden which made the gallop their trademark...Most certainly another proto metal track to which countless bands owe their career.


It always struck me strange that the didn't start playing this song live until 40 years after it was released...such a wonderful track.

[Zzzptm]

I took a listen of a live version of this tune with an orchestra... nope. Not a fan of that...


Studio version... we got some pretty direct messaging in the lyrics, that's for sure. The song itself is pretty much an ode to havin' sex, especially with that guitar finish. The crazy Hammond effects always sounded cool to me, still do. The solos are what makes this track, on top of that awesome galloping riff. Loads of kids pointing at their stereos with this track playing, saying to their bandmates, "THIS! We need to sound like THIS!"

Unlike Flight of the Rat, this one holds together as a track and holds up over time. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give it a Viagra.

[Zzzptm]

And before you listen to Black Night, check this out:

Guess which young man with a banjo was listening to this back in 1962...

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Black Night

A fun little song, which got No. 2 in the UK singles chart in 1970, a few months before Paranoid hit the Top 5... not a bad year for Hard Rock! And like Paranoid this was recorded because the record company wanted a single.

As Zs says the main riff was nicked... the band admit it, but it's seems to be common practice in those days (just ask Led Zeppelin!). But it's a good riff worth recycling. And while the lyrics are ambiguous they're sung well by Gillan. Good song!

[Zzzptm]

And just wait until Fireball comes around...

But, yes, it's a great riff, and very fun to sing along to. Strong solos, lets you know that DP have 100% solidified their format change and are proceeding forward as planned.

[Charger]

Black Night is a great little tune which truly comes alive in a live setting with the massive sing-a-long part and all.

Ritchie indeed stole the main riff from actor Ricky Nelson's song but it's a great riff...and Ritchie did add quite a bit of heaviness to it...but this is probably the most obvious rip off Ritchie has ever done...

This is again one of those Purple songs that as said is best when preformed live. The studio version always felt bit sterile but when done live (especially with the Bass intro from Roger) the song elevates to a whole new level.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

I'll rank the tracks:

1. Child in Time
2. Speed King
3. Bloodsucker
4. Black Night
5= Into the Fire
5= Living Wreck
5= Hard Lovin' Man
8. Flight of the Rat

[Zzzptm]

For me, I've got Speed King and Child in Time on the top tier, Black Night just behind them.

Next grouping is Bloodsucker and Into the Fire. ItF beats LW because of that line about hair and teeth, I love it yes I do.

LW, then Hard Lovin' Man... then Flight of the Rat.