More than anything else, this is a public service announcement: <<>> Amazon has it for a most amazing $7.19.........all 16 cuts! The original record was released in 1971.
If you love great hard rock music and you don't own it, you need to get your hands on this, quickly. I'm not classifying this as metal, because it's not metal; it's WAY too musically sophisticated for that.
I should know better than to put it in the stereo because it ends up being all I want to listen to for several weeks. I think this record is often overlooked in Deep Purple history because the song that catapulted them to stardom and world-wide renown was Smoke On The Water, which was on their following record, Machine Head (1972). Even I, a big Purple enthusiast who got into them in the early days, started with Machine Head, and I never even bothered with Fireball until I picked up this version 10 or 12 years ago.
Fireball features the classic "Mach II" Purple lineup of Blackmore/Gillan/Glover/Lord/Paice. Three of those members remain in the band to this day: Ian Gillan (vocals), Roger Glover (bass) and Ian Paice (drums), along with Don Airey (keyboards) and Steve Morse (guitar). Glover has said that Fireball is his favorite of all Purple records. Not hard for me to understand why.
This expanded, remastered, 16 cut version is quite amazing in that there really is not one weak cut. You get alternate takes of several of the record's strongest tunes: Fireball (an alternate instrumental mix), Demon's Eye and No One Came.
The writing, the singing, the playing............it's just ALL so superlative. Really now, this very well could be the strongest record that Deep Purple ever made. No one is making great hard rock records anywhere approaching this one anymore. And oh yeah........there's no "shredding" guitar playing, the thing that irritates me the most about contemporary hard rock and metal bands. And vocalist Ian Gillan in his prime..........has there ever been anyone as good as this?
I can't say anymore other than this is one of the greatest and most overlooked hard rock records ever recorded...........maybe somewhat lost in the crush of probably the most competitive era in rock and roll history: The early 70's.
DEEP PURPLE: Fireball, Anniversary Edition
1. Fireball
2. No No No
3. Demon's Eye
4. Anyone's Daughter
5. The Mule
6. Fools
7. No One Came
8. Strange Kind of Woman (a-side remix 1996)
9. I'm Alone (b-side)
10. Freedom (album out-take)
11. Slow Train (album out-take)
12. Demon's Eye (remix 1996)
13. The Noise Abatement Society Tapes
14. Fireball (take 1 instrumental)
15. Backwards Piano
16. No One Came (remix 1996)
[Edited on 11/14/2015 by robslob]
My first and favorite Deep Purple album!!
Good post Rob, Fireball is excellent.
In Rock is top notch also. Very raw sounding and they get after it.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
It's remarkable how many songs from this album the Steve Morse lineup of Purple have done.
I always liked this album, never loved it like I do Machine Head, Who Do We Think We Are and In Rock which are incredible to the music ears.
It would be really hard to pick one...I mean REALLY hard. If I had to ,it would be In Rock, by a very narrow margin. Ask me in a couple of weeks and I will tell ya Perfect Strangers. 😛 😛
Which stands toe to toe with any of them.
[Edited on 11/19/2015 by jszfunk]
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
I really dug Perfect Strangers when it first came out -- like many others was stoked to the 9s about this lineup reforming -- but still not quite in the same league with this lineup's 1970s albums tho -- but still a real nice comeback album -- recorded in Stowe, Vt., as was the followup, House of Blue Light
Anyone else relish the Tommy Bolin-era Purple?
Yeah, I love the Bolin era. I think CTTB is a great album, and I really like the King Biscuit disc and the 2 outtakes albums. Some boots are worth hearing - Florida and I think Australia.
Having said that, it was not a peak for Purple nor for Bolin. Bolin sounded better on his solo stuff and with Cobham. Tommy Bolin was GREAT live earlier, on Live at Ebbets Field 1974 or on Zephyr Live at Art' s. Those 2 discs are ESSENTIAL. And Deep Purple had sounded better. Nothing touches Made In Japan. And Coverdale and Hughes' voices were kind of shot in 1975/1976. There are some live shows with Bolin / Coverdale / Hughes that are very rough. Tommy did not learn the songs thoroughly, and he got too wasted.
Having said that, Lord and Paice might never have sounded better. The original release of "Last Concert in Japan," Purple live in 1975 with Bolin, was bad. It goes heavy on Blackmore / Gillan material, which Covedale / Hughes didn't sing well and which Bolin didn't play well at this gig in particular. It leaves off tons of new songs co-written with Bolin, which sounded good. It also has a terrible mix. However, maybe 15 years ago, they finally got the original tapes, remixed them, and released the FULL show, and it is so much better. It is my favorite Ian Paice recording. It is called This Time Around, and it is worth checking out. I'd say the King Biscuit show is a better performance but this is a better recording. It pops out of your speakers.
Yeah, I love the Bolin era. I think CTTB is a great album, and I really like the King Biscuit disc and the 2 outtakes albums. Some boots are worth hearing - Florida and I think Australia.
Having said that, it was not a peak for Purple nor for Bolin. Bolin sounded better on his solo stuff and with Cobham. Tommy Bolin was GREAT live earlier, on Live at Ebbets Field 1974 or on Zephyr Live at Art' s. Those 2 discs are ESSENTIAL. And Deep Purple had sounded better. Nothing touches Made In Japan. And Coverdale and Hughes' voices were kind of shot in 1975/1976. There are some live shows with Bolin / Coverdale / Hughes that are very rough. Tommy did not learn the songs thoroughly, and he got too wasted.
Having said that, Lord and Paice might never have sounded better. The original release of "Last Concert in Japan," Purple live in 1975 with Bolin, was bad. It goes heavy on Blackmore / Gillan material, which Covedale / Hughes didn't sing well and which Bolin didn't play well at this gig in particular. It leaves off tons of new songs co-written with Bolin, which sounded good. It also has a terrible mix. However, maybe 15 years ago, they finally got the original tapes, remixed them, and released the FULL show, and it is so much better. It is my favorite Ian Paice recording. It is called This Time Around, and it is worth checking out. I'd say the King Biscuit show is a better performance but this is a better recording. It pops out of your speakers.
That's a great post. You just educated me on the Bolin era because I never knew most of this. I have Come Taste The Band, though, and I agree, it's a very, very good record! I also have Bolin's two solo discs................need to put them on, it's been a long time. I never knew about these live Bolin era recordings.
Hey Rob. Nice post !
My very first copy of Fireball was a "pirated" 8-Track. believe it or not. I bought it as a teen, at a gasoline station within walking distance of my house that had a rack of 8-Tracks, all rock titles, all with generic covers, and all pretty much illegal.
I wore that puppy out in my car player. Man. What a great album!
Now that I think about it, my first copy of Tommy by The Who was a pirated 8-Track bootleg copy from that same gas station...
Well. Looks like it is going to be a Deep Purple weekend now , thanks to you...
Not that I'm complaining.....:)
