This album was certainly before my time as a music lover (about three decades, really) but it is one of the greatest albums I've ever heard.

This album is the museum of riff and heavy. Who doesn't know Smoke On The Water ?

This is the album that anyone MUST listen.

Wait, who doesn't know this album?

Classic album. The keyboard interlude on 'Lazy' is fucking brilliant.

This album is what started me off into metal when i was 3. Yes 3yo. I used to get it onto the old turntable and listen to it over and over on the headphones. I used to scratch the shit out of it trying to put it on. Put a big gouge in pictures of home. Sucks. That was nearly 30 years ago.

Just perfect!!

Deep Purple's best (studio) album.

It's sad that the only well-known track on this masterpiece is "Smoke On The Water"...

Written by R Lewis on 22.03.2013 at 08:28

It's sad that the only well-known track on this masterpiece is "Smoke On The Water"...

Yeah, you're right in that in the broader mainstream that became a very well-known and popular song but I think amongst hard rock fans and metal fans particularly, the song "Highway Star" is very highly regarded and well-known. Have you seen the doco that was made on the making of the album? Well worth seeing.

Written by Ace Frawley on 22.03.2013 at 21:08

Yeah, you're right in that in the broader mainstream that became a very well-known and popular song but I think amongst hard rock fans and metal fans particularly, the song "Highway Star" is very highly regarded and well-known. Have you seen the doco that was made on the making of the album? Well worth seeing.

No, I still haven't, I'll make sure chacking it. What makes me sad is that, while anyone knows that radio friendly, really less people know about Blackmore's stunning solos, and so on...

Written by R Lewis on 22.03.2013 at 08:28

It's sad that the only well-known track on this masterpiece is "Smoke On The Water"...

yeah, i mean sotw is an amazing track but highway star and my personal favourite pictures of home are better. this album may be over 20 years older than me but its still one of the best i own, love every track

Written by R Lewis on 23.03.2013 at 14:22

Written by Ace Frawley on 22.03.2013 at 21:08

Yeah, you're right in that in the broader mainstream that became a very well-known and popular song but I think amongst hard rock fans and metal fans particularly, the song "Highway Star" is very highly regarded and well-known. Have you seen the doco that was made on the making of the album? Well worth seeing.

No, I still haven't, I'll make sure chacking it. What makes me sad is that, while anyone knows that radio friendly, really less people know about Blackmore's stunning solos, and so on...

is that the classic albums documentary? by pure coincidence i saw that for the first time on Sky Arts yesterday

Written by [user id=147590] on 20.02.2014 at 20:46

is that the classic albums documentary? by pure coincidence i saw that for the first time on Sky Arts yesterday

That's the one. From memory, they recorded the album in a house in Montreux - is that right?

Written by Ace Frawley on 20.02.2014 at 21:42

Written by [user id=147590] on 20.02.2014 at 20:46

is that the classic albums documentary? by pure coincidence i saw that for the first time on Sky Arts yesterday

That's the one. From memory, they recorded the album in a house in Montreux - is that right?

hotel, its what smoke on the water is all about. i knew the story of the burning casino and recording at the hotel but it was interesting them talking about the red lights and mattresses to stop echoing which is even mentioned in the song. i did find it all very good

If this isn't a 10, i don't know what is.

Amazing Album!! <<<<<

Super album really, better than anything by them before this one. All songs are masterpieces in some degree. I'm not a huge "Smoke On The Water" advocate though, it's obviously a great track, but my favourites on this album are Highway Star, Lazy and Space Truckin'.

Probably deserves the #1 spot in '72 albums -- I haven't heard all the other albums so it's hard to say 100% for now.

Written by MyNameJeff on 10.06.2018 at 02:51

If this isn't a 10, i don't know what is.

I do, Argus by Wishbone Ash.

Back in the mid 80's I bought Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet, then I bought Iron Maiden's Piece of Mind and then I bought Machine Head.

They were were literally my introductions to heavier music.

To be honest, I don't have a great love for Deep Purple but I remember at the time bouncing around to Highway Star in my bedroom.

Written by JOPE OF STEELE on 17.06.2020 at 14:30

Written by MyNameJeff on 10.06.2018 at 02:51

If this isn't a 10, i don't know what is.

I do, Argus by Wishbone Ash.

that, too, but both albums are masterpieces if you ask me.

Written by gavdann on 17.06.2020 at 14:38


To be honest, I don't have a great love for Deep Purple

Same for me as most of their albums simply aren't anything remarkable, especially the later ones. The better ones I can, on the other hand, listen to and return to without regrets.

Written by JOPE OF STEELE on 17.06.2020 at 15:14

Written by gavdann on 17.06.2020 at 14:38


To be honest, I don't have a great love for Deep Purple

Same for me as most of their albums simply aren't anything remarkable, especially the later ones. The better ones I can, on the other hand, listen to and return to without regrets.

If I have an urge to listen to them, I tend to go for Made In Japan. It has all their early "hits" and most of those versions sound more visceral than the studio equivalents.

Written by gavdann on 17.06.2020 at 15:28

Written by JOPE OF STEELE on 17.06.2020 at 15:14

Written by gavdann on 17.06.2020 at 14:38


To be honest, I don't have a great love for Deep Purple

Same for me as most of their albums simply aren't anything remarkable, especially the later ones. The better ones I can, on the other hand, listen to and return to without regrets.

If I have an urge to listen to them, I tend to go for Made In Japan. It has all their early "hits" and most of those versions sound more visceral than the studio equivalents.

With such huge discography it might indeed be better to go for lives, compilations or maybe make some own playlist or burn own cd. I have listened the Deepest Purple compilation most by the band and it has mostly been enough.

I am not a fan of DP but a huge fan of this album coz I was brought up listening to it.

It's not so often that absolutely everyone seems to love an album

Took me a while to fully appreciate it, but what an album this is! I can see why so many of my favourite musicians cite Deep Purple as a big influence. Ritchie Blackmore is such a great guitarist, both here and in his work on Rainbow.

9.3/10 for me - 'Smoke On The Water' is a real classic and my favourite from this album. 'Maybe I'm A Leo' and 'Space Truckin'' are both also great (really fun to play on guitar too).

I'll rate this album by tracks as on In Rock I only like Child In Time and maybe Speed King.
But this is their best album, so I expect more good songs.

01. Highway Star - 9/10, not as good as Child in Time which is an 11/10
02. Maybe I'm A Leo - 8/10
03. Pictures Of Home - 7/10
04. Never Before - 6/10
05. Smoke On The Water - 9/10
06. Lazy - 7/10, EDIT 24.4.2024: this is a 9/10, I don't know what I was thinking
07. Space Truckin' - 8/10
08. When A Blind Man Cries - 6/10

This album is a perfect example of Deep Purple, in that many of their albums have absolute masterpiece songs, and then several fillers.