Deep Purple - Fireball

Japanese-only SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) paper sleeve pressing of this classic album from the British Heavy Metal icons, originally released in 1971. SHM-CDs can be played on any audio player and delivers unbelievably high-quality sound. You won't believe it's the same CD! Warner. 2008. Album Description

30-something Years On...

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.

November 10, 2008

Wrong song title

I owned this album when it was first released- Anyone`s Dsughter is not the correct title- It was "Farmer`s Daughter", and I believed the name got changed because one lyric were considered very profane at that time. I quote, "Now they`re be no food and water- because I`ve laid the Farmer`s Daughter". End of subject August 10, 2008

lacks fireballs

The recording equipment that was used to make this album was very poor, in my opinion. The music rocks hard, yes, but it doesn't sound as good as other hard rock albums from the same time period such as Sabbath's Paranoid and Zeppelin IV.

The songwriting is a bit weak in places as well. Sometimes vocal melodies just pass by harmlessly, but without much in the way of excitement. There could be some more of Ritchie's great guitar playing since that is one of the best things about Deep Purple. It does feature two of their best songs- "Strange Kind of Woman" and "The Mule".

It's still a really good classic rock album though, and maybe even better than In Rock. It doesn't rock as heavy and hard as In Rock, but it's still a great listen. April 30, 2008

As silly as the cover indicates but musically strong

"Fireball" hasn't aged as well as a few of DP's other so-called classics, but then again, not a lot of their catalogue has. The music is mostly unimpeachable, but it's all so Tyrannosaurus-dumb, that even while one bangs their head, they can't help but grin at the utter "monstrosity" of the whole thing.

It doesn't help matters that there aren't any truly great songs on here, though all of the radio hits are good enough. Actually, the best song is the goofy and innunendo-laced "Anyone's Daughter," succeeding thanks to a wonderfully un-bombastic, bluesy melody. But even then, it is very much out of place with the rest of the prog-ish heavy metal. Not an essential album by any stretch, but just good enough to make the grade. And, of course, fans must have it.

Note: get the special edition; the US and UK originals alternately omit one of two key tracks ("Strange Kind of Woman" or "Demon's Eye").

Best cuts: "Anyone's Daughter," "Demon's Eye," "The Mule," "Strange Kind of Woman," "No One Came," "Fireball" February 12, 2008

Yet another great rock cd from Deep Purple

Not as good as "Machine Head" but really great. Mine is a Holland import on which Strange kind of Woman is replaced with "Demon's eye".
Don't worry, I have "Strange Kind of Woman" on another cd (The very best of DP) This song is one of my favorite from the band. The title track reminds me "Speed King" from "In Rock" and it is a real good rock song.
Overall this cd from the 70's in a must have for any Deep Puprle fan's and rock music lover in general. January 12, 2008

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