The 2 Deep Purple albums Ritchie Blackmore said are great

One of the greatest guitar heroes of all time, Ritchie Blackmore was a crucial element in Deep Purple’s sound. His riffs and solos elevated the band’s songs to another level, helping make them one of the most important groups in Rock history.

He recorded 13 studio albums with Purple and it’s never easy for fans to pick their favorites. However, Blackmore once mentioned the two Deep Purple albums that in his opinion are great.

The 2 Deep Purple albums Ritchie Blackmore said are great

“Deep Purple In Rock” (1970)

“(The solo in) ‘Child in Time’ is a bit of a barge job, I was falling over myself there and that wasn’t particularly good, it was ok for the time. I can’t (really remember the solo that well) I haven’t heard that in 25 years although I like the LP ‘Deep Purple in Rock’ (1970), was great” Ritchie Blackmore said on his Youtube channel (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage).

The guitarist often says the record was extremely important for Deep Purple because they found the style they should follow. Jon Lord originally wanted to follow a more Progressive vein, playing with Orchestras and Blackmore was interested in playing a heavier kind of music, inspired by what Led Zeppelin was doing at the time.

“In the beginning, I was a little bit lost as to what style I really had. And then everything clicked with In Rock. Ian Gillan (vocals) and Roger Glover (bass) had come in, so that gave us new blood. I found my niche being much heavier music, and playing with more sustain on the amplifier, that sort of thing.”

Ritchie Blackmore continued:

“We consciously sat down and said, “Let’s have a go at being really heavy.” It was after hearing Zeppelin, I think. Gillan had this big voice. I had looked for Ian Paice for about a year after seeing him perform in Hamburg. He’s an incredible drummer. And he was the motor of the band,” Ritchie Blackmore told Guitar in 2010.

Released in 1970, “Deep Purple In Rock” was their fourth studio album and was the first recorded by the Mark II line-up. It was when Blackmore, Ian Paice and Jon Lord were joined by Roger Glover and Ian Gillan. It had songs like “Speed King”, “Child in Time” and “Hard Lovin’ Man”. The classic “Black Night” was originally released at the time as a single but in future releases was featured on the album.

“Machine Head” (1972)

‘Machine Head” (1972) I thought Gillan was singing great and the band was playing great, two great LPs. I think ‘Deep Purple in Rock’ was underestimated, especially in America. They only know ‘Machine Head’ and I think ‘Deep Purple in Rock’ had the edge (of) ‘Machine Head’. We did it very quickly and very naturally and it was fun to make those two LPs,” Ritchie Blackmore said on his Youtube channel (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage).

Deep Purple’s best-selling album, “Machine Head” had the band’s biggest classics: “Smoke on The Water” and “Highway Star”. “I thought “Machine Head” was our best album after “In Rock,” and after that, I couldn’t see the way that we were writing songs,” Blackmore said in an interview with Jim Esposito.

Blackmore loved the track “Pictures of Home” but the other members not that much

The track “Pictures of Home” was one of Blackmore’s favorite ones from that album and to this day is still frequently part of the band’s live setlist. However the guitarist who left the band for good in 1993, told Classic Rock in 2023 that the other members of the band didn’t like the track.

“I really like Pictures Of Home, because it is very melodic. There were some members of the band that didn’t like that one at all. I heard the riff for that on a shortwave radio. It was probably coming from Bulgaria or Turkey, or somewhere like that. One of these days, these Bulgarian/Turkish people are going to come out the woodwork, saying: ‘I wrote that.’”

“I remember the rest of the band were a little worried about Ian singing about eagles and snow. I never listen to lyrics anyway, unless it’s Bob Dylan singing. So I said: “Well, eagles and snow. Sounds good enough to me, carry on,” Ritchie Blackmore said.

Ritchie Blackmore first left Deep Purple in 1975 and formed Rainbow, his own band. With many line-ups changes, his group even had the bassist Roger Glover as a member for a while. In 1984 Deep Purple’s MK II line-up reunited and the guitarist was with them until 1993 when he decided to leave the group for good. Since then he never played with them again.