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Rating: 1970: the year that marks the turning point for a band that until then hadn't exactly been making waves. We're talking about Deep Purple, who, at the time, produced what was destined to become the cornerstone of their discography (together with "Machine Head," which I have a few things to say about, but I won't).
The album features a cover that immortalizes the band, carving them into rock, creating a double meaning with the title (which can mean "in rock" or a term that's hard to translate into Italian, meaning "they rock"). The turning point of this album is the introduction of two members: Roger Glover (on bass guitar) and Ian Gillan, a formidable vocal element.
The tracklist features 8 songs: the first is "Speed King," which will become a must at their concerts, always highly requested. Indeed, it's very lively and perfectly introduces the pure rock atmosphere. I personally also greatly appreciate the second track, "Bloodsucker," because it has a driving rhythm and a catchy guitar riff. We arrive at the third track... It's an unforgettable moment, even on the first listen: we are presented with the highest compositional and vocal peak ever reached by the band. And it's "Child in Time," which starts with just the keyboard, then slowly and tactfully the voice joins in, and after a few seconds you're in another dimension! The good Gillan reaches highs surpassed by very few other singers. Then comes Blackmore's legendary guitar solo, now historic. Toward the end, the whole cycle starts again, and once more, the highs are endless.
After such a delight, lasting (only) 10 minutes and a bit more, only one adjective comes to mind (in English): Astonishing! (indeed, "petrifying" - the double meanings abound today!). The beauty is that Gillan's voice isn't modified. He reaches those levels perfectly live as well (a demonstration is present in the essential "Made in Japan"). In the album's anniversary booklet, there's a question from a fan to the singer, asking how he managed to achieve such a clean and vocally impossible scream. Gillan replied that many asked him this and that even he didn't know how he did it. He added that to achieve such an effect, he trained every day, putting his health at great risk, and that perhaps wearing very tight pants helped =).
We proceed wonderfully with "Flight of the rat," another great track, strangely not often requested at concerts. Three other tracks: "Into the fire," "Living wreck" and "Hard lovin' man" (pretty "normal" rock tracks, but still good). The finale is marked by "Black night," another cornerstone of Deep Purple. The "anniversary edition" features 12 unreleased tracks, divided between studio chats and songs mixed by Glover (from the album and otherwise). I'm usually against bonus tracks, but these make a small exception.
Another great chapter of 70s rock has concluded, which in this case can only be described with an untranslatable term, but one that I find very fitting for the occasion: "it really rocks" (and another double meaning, good grief!).
An album that almost never tires, and that just for the third song would deserve a 10/10, but is better represented by 5 stars, which fluctuate between 9 and 9 and a half. At the user's discretion.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Speed King (04:24)
Good Golly, said little Miss Molly
When she was rockin' in the house of blue light
Tutti Frutti was oh so rooty
When she was rockin' to the east and west
Lucille was oh so real
When she didn't do her daddies will
Come on baby, drive me crazy--do it, do it
I'm a speed king you go to hear me sing
I'm a speed king see me fly
Saturday night and I just got paid
Gonna fool about ain't gonna save
Some people gonna rock some people gonna roll
Gonna have a party to save my soul
Hard headed woman and a soft hearted man
They been causing trouble since it all began
Take a little rice take a little beans
Gonna rock and roll down to New Orleans
Good Golly, said little Miss Molly
When she was rockin' in the house of blue light
Tutti Frutti was oh so rooty
When she was rockin' to the east and west
Hard headed woman and a soft hearted man
They been causing trouble since it all began
Take a little rice take a little beans
Gonna rock and roll down to New Orleans
I'm a speed king you go to hear me sing
I'm a speed king see me fly
02 Bloodsucker (04:16)
Gotta black breast Chinese eyes
Got an English brain that's gonna make me wise
Got a long story that I wanna tell
To a rhythm that I know so well
Really got a lot of lovin' that I wanna give
Baby I'm a mystery but you know I gotta live
I tried another but she didn't want to know
Take a hold now if you can
Take a lesson from a hard lovin' man
I'm a long way from where I wanna go
Guess I'll stay awhile I really love you so
How's about another sip of all the wine you got
Take a tip from me and give it here I'll drink the lot
I'm not a winey, I'm a puttin' on a show
You really really grab me but I've gotta move
Before they know I'm here and spread the news
Maybe in while when I've moved around
I can find a way to pay you back your twenty pounds
Really got a lot of lovin' that I wanna give
Baby I'm a mystery but you know I gotta live
I tried another but she didn't want to know
03 Child in Time (10:20)
Sweet child in time you'll see the line
The line that's drawn between the good and the bad
See the BLIND man shooting at the world
Bullets flying taking toll
If you've been bad, Lord I bet you have
And you've not been hit by flying lead
You'd better close your eyes and bow your head
And wait for the ricochet
04 Flight of the Rat (07:58)
Spread the word around
The rat is leaving town
The message is a song
The misery is gone
Once I had a dream
To sing before the queen
She didn't want to know
She wouldn't see the show
What a fright
I couldn't do it right
Oh what a night
Mystic demons fly
All about the sky
With memories of a clown
The saddest show in town
When I was seventeen
My mother said to me
Be careful what you touch
You shouldn't take so much
I blew my mind
She was so kind
I could have cried
In my mind
I had to find
A kind of new way
Of being oh so cool
Like a blue blooded
Well studded English fool
Speak about the past
Times are changing fast
Once I was so weak
I couldn't even speak
Shaking put a curse
Nothing could be worse
Walking through the door
Who could ask for more
Now I'm free
And I can see
That I am me
Spread the word around
The rat is leaving town
The message is a song
The misery is gone
Shaking out a curse
Nothing could be worse
Walking through the door
Who could ask for more
Now I'm free
And I can see
That I am me
Please stay away
05 Into the Fire (03:30)
Take the trouble to decide the things you do
Will not be the things that don't appeal to you
See the mess your makin' can't you see your fakin'
Gonna make it hard for you, you're gonna--into the fire
Turn on the mandrake that was given to you
See if you can make it like the others do
Feel the blood a knockin' when you're finger poppin'
Gonna make it hard for you, you're gonna--into the fire
Stop your bleeding mind before it's over and done
Listen very closely to the message I've sung
Feel the blood a knockin' when you're finger poppin'
Gonna get a message through, you're gonna--into the fire
06 Living Wreck (04:34)
You came along for a weekend
But you only stayed for one night
You took off your hair
You pulled out your teeth
Oh I almost died of fright
You'd better do something for your own sake
Yes it's a shame
Ah you know you're a living wreck
You said you were a virgin
Full of promise and mystery
But I know that you
Would bring me down
'Cos everyone calls you big G
You'd better do something for your own sake
Yes it's a shame
Ah you know you're a living wreck
You said you're gonna love me
You said you're gonna set me free
But I knew that you would bring me down
And cause me misery
You'd better do something for your own sake
Yes it's a shame
Ah you know you're a living wreck
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