DPAS ALBUM REVIEW

Deep Purple

The Collection

(This is not the EMI 'Collection' available from December 1st, but a Sony / BMG 'collection' from 2006, which has kindly agreed to reviews itself for us, with some help from Stuart Hamilton..)

"Hello everybody, I'm a new Deep Purple best-of. Well, not really, despite the fact that I bill 'Smoke On The Water' and 'Highway Star' on the front cover. What I am, actually, is another compilation of the RCA albums from 1990 through to 1996. You know, just like "Purplexed" but with a boring title. Although you'd never guess that from the tracklisting as I somehow 'forgot' to mention that 'Smoke...', 'Highway Star', 'Child In Time' etc are actually from the "Come Hell or High Water" live album. But, please don't leave me lying here on the shelf along with all the other dodgy compilations.

Look, I have songs from "The Battle Rages On", "Slaves & Masters" and "Purpendicular" even if I share 9 of my 11 songs with the aforementioned "Purplexed". You can delight in the likes of 'The Aviator' and, um, three tracks from the best Rainbow album ever, in the shape of 'Love Conquers All', 'King Of Dreams' and 'Fortuneteller'. Which should make you go out and buy "Slaves & Masters" sharpish.

No, don't go away, look I have in-depth and interesting sleeve notes. OK that's a lie. I have nothing. I'm just a cheap and nasty compilation that serves no purpose whatsoever. I'm really sorry. Don't buy me, please. Save your fiver and put it towards something worthwhile. Goodbye."


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