Although the production is nothing to write home about, there is much here for the post-Ozzy, post-Dio fan of Sabbath to enjoy. Tony Iommi is still cranking out some solid riffs and solos, Cozy is still destroying his kit and rebuilding it again for the next number, and Tony Martin is still lighting up every song with his exceptional voice. Although I would categorize this as the weakest release of the Tony Martin era, when we consider the 4 amazing albums that they put out before this one, the notion that this album is shelf-worthy is hardly justified. 1995 was a tough year for heavy metal, and this album was able to come out and still sound like something worthy of the genre.

The Purple released this anniversary compilation for their thirty years of existence. In terms of tracklist, it is OK. As far as the versions are concerned, I am totally knocked out !
Most of the tracks are edited. The worse of course is reached with "Woman From Tokyo" and more than all with "Child In Time". This one is reduced to a mere four minutes fifteen seconds. It is faded out during Ritchie guitar solo !

What's this crap ?

Same treatment for "Never Before", "Burn", "You Keep On Moving" and "Perfect Strangers".
If you are new to the Purple, you have to avoid this one BY ALL MEANS. Get "The Deepest Purple" instead.

The debut album of Black Sabbath, who ended their career some years ago with "The End" tour, appeared 50 years ago in the early twilight of the new decade, when heavy metal as a concept did not yet exist. Of course, there were some songs like Led Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown" and Cream's "Crossroads," which already pointed the light in this direction.

Even though "Black Sabbath" has been put on a record countless times over the years, you still have to stop for a moment to admire its appearance. The album cover is still menacingly beautiful and mysteriously functional, you could put this on the wall as a large canvas. The thunder and doomsday bells that start the album also seem to rise directly from the world of the cover and it is a perfect opening for the album. "Black Sabbath" itself starts the work and there is no need to present this song any further. The song becomes the cornerstone of the album and the beginnings of heavy metal as a whole.
The name of the band taken from Boris Karloff's horror film and the pressing music taken from the film were something completely incomprehensible at the time. At the end of the song, the tempo is increased and Tony Iommi rolls the first of his dozens of future king riffs. It was no wonder that Sabbath quickly gained a reputation as Satan worshipers and parents were horrified by their children's new fandom.

Another highlight is the catchy "N.I.B.", which, according to the often heard theory, did not come from the words Nativity In Black but came from drummer Bill Ward's beard. Also released as a single, the cover version "Evil Woman" sounds very fitting to Sabbath's more melodic style, even though the band themselves made the song reluctantly and out of necessity. "Behind The Wall Of Sleep", which was still playing in the set list of "The End" tour, has also retained its mystical charm, although the sound world of the original album makes you wish for more weight and faster pedaling.

According to their own words, the band was a blues-based band, and this can be heard on the album, for better or for worse. Songs like "Warning" and "Wicked World" were built from a jamming base, the band just playing without thinking about where the song was going. In the 1970s, this kind of material had its place, but when listened to today, and especially in comparison to Sabbath's later production, some of the songs fall badly. Ozzy Osbourne's vocals, like the music, are raw and unpolished, and the arrangements don't come together in the same way as the previously mentioned highlights.

Black Sabbath developed heavy metal in its time and with that this record has its place. Its status as a historical work cannot be disputed. On the other hand, as a purely musical entity, it is not even in the best third of Sabbath's discography. Just a couple of years later, the band released the great album "Master Of Reality," which I recommend to start getting to know the early roots of 1970s metal. ... See More

Growing up in the NWOBHM era and discovering that trend in the early 1980s, Deep Purple was nothing more than a name for me at the time, which sometimes appeared in the conversations of more experienced music listeners. However, I got the impression that the band was very important in the history of heavier rock, but their music was by no means familiar. And I have to admit that when I heard "Smoke On The Water" for the first time, it sounded pretty dull, when the comparison was, for example, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, who are constantly on the turntables. Was this the signature work of heavy music that everyone knows? Didn't make an impression. A somewhat inexperienced ear still understood at that stage.

In 1984, the headlines of music magazines were full of news about the return of Purple, which had broken up in the latter half of the 1970s, and a new album was in the works. The "Perfect Strangers" in question was the first album from the band for me, and that's why I can say that the album is THE Deep Purple album for me. Under the magnifying glass is now specifically the original album version, which contains eight songs. Later, there have been different versions that have included more stuff.

The album starts with the mystical bass and keyboard intro of the song "Knocking At Your Back Door", which slowly, taking the drums along, grows to the main riff of the song played wonderfully by Ritchie Blackmore's guitar and Jon Lord's Hammonds. Vocalist Ian Gillan, who later received a lot of criticism, sings like in his best days. The song is long, but only the moaning at the end sounds a bit unnecessarily stretched for my current taste. "Under The Gun" hits a bigger gear and the song is strongly built around the guitar and the intro and verse riff played together by the Hammonds. The third song "Nobody's Home" groovs beautifully, driven by Ian Paice's cowbell accompaniment. In the chorus, Blackmore's guitar, Roger Glover's bass and Lord's Hammonds pull in a sleepy sono following Gillan's vocal melody. Nice effect and works great. In my opinion, "Mean Streak" is the closest thing to filler song status. It's a bit of a blues-tinged, hip-hop-rock, but it also fills its place.

The album's title song "Perfect Strangers" is unlikely to require more accompanying words for many people. The song begins in a way in the same spirit as the opening track of the album, i.e. the Hammonds roar strongly in the intro and slowly other instruments join in. The main riff played by the guitar and keyboards is brilliant in its simplicity and the vocal melody on top of it is great. The chorus also works beautifully and the song can be considered one of the most recognizable in rock music without a shadow of a doubt. "A Gypsy's Kiss" that plays next is the album's go-to rally and it has something similar to Rainbow's "Spotlight Kid". Special mention must be made of the harmonic ear candy playing between the guitar and organ solos played by Blackmore and Lord together. "Wasted Sunsets" is the album's "mandatory" ballad, but there is no other feeling of necessity in the song. The calm and beautiful song seems to prepare the end of the album before "Hungry Daze", which concludes the whole, whose catchy intro melody stays in your head long after the end of the album. Otherwise, "Hungry Daze" doesn't offer any surprises and I think something else could have been added as the ending song.

The Deep Purple 1984 model was built big. The album rocks irresistibly right from the first bars and shows that the new arrival was not in vain. Ritchie Blackmore's guitar and Jon Lord's Hammonds rumble irresistibly from song to song. A special mention must also be given to the rhythm group. I have always recognized Ian Paice's drumming as high quality, but now that I have listened to this record with an even more careful ear, Roger Glover's bass playing is absolutely fantastic. He mixes in his basic playing with melodies and runs that support the vocals, which may not stand out all the time, but you would definitely notice their absence. And Ian Gillan sings brilliantly throughout the album. So the package is complete in every way.

The dinosaur, which once fell to big egos and rattling horns, sounds fresh and airy on the debut of its new arrival. The group plays for the band and not for themselves, and that is also heard on the record. Recorded in the era of analog recordings, the soundscape of the album is distinctive and organic, exactly as it should be for a band like Deep Purple. The fade out endings of several songs should be mentioned as a small minus. Could it be that the songs were half-finished when they went to the studio and they didn't have time to finish the songs anymore? Despite a few near-misses ("Mean Streak" and "Hungry Daze"), the rating of the album as a whole is almost commendable. The album was a strong indication of the state of the band at that moment, which had updated and modernized its sound. It's a shame that after "Perfect Strangers" the orchestra hasn't released an album of the same quality, and knowing the current mood, it's unlikely that they ever will again. Regardless, it's always nice to return to this classic. ... See More