Deep Purple

The departure of vocalist Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover seemed to rejuvenate Deep Purple, and 1974's Burn was a huge improvement over their previous effort, the lackluster Who Do We Think We Are. In an interesting twist, new recruits David Coverdale and ex-Trapeze bassist Glenn Hughes share lead vocals on virtually every track -- an enviable tag team, as both possessed exceptional pipes. The title track starts things off at full speed thanks to the phenomenal drumming of Ian Paice, and the intro to "Might Just Take Your Life" is one of organist Jon Lord's finest moments. Full of starts and stops, "Lay Down, Stay Down" features a fantastic solo from guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who, as usual, serves as the band's primal force. "What's Going on Here" is about as good a single as Purple ever wrote; "You Fool No One" is compelling in its intensity; and the funky "Sail Away" is a sign of the band's future direction. "Mistreated," a fantastic slow blues, closes the album proper (if you ignore the boring instrumental "'A' 200," the record's only throwaway) and showcases Coverdale on his own for the first time. So impassioned is the singer's performance that the song would remain his concert trademark long into his post-Purple career with Whitesnake. [This 30th anniversary edition of the album includes five bonus tracks: an instrumental B-side plus remixes of "Burn," "Mistreated," "You Fool No One," and "Sail Away."] ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide