I used to have Burn, never heard Stormbringer except for Soldier of Fortune. I think David Coverdale was on Come Tatste the Band but not sure. I saw a YouTube clip from Purple's show when they played the California Jam concert. Of course, I have always been partial to Gillan era stuff from the 70's but from what I've seen, Coverdale was by no means a bad replacement after him. That's where he made a name for himself. Is there anyone here who prefers this era of Deep Purple? Has anyone seen any other great performances from this period? Does anyone know who sang on the Made in Europe album?

The Coverdale era in Deep Purple was good and a bit underrated in my opinion. Burn is a superb album and, but Stormbringer had to much funk elements in it and was annoying. Come Taste the Band did feature Coverdale and it was more hard rock and actually very good and worth a listen. Made in Europe is Coverdale, Hughes, Paice, Lord, and Tommy Bolin. I have seen a couple performances from Japan featuring that lineup, but the playing was very sloppy.

I don't mind Coverdale at all, although vocalists have always been a secondary concern to me when it comes to Deep Purple. California Jamming (aka Live at California Jam 1974) is a brilliant live album and a good counterpart to Made in Japan.

I really love the Burn record, it's the classic come-back Purple record which was just what they needed after that iffy final MKII record. I wouldn't say it's better than the classic 3 MkII records, mind you. Coverdale was a great singer - it's that earthy bluesy barritone - and he and Blackmore wrote some great stuff then. I'm not that much of a fan of Stormbringer but that was more Glenn Hughes's baby, but it's good nonetheless. The version of Mistreated from California Jam is fantastic.

I used to not think "Burn" was in league with the classic Mk II lineup stuff, but over time I really grew to love that album. Stormbringer had a couple strong tracks like "Soldier of Fortune" and the title track is pretty good, but its far too R&B/soul influenced for my tastes and obviously Ritchie hated that record and was gone before Come Taste the Band, which to me is barely even a Deep Purple album. Without Blackmore or Gillan I'm not interested and Bolin and Hughes just ruined the band, Lord and Paice where right in splitting up DP shortly after.

I really love "Stormbringer" especially the title track.
I'm not sure who wrote the lyrics but they were beautifully dramatic in a power metal kinda fashion.
And Coverdale's vocal performance on "Soldier Of Fortune" is really flawless.
He is overly emotive but on this track it sounds genuine.

To me, Deep Purple is/was all about the interplay between Blackmore and Lord.

Coverdale and Gillian were both great vocalists, so I have no complaints on that respect, but I need to have my guitar/hammond duels.

Speaking of the Mark III lineup, though, what would be the best live album that incarnation put out? I know Made In Japan is seen as the ultimate Purple live album, but I really want to hear "Burn" in a live setting.

Also jesus christ I was looking through the live albums on the MA page... Live in London has a thirty-one minute version of "Space Truckin'?" What, do they just keep playing until everyone goes home? Holy crap.

Burn is one of DP's best albums.

Burn is by far the best record from the Coverdale lineup. I think You Fool No One is the best song also and one of the best live songs. Especially demonstrated on the California Jam show.
Somebody mentioned the Come Taste the Band lineup also. Tommy Bolin is pretty forgettable in the DP history but Coverdale and Hughes towed the line vocally on Burn and YFNO on the playlists.

As I said, 'California Jamming' is the one to go for. And it's standard practice for Purple to extend Space Truckin' out into a twenty minute plus jam to end their sets.

I have a live album of Purple with Coverdale, and it's pretty killer. I have Burn and Stormbringer too, and as I posted in my blog a long time ago, Coverdale is highly underrated.

I also liked his Jon Lord era Whitesnake. It was pretty close to the vain of the Purple material. But I didn't like his later 80's stuff(except for the song Still of the Night). And I haven't heard the Page/Plant release.

Two side thoughts here on David Coverdale:

It seems Tony Iommi used alot of Ritchie Blackmore hand-me-downs i.e. Ian Gillan, Ronnie James Dio, Cozy Powell, Bob Daisley and Glenn Hughes. But I read somewhere that he was about to recruit David Coverdale as Dio's replacement for Sabbath but D.C. declined.

I just read a CNN news strip that Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones are close to proceeding on with a Led Zeppelin reunion tour and album without Robert Plant. If that commences sans Plant, do any of you guys think David Coverdale might be a viable choice to take the vox?

I think for something as high profile as that they might go for something more trendy. I heard the jammed with Steven Tyler, who they'll probably throw Don't Wanna Miss a Thing after Stairway! Ugh, post-70s Aerosmith makes me want to break tables (solid oak preferably) over Steven and Joe's heads.

Steven Tyler? Fuck no. That would be asinine. Besides the fact that I hate Aerosmith, he is too identifiable with that band. Yeah, I would break tables along with you if that happened.
3/4 of the Zeppelin is a must for it to be an actual reunion of the band. Especially since they already did that one off reunion show for Atlantic Records nearly a year ago. We've had Page/Plant already with support musicians but that's not Led Zeppelin. If it is to go on without Robert, then it won't be taken seriously as true Zeppelin. It will just be seen as Jones/Page. Jason Bonham or not, it's still 2/4 if they continue. Not good enough.

Well, Aerosmith have inflicted the most awful music ever upon man (the 90s ballads! Aaaagrhh!). But I think Rocks and Toys in the Attic are fantastic records. To be frank any Zeppelin 'reunion' without Plant doesn't interest me without the kind of morbid curiosity one would have when watching a car crash. Btw, has Plant nailed that Alison chick yet?

"Burn" is a fantastic album. Supposedly, the other 2 Coverdale-fronted albums were supposed to be remastered and reissued by Rhino, but I haven't seen anything materialize so far.

Becasue of all the positive comments of Burn, I am revisiting it now.

I still prefer the Gillan era much more, too many classic songs to mention.

Tommy Bolin's arm was dead on this live clip. His guitar was tuned so that he had to play with one finger doing bar chords on the solo part for Burn. It's pretty awful as you will see. As a matter of fact, Jon Lord was playing that solo more than he was. A lowpoint from this period of DP. Glenn Hughes overdoes his screams on here too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPRUwjVXolI

Why he decided to continue to go ahead with the Alison Krause tour ahead of a full on Zeppelin reunion tour is beyond me. No one gives a shit about seeing an Alison Krause/Robert Plant show instead of what could be one of the biggest reunions in years. I hate it when some rock stars do that.
I think Coverdale wouldn't be a bad choice as singer to replace him. He can hit the high notes on hard songs like the ones he did for DP. Child in Time? One of the hardest to nail. He didn't do it as well as Gillan but it was quite adeqaute enough as to be able to nail it for Stairway to Heaven or The Immigrant Song.

To be honest I'd rather Zep just went away. I'm not a massive fan of most of the 70s live stuff I've heard and this would surely be worse. I don't want to see Cov up there with them either, the amount of backlash that would cause would amuse me however. Robert Plant has always been an arsehole, he just happens to be a fantastic singer. I'll just stick to the occasional listening of Houses of the Holy till all this bollocks dies down. I'll stick with the Heaven & Hell stuff for the time being, less attention, but they haven't gotten rusty.

Did Purple ever do Child In Time with the Coverdale and Hughes? That would've been something.

On a amusing note, Jack Bruce;

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbe ... mID=108257

My respect for Cream just shot up tenfold. It seems they've also recognized LZ's plagiarism. I'm not really a Clapton fan, but I'll take him over Page.

BUT THIS IS NEITHER A LED ZEP NOR A CREAM THREAD.

Honestly, I'm disappointed that Deep Purple didn't do Pictures of Home more often live. That's tied with Highway Star for my favorite Purple track (Burn coming in a close runner-up).

And I know Space Truckin' is often turned into a 20+ minute jam, but Live In London goes to THIRTY. Slayer could play Reign In Blood in its entirety in that time. Sort of crazy, but also pretty awesome, being able to extend a song that far without sucking.

Hey we're getting some hard rock discussion, which this board often lacks. I actually prefer Zeppelin to Cream by quite a bit (I still love Cream) but I think Jack Bruce was just rather funny. LZ's pinching of other people's music is nothing new and frankly who gives a shit? They were still unique.

Purple's live jams were often amusing, the interplay between Gillan and Blackmore was great. They lost some of that tongue in cheek stuff with Coverdale, although the lyrics still had it.

'She wouldn't believe that she was devil's sperm' that always cracked me up.

I haven't heard any of the Deep Purple stuff that didn't feature Ritchie Blackmore nor do I care to. But I also was never interested in hearing the Joe Lynn Turner stuff either. Burn is the best non-Gillan DP record IMO.