Deep Purple: 24 Carat Purple (1975)

The cover of 24 Carat Purple is ugly. Really.

I suppose if you only know one Deep Purple song, it's probably Smoke on the Water. It's included on this record. Back when I thought I could learn how to play the guitar, I learned how to play the riff. This is probably the only Deep Purple record a casual fan needs, although your probably don't really need it.

Sometimes, fan-made music videos are good, though this is a tad predictable.

Deep Purple: Deep Purple In Rock (1970)

I am somewhat surprised that it took until 1970 for a band to use Mt. Rushmore on the cover with their heads superimposed. Why did that take so long? There seems to be a debate about when heavy metal started, with this being one record under consideration as the spark. Personally, I'd have to go with Led Zeppelin I, though I really don't think that is a metal record. So, I'll avoid that topic.

This is certainly a hard rock record. It will keep your toe tapping.