Deep Purple – Stormbringer

‘Stormbringer’ seems to catch a lot of flak from reviewers past and present due to its variance in song styles and preponderance of an R&B flavor in a lot of the songs. It was also the second and last album of Purple’s short lived Mach III lineup as Ritchie Blackmore, supposedly not enthused with this “new direction” would leave and form Rainbow (all hail!). I have come around to appreciate this record much more than I first did, maybe expecting a son of ‘Burn’. I think it’s better than the last Mach II album ‘Who Do We Think We Are’ if only slightly. People who dislike ‘Stormbringer’ decry the lack of solid hard rock with only the title track and “Lady Double Dealer” sort of footing the bill as proto-metal songs. However, a deep dive into some of the less heavy songs may just satisfy as “Soldier of Fortune” is a hell of an album closer for the type of song it is - a slow brooding ballad. I also really dig “Love Don’t Mean a Thing”, such a wicked groove and it perfectly captures the Coverdale/Hughes funk vibe. “Hold On” I’ll admit is a bit of an acquired taste but Ritchie, though he hated the song, busts out an inspired solo. Much has been written about how David and Glenn were now calling most of the musical shots and as the duo seemed to lean towards soul and funk music, Blackmore started to mark time though he had been the most dominant personality in Deep Purple. I wouldn’t pick up ‘Stormbringer’ if you know little about Purple but if you’re getting tired of “Smoke on the Water” and you want some variety for your listening palate, then give ‘Stormbringer’ a shot. Sunday school teachers, rock n’roll preachers, all are welcome…

Martin Birch did a great job...
This album is the worthy successor of Fireball.
Who Do We Think and Machine Head never can fulfill their jobs as ,all around purple albums'.
This one is a breaker...

Best sounding version of Stormbringer with A 1-U Kendun, B 1-U Kendun... don’t bother with the re-issues 180 gram marketing hype. This UK pressing has amazing Sonics...Top Pressing hands down!

My copy seems to be a first UK pressing. Strangely, the matrices runouts are not listed above: Side A:TPS 3508 A-1U KENDUN A I GUH (?) (the last three letters are barely visible). Side B: TPS 3508 B-1U KENDUN B 2 GOD. Can anyone help with these matrices? And can anyone add these above? Thank you.

The reissue of this in the late 80s/early 90s (with barcode) came with a glossy cover which is a facsimile of the original cover (but see below). The label is identical but is lighter colouring. The '7411 Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd' printing code on the back cover has been crossed through at production stage !! Lazy or what !?

Got TPS 3508, english cover, record made in Denmark, ncb.

I have a Canadian pressing PR 2832(S40,940).....

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i have a israeli pressing by CBS records tel aviv from 1974