Customer Reviews

Listen Learn Read on

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Deep Purple are my other favorite group with The Beatles. I've seen them 3 times.. twice with Tommy Bolin back in 1976 and the other time in 2001 with Steve Morse on guitar. I agree with my fellow reviewers...5 stars isn't enough! This box is for the avid Purple fan and collectors. It's release is mainly aimed at the UK and European Markets which becomes obvious reading the extensive liner notes. While it may contain a few of the "classic hits", it's main emphasis is on rare and previously unreleased performances and recordings of those famous songs which is where it differs from the brilliant in it's own way "Shades 1968-98" 4 CD Box. While that set was more of a history lesson in "Deep Purple 101" but also included 'B' sides and less typical album tracks as well, "Listen, Learn, Read On" digs deeper while staying between the original "core years" of 1968-76 plus a trip back into time with Pre-Purple stuff on Disc 1. I'm still working my way through it but having listened to early recording by Ritchie, Jon, Ian G. Roger, Ian P. etc., it's really interesting to listen to them in "embryonic fashion". Ritchie's guitar solos on The Outlaws' "Keep A Knocking", a classic old Little Richard rocker, are a pointer to what followed. David Coverdale's vocal on The Government's version of Chicago's "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" reveals some "blue-eyed soul" leanings and he wouldn't have been out of place in Chicago or Blood, Sweat & Tears based on this performance alone. The Quad mix of "Stormbringer" brings elements I've not heard before. The live performances of the MK's II, III & IV lineups make one wish they could have stuck around longer than they did. I'm now seriously thinking of delving even deeper into the Mk's II-IV CD's released after the break up, "Live At Long Beach", "MkIII Last Concerts", "Days May Come..." etc. These are mentioned in the booklet and Simon Robinson and company's work in the accompanying 120 page book is exhaustive to say the least. How thorough can one get? We're bordering on something shy of Mark Lewisohn "Complete Beatles Chronicles" proportions here for research. This is what boxed sets should be all about. However for first time Purple listeners or casual fans this isn't the place to start..rather go to the CD Anthology, Deepest Purple or Rhino's own Purple compilation for starters and definitely the actual albums "In Rock" and Machine Head" (my favourite) in particular. The "Shades" box is probably the next step and if you're then ready to plunge in, then go for this masterpiece. For sheer value for money alone 6 CD's averaging 75 minutes of music each plus the book make it all the more worthwhile. This is probably the Purple equivalent of the "Beatles Anthology" sets unless there's more hidden that we don't know about. I can't add much more than my fellow reviewers. If you're a fan buy it! It's an amazing collection!

Great! This is the best box set yet. It basically gives fans what they really want.
This box is a treasure for Purple's fans, it's not just a collection of classics and easy to find rarities. This stuff has been hiding in the vaults since the 1970's. The rare recordings are a real treat and some are even better than the more common or famous versions we`ve come to know and love.
This complete 6 CD box set gives an unprecedented summary with the band's music offered chronologically.
The discs are kept in the most user friendly box I have ever seen.
It is a joy to listen to and a real pleasure to read this beautiful 120 page booklet.
As one reviewer said, "This box set is the definitive musical statement about the majesty, sheer power, grace and musical excellence that is Deep Purple".
Five stars is too low of a rating, it's beyond compare in terms of capacity and overall value.
P.S. Someone should place this box set at the door of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Wake up call!
Maybe soon we'll have the 1984-2003 box set! Hopefully remixing a lot of those 80's songs (the music still holds up but the production does not!) and finding plenty of good live recordings. Nobody has more bootlegs than Purple.
One last note: New DP album this summer.

Why is this the best box set I own? It simply gives the fans what they WANT rather than what they mostly already have. For example, there's enough rare BBC recordings that you could record an alternate version of Deep Purple's classic 'In Rock'. The rare recordings are a real treat and some are better than their studio counterparts("No No No, Child In Time, for instance). Then there's the bountiful rare live tracks that really show what this band was all about: virtuosic rockin' while having serious fun(and arguments). The live versions of "Wring That Neck" and "Mistreated" are all the proof needed that Purple, unlike any other hard rockers, did not lose themselves while stretching out. This was a very disciplined band(at least up until '75)that had as much in common with Yes, ELP, King Crimson, as it does with powerful, but less precise bands like Zeppelin, Sabbath, Uriah Heep. That is, Purple were the forefathers of progressive metal. However, as this incredible box set shows, Purple were always too varied to be classified as metal. Late '60's Purple were art rock(pop and rock with classical flourishes, hell, even a concerto!). In the early 70's, the band stripped their music down to the essence of pile driving rock 'n' roll with the grit and feel of blues AND classically inspired solos with great precision. By the mid 70's, a sucsession of personell changes robbed the band of the balance and focus it worked so hard to achieve. Still, this final period saw Purple still striving hard to be creative, actually incorporating funk elements! This lineup at times resembled a fusion band with vocals, and this was probably a first for a rock group. So, this entire six cd box set gives an unprecedented overview with the band's material presented chronologically. Well, didn't the Shades box set do that back in '98? Yes, but not without such incredible alternate versions previously unavailable or hard to find(there are even pre-Purple recordings featuring every member to have been in the band from '68-'76!)such as noticeably better quad mixes and instrumentals. One such instrumental is actually "Highball Shooter" showcasing considerably more Black. Its such a blast to listen to the birth of 3 of the greatest hard rock masterpieces ever: "Speed King"(we hear it as "Ricochet", version 1 of 2 previously unreleased included), "Fools"(we hear Ian making up words on the spot), and "Highway Star"(lyrics including,"...they're gonna take you all around, ahh...like Steve McQueen, Micky Mouse and all that lo-ove"). Its real nice to see that Tommy Bolin get's his due here what with the impromptu jamming when he and Purple were feeling each other out, and with the inclusion of some of the best live recordings of Tommy and Purple blazin' a groovin' trail that they briefly swaggered down together without looking back. And see, that to me is what epitomizes Purple cool, keep on progressing, building from what came before. Evolving. Experiencing unforseen setbacks too, for you see, like Ian Gillan has said, Purple were dangerous in their unpredictability. Hell, nobody knew when the next flare-up would occur, so there was always the feel in the band's music that they were balanced on a precipice, walking that fine line between precision and anarchy/chaos. The accompanying booklet? Its like you almost lived it. Its that dedicatedly thorough. Makes my head spin, much like Deep Purple and this exquisite set(including 24 bit remastering on many tracks,I neglected to mention). My sincerest thanks to all those involved in bringing us 'Listen Learn Read On' and especially to Ritchie Blackmore, Tommy Bolin(RIP, brother) David Coverdale, Rod Evans, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Glenn Hughes, Jon Lord(60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, and into the 21st! trully sad to see you retire from Purple, ol' buddy from afar. here's wishing you the best in your endeavours. man, you gave us your all and then some!), "little" Ian "tasty" Paice-"y", and Nick Simper, for the music.

It is not uncommon for many rock groups with a long career to release boxsets after being around for quite a while, but boxsets have often been disappointing and a waste of hard-earned cash. Why? Most boxsets tend to be highly priced, with CDs containing all the songs that an ardent fan would already have in his/her collection. However, this is DEFINITELY NOT the case for this Deep Purple boxset. Listen Learn Read On is a little piece of treasure in its own right. Unlike most boxsets that tend to compile a 'greatest hits' package, this 6-CD collection goes through every aspect of Deep Purple's career in the 1970s, from its pre-existing days (looking into the previous works of individual band members prior to joining the band), and through its evolement from MK1 to MK4. This collection not only contains rare, previously unreleased tracks but also hard-to-find live performances. Accompanying the 6 CDs is a book that serves as an excellent companion to this boxset. From lead vocalist Rod Evans to Ian Gillan to David Coverdale, from guitarist Ritchie Blackmore to Tommy Bolin, from bassist Nick Simper to Roger Glover to Glenn Hughes, and of course not forgetting our favourite organist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice, this accompanying book leaves nothing out and can arguably be described as one of the best Deep Purple autobiography ever written. Listen, learn, read on... as this boxset's title aptly described, is exactly what one should do. Buy this boxset! Trust me... you will never regret!

What we have here is a very exciting box-set, starting with pre-purple stuff, some unrealeased before, like Coverdale's first recording .The box is a journey thru DP's work, going from the very beginning to the end in 77.
People who like Mark 2 best, might appreciate more cd 2,3 and 4 featuring some classics in the original form but mostly in never-heard-before versions-BBC sessions from living wreck, hard lovin woman,child in time,bird has flown;LIVE versions of No No No,highway star,...rare stuff like RICOCHET(to become speed king), GRABSPLATTER,etc...
DP MARK 3 and 4 is also well represented with some superb versions of High Ball Shooter(instrumental), GYPSY-live,SPACE TRUCKIN'(live from the Live in London concert)and the rare CORONARIAS REDIG.
Also alternate versions of DRIFTER, Dance to the r'n'r...
This box is a treasure for purple's fans, it is NOT A COLLECTION of classics and already easily-to-find versions of DP's songs.
And I believe this what we expect from a box-set.A six-pack plus a 120 pages booklet fully illustrated.
Maybe next year we'll have the 1985-2002 box, but that's another story.

I was very pleased with how fast it arrived. And being that is out of print I am extremely grateful to have the opportunity to purchase it at a reasonable price. I am listening to it insistently and cannot put it down. Thank you again for the wonderful Service and the opportunity to obtain this amazing set of music.

I reviewed the "Shades 68-96" box set and now this one, I recommend this one more for the box set buyer who has a wild hair in his (you know where) because the "Shades" box set did not impress them enough or have enough un-released material. Well, this one has lots of rare tracks and some album tracks and some interviews. The Quad version of "Smoke On The Water"(had this on my Machine Heaqd quad vinyl album) is quite different then any other studio version available but seriously, this is just a of a step down from the "Shades" box but all the same, a excellent presentation of some fine rock n roll music which sets this apart from that box set. Anyway, get this one if your a serious "Purp" collector or if you always wanted to get a box set different from you run of the mill best of sets, this has a bit of both, anyway, buy it, you'll listen, you'll learn and read on as well ;-)

Check out my website sometime and drop by and say "Hi" Google "Judemac Forever"

Deep Purple fans got to get this one. Every cut is unreleased and sounds great. First disc goes from the first lineup with Rod Evans and ends with the final disc with the Tommy Bolin days. Each cut is unreleased and many are live that sound great!!! The book inside is excellent with great photos and a history of the development of the band with several articles on the bands members. This is the greatest box I have ever seen on a rock group. Never mind the price--its worth it. Get this one now--the best box out all time. I have been a music collector for over 35 yrs and I know what I am talking about.

It is not uncommon for many rock groups with a long career to release boxsets after being around for quite a while, but boxsets have often been disappointing and a waste of hard-earned cash. Why? Most boxsets tend to be highly priced, with CDs containing all the songs that an ardent fan would already have in his/her collection. However, this is DEFINITELY NOT the case for this Deep Purple boxset. Listen Learn Read On is a little piece of treasure in its own right. Unlike most boxsets that tend to compile a 'greatest hits' package, this 6-CD collection goes through every aspect of Deep Purple's career in the 1970s, from its pre-existing days (looking into the previous works of individual band members prior to joining the band), and through its evolement from MK1 to MK4. This collection not only contains rare, previously unreleased tracks but also hard-to-find live performances. Accompanying the 6 CDs is a book that serves as an excellent companion to this boxset. From lead vocalist Rod Evans to Ian Gillan to David Coverdale, from guitarist Ritchie Blackmore to Tommy Bolin, from bassist Nick Simper to Roger Glover to Glenn Hughes, and of course not forgetting our favourite organist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice, this accompanying book leaves nothing out and can arguably be described as one of the best Deep Purple autobiography ever written. Listen, learn, read on... as this boxset's title aptly described, is exactly what one should do. Buy this boxset! Trust me... you will never regret!

Five stars seems too a low a rating for this box set, as it is unparalleled in terms of scope and overall quality (audio and presentation). This boxset is the definitive musical statement about the majesty, sheer power, grace and musical excellence that is Deep Purple. So incredible is this box set, that only a small handful of rock artists (eg. King Crimson, Beatles) could ever hope to produce a box set close to it. Six CDs with a total playing time of 7.5 hours (74 songs!) and a beautiful 120 page booklet would be enough to blow away the vast majority of box sets, but everything about this album is well presented in terms of audio quality and literature. The bottom line is that this is the ultimate rock box set and only the late great Miles Davis could produce such an awe inspiring document of musical vision. Listen, Learn, Read On puts Deep Purple where they belong: On top of the Rock Pantheon as a musical giant.