Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

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HEAVY!! But who's heavier?

The Sabs
11
61%
The Purple
3
17%
Some other chancers
2
11%
Footy
2
11%
 
Total votes: 18

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LMG
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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby LMG » 23 Feb 2020, 12:38

I was engaged in a discussion on the relative merits of Led Zeppelin, Purple, and Sabbath over on the Hoffman forums. But the moderators wiped the entire thread, as is their weird Illuminati wont.

Anyway, here is my post over there. If I disappear unheard of or am extradited to California, please get this message to Julian Assange:

Led Zep first.

Sabbath/Purple tied for second and pushing for the top spot.

Zeppelin - been a fan for 45 years (!) - one of my early loves, no question, no doubts.

Purple - been a fan for 27 years, kicking myself I missed great Mark 2 and Mark 3 shows I could have easily attended before I got woke. Purple have the history, the line-ups, the rich tapestry of spinoff bands and the Purple Family. And they are the only one of the three to have a classic live album released in their prime.

But the Deep Purple studio albums, while terrific, are a notch below the best of the other two. If listening to one of the classic albums with a non-fan, if they say 'Wow! did they do a whole bunch of albums like this?' the answer is 'not really'.

Sabbath - Been a fan for 23 year, the only one of the three I have seen the classic line-up live. The first six albums are just a treasure trove, it is still unbelievable how great they are, how influential, how playable. Points for longevity and worthy related solo careers from Ozzy, Dio, and Geezer.

But the Black Sabbath live recordings catalogue is the least impressive of the three - a real shame since the show I saw soon after becoming a fan was tremendous, the bootleg of it I have a delight. And there is a sharp contrast to the first six albums and the rest of their studio catalogue (which struggles to throw up one truly great album). Whereas if someone were to say one of their first six was their favourite album of all time, I would nod in understanding, and have done on many occasions.

Thinking about it, I've probably walked Zeppelin when I should be more critical. But they are Zeppelin, I bought my first record when it came out and I was fifteen years old - memories of Circus magazine posters, going to the multiplex to see The Song Remains The Same, listening to 'In The Light' and 'Stairway To Heaven' late at night by candlelight, endless debates over what The Object from Presence is with my friends.

It's like asking me to rank Lost in Space - is the best by Irwin Allen on tv on Wednesday nights in the 60s, the feature-length movie from 1998, or the 21st century Netflix series? I know the correct order in my head, but my heart says different.
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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby The Slider » 23 Feb 2020, 13:25

Do the Hoffmen ever actually talk about music?
I thought they only talked about recordings and whether one or other is brickwalled and whether the original CD mastering could ever touch Steve's
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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby C » 23 Feb 2020, 15:40

LMG wrote: The first six albums are just a treasure trove, it is still unbelievable how great they are, how influential, how playable. Points for longevity and worthy related solo careers from Ozzy, Dio, and Geezer.


That's the clincher for me Chris.

I love two of the three Dio Sabbs albums too

I am still hoping that one day a decent live album of MkII will be released - I can't see why not.

I'll take the 1970 gig I saw at London's Lyceum: Jethro Tull, Ten Years After and Black Sabbath - that was a great gig and all for 10/- [ten shillings/50 pence] [and a half hour chat with Phil Lynott]

Deep Purple's albums were very patchy with the exception of Deep Purple, In Rock and Machine Head [possibly Burn]

Led Zeppelin lost me after Houses of the Holy - I've never heard In Through the Outdoor or Coda. Physical Graffiti contains some dross

LZI to LZIV are corkers.

And they have the live 2CD BBC Sessions on which, second CD, yours truly can be heard shouting 'robust!'.....


Black Sabbath






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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby The Slider » 23 Feb 2020, 18:26

Carlsson wrote:I am still hoping that one day a decent live album of MkII will be released - I can't see why not.


You can't have a better record than the performance it presents
The Dio years were great - in the studio.
The trouble is that when they went on the road they would insist on not only playing those songs - and they played them magnificently - but they would also have Dio sing a goodly handful of songs from the first three albums too. And no one but Ozzy should ever be singing those songs.
I love Dio but not singing other people's songs.

Live Evil is not a good record. Not in any way shape or form.
BUT -this one from the shows over new years 1982 is much fucking better
It still suffers from the Ozzy era songs but its crisper and less fucked about with
It is missing a couple of great Dio era songs (Sign of the Southern Cross for one) that are on Live Evil but it has some others (Slipping Away etc) that weren't

Exhibit A:

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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby The Slider » 23 Feb 2020, 18:31

The Slider wrote:
Carlsson wrote:I am still hoping that one day a decent live album of MkII will be released - I can't see why not.


You can't have a better record than the performance it presents
The Dio years were great - in the studio.
The trouble is that when they went on the road they would insist on not only playing those songs - and they played them magnificently - but they would also have Dio sing a goodly handful of songs from the first three albums too. And no one but Ozzy should ever be singing those songs.
I love Dio but not singing other people's songs.

Live Evil is not a good record. Not in any way shape or form.
BUT -this one from the shows over new years 1982 is much fucking better
It still suffers from the Ozzy era songs but its crisper and less fucked about with
It is missing a couple of great Dio era songs (Sign of the Southern Cross for one) that are on Live Evil but it has some others (Slipping Away etc) that weren't

Exhibit A:



(yours truly can be heard shouting "derivative claptrap" at the end of Children of the Grave)
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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby C » 23 Feb 2020, 20:24

The Slider wrote:(yours truly can be heard shouting "derivative claptrap" at the end of Children of the Grave)


:lol:

Good lad

Yes, good lad





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Lord Rother wrote:And there was me thinking you'd say "Fair enough, you have a point Bob".

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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby C » 05 Mar 2020, 23:07

I love the Dio Sabbath albums





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Lord Rother wrote:And there was me thinking you'd say "Fair enough, you have a point Bob".

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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby toomanyhatz » 03 Dec 2020, 06:18

I don't remember starting this thread! Interesting responses.
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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby C » 05 Dec 2020, 16:02

I would have like to have thrown Budgie in there regarding heaviness....




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Lord Rother wrote:And there was me thinking you'd say "Fair enough, you have a point Bob".

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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby pcqgod » 12 Dec 2020, 22:50

It's hard for me to think of these two bands in a head-to-head context because for me they are just too different. Both were amazing at what they did.
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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby C » 14 Dec 2020, 11:58

pcqgod wrote:It's hard for me to think of these two bands in a head-to-head context because for me they are just too different. Both were amazing at what they did.


That's a very fair point

But my contributions voting for Sabbath are about their consistency

To my ears Purple, as much as I loved them, have three consistent albums: Deep Purple, In Rock and Machine Head the rest have some clunkers!

Sabbath on then other hand have at least nine - the first 6 plus Heaven & Hell, Mob Rules, Dehumanizer and possibly 13. Not always 100% consistent but minus real clunkers

Purple made better live albums....





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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby soundchaser » 14 Dec 2020, 12:19

Flower wrote:In this "color war" .. Black Sabbath gets my vote for being heavier but all in all, I'd rather listen to Deep Purple.


If it’s a colour war, I’d have to go Pink.

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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby C » 14 Dec 2020, 15:36

soundchaser wrote:If it’s a colour war, I’d have to go Pink.


Frijid Pink....?




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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby soundchaser » 14 Dec 2020, 17:18

C wrote:
soundchaser wrote:If it’s a colour war, I’d have to go Pink.


Frijid Pink....?

.


...nooo. And not Fairies either. But just which one is Pink?

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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby pcqgod » 14 Dec 2020, 19:06

C wrote:
pcqgod wrote:It's hard for me to think of these two bands in a head-to-head context because for me they are just too different. Both were amazing at what they did.


That's a very fair point

But my contributions voting for Sabbath are about their consistency

To my ears Purple, as much as I loved them, have three consistent albums: Deep Purple, In Rock and Machine Head the rest have some clunkers!

Sabbath on then other hand have at least nine - the first 6 plus Heaven & Hell, Mob Rules, Dehumanizer and possibly 13. Not always 100% consistent but minus real clunkers

Purple made better live albums....





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If we're just judging by consistency, I would agree that Sabbath has the edge, though probably a closer call in my book. If I were judging by more more intangible criteria, like how the music affects me, it's more difficult. Sabbath never recorded a song that thrills me as much as "Highway Star" but then Purple never recorded a song that is as emotionally cathartic to me as "Wheel of Confusion."
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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby C » 15 Dec 2020, 10:21

pcqgod wrote: If I were judging by more more intangible criteria, like how the music affects me, it's more difficult. Sabbath never recorded a song that thrills me as much as "Highway Star" but then Purple never recorded a song that is as emotionally cathartic to me as "Wheel of Confusion."


Another really good point, well made.

Yes, Purple made some really exciting stuff and on that criteria you may be correct.I am trying tom think of an obvious 'exciting' track to match Highway Star. .... Fairies Wear Boots?

Ok then, killer riffs- that's gotta be the Sabs....?





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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby pcqgod » 15 Dec 2020, 16:09

C wrote:
pcqgod wrote: If I were judging by more more intangible criteria, like how the music affects me, it's more difficult. Sabbath never recorded a song that thrills me as much as "Highway Star" but then Purple never recorded a song that is as emotionally cathartic to me as "Wheel of Confusion."


Another really good point, well made.

Yes, Purple made some really exciting stuff and on that criteria you may be correct.I am trying tom think of an obvious 'exciting' track to match Highway Star. .... Fairies Wear Boots?

Ok then, killer riffs- that's gotta be the Sabs....?





:lol:


Yeah, though Purple were no slouches in that category either.
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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby Minnie the Minx » 15 Dec 2020, 16:22

Sabbath ffs
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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby Diamond Dog » 15 Dec 2020, 19:00

C wrote:
pcqgod wrote: If I were judging by more more intangible criteria, like how the music affects me, it's more difficult. Sabbath never recorded a song that thrills me as much as "Highway Star" but then Purple never recorded a song that is as emotionally cathartic to me as "Wheel of Confusion."


Another really good point, well made.

Yes, Purple made some really exciting stuff and on that criteria you may be correct.I am trying tom think of an obvious 'exciting' track to match Highway Star. .... Fairies Wear Boots?

Ok then, killer riffs- that's gotta be the Sabs....?





:lol:


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Re: Deep Purple vs. Black Sabbath

Postby Diamond Dog » 15 Dec 2020, 19:35

And did Purple ever do anything quite as vicious and dirty as "The Writ"?
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