4.

Deep Purple – Made In Japan

I wasn’t a fan of live records until I heard this because they always lacked something. But the energy on this record was stunning and the clarity and depth of the recording, the looseness of it, the songs they chose and the whole live atmosphere made it wonderful. Not just that, Richie Blackmore was a giant. I resonated more with Page and Brian May at the time because they had a unique style whereas Richie was just this amazing guitar player. He could take a strat and just play it, and his vibrato, his bending and his chops meant that he was as good as any of those guys. But you can’t compare let’s say the guitar playing on ‘The Battle Of Evermore’ with ‘ Whole Lotta Love’ or ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’ with ‘Tangerine’, but with Richie Blackmore it was one thing: great rock guitar playing.