Genre: rock
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title:  Mark I & II
Company: EMI Electrola / Purple
Catalog: C 188-94 865/66
Year: 1973
Country/State: Hertford, UK
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: double LP; gatefold sleeve; German pressing
Available: 1
Catalog ID: 6150
Price: $25.00

Unless you're a hardcore Deep Purple fan, in which case you already own all of their original studio albums, 1973's "Mark I & II" is the place for a casual fan to start. A double album, 16 track compilation, this one collected the cream of the band's 1968-1972 catalog. Without wasting everyone's time by going on and on about there well known tracks, four of the songs came from the band's 1969 debut "Shades of Deep Purple". Three came from 1970's "Deep Purple". Two tracks were pulled from 1970's "Deep Purple In Rock". That left one track each from "Book of the Taliesyn", "Fireball", "Machine Head", "Who Do We Think We Are", and "Made In Japan". The collection was rounded out by a couple of Purple obscurities:

- The 1970 single 'Black Night'
- The 1972 'B' side 'When a Blind Man Cries'

Elsewhere, Jens Larsen's extensive liner notes were interesting and you could read them in English and German ...
"Mark I & II" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Hush (Joe South) - 4:22
2.) Mandrake Root (Ritchie Blackmore - Rod Evans - Jon Lord) - 6:03
3.) Why Didn't Rosemary? (Ritchie Blackmore - Rod Evans - Ian Paice- Nick Simper - Jon Lord) - 4:56
4.) Hey Joe (Billy Roberts) - 7:21
(side 2)
1.) Wring That Neck (instrumental) (Ritchie Blackmore - Jon Lord - Nick Simper - Ian Paice) - 5:09
2.) Emmaretta (Ritchie Blackmore - Rod Evans - Jon Lord) - 2:58
3.) Help (John Lenon - Paul McCartney) - 5:54
4.) Chasing Shadows (Ian Paice - Jon Lord) - 5:31

(side 3)
1.) Black Night (Ritchie Blackmore- Ian Gillan - Roger Glover - Jon Lord - Ian Paice) - 3:24
2.) Speed King (Ritchie Blackmore- Ian Gillan - Roger Glover - Jon Lord - Ian Paice) - 5:49
3.) Strange Kind Of Woman (Ritchie Blackmore- Ian Gillan - Roger Glover - Jon Lord - Ian Paice) - 4:00
4.) Into The Fire (Ritchie Blackmore- Ian Gillan - Roger Glover - Jon Lord - Ian Paice) - 3:29
5.) When A Blind Man Cries (Ritchie Blackmore- Ian Gillan - Roger Glover - Jon Lord - Ian Paice) - 3:29
(side 4)
1.) Smoke On The Water (Ritchie Blackmore- Ian Gillan - Roger Glover - Jon Lord - Ian Paice) - 5:37
2.) Woman From Tokyo (Ritchie Blackmore- Ian Gillan - Roger Glover - Jon Lord - Ian Paice) - 5:47
3.) Highway Star (live) (Ritchie Blackmore- Ian Gillan - Roger Glover - Jon Lord - Ian Paice) - 6:46