10 Legendary Hard Rock Bands That Have Terrible Debut Albums

Although Deep Purple may not have invented the concept of hard rock, there may be a case for them being one of the godfathers. As far as the live stage was concerned, the classic lineup of this band took no prisoners, with every single improvisation and subtle note fluctuation being pushed to their fullest potential whenever they took the stage. However, note how that last sentence said classic lineup.

Yeah, instead of the band behind such songs Smoke on the Water, Shades of Deep Purple was a far different beast than what Purple would be known for later. Originally having Nick Simper and Rod Evans in tow, most of this record falls more in the jam band category, almost like you're listening to a refined version of Vanilla Fudge or the more rocking moments of the Grateful Dead. Though some tracks like their take on the song Hush are fine for what they are, it all sounds crazy dated compared to what would happen later.

Noticing the similarities with other bands of their ilk, Purple reinvented themselves just a few years later with Ian GIllan and Roger Glover, bringing with them a pristine edginess that was more reminiscent of Led Zeppelin. After clearing the air, now the playing field was a lot more accessible for them to get weird.