Tony Thompson

This is hands down, with maybe DP's Machine Head slightly a head or behind depending on taste, the best Ritchie Blackmore album. This is definitely at the height of his technical mastery. Add Cozy Powell and Dio? - How could that not be great! This, along with Deep Purple's Burn, changed the direction and further refined the hair band sound that was coming. This album inspired that entire sound on multiple levels but in many ways was far superior to what was to come. This was not only great music, but it may have had one of the best rock album covers of all time. That's real art on the front of the album folks! Picking up Dio who had been warming up for Deep Purple with Elf was a master stroke. How does one man find two of the best heavy metal singers of all time one after the other - David Coverdale and then Dio? Understanding the power Cozy Powell had on Jeff's Becks best albums and hearing how that would work with a band like this? - I mean Oozy is really a groovy Jazz Fusion drummer. That's what makes this album special - it does groove. At this time period, Ritchie was a magnet for the best musicians - this was his ultimate all star band with their best work.