Listen, Learn, Read On

Release and reception

Dave Thompson of AllMusic writes

Amid the ever-growing tide of Deep Purple box sets (this was at least their eighth in nine years), Listen Learn Read On stands alone, not only as the ultimate round-up of the band's greatest moments, but also as the answer to more collectors' dreams than most collectors were even aware they'd had. You want Deep Purple's long-legendary, but forever unavailable BBC sessions? They're here. You want the killer live encores that other albums omitted? They're here. You want a solid introduction to the band members' pre-Purple passages? They're here. And, of course, you want the hits.

This monster set is certainly the most luxurious collection on the band ever issued, and was twice runner up in 'best box set' category in Record Collector's annual poll.

Track listing

All songs written by Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice except where indicated.

Disc one: Pre Purple and Mk 1

1. "Keep a Knockin'" (Penniman) 2:34
2. The Outlaws [feat. Ritchie Blackmore]
3. "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You" (Roger Lewis) 3:28
4. M.I. Five [feat. Rod Evans, Ian Paice]'
5. "Only Time Will Tell" (Lewis) 2:11
6. M.I. Five [feat. Evans, Paice]
7. "Send For that Girl" (Rowland Barter) 2:42
8. Johnny Kidd & the Pirates [feat. Nick Simper]
9. "Porcupine Juice" (Gus Dudgeon/Lord) 3:13
10. Santa Barbara Machine Head [feat. Jon Lord]
11. "I Can See Through You" (Roger Glover) 3:23
12. Episode Six [feat. Ian Gillan, Roger Glover]
13. "Mr. Universe" (Hal David/Gillan) 4:17
14. Episode Six [feat. Gillan, Glover]
15. "Medusa" (Hughes) 5:40
16. Trapeze [feat. Glenn Hughes]
17. "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" (Robert Lamm) 3:17
18. The Government [feat. David Coverdale]
19. "See My People Come Together" (Bolin) 6:07
20. Zephyr [feat. Tommy Bolin]
21. "Hush" (South) 4:13
22. "Help" (Lennon–McCartney) 6:00
23. "Shield" (Lord/Blackmore/Evans) 6:01
24. "Listen, Learn, Read On" (Blackmore/Lord/Evans/Paice) 4:00
25. "Kentucky Woman" (Neil Diamond) 4:41
26. "Playground" (Blackmore/Lord/Simper/Paice) 4:31 (The Book of Taliesyn out-take)
27. "Emmaretta" (Blackmore/Lord/Evans) 2:58 (single A-side)
28. "The Bird Has Flown" (Blackmore/Lord/Evans) 2:51 (US single B-side)

Disc two: Mk 1 and Mk 2

1. "Why Didn't Rosemary?" (Blackmore/Lord/Evans/Simper/Paice) 5:02
2. "Hallelujah" (Greenaway/Cook) 3:40 (single A-side)
3. "Ricochet" 3:04 (BBC session Aug 11 1969)
4. "The Bird Has Flown" (Blackmore/Lord/Evans) 3:03 (BBC session)
5. "Hush" (South) 4:16 (Live, Royal Albert Hall, 24 Sep 1969)
6. "Concerto Third Movement reprise" (Lord) 5:36 (Live, Royal Albert Hall)
7. "Wring That Neck" (Lord/Blackmore/Simper/Paice) 20:43 (Live, Montreux Casino, Oct 4 1969)
8. "Jam Stew" 3:54 (BBC session Oct 31, 1969)
9. "Speed King" 3:23 (BBC session)
10. "Cry Free" 3:08 (Deep Purple in Rock out-take)
11. "Hard Lovin' Man" 4:12 (BBC session Apr 21 1970)
12. "Bloodsucker" 3:14 (BBC session)
13. "Living Wreck" 2:58 (BBC session)
14. "Studio Chat / Jam" 0:40
15. "Flight of the Rat" 7:53 (95 remix)

Disc three: Mk 2

1. "Mandrake Root" (Blackmore/Evans) 30:02 (Live, Stockholm, Nov 12, 1970)
2. "Grabsplatter" 4:30 (BBC session Sep 23 1970)
3. "Child in Time" 10:47 (BBC session)
4. "Jon Lord Interview" 1:35
5. "Black Night" 3:28 (BBC session)
6. "Into the Fire" 3:48 (BBC session)
7. "Fools" 5:19
8. "Fireball" 3:23
9. "No One Came" 6:24
10. "Demon's Eye" 6:08 (96 remix)

Disc four: Mk 2 and Mk 3

1. "No No No" 7:16 (Live, Beat Club, German TV Sep 1971)
2. "Highway Star" 6:08 (Live, Beat Club)
3. "Smoke on the Water" 5:49 (Quad Mix UK 1974)
4. "Never Before" 4:01 (Quad Mix)
5. "When a Blind Man Cries" 3:27 (97 remix)
6. "Strange Kind of Woman" 8:44 (BBC in Concert, Paris Theatre Mar 9 1972)
7. "Lazy" 11:13 (Live, Tokyo, Aug 17 1972)
8. "Black Night" 5:47 (Live, Osaka, Aug 16 1972)
9. "Woman from Tokyo" 6:24 (99 remix)
10. "Smooth Dancer" 4:08
11. "Mary Long" 4:26 (99 remix)
12. "Burn" (Blackmore/Lord/Paice/Coverdale) 6:00
13. "Might Just Take Your Life" (Blackmore/Lord/Paice/Coverdale) 4:36

Disc five: Mk 3

1. "Sail Away" (Blackmore/Coverdale) 5:47
2. "Coronarias Redig" (Blackmore/Lord/Paice) 4:52 (single B-side)
3. "You Fool No One" (Blackmore/Lord/Paice/Coverdale) 18:58 (Live, Ontario Speedway, Apr 6 1974)
4. "Mistreated" (Blackmore/Coverdale) 12:02 (Live, San Diego Sports Arena, Apr 9 1974)
5. "Space Truckin'" 29:52 (Live, Kilburn Gaumont, May 22, 1974)

Disc six: Mk 3 and Mk 4

1. "Stormbringer" (Blackmore/Coverdale) 4:04 (Quad Mix)
2. "Soldier of Fortune" (Blackmore/Coverdale) 3:14 (Quad Mix)
3. "Hold On" (Coverdale/Hughes/Lord/Paice) 5:08 (Quad Mix)
4. "High Ball Shooter" (Blackmore/Coverdale/Hughes/Lord/Paice) 4:30 (Instrumental mix)
5. "The Gypsy" (Blackmore/Coverdale/Hughes/Lord/Paice) 5:43 (Live, Paris Palais des Sports, Apr 7 1975)
6. "Drifter" (Bolin/Coverdale) 3:58 (California live rehearsal, June 1975)
7. "Dance to the Rock 'n' Roll" (Bolin/Coverdale/Hughes/Lord/Paice) 10:59 (California live rehearsal, Jam)
8. "This Time Around/Owed to 'G'" (Hughes/Lord; Bolin) 6:06
9. "Love Child" (Bolin/Coverdale) 3:03
10. "Wild Dogs" (Bolin/Tesar) 5:54 (Live, Tokyo Budokan, Dec 15 1975)
11. "Lady Luck" (Cook/Coverdale) 3:24 (Live, Long Beach Arena, Feb 27 1976)
12. "Gettin' Tighter" (Bolin/Hughes) 13:18 (Live, Long Beach Arena)
13. "You Keep on Moving" (Coverdale/Hughes) 5:18

Personnel