Description

Exclusive 2015 Record Store Day release on white vinyl with gatefold cover. Mono edition. Limited 750 copies

The Book Of Taliesyn is the second album by Deep Purple, originally released in 1969. The album follows the psychedelic-pop sound of Shades Of Deep Purple; however, there is a harder edge to several songs, beginning to show the new sound Deep Purple would introduce in 1970 with Deep Purple In Rock. This early version of Deep Purple, which featured vocalist Rod Evans, and bassist Nick Simper, along with mainstays Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, and Ian Paice. The Neil Diamond cover Kentucky Woman, went Top 40 for Deep Purple. Also like Vanilla Fudge, the group’s own originals were creative, thought-provoking, but not nearly as interesting as their take on cover tunes. Vanilla Fudge did Eleanor Rigby, and Deep Purple respond by going inside We Can Work It Out it falls out of nowhere after the progressive rock jam Exposition, Ritchie Blackmore’s leads zipping in between Rod Evans smooth and precise vocals. As Vanilla Fudge was progressively leaning more towards psychedelia, here Deep Purple are the opposite. The boys claim to be inspired by the Bard of King Arthur’s court in Camelot, Taliesyn. John Vernon Lord, under the art direction of Les Weisbrich, paints a superb wonderland on the album jacket, equal to the madness of Hieronymous Bosch’s cover painting used for the third album. Originals The Shield and Anthem make early Syd Barrett Pink Floyd appear punk in comparison. Novel sounds are aided by Lord’s dominating keyboards, a signature of this group. Though The Anthem is more intriguing than the heavy metal thunder of Machine Head, it is overwhelmed by the majesty of their River Deep, Mountain High cover, definitely not the inspiration for the Supremes and Four Tops 1971 hit version. The evolution from progressive to hard rock was complete in 1972, but a combination of what they did here, words that mattered matched by innovative musical passages, would have been a more pleasing combination. Rod Evans voice was subtle enough to take River Deep, Mountain High to places Ian Gillam might have demolished.

Track listing:
1. Listen, Learn, Read On
2. Wring That Neck
3. Kentucky Woman
4 a. Exposition
4 b. We Can Work It Out
5. Shield
6. Anthem
7. River Deep Mountain High