Deep Purple Album: “Book of Taliesyn”

As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various recordings from the 60's and 70's.

"The Book of Taliesyn" brought Deep Purple closer to the appearance of the famed and great "Mark II" line-up. Ian Gillan and Roger Glover would raise the bar even higher. Before they become part of the fold, there is the tremendous second album and the self-titled third.

"Listen, Learn, Read On" leads off the second Purple release. Possibly, by design the record starts with the shortest tune and ends with their epic cover of a Motown classic. "Listen, Learn, Read On" Features a terrific and varied vocal by Rod Evans along with a perfect guitar solo by Blackmore. Ritchie already is finding his way and it isn't only the ability to excel with his leads and fills but the perfect tone to coincide with the song.

"Hard Road" also known as "Wring That Neck" is the perfect instrumental. Blackmore is tasty with a timeless riff supported by Ian Paice's drumming and Jon Lord's in your face but not over the top keyboards.

"Kentucky Woman" is a wonderful cover to the Neil Diamond hit. Purple does a well-rounded interpretation and deserves credit for not only pulling off a well-respected interpretation but also being open-minded in their selection of non-group recordings.

"Exposition"/"We Can Work It Out" gives us two for the price of one. Starting with their own composition of high energy- merging into a slower cover of the Beatles legendary song. This is the second Beatles selection ("Help" was recorded on the first LP) they pulled off well.

"The Shield" one of the best efforts from the Purple "Mark I" line-up is also contains a superlative singing job by Rod Evans. The lyrics are intense and the clarity and conviction only further engrave them in your mind.

"Anthem" with a mid-evil keyboard sound and a Blackmore guitar that enhances the dark mood is the most overlooked composition on the record but not any lesser.

"River Deep Mountain High" has been interpreted by performers from all musical avenues. The tune partially written by record producer Phil Spector has been enjoyed not only by Motown fans (Four Tops, Supremes, and Ike & Tina Turner) but also by those having purchased records by the Animals, Harry Nilsson, and Bob Seger. Deep Purple's ten minute journey is the most adventurous of all the renditions. It could have been easily too long if they were anything less. With the Blackmore/Lord combination, it takes on a life of its own. Never is there a passage you call superfluous. A climatic ending to a great production.

Make sure to please get the remastered version with the five bonus tracks lead by "Playground." Between Blackmore's aggression, Lord's perfect keyboard, and some terrific nuances by Ian Paice it is a must listen!

Enjoy the music and be well,

Craig Fenton

Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"

These EMI remasters (the three Mark I recordings) are all fantastic. BUY! Rod Evans was seriously under-rated on vocals. Apparently he didn't have the vocal power necessary when Deep Purple went out on the concert trail. In the studio he was memorable. Ritchie picks up the guitar, missing on much of the Shades of Deep Purple debut. Songs are top-notch: Shield, Kentucky woman, Wring That Neck, River Deep/Mountain High are great. Jon Lord is masterful. The remastering is superb.

Back in 1969 a friend at college turned me on to Deep Purple, and 'Book of Taliesyn' was the album. I was a budding bass player, and fell in love instantly. The songs range from good to great, and their cover of Neil Diamond's 'Kentucky Woman' is as perfect as rock and roll gets. In the late '70s it was common for a fan to ask another "Ian Gillan or David Coverdale"? My answer was always "Rod Evans!"

For me this will always be the best Deep Purple lineup, but of course that's because it was my introduction to the band and my favorite songs they ever made, and your first is always the one you remember.

Bottom line: you can do worse than to own this album, especially this version with good mastering and bonus tracks.

PURPLES 2ND ALBUM IS GREAT WITH THE CLASSICAL AND JAZZ INFLUENCE IT DISPLAYS TALENT AND IT HAS THE SONGS KENTUCKEY WOMAN LISEN LEARN READ ON AND ANTHEM ITS FABOULOUS

Not much can be added to the other good reviews here, so I won't elaborate much on them. I concur with them that Anthem and the other original compositions are the standouts, but the covers are notable also, especially the incredible arrangement on River Deep, Mountain High.

Book of Taliesyn is simply a must-have for all followers of Prog Rock, but not so much for fans of later Deep Purple ("Mk II"). Hard Rock buffs may have a little problem getting into the refined vocals and much more thoughtful and complex compositions on tBoT.

I followed Deep Purple closely for their first several albums, up through "In Rock" where they veered of into the less creative but more commercially successful genre of hard/metal rock. [I feel the track "Child in Time" from that album was their swan song to Prog Rock, and a superb one too.]

I had cherished my English imports of their first four LPs, and was very frustrated that they were not released on CD in the US (until recently). I was shocked and delighted to find them on CD in 1996 in a hardware store in Istanbul, Turkey(!)