The Book of Taliesyn

The Book of Taliesyn expands the blues-and-psychedelia mixture of the debut into longer forms and a more dreamlike atmosphere. Jon Lord layers classical decoration and weighty chords through the record, while Ritchie Blackmore’s guitar cuts sharply across the changing sections and raises the tension. Rod Evans does not force the music toward aggression; instead, his voice carries much of its mystery and shadow. The instrumental movement of “Wring That Neck,” the broad structure of “Anthem,” and the dramatic reinvention of “River Deep, Mountain High” show that the first lineup was never confined to straightforward pop-rock. The band brings its own sound and improvisational instinct to covers as well as originals. Its changing temperatures and extended developments offer a very different attraction from the more direct hard rock that would follow. Classical gesture, blues feeling, and psychedelic color meet while Deep Purple searches for an individuality that has not yet been given a name. More than polished finality, the pleasure is in the freedom to open one musical door after another. With each listen, the keyboards, guitar, and rhythm section reveal a different point of contact. It is one of the clearest early records of the group’s exploratory spirit.