“The Book of Taliesyn” is the second studio album by the
English rock band Deep Purple, recorded only three months after “Shades of Deep
Purple” and released by Tetragrammaton Records in October 1968, just before
their first US tour. The name for the album was taken from the 14th-century
Book of Taliesin.
The structure of the album is similar to that of their first, with four
original songs and three rearranged covers, although the tracks are longer, the
arrangements more complex and the sound more polished than on “Shades of Deep
Purple.” The music style is a mix of psychedelic rock, progressive rock and
hard rock, with several inserts of classical music arranged by the band's
keyboard player Jon Lord.
Deep Purple's American record label aimed for a hippie audience, which was very
influential in the US at the time, but the chart results of the album and
singles were not as high as expected. This setback did not hinder the success
of the three-month US tour, when the band played in many important venues and
festivals and received positive feedback from audiences and the press. Deep
Purple were still an underground band which played in small clubs and colleges
in the United Kingdom, largely ignored by the media and the public. The British
record company EMI did not release “The Book of Taliesyn” until June 1969, on
the new underground prog rock sub-label Harvest Records, and the album did not
chart. Even the release of the new single "Emmaretta" and new dates
in the UK in summer 1969 did not increase album sales or the popularity of Deep
Purple in the UK. Perception of the album has changed in later years and it has
been reviewed more favourably.
“The Book of Taliesyn” este al doilea album de studio al
trupei engleze de rock Deep Purple, inregistrat la numai 3 luni dupa primul
album “Shades of Deep Purple” si lansat de catre Tetragrammaton Records in
octombrie 1968, chiar inaintea primului lor turneu american. Numele albumului a
fost luat dupa o carte din sec. al XIV-lea Book of Taliesin.
Structura albumului e similara cu a primului album, cu patru piese originale si
trei preluari rearanjate, cu toate ca piesele sunt mai lungi, aranjamentele mai
complexe si sunetul mai slefuit decat pe “Shades of Deep Purple”. Sunetul musical
e un amestec de rock psihedelic cu rock progresiv si cu hard rock, cu cateva
insertii de muzica clasica aranjate de catre claparul Jon Lord.
Casa de discuri Americana vizata de Deep Puple a fost una cu audienta la
publicul hippie, care era foarte influent in Statele Unite la acel moment, dar
rezultatele clasamentelor pentru album si single-uri nu au fost cele scontate.
Acest regres nu a impiedicat succesul turneului de 3 luni, trupa cantand in
locuri importante si la festivaluri si a primit pareri positive de la public si
presa. Deep Purple era inca o trupa ascunsa, cantand in cluburi mici si colegii
in Marea Britanie, destul de ignorata de catre presa si public. Compania
britanica de inregistrari EMI nu a lansat albumul pana in iunie 1969, prin noua
sa subcompanie de rock progresiv Harvest Records, putin cunoscuta atunci, si
albumul nu a intrat in clasamente. Chiar lansarea noului single “Emmaretta”si
noile date in Marea Britanie din vara lui 1969 nu au dus la cresterea
vanzarilor albumului sau a popularitatii britanice pentru Deep Purple.
Perceptia despre album s-a schimbat in anii urmatori si a primit critici tot
mai favorabile.
List of tracks
Side 1
1."Listen, Learn, Read On" Ritchie Blackmore, Rod Evans, Jon Lord,
Ian
Paice 4:05
2."Wring That Neck" (instrumental, titled
"Hard Road" in the USA) Blackmore,
Nick Simper,
Lord, Paice 5:13
3."Kentucky Woman" (Neil Diamond cover) Neil Diamond 4:44
4."(a) Exposition"
"(b) We Can
Work It Out" (The Beatles cover) Blackmore,
Simper, Lord,
Paice, John
Lennon, Paul McCartney 7:06
Side 2
5."Shield" Blackmore,
Evans, Lord 6:06
6."Anthem" Lord,
Evans
6:31
7."River Deep, Mountain High" (Ike & Tina
Turner cover) Jeff Barry, Ellie
Greenwich, Phil
Spector 10:12
Personnel
Deep Purple
Rod Evans – lead vocals
Ritchie Blackmore – guitar
Jon Lord – Hammond organ, keyboards, backing vocals,
strings arrangement on "Anthem"
Nick Simper – bass, backing vocals
Ian Paice – drums
Production
Derek Lawrence – producer, mixing
Barry Ainsworth – engineer
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