THE BOOK OF TALIESYN

Let's see what we've got here, track-by track:

Listen, Learn, Read On: Very nice rocker with psychedelic elements, close to the Arthur Brown style. Ian Paice's drums are spectacular, and by far the best element of the song.

Wring That Neck: A Deep Purple instrumental classic, with unforgettable work by Jon Lord on keyboards. The first song in the Purple history that showcases the magnificence of Jon Lord. Richie Blackmore sounds great too, but Lord wins the "duel".

Kentucky Woman: Nice Brit pop song, fun but not something significant for my taste. Yet, another great performance by Lord.

Exposition; We Can Work It Out (The Beatles): Pomp introduction with army-like drums, and many elements that we would encounter on Highway Star two years later. At the 3:00 mark they begin The Beatles cover, which is not one of the best they ever did, but it's a respectable song for sure, and prog-ish too.

The Shield: The most psychedelic song of the album, if someone told me it was a Sid Barrett song I would believe him. Not a fan of psychedelic music though, so not a a fan of this one.

Anthem: Bittersweet ballad, in the pop style of that era. And suddenly... violins and medieval keyboards, out of nowhere! What a twist! Afterwards, a guitar solo and back at the mainstream form. Very unpredictable song, a really nice one!

River Deep, Mountain High (Ike & Tina Turner): Intro that begins with an "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (J. Straus) improvisation and continues in psychedelic forms, with the first vocals at around the 4:30 mark. Here, they play a brit pop-rock cover of the Ike & Tina Turner song, with the intro elements reappearing here and there. Very good song overall, not boring even though it's over 10 minutes long. Richie Blackmore's guitar has seen better days though, lower than his own level here.

RATING: A bit weaker than their debut, but with some great moments too. The massive potential they had finds another way to show it's self, and we are only two albums away from the first big bang. 3 stars.

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