DEEP PURPLE

Following two fairly boring psychedelic rock albums, I figured the early Deep Purple era just wasn't for me. Maybe a bit "before my time", but I found 'Shades of Deep Purple' and 'The Book of Taliesyn' to be pretty uninteresting. So, whilst going through the bands discography, I set about the arduous task of having 'Deep Purple' in my playlist, ready for multiple listens throughout a number of weeks. Much to my surprise however, I actually enjoyed it!

Released in 1969, this was Purple's third album in barely the span of a year. An impressive feat, especially by today's standards! But with little time between releases, I didn't have much hope for this one. But something about it just resonates with me. It's not much different from its predecessors, but the song-writing just seems a bit more focused. It feels as if the British five-piece are leaving the 60's psych music behind and shifting towards a more progressive rock- based sound. This is especially evident on the 12-minute track, 'April'.

And of course, it works! The interplay between guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and keyboardist Jon Lord is really starting to shine here. And while past albums were half-full with covers, 'Deep Purple' only features one cover song. I'd imagine after a year of recording and touring, the members here were becoming more comfortable with their own writing, or perhaps by this point they'd made a name for themselves, enabling them to rely more on their own compositions rather than using others.

Notable tracks include 'Blind', 'Chasing Shadows', 'Bird Has Flown', 'Why Didn't Rosemary' and bonus track 'Emmaretta', but in all honesty, the whole album is pretty easy and pleasant to listen to from start to finish. And while everyone and their dog knows that better things are to come, 'Deep Purple' is no-doubt an early indication of what the hard rock and heavy metal pioneers are capable of.