SHADES OF DEEP PURPLE

1. "And the Address" (4:38) an instrumental jam in which the band shows off its musicianship and stylistic preferences, here within a heavy rock chord progression. The sound engineering (recording clarity) is weak yet the instruments can be heard and distinguished. There is definitely something in the way the musicians play (and add subtle flourishes here and there) that makes me think of full-blown 1970s prog. (8.875/10)

2. "Hush" (4:24) the band's first hit has a familiar 1960s feel to it with an Elvis-like vocal performance with its renowned "nah, nah-nah nah" line. The musicians' tightness is notable: they're all so tightly in the pocket. (9.125/10)

3. "One More Rainy Day" (3:40) multi-tracked lead vocals and b vox during the choruses gives this rather simple song a very pop orientation. At the same time, each of the instrumentalists is adding their own fill nuances, convincing me that they are really skilled musicians. (8.875/10)

4. "Prelude: Happiness / I'm So Glad" (7:19) a fairly simple and almost-monotonous song (especially, but only, the lyrics/vocals) on which the band try to produce something anthemic. (13/15)

5. "Mandrake Root" (6:09) an HENDRIX-style sound and structure gives the band members ample opportunity to show that they have chops--especially Ian Paice. (9.33333/10)

6. "Help" (6:01) here the band displays more of their independent vision with a totally unique take on The Beatles classic hit--sounding as if they're playing in the sacristy of an Aquarian Age church. (8.75/10)

7. "Love Help Me" (3:49) the band (or producers/record company) trying to fit a heavy rock band into a contemporary pop song. Sorry, but the band's proclivity for heavy slash-and-burn outweighs any sunny pop intentions. (8.75/10)

8. "Hey Joe" (7:33) opening with a motif that is very much like Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit," we get an extended instrumental intro (almost two-and-a-half minutes with some very nice organ soloing from Jon Lord) before there is a sudden transition into the classic Hendrix version of "Hey Joe" at 2:25. Rod Evans vocal performance here is my favorite on the album and the others do a remarkable job of taking The Experience's masterful version even further. (14/15)

Total Time 43:33

Despite relying on covers and imitation, Deep Purple proves that they have chops and they have vision.

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece in which some highly-creative and -skilled musicians try to conform to the expectation of fitting their expansive vision and style into the clothing of some very simple rock compositions. The band shows that it can work but that they really need different clothes--ones of their own design and imagination.

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