DEEP PURPLE – The Book of Taliesyn [Hi-Res Remastering] (2015)

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HighResAudio is a music download service for audiophiles offering albums and songs in 24-bit at sampling rates from 44.1kHz up to the highest in 192kHz. It’s a company similar to American HDtracks, but established in Hamburg, Berlin.
Warner Music Group International has commissioned to HighResAudio for their 2015 remasters of the first three DEEP PURPLE albums. These early recordings needed a re-vamped sonic treatment, and the results are pretty awesome.
Let’s go with Deep Purple second album; “The Book of Taliesyn“.

Several months after the innovative remake of “You Keep Me Hanging On,” England’s answer to Vanilla Fudge, was this early version of Deep Purple, which featured vocalist Rod Evans, and bassist Nick Simper, along with mainstays Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, and Ian Paice.
This, their second album, followed on the heels of “Hush,” a dynamic arrangement of a Joe South tune, far removed from the flavor of his own hits. Four months later, this album’s cover of Neil Diamond’s Top 25 gem “Kentucky Woman,” went Top 40 for Deep Purple.
Also like Vanilla Fudge, the group’s own originals were creative, thought-provoking, but not nearly as interesting as their take on cover tunes. Vanilla Fudge did “Eleanor Rigby,” and Deep Purple respond by going inside “We Can Work It Out” – it falls out of nowhere after the progressive rock jam “Exposition,” Ritchie Blackmore’s leads zipping in between Rod Evans smooth and precise vocals.

As Vanilla Fudge was progressively leaning more towards psychedelia, here Deep Purple are the opposite. The boys claim to be inspired by the Bard of King Arthur’s court in Camelot, Taliesyn.
John Vernon Lord, under the art direction of Les Weisbrich, paints a superb wonderland on the album jacket, equal to the madness of Hieronymous Bosch’s cover painting used for the third album.

Originals “The Shield” and “Anthem” make early Syd Barrett Pink Floyd appear punk in comparison. Novel sounds are aided by Lord’s dominating keyboards, a signature of this group.
Though “The Anthem” is more intriguing than the heavy metal thunder of Machine Head, it is overwhelmed by the majesty of their “River Deep, Mountain High” cover, definitely not the inspiration for the Supremes and Four Tops 1971 hit version.

By the time 1972 came around, Deep Purple immersed themselves into rocking riffs and a huge presence, much like Black Sabbath. The evolution from progressive to hard rock was complete, but a combination of what they did here ON “The Book of Taliesyn” – words that mattered matched by innovative musical passages – was unique.
A piece of history restored in great form.

1 – Listen, Learn, Read On
2 – Wring That Neck
3 – Kentucky Woman
4 – Exposition / We Can Work It Out
5 – Shield
6 – Anthem
7 – River Deep, Mountain High

Rod Evans – lead vocals
Ritchie Blackmore – guitar
Jon Lord – Hammond organ, keyboards, backing vocals
Nick Simper – bass, backing vocals
Ian Paice – drums

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www.highresaudio.com/artist.php?abid=399453
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