The Book of Taliesyn (Deluxe Edition)

The Book of Taliesyn (Deluxe Edition)

Four months after the release of their debut album Shades of Deep Purple, the group came back with their second album. Just as their debut included unusual hard rock interpretations of unlikely songs such as Joe South’s “Hush” and the Beatles’ “Help,” The Book of Taliesyn features a muscular take on Neil Diamond’s “Kentucky Woman,” and a jam-intro’d version of another Beatles track, “We Can Work It Out.” Their take on Ike and Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High” leaves plenty of room for guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and keyboardist Jon Lord to make a massive impression. “Listen, Learn, Read On” and “Wring That Neck” further expose the group’s prodigious chops while “The Shield” and “Anthem” prove the group had their subtle moments and a great singer in Rod Evans, who would only be with the group for one more album. This is clearly before the band headed towards hammer-down heavy metal. Bonus tracks include the noteworthy outtake “Oh No No No” as well as three BBC performances that prove how great their live chops were.

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