SHADES OF DEEP PURPLE

What a debut album that was ! And to think Purple will be almost unnoticed in its homeland until the In Rock album. Outside of the debate: Prog Or Not, Purple is one hell of a rock band and kicked more than one arse throughout their career.

Starting out with a superb (and very prog ) instrumental And The Address sets the tone right out with Lord wailing on his Hammond organ and Blackmore ripping the strings out of his Stratocaster guitar. Hush is the only time England will notice these guys until Speed King , but what a superb cover and proof if needed that Rod Evans had also one hell of a voice. Happiness is the intro to the Elmore James cover of I'm so Glad (just covered by Cream back then) and they do sound not just glad but plainly thrilled!

Mandrake Root starts side 2 in a superb manner and this track will eventually become the live favorite and become extended to almost 30 mins. Help is IMHO an ill-advised cover of the Beatles and the next track appears to be an addition to it , not anymore succesful either. Then comes one of the cornerstone of the album , the Joe South track Hey Joe (also recently done by Hendrix) but it comes with a full-blown dramatic sound that owes much to Spanish music. The dramatic vocals get a full lift from the suspense tringed intro and outro.

Although hardly perfect, this is one of those 60's psych rock pivital albums that lead indirectly to the full birth of prog rock. Essential as the first Procol Harum , the Nice's debut of Moody's Days Of Future Past!