SHADES OF DEEP PURPLE

A not very progressive first effort from Deep Purple fails to float my boat. HUSH is of course an essential Deep Purple classic and MANDRAKE ROOT is interesting but the rest is too bluesy for my taste and pretty straight forward late 60's early 70's rock with a smattering of pop thrown into the mixture. Nothing groundbreaking here. A high number of cover tunes also detracts from the enjoyment. While there is no doubt that the musical ability and skill is here, the vocal sound is not nearly as excellent as it would become when Ian Gillian joined the band. True lover of Deep Purple or collectors and completionists may appreciate this release, but I can give it no more than 2 stars as a progressive rock album. The best was still to come from Deep Purple. And what a long strange journey it turned out to be! 2 stars because of HUSH and MANDRAKE ROOT.