DEEP PURPLE SHVL 759 (-69) UK

Last album recorded by the band's original setting. After the sessions and a following tour Richie Blackmore and Jon Lord wanted to play heavier rock and felt that neither bassist Nick Simper nor vocalist Rod Evans were up to such a transition, so they were sacked and replaced by Ian Gillian and Roger Glover, both from London rock band Episode Six. Back then, as this LP was issued after the reformed setting had already emerged and in the shop bins showing up adjacent to "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" and "Deep Purple In Rock", it didn't get much attention from critics or public and failed to sell. But listening today, forgetting about the background and the renewed outfit's later success, it stands as a strong period album, containing a blend of psych, prog and baroque pop with prominent guitars and very good vocals by Rod Evans. Maybe a bit sprawling and thus somewhat unconsistent, but then only typical for the UK or US music scenes at a time when many bands were searching for a new identity to keep up with the changing zeitgeist. Got many favorites here, but to mention a few - The two-fold "Fault Line"/"The Painter" starting as pure psych with backwards effects and moving over to early hard rock with tophole guitars all through. "Why Didn't Rosemary?" rock delivered with flowing organ and great guitars and sung in a way making you wonder if Ian Gillian didn't took over at least some of Rod Evans' phrasing. "Bird Has Flown" quite raw with more good guitars. As a whole an album that could do it for fans of the bands earlier stuff as well as lovers of their later hard rock excesses. I belong to both those groups so for me it's a double fit. Issued and reissued on about every possible format all over the world through the years. Premiere US on Tetragrammaton (T-119). Japan 2003 CD on Purple Records (VPCK-85322) came with five bonus tracks. Been trying for a long time to find a top nick UK original without the "EMI" box on label, but they're always too much for my wallet. The copy shown here is with all certainty a 1971 press, though as it has early matrixes with "Grammophone" label credit on quite heavy vinyl in the original laminated fold/out E.J. Day cover and sounds great for a fraction of what a non-EMI label would cost, I'm happy to settle with it. (HÄVL*) (DHÄ*)