A year 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 one of his own hits, Walk a Mile in My Shoes. Four months later, this album’s cover of Neil Diamond’s Top 25, 1967 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.
The original album was recorded at De Lane Lea Studios, London in August and October 1968 and it was remastered at Abbey Road Studios, London in 2000.
Tracklist:
A1 Listen, Learn, Read On
A2 Hard Road
A3 Kentucky Woman
A4 (a) Exposition
A4 (b) We Can Work It Out
B1 The Shield
B2 Anthem
B3 River Deep, Mountain High
Bass Guitar, Vocals – Nick Simper
Drums – Ian Paice
Lead Guitar – Ritchie Blackmore
Organ, Vocals – Jon Lord
Vocals – Rod Evans
