#rod evans

[wearingcrazyclothes]

A little something @onstrangehighways and I thought up.

Also, thank you @monarchetype for humoring me 😪.

[xxguerrillaxxoperatorxx]

CAPTAIN BEYOND

[jt1674]

Visit Original Link

[ricigaronks]

DP in their boyband era or somethin

(I'm tired of this artblock shitee ╥⁠﹏⁠╥ 💢)

[vinylspinning]

Deep Purple: The Book of Taliesyn (1968)

It's a testament to the lingering mixed feelings surrounding Deep Purple's first three, late '60s LPs (pre-Ian Gillan and Roger Glover), that I used to think The Book of Taliesyn was arguably the Mk. I line-ups finest hour, and now I wonder if it's their worst.

As a product of the psychedelic age, the album feels both flawed and forced, starting with its title: a whimsical corruption of a real 14th Century Book of Taliesin collecting some of the oldest Welsh poems, possibly dating back to the sixth century to a real poet called Taliesin.

Nothing says Summer of Love quite like ... Wales?

But as a precursor to the looming '70s progressive rock glory days, as well as Purple's recurring dalliances in symphonic rock, the album's broad stylistic range and the sheer instrumental prowess of all involved have few contemporary challengers.

Indeed, just one listen to the opening semi-title track, "Listen, Learn, Read On," will illustrate why guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and organist Jon Lord recruited 19-year-old drum dynamo, Ian Paice (he's already in blistering form), as well as underrated bassist Nick Simper.

Unfortunately, the same track reminds us that frontman Rod Evans' voice, even (heck, especially) when buried in messianic echo, still leaned towards cabaret, and why he would soon be obscured by successors like Gillan, David Coverdale, and Glenn Hughes.

Luckily, Evans sits out the rambling, rollicking instrumental, "Wring that Neck" (which served as Blackmore's on-stage showcase up to the Mk. II era), and his sparser contributions better suit the ethereal psychedelia of "Shield" and the melodramatic neo-classical aspirations and angelic harmony vocals of "Anthem."

Elsewhere, the band's decision to cover Neil Diamond's "Kentucky Woman" (complete with a fantastic Lord solo break) may seem a little odd until one recalls the smash hit Purple enjoyed earlier that year with a similarly energetic version of Joe South's "Hush."

Unfortunately, inserting The Beatles' "We Can Work it Out" into the otherwise furious "Exposition" doesn't go as smoothly, and their ten-minute extrapolation of Ike & Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High" gets harder to explain with every year that passes.

But I'll try: the act of blowing R&B covers to smithereens was surely inspired by the inexplicably popular Vanilla Fudge, but, any way you slice it, hearing a bunch of grown men prattling on about a young girl's rag doll and loyal puppy simply isn't a good look!

And so, just like the Fudge and other last generation proto-metal bands of psychedelic extraction (e.g. Iron Butterfly, Steppenwolf, etc.), these genre-bending exercises did as much harm good to heavy music's cause before Black Sabbath set us on our merry, metallic way.

As for The Book of Taliesyn, I suppose it documented the young, direction-seeking Deep Purple bending but not exactly breaking, before psychedelia’s cultural onslaught (hello, Rolling Stones!), and this no doubt assisted their sonic transformation two years later.

But as to how it stacks up against fellow Mk. I LPs like the preceding Shades of Deep Purple and its eponymous successor, I just don't know -- ask me again next week!

More Deep Purple: Shades of Deep Purple, Deep Purple, In Rock, “Black Night,” "Strange Kind of Woman," Fireball, Machine Head, Made in Japan, Who Do We Think We Are?, Burn, Stormbringer, Come Taste the Band, Made in Europe, New Live & Rare EP, New Live & Rare Vol. 2 EP, Perfect Strangers, Fireworks, The House of Blue Light, Slaves and Masters.

[hartotarto]

Ray Davies and Rod Evans look THE SAME like look at them they have the same smile and everything!!! 👇👇👇

[loniirstar]

Another Rod Evans doodle that I was supposed to post earlier. I have severe same face syndrome.

But that won't change the fact that he's my new favourite thing to draw, lol.

[sunset-supergirl]

Happy birthday Rod Evans