Deep Purple – Shades of Deep Purple – 1968
The Guinness Book of Records has called them the “World’s Loudest Band”. I’m sure Deep Purple contribute to the pastiche that made up Spinal Tap 14 years after this record was released. But, in 1968, Deep Purple started to change the way the world would listen to music. Along with Zeppelin and Hendrix, they lay the groundwork for all that would come to be called “Heavy Metal”.
Shades of Deep Purple opens with the instrumental track, “And the Address”, an instrumental piece that comes across as a psychedelic, heavier Strawberry Alarm Clock. It’s very emblematic of the times, noodley guitar leads, quickly delving into transformed blues motifs, reliant on cow bell and tremendously indulgent organ work. The whole affair is huge and could easily serve as the soundtrack for “The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed Up Zombies”. However, I imagine that, at the time, this was pretty cutting edge. And a bold way to start off an album.
From there we transition to “Hush” and if there was ever a song that defined an era, it’s this one. The perfectly delectable melding of psychedelia, hippy grooviness, rhythm and blues, and slashingly smart guitars. John Lord’s Hammond work is nothing short of brilliant.
Fully half of the album are covers like “Hush” and The Beatles’ “Help” and the epic, “Prelude to Happiness/I’m So Glad” and they show that the group’s solid understanding of dynamics and their skills as musicians are unquestionable. Their originals are a little less inspiring but they could never be called failures. Especially “Mandrake Root” whose middle section is as inspired an LSD trip as anything the Moody Blues ever put out. Just listening to it the first time I want to shoot something into my veins. Doesn’t matter what it is, so long as it’s not a natural color.
A terrificly solid effort that is a perfect representation of one of the prevailing sounds of the late 60s.
Grade: A-
ASIde: Hush
BlindSide: Mandrake Root, Help
DownSide: Love Help Me
