Deep Purple – S/T (1969) Reissue (2011)
In 2011, Eagle Rock Entertainment has released not one, but all three of the Deep Purple CDs with the Mark I lineup. Deep Purple’s self titled album was the least successful album of the Mark I lineup. The end result was the band shifting to a heavier sound, and eventual joining of Ian Gillan and Roger Glover.
The lack of chart success is by no means a reason to not check this CD out. There are a bunch of interesting moments such as the epic twelve-plus minute song “April”, the rockin’ psychedelic jams of, “The Painter”, “Why Didn’t Rosemary?” and “Bird Has Flown”, plus the original released single “Emmaretta”.
If you like bonus tracks, this re-issue has four of them to sink your ears on. You get three versions as originally performed on the BBC, the other is a B-side version of the song “The Bird Has Flown” that was originally found on the B-side of the “Emaretta” single.
If you are a rock fan that loves to hear deep cuts from bands that rarely ever get radio play, you are going to love this album. The self titled album may have caused changes in the Deep Purple lineup, but it is interesting listen, and one should be in every Deep Purple fan’s collection.
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1.) Chasing Shadows
2.) Blind
3.) Lalena
4.) Fault Line
5.) The Painter
6.) Why Didn’t Rosemary?
7.) Bird Had Flown
8.) April
9.) The Bird Has Flown (alterntive b-side version)
10.) Emmaretta (single a-side)
11.) Emmaretta (BBC Top Gear session Jan. 16, 1969)
12.) Lalena (BBC radio session June 6, 1969)
13.) The Painter (BBC radio session June 6, 1969)
Deep Purple is:
Ritchie Blackmore – guitar
Rod Evans – lead vocals
Nick Simper – bass, backing vocals
Jon Lord – Hammond organ, keyboards, backing vocals
Ian Paice – drums
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Hard Rock Hideout 
Of the three evans-era albums, this one is actually my favorite. I love the all-out percussion blitz in Chasing Shadows. Bird
Has Flown contains an excellent riff, and the bridge section shows off Evans’ lower vocal register. Neither Gillan, coverdale
nor Hughes could hit notes that low. Evans gets an undeserved bad rap because he couldn’t scream like Gillan, but I think he had a very rich powerful voice that fit Purple’s early psychedelic style very well. Listen to evans’ vocal work with his band after Deep Purple, Captin Beyond…He sounds great. Anyway, this really is a great record despite its lackluster sales when it originally came out. Those of you who haven’t checked it out, I highly encourage you to give it a chance.
I like the music, it is classic in its own way and time. But I was never a fan of Rod Evans really. And I preferred as Im sure most others do the harder rock sound.
I think the ones with Evans were like you said..more psychedelic and music of that moment in time. Moving on to the harder rock was the future. 🙂