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Steve Morse on Something Else!
Steve Morse spoke to Something Else! Reviews about the new album and the late Jon Lord:
NICK DERISO: Over the years, you became very close with (late co-founding keyboardist) Jon Lord. It must have meant a lot to you to have been a part of his final album, the very long-awaited studio version of Concerto for Group and Orchestra.
STEVE MORSE: The original concept was not to have us involved with it, so that it wouldn’t be diluted — and wouldn’t give people any expectations that it would sound like Deep Purple. So, it was a big deal. I’m one of Jon’s biggest fans. I connected with him very intensely, especially on our first album (together, 1996′s) Purpendicular. He just had this certain something; he could hear things that no one else could. When everyone else was saying ‘nah, that’s not working,’ Jon could say: ‘Wait a second. Let’s just twist it this way, and look again.’ So, it was a big deal that Jon asked me. Originally, when he did the concerto with Deep Purple live, that was sort of hurriedly done — though Jon had spent a lot of time writing it. The second time we did it, when I was in the band, it was still with Deep Purple. This was his first chance to do his own recording without being associated with Deep Purple, and from what I understand he didn’t really intend to ask me to do it. He just got used to the way that I played some of the sections. He was describing to the guitarist maybe in too much detail, trying to get them to recreate the way that I did it. I guess it just got easier to ask me.
Read more in Something Else!
Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov for the info.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
20 years with the band and he’s still the “new guy”. LOL…
Don Airey must feel like the “new born” guy…
May 16th, 2013 at 16:57I noticed Steve’s solos were more melodic and slowed down (generally speaking) on this album. I always wondered what Steve might sound like with a bit more sustain and slowed down a bit. Sounds like that’s what Bob Ezrin wanted too. Adding some deliberate melody helps define the superior Now What?! It sounds great and adds to the amazing quality of the whole project.
May 16th, 2013 at 17:22In the early listens to Now What?! it was Don’s organ that hit me. With repeat listens the impact of Steve’s contribution becomes more and more evident. Both Steve and Don play beautifully on this album. The unsung hero of this album, though, is Roger. I can feel his bass in my bones.
May 17th, 2013 at 01:28Yes, I noticed the slower & more melodic structured guitar playing of Steve Morse also coming to the fore on this new album.
May 17th, 2013 at 06:29Not that Morse isn’t a melodic player, but less is more, & that is the way to go. Just listen to the master David Gilmour & nothing else needs to be said in regards to less is more, in rock music!! I also noticed Don Airey more on this album, good to hear & it makes it sound more interesting in many ways! 8 years has breathed some new life into some of the older guys it seems!
I wonder how much trouble it must have cost Ian Gillan singing the higher part in ” Above and beyond” .
Maybe it is this part that reminds me of IGB?
Saw a DVD by Emerson, Lake & Palmer yesterday : Beyond E.L.P.
The beginning bored me to tears but as soon the collection of live concert clips came on it got much better.
I got again the impression that Don so much more resembles Keith’s playing instead of Jon’s.
Mark, still not beyond the weekend.
May 17th, 2013 at 10:59Weird. I assumed that Above and Beyond was a Don Airey offering due to the keyboard overload and the title. Steve brought the total song to the table, and it was accepted in whole. You wrote and introduced a complete song that made it on the album. There you go Steve. You are no longer the new boy.
Ch-BeerZ?!
June 13th, 2013 at 19:25