We’ve reported back in December that Joe Lynn Turner is starting a new project called Legacy X with drummer Carmine Appice and bassist Tony Franklin. The news just came out that the project has been renamed Rated X, guitarist Jeff Watson has been replaced with JLT’s long time collaborator Karl Cochran, and they will be releasing an eponymous debut album on November 7 in Europe and November 11 in the U.S. via Frontiers Records.

Blabbermouth describes the lightly soap opera style comings and goings:

Cochran joined RATED X as the replacement for Jeff Watson (NIGHT RANGER, MOTHER’S ARMY) who himself became involved with the group following the departure of Bruce Kulick (KISS, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD). Kulick was unable to commit to the new project due to his heavy touring schedule with GRAND FUNK RAILROAD.

Thanks to Blabbermouth for the info.

Deep Purple live at Thunder Valley Entertainment Center (Lincoln, USA 2014-08-08)

First off, I may try to add bits of humor to this review to keep it interesting to myself having to type it as I’m not a good typist! My views are mine, yours would likely be different. Past DP lineups and members will be mentioned as I am a nostalgic sort of fan. I am not saying one is better than the other so hopefully no one reading this takes offence as none is intended!
The Venue is outdoor Amphitheatre style probably about 100 yards long, 50 yards wide approx. so not too big. BOC opened and as i owned 2 cassettes of theirs back in the day, you could hardly call me a fan. I only recognized Buck Dharma and Alan Lanier as far as members. They were quite good but didn’t move around too much as I guess all of us are getting old! Actually, the most impressive guitar solos of the night go to
Buck D and the other guitarist (?) during an older song apparently about pot called
“The First Day of May”. The guitarists took turns soloing and really built to a climax.Pretty impressive! Purple Family wise, BOC has had 4 drummers and a bass player from Rainbow in their past lineups: Bobby Rondinelli, Chuck Burgi, Jon Micelli, and John O Reilly. Greg Smith was on bass at some point in their history as well. DP Family members get around!
I took my 15 yr old son “Richard” (named after a certain guitarist) and it was his first
concert ever. We never even sat in our assigned 5th row seats on Roger’s side and sat in the
center section about 4 rows from the front at first instead. I video taped about half of the show and
as i had recorded the entire Gillan’s inn show in San Francisco back in 2006, I did
not want to have to babysit the camcorder for the whole show again! What struck me the most was how laid back the atmosphere was. No pushing or shoving, no fights, no passed out,f#@ked up people etc. We were able to watch from the very front railing about halfway into Purple’s set as the crowd was quite relaxed. I have been suffering from Tinnitus for about a year . As a precaution, I took earplugs. I have NEVER done that before but did so for my son’s sake as well. (years of playing drums have taken it’s toll i guess). I could have not bothered as this was the quietest show I have been to since Blackmore’s Night in 2005! It probably
stems from the fact that it was a casino show and the casinos don’t want to blow the old folks’ hearing aids out. Still, the sound was balanced very nicely, no distortion etc but, I kind of missed the power that volume can bring. The set was as in Costa Mesa except Green Onions was replaced with the old MKIII/IV encore track ‘Going Down’ which lasted about 45 seconds before ‘Hush’ kicked in.
So, Apres’ Vous was dropped as an opener in favor of the more familiar (to casual US DP fans) ‘Hwy Star‘. ‘Into the Fire’ is a personal fave of mine but Ian seems to struggle a bit in his delivery, still singing the changed lyrics about ‘stick your finger right up my bum’ or some such nonsense. ‘Hard loving Man’ to me comes across the best of the MK II tracks performed. Steve really plays his version of the solo nicely! Gillan striking his tiny Gong before the solo section bringing much laughter to the ‘Fans’ who have probably never seen him do that before! Steve was wearing a brace on his right hand and I assume he must be suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as that afflicts many guitarists. It only seemed that his right hand may have hindered his performance once during the show as he struggled with a fast solo passage once as I could see it on his face. This was not the best I have seen him play as I have seen him with DP probably 6 times, and with his Steve Morse band once in 1996. I feel that solo show in 1996 was the best I have personally witnessed him play! Part of that was not having to compare his performance of DP tracks to MKII versions. The onstage rapport of the band was a treat! Steve was ’grinning like a possum eating shit’ (old saying from my Dad) and Roger , Gillan and Don were doing likewise. Gillan was grooving with the music, at one point doing like a slow swimming motion that made me smile! I was surprised with the crowd recognition when ‘Strange KOW’ started as I think I have maybe heard it played on US FM radio once 30 years ago. About 1 minute into the song, the stage lights went out and stayed out for over 5 minutes and the problem was sorted by the end of the song. The band never missed a beat! As Chris Blackmore mentioned in his Costa Mesa 8/6 show review, Ian said more than once that ‘We’re getting good feelings/vibes/energy from all of you (audience) and we appreciate it”. As for the new tracks performed (only 3), ‘Vincent Price’ came across really well with Ian nailing the scream at the end which made me feel good! Ian has made his reputation on glass shattering screams throughout his career and it’s nice to know that this 69 year old still has it in him! At one point Don had some technical difficulty toward the end of the show and bent down to correct some equipment at his feet. When he stood up, he played the musical section in the wrong key but corrected himself. It also looked like he did not care for the heat we have been experiencing as he was wiping sweat off his face frequently. (It has been between 95 and 105 degrees the last 2 months here in Northern California.) Paice as usual was rock solid except he missed the drumhead and hit the rim instead on a couple of fills, grimacing as if to say ‘I know, I missed’! (It goes without saying I’ve done it many times myself!) I believe you could program a metronome with his snare drum beats. He always finds a way to make his drumming exciting, but probably also to conserve energy, some of the Hi-Hat counts have gone from 8th notes to quarter notes, still retaining the feel and timing of his parts. Drum fills are fewer and farther between, but the build up triplet fills before the last verses of ‘Space Truckin’ are still as powerful as ever.! After the encores, Roger threw some picks out but they did not come near me (who started that? Everyone does it nowdays). I looked down and there was a pick at some guy’s feet across from me so I grabbed it as he didn’t see it, or didn’t want it. So, along with a $35 Japanese Tour program, I had something to take home besides memories and some video footage! During the show looking at the band up there, I couldn’t help thinking about all these guys have done in the past. Roger and Don with Rainbow 30 plus years ago, the band minus Steve with Ritchie over the years. Just got me missing Jon and wondering if Ritchie misses being on stage with Deep Purple. Almost a shame in many ways. I wonder what Ritchie was up to at the moment I was watching the band play a set without him and the fact that 80% of the songs played during the show were written by RB… I hope the fact that the venue was only maybe two thirds full (like during the BRON 1993 tour?!?) will not make the band skip Northern CA on the next tour which I plan on attending. I certainly hope more NEW songs make the setlist from Now What?! ‘s follow up! I WILL be there!

review by Scott W.

Deep Purple live at Orange County Fair (Costa Mesa, USA 2014-08-06)

Saw DP at the Pacific Ampitheater (outdoor, modern facility, holds 18,000 and was full) and they were in TOP form. Blue Oyster Cult opened with a tight and rocking set playing most of their hits and ending with Don’t Fear The Reaper. Relaxed and very tight. Great opener. Then the drum beat we all know for Highway Star. Let’s start with IG… His voice was spot on. Ian seemed to be energized from the crowd and commented about getting “great energy”. During one scream, you could hear him push for more and for a few seconds he had the scream we all love from the earlier years. Steve and he gave each other a great look of satisfaction afterward. I was so happy to see Ian at his finest. Into the fire, Hard loving man followed and I was in seventh heaven.

Steve. Wow. Been following DP since I was 12 years old when I borrowed my older brothers MIJ cassette. I am a Blackmore and Morse fan and was absolutely jaw dropped by Steve’s playing on this night. He had some new runs and riffs that blew me away…me thinks some of this will be on the next album. I am still amused by watching him smile through the whole concert. A DP guitarist smiling? Whooda thunk it. Don. Wow again. Had my wife, 21 year old daughter and 20 year old son with me, which was a treat, and my son was blown away by the sound and ferocity of Don doing his thing. The torch couldn’t have been passed better 10 years ago. (R.I.P. Jon). As is the tradition, Don threw some California themed and Beach Boys Nuggets into his solo. And smiling too (will I ever get used to DP being a happy band?) Roger. Come on, it’s Roger. Solid and enjoying every moment of it, singing along to much of the music. A rock, in rock. Ian Paice. Seriously. No one person should have those skills. Together with Roger, the low end was handled like Swiss time. It is fun to see IP run the show too. It all comes back to him pulling the band back into the fold following their improvisation moments.

Someone else has posted the setlist from Ventura, and this was the same as far as I can remember (what beer?). 3 Now!What? songs. Vincent Price seemed to fit best (IMHO) in the live set. Uncommon Man was special to those who know the song and meaning, but the crowd relaxed a bit during the new numbers as would be expected. It was a joy to hear the new stuff live.

The band seemed to be having the time of their lives, like new kids with fun toys. Sound and lights were spot on. Ian had a bit of a verbal encounter with an A**hole up front, but it was brief and Ian let it go after a few seconds. I went in with great hope, as this was the first time our kids got to see the band their dad plays constantly at home, and DP did not disappoint. It was fun for me to see my kids see the very best of musicianship, live, with no audio trickery, or big flashy production numbers. Now they know why dad’s neck and voice is always hurting after a show.

On a scale of 1 to 10…. a solid 11

review by Chris Blackmore

Several items appeared in the US press in the last few days that didn’t seem significant enough to warrant separate posts.

ABC News Radio has an interview with Steve Morse promoting the tour.

There is a generally positive, if superficial review of the opening night of the tour in Scottsdale, Arizona, at AXS.com.

VC Star opted for a bootleg quality video clip from the show at Ventura County Fair on August 5.

And perhaps this would be the right time to remind you that you can send in your own review of a show via our review submission form.

Thanks to Andrey Barabanshchikov and Amit Roy for the info.

It’s a poorly hidden secret that one Ritchie Blackmore has an admiration for one Ian Anderson. After all, after unknown amount of persuasion, Anderson played a flute solo on the first Blackmore’s Night album. The whole thing was arranged online. The solo was recorded overseas and overlayed in the studio later on. A little less known fact is that some time later said Mr. Anderson got a very stern notice from Her Majesty’s Customs to present his sorry arse at the nearest office for explanations. Turns out, there was a package in his name containing a handgun. In full compliance of the 2nd Amendment, but a big no-no back in the old country. That was Ritchie’s way to say thank you.

Rolling Stone magazine (shock! shudder! who’d have imagined they still write about music?) has an interview with Ian Gillan, in which answers the question recently raised elsewhere.

After the conversation detoured from the new album to the Rock’n’Roll HoF nonsense, it ended up with this:

There was a lot of controversy this year with Kiss’ current members not wanting to play with their original members at this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Would you be willing to play with the group’s founding guitarist, Ritchie Blackmore, who had a bitter split with the band in 1993, at the ceremony if you were inducted?

Well, we are the living, breathing Deep Purple. This is the longest that any lineup has ever been together in this band. And it would be unconscionable to think about bringing Ritchie in. I don’t have an issue with Ritchie, nor does anyone. I’ve been in touch with Ritchie recently and everything’s cool, so there’s no bitter, personal problem. We’re too old for that and everything’s in the past, but no. That would be out of the question. How insulting that would be to [current guitarist] Steve Morse, for example? So if that’s the stumbling block, fair enough. Never the twain shall meet.

Why do you say that?

I’m saying what I’m about to say not to wind Ritchie up, if he’s reading this. He knows that we’ve got to talk about these things. So I say this with no rancor, and let’s get the record straight: I was just as much of an asshole as Ritchie was. But Ritchie carried it on for a little longer. Had Ritchie stayed with the band, it would have been all over. It would have just ended. Without any doubt in anyone’s mind – it was all over. So the day he walked out was the day we had to rebuild. We had Joe Satriani for one year, and he got us over the crisis, and then we got Steve and started to rebuild. Within a couple of years, we started playing arenas again, and it’s been fantastic ever since.

It’s good to go through those crises. It doesn’t do your heart any good, but that was the spirit of the band. So to go back to the question of “Would we do the show with Ritchie?” I think that would be hugely disrespectful to what I call the living, breathing, Deep Purple. There’s always been a living, breathing, Deep Purple, good or bad at any stage of our evolution, and how it is now is particularly healthy and it wouldn’t be right.

Read more in Rolling Stone.

Thanks to Yvonne for the info.

[Warning: contains setlist spoilers] Cory Frye, who became mildly famous in these quarters after his passionate review of Now what?!, has a feature in Oregon’s Albany Democrat-Herald promoting Purple tour. It is a well written introduction of the state of the band in 2014 for the uninitiated, based on an interview with Steve Morse.

On joining the band:

Roger had a lot to do with that. He has very eclectic tastes. He’d heard a live performance I’d done with the Steve Morse Band — all-instrumental, something that might have turned off a few rock players, but Roger was intrigued. When I heard they were interested in me, I thought, ‘That’s interesting. Do they know what I do?’ But it’s worked out well.

On Don Airey:

Don’s a vast well of musical knowledge. He’s wonderful to play with, generally good-natured and easy to get ideas back from. He’ll throw them back with a variation. We don’t even have to talk. The intro to “Uncommon Man” (“Now What?!”) was totally improvised, just us sitting in the studio with Bob (Ezrin, producer) telling us, “Just jam now, like I saw you do in concert.” That’s a wonderful thing. I try to guess the next chord Don’s going to play, and he tries to guess where I’m going.

Read more in Albany Democrat-Herald.

Ah, and by the way, if you believe setlist.fm, Highway Star was back to the set yesterday in Arizona as the opener. Which means Après Vous is out and we’re left with just 3 songs from the last album: Vincent Price, Uncommon Man, and Hell to Pay 🙁

Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov (deep-purple.ru) for the info.

Eagle Rock will release a new Deep Purple video, titled Live in Verona. This is the show at the Arena di Veriona — an ancient Roman amphitheater — on July 18, 2011, from the orchestral tour. It is due on October 20 in the UK in DVD and blu-ray formats. There are no further details at this point.

Meanwhile, here’s a pretty good quality audience recording of Lazy from that show to wet your appetite:

Thanks to Peter for the info.

Illinois Entertainer has a cover story on Deep Purple with interview from Roger Glover, who seems to be the go-to spokesperson for the band on the upcoming tour. The nice bit is also that the anonymous interviewer(s) seem to know their Purple marbles.

IE: Most fans and music industry insiders consider Machine Head to be the apex of Deep Purple’s recorded legacy. How do you feel about that album now after 40 years?

RG: Obviously with that album and Made In Japan (which was from the Machine Head era), and Made In Japan was really the album that broke “Smoke On The Water” in America especially, it was great to have that in your history. You can be very in intimidated by that success. There are a few bands that might say ‘How can we top that? How can we better that?’ but we actually don’t think that way. We feel we should just make the best music we can at the time and that is all there is to it. Before Machine Head came out we didn’t know it was going to be the album it became. And we certainly didn’t know “Smoke On The Water” was going to be the song it was going to be. So, it was not in our hands, really. It was entirely up to the public. You don’t try to write a classic; you just write. Every now and then someone will come up to us and say, ‘ How come you guys don’t write songs like “Highway Star” anymore?’ Actually, we do. They just don’t sound like “Highway Star.” If they sounded like “Highway Star” we would just be a copy of ourselves. The thing to avoid is to become a parody of yourself. All you can do is what is in your heart at that time. No one knows what the future of a song is going to be when you are doing it. You can’t predict that.

And on the unsung hero (for many), but widely acclaimed for the few, member of the band — Ian Paice:

IE: The rhythm section of Ian Paice and Roger Glover is one of the more ferocious in Rock ‘N’ Roll’s history. What’s it like for you to play with Ian Paice night after night?

RG: Well, thank you! When I first joined the band I remember being totally blown away with Paicey’s playing, and with the others. I actually didn’t really know who Deep Purple were back then when I first worked with them. I was knocked out with the musicianship, especially Paicey. He seemed effortless. A lot of the drummers bash the hell out of a kit, but as Paicey says: ‘you can only hit a drum so hard; it won’t get any louder. It just makes you play not so good.’ He has that ability to play more like a jazz musician; more like a big band swing drummer. He hits the skins in such a way that they really crack, as opposed to hitting it really hard. That gives him a lot of fluidity. He’s a very fluid drummer; and a groove merchant. Once he hits that groove, it’s great. He plays with a kind of swing that no other drummer I know has. A lot of drummers these days play like drum machines. It’s very difficult to get your personality over with drums. I can take Paicey at any time. I can tell his style. When I first joined the band he came to me after a while and said, ‘By the way, I don’t follow; I lead.’ And I said: ‘OK, I got the picture.’ From that point on, I have just tucked in with him. It’s a magic feel, you know? When I was growing up and in school I would see bands and I was always blown away by the power of a bass and a bass drum locking in. And that was something I could never quite achieve until I joined Purple. Still, to this day, my mind will wander back to those days and I will get the same kick. The power you get when you are really in tight with the drummer. I get that with Paicey. It is a joy to play with him.

Read more in the Illinois Entertainer.

Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov (deep-purple.ru) for the info.

Roger Glover spoke to the Arizona Republic to promote the upcoming tour. After telling the now familiar story of making the last album, an interesting questing popped up:

Q: You and Ian made your first appearance on 1970’s “Deep Purple in Rock.” Were you a fan going into that?

A: Ian and I differ on that. I had never heard of the band. He says he had, but I’m not sure how true that is. Deep Purple meant nothing in England. In 1968, when “Hush” was a big hit in the States, nothing happened in England. I got turned on to the band just before I joined by the Sweet. Remember the Sweet? Brian Connelly and I were friends. And he said, “Listen to this band, Deep Purple.” I said, “Oh, I never heard of them.” He said, “They dye their hair black.” But the first real impression I got of the band was my audition, which was recording a single. And I was blown away by their musicianship, especially … well, all of them.

Read more in the Arizona Republic.

Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov (deep-purple.ru) for the info.