We received an email from one of the teeming millions (an apt term, borrowed from Cecil Adams of The Straight Dope), and it deserved a guest editorial spot:
Although I didn’t know it at the time I’ve been a Deep Purple fan since 1968. That’s when, at nine years of age, I heard this amazing song on my transistor radio. I was completely taken by the organ player, with his rhythmic playing sounding like nothing I’d heard before. The song was “Hush”. Five years later, an older friend played this exceptional live album on his homemade stereo. The sound was crystal clear, the volume extraordinary and the music fast, furious and frenzied. The guitarist, keyboard player and singer were constantly dueling – none giving ground to the other – while the bassist and drummer provided the underpinnings needed to keep the chaos from tearing things apart. The musicians ripped sounds from their instruments that were all at once exceptional, extraordinary and often impossible. Except they did it anyway. “Made In Japan” became my acid test for all bands – I expected bands to be far er than their studio offerings. Not surprisingly I was often disappointed.
Now, some forty years later, Deep Purple continues to play with a high level of quality and – quite possibly – integrity. There are no explicit signs of a ‘paying the mortgage’ tour. But all indications are this version of Purple wouldn’t pass my “Made In Japan” test, however unfair this test may be. What’s reproduced live isn’t really any more interesting than what I hear from the studio.
I must admit I’m conflicted. I see Ian Gillan interviews where he is clearly passionate, though seemingly despondent, about many subjects. But this passion doesn’t spill over into the playing. And Steve and Don, although very gifted, don’t appear emotionally invested in most of the music the band plays. In 1996 the Globe and Mail (a Toronto paper) described Purple as venerable. In my mind this wasn’t a slag, but an astute observation. The band was playing great music, and had earned the right to do so. But the reviewer was also saying don’t expect anything new. In my mind the root of the problem is the play list. Its dominated by old standards. Yes, I love these standards – they are as familiar as an old pair of slippers. And yes, I read the arguments that people want to hear these standards. But these standards belong to another line-up, a line-up that was passionate about these songs three decades ago. Now I’d love to hear this version of Purple play a set dominated by music penned by this line-up.
So here’s my dilemma. Initially I loved this band for their potent mix of passion, energy and musicianship. Now, as the band plays sets dominated by old standards (perhaps to satisfy an audience that hasn’t being paying attention) musicianship dominates. Well, honestly, that’s disappointing. Unless the band is desperate for money (after all we all need to make a living), then I hope this version of Purple can find the strength to play their music and leave the standards for encores. This lineup is talented enough to play whatever they want, however they want. But they have also inherited a tradition based on compelling, risky interpretations that constantly redefine their music. I would love for this band known as Deep Purple to put the current lineup’s music up front, played loud, furiously with no holds barred. I’m sure they would pass my “Made in Japan” test.
So the question is, who will be the first to break from the past? Myself or this band?
Being from Australia, I happened to be in Prague the night DP were playing at Telsa Arena. Deep Purple still have what it takes. They were amazing and again showed why they are still one of the best live bands. This was only my second DP concert, the last was in Sydney in 1999.
I went with brother-in-law and his two teenage sons including one who did not rate Deep Purple (modern heavy metal freak). After the concert we could not control him and now DP have another follower to the extent he purchased the only two live DP DVD’s in the Prague music shop.
Steve Morse seemed a bit frightened when he looked at the Wroclaw Square full of guitarists. It was a shock to both him and to me: more than 6.000 guitars in the town square! I expected 3.000 only.
They had all come to break the Guinness World Record of guitarists pæaying simulateneously. Many thanks, Steve! You helped us to break the guitar record!
The gig was very interesting, too, although the band didn’t seem to be in the best form. But the musicians did their best. It was nice to hear “The battle rages on” or “Sometimes I feel like screaming”.
Before the show I read they would play “Kentucky woman”, but the journalist must have been wrong. The band gave us “Wring that neck” that is often (always?) played lately. I only missed Ian Paice’s solo in “Space truckin'”. Also Do Airey’s solo was too short. By the way, I’d like him to play Chopin’s “Revolutionary Etude”…
I was glad to hear Ian Gillan sing “Perfect strangers” without any mistake. Bravo, Ian! 🙂
The stadium, very large, was full of fans- not only 40-60 years old. There were lots of teenagers there! And all seemed to be happy to hear Deep Purple live again.
By the way, I don’t know why the band visits us so seldom lately. The audience reactions were enthusiastic and I hope the musicians saw it, too. If they did, I think they will come back to Poland soon. We still like them so much.
Before the Purple gig on May 1 in Wroclaw, Steve Morse joined the croud of six thousand other guitar players to set the new world record at the Thanks Jimi Festival. The official tally was 6,346 people playing together Hey Joe, more than tripling the standing record for the “Largest Guitar Ensemble” of 2,052 set last year in Concord, California.
The event took place in the historic center of Wroclaw, Poland — a city which has taken on the title of “Wroclaw Guitar City”. In fact mayor Rafa Dutkiewicz was among those playing, as was Steve Morse and festival founder and director, Leszek Cichoński. Cichoński is a well-known musician and music educator in Poland and the festival was an outgrowth of one of his educational programs and has taken place annually since 2003.
Steve commented about the event:
I played onstage at a town square, for the Guiness Book Of World Records. The most guitar players playing ‘Smoke On the Water’. For sure, if they don’t get the world’s record, something is seriously wrong, because there were 6,000 people in front of us, with guitars, playing it! At the end of the song, they all held up their guitars, mostly acoustic, and it looked like we were in a forest. Nothing but guitars for as far as you could see. We also played ‘Hey Joe’, which Stan sang, and everybody played along with that one. Last year, they had 1,800 plus people playing along with that song. In the middle of the song today, they brought the volume way down, and you could only hear the background singers and the thousands of acoustics playing C, G, D, A, E… After that, I don’t know how the gig could be any more intense. But, it was. The crowd was totally into everything, and when they sang along on ‘Smoke’, it was the loudest ever. A lot of them were at the town square earlier, and they knew it for sure! Fantastic crowd.
Over the years, it’s been fun to try to figure out various quotes that Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore threw into their lengthy improvisations in the 70’s. A bunch of the classical ones has been covered in Janell Duxbury’s list in this site.
There is one quote I have been trying to locate for years. This particular one appears at around 16:20 into Wring that neck on Live in Stockholm 1970 (AKA Scandinavian Nights). There’s a soundclip included below so you can check out what I mean. Does anyone know where this is from? It can of course be a Lord original, something he improvised at that spot but I have a feeling it comes from somewhere else. Anyone?
UPDATE
Here is a soundfile with the quotes from Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” and Dave Brubeck’s “Unsquare Dance” for all to compare to the Lord quote above.
Big Ian has appeared with an interview on the Montreal’s CHOM-FM show The Metal File. Nothing really new was said there, but for the sake of completeness, here is the podcast.
Glenn Hughes has been confirmed as one of the guest artists on this summer’s Rhapsody in Rock tour of Sweden. The tour will do seven shows in Sweden this summer. Other guest artist at the shows will be Albert Lee and LaGaylia Frazier.
“Now this really lives up to the name Rhapsody in rock. This summer’s concerts will lean more on the rockier side,” Rhapsody in Rock leader Robert Wells said to the Swedish edition of Metro.
Rhapsody in Rock is a music project started by the Swedish piano player Robert Wells in 1989. Every summer the project featuring a symphony orchestra, a rock band, guest artists, backup singers and dancers is one of the most visited tours in Sweden. Rhapsody in Rock has also done appearances at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The music performed is a mix of Wells original compositions, rocked up classical pieces and rock songs done in an orchestral arrangement.
Robert Wells also composed the theme music for the television broadcasts from the olympic games in Beijing 2008.
Here is a clip of Rhapsody in Rock performing Smoke on the Water.
The tour dates:
July 13th – Dalhalla, Rättvik
July 14th – Dalhalla, Rättvik
July 15th – Dalhalla, Rättvik
August 14th – Kastellet, Vaxholm
August 15th – Kastellet, Vaxholm
August 28th – Dalhalla, Rättvik
Two months after Deep Purple concert in São Paulo, we had the great pleasure to see another gig of Purple family in our city. Jon Lord played the the Concerto for Group and Orchestra as the opening act of Virada Cultural, a 24-hour annual event sponsored by the municipality with hundreds of cultural events around the city – concerts, dance performances and all forms of art for free!
As hard die fans of Jon Lord we of course can’t miss this opportunity. Some people in the audience traveled over one thousand kilometers to see the the show.
The stage was set at one of the main avenues in the centre of the city. Me, my wife and daughter got very close to the front row, which contained mainly Deep Purple fans. Some were familiar with the Concerto, others expected a rock show. Some people also just showed up to enjoy the free music.
Jon Lord arrived onstage and was greeted warmly by audience. The Concerto start and the crowd went crazy when the Hammond finally was put into action.
The second and third parts of the Concerto were marked by improvisation, both from Jon as well the group musicians. The exciting drum solo was extented more than expected while Jon signaled to maestro Rodrigo Carvalho to wait a little before adding the orchestra.
After the Concerto we were granted with Wait a While and three Purple songs. Pictures of Home is a perfect hard rock song to play with a orchestra. The line is just perfect. Then Soldier of Fortune. Singers Steve Balsamo and Kasia Laska made a great performance, and the amazing Child in Time closed the show.
We got 1 hour 20 minutes of the best music in the world which shows the versatility and genius of a true hero. I think the Lord could have play one or two more songs if the stage wouldn’t have had to be adjusted for the next act.
Jon Lord and Orquestra Sinfonica Municipal de São Paulo
Rodrigo Carvalho (maestro)
Steve Balsamo (vocal)
Kasia Laska (vocal)
Chester Kamen (guitar)
Guy Pratt (bass)
Steve White (drums)
Concerto For Group And Orchestra
Wait a While
Pictures of Home
Soldier of Fortune
Child in Time
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Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing