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Heavy and classical

CBC has an opinion piece about the multitude of connections between heavy metal and classical music, with our heroes getting a name check. It opens with a collage of Vivaldi peeking over Roger Glover’s shoulder and proceeds with

Take Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore, for example. A self-professed classical music fan, many of his works in the ’60s were modelled on classical examples.

“I still listen to a great deal of classical music,” he said in 1985. “That’s the type of music that moves me because I find it very dramatic. Singers, violinists and organists are generally the musicians I enjoy listening to most of all.” If you listen to both Jon Lord’s keyboard solo and Blackmore’s guitar solo on Deep Purple’s “Highway Star,” both are distinctly Bach-like in harmonic progression and virtuosic arpeggio figuration.

Jon’s Concerto wasn’t mentioned, perhaps as not being “metal” enough.

Read more at CBC.ca.

Thanks to Gary Poronovich for the heads up.



6 Comments to “Heavy and classical”:

  1. 1
    mike whiteley says:

    As we know,many metal musos were influenced by classical composers.
    Nigel Tufnel was a huge fan of Mozart & Bach.He described …..Pump as a “Mach” piece ! LOL !

    While I’m here,has anyone caught Purple on the US trek ??
    The few YT clips I’ve found are good. IG’s in great form. The rest of ’em ?? Professional and precise,of course…..but I sense a bit of auto-pilot. I know,being at the show is a COMPLETELY different ball of wax.

  2. 2
    Rock Voorne says:

    “IG’s in great form.”

    Should I really check that?

    Its a great summerday overhere.

    I m off on my bike into Rotterdam.

    Find me some more seeds from this plant

    Echinacea purpurea

    Wonder why its called that way.

    https://pixabay.com/nl/photos/echinacea-bloesem-bloem-zonnehoed-4357576/

  3. 3
    mike whiteley says:

    Well,it’s been a week or more since my question about the US Tour was posted.
    Seems it’s not generating any response or interest here at THS. I hope this is is not the last gasp for the band.

  4. 4
    Chris Blackmore says:

    Replying to Mike… I saw DP at Pechanga Casino in Temecula, California a couple weeks ago. Just getting a chance to sit down and write my thoughts.

    This was the 3rd show of their current tour and I have mixed feelings about the performance I saw. I went with my 26 year old daughter, who is a huge Metallica fan. This was her second DP concert and she is well aware of the respect HER band has for MY band (smiley face thingy here). Theater seats about 1,500 (ish) and was pretty full.

    As you mentioned, professional and precise. They are the best at what they do. Steve was wonderful and for the first time I have ever heard, the opening riff to SOTW sounded correct (IMHO). That has always been a sore point with me, but enough about me. He does grimace often as if in pain, or is that passion? Lots of smiles too from SM, and IG would often lean in and whisper something to him bringing more smiles. Was positioned in front of his amps and he had a great sound. Good to hear Sometimes I feel like Screaming and his beautiful guitar work.

    IP was as powerful and on his game as always. RG solid as a rock. DA killed it on the keyboards. IG’s voice was at the best I have heard it in recent years. No real powerful screaming, but on key and no cracking.

    Auto Pilot was mentioned, and I read a review about the San Francisco show that said “holding back energy for the long tour ahead”. Both are in the ballpark, and that is what disappoints me. I am a professional performer (not musician) who travels and tours the world and I understand that not every show has the same energy, but I felt like DP was just going through the motions for most of the show. Very little audience banter from IG, and he seemed to be somewhere else in his head at times (speculation). He looked as thin as I have seen him since his early days, I do hope it’s because of good health. RG seemed like he was the only one consistently having a good time on stage. I must emphasis that the music was flawless and they are such a tight unit and professional that to the casual observer it probably was normal as usual.

    The crowd was charged up and very responsive and the boys delivered a solid set with all the songs you expect to hear, but, sadly, to this 59 year old fan since I was 13, I walked away with a bit of “meh” feeling and a realization that this may truly be The Long Goodbye Tour, not just a marketing ploy. I hope I am wrong.

  5. 5
    mike whiteley says:

    WOW !
    Reading comments like @ 2,I hope this is not the last gasp for THS !!

  6. 6
    mike whiteley says:

    @ 4- Thanks for your thoughts,Chris. This US swing has not grabbed a lot of attention,that’s for sure.
    The “Going through the motions/auto-pilot” vibe is hard to miss,even in YT videos.It’s not hard to miss that Purple’s Long Goodbye is just about done.

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