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Rockpages interview with Don Airey
The media blitz continues, this time it’s the turn of Don Airey to be interviewed by Rockpages.gr.
On Blackmore
Rockpages.gr: Do you think that will ever be a chance that the guys would bury the hatchet and Ritchie of course and play all of them together? Even if it’s for one show?
Don Airey: No! I doubt it. I don’t think it will ever happen. Not because of any ranker… it’s just the practicalities of it. I mean we’ve got a band here that’s called Deep Purple and that’s the band. It takes enough to put all that together and having to deal with getting other guys involved, having a lot of musicians on stage.
On Future of music
I thought when I went to see Sabbath’s last concert at Birmingham that I was very aware that I wasn’t going to see anything like that anymore in my life. Because, somebody like Tony Iommi makes it look easy and Geezer… they make it look very easy, but it’s really very difficult. I think people have changed, they are so obsessed with themselves. They are not bothered about other people and one of the things about being in a band is care about the people you are playing with and what they are playing. I see it a lot when I go to jam sessions. People, young players are getting up and they just playing without any regard about the people around them. They are into their own little world kind of thing. Ozzy said “music is dead”. He doesn’t think there is anything any good anymore.
On The last album
Rockpages.gr: When you are making an album that might be your last one, what is your mentality? What are you thinking about? Do you think that if that’s your last one then it should be a great one?
Don Airey: I am thinking… B flat to D and there’s 8 bars in A… hehehe… A Major… I’ve got to play this part with Steve… how are we going to end this track? That’s what you think about. You don’t think big picture, you think small picture. Young groups ask me for advice… what should we do? And I say: “just make sure that the bridge is really the best on you can do and the ending is good and that it hangs together as a piece of music”… that’s what you concern about. Because the hardest part in being is the music business is music. Trying to get that right. If you get the music right then the rest comes out easy.
More at http://rockpages.gr/en/interviews/item/6642-deep-purple
Thanks to Yiannis Dolas for the info.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Hi,
Don is right in particular, when he mentioned the actual ‘popular music’.
When I have a look at the top-100-album-charts, I’m confused: I have no idea what’s going on and I recognize maybe five or six artists…
BUT: we still have musicians who are able to play their instrument with taste and feel, for example Joe Bonamassa. And when a band like Dream Theater is putting out a new album, you have to listen to it. Even Wishbone Ash had a great album in 2014: Blue Horizon.
So, there is a line on the horizon, but the times, they are a-changin’.
Have a nice Day!
June 23rd, 2017 at 20:23Ritchie left the band in 1993. He’s not coming back. Steve Morse is Deep Purple’s guitarist.
June 24th, 2017 at 18:55@ 1: nupsi59
I agree, in fact there are many great instrumentalists out there. Dare I say that some of them might even be better than our beloved Don? A few months ago I stumbled upon Cory Henry. No offence but that guy could show Don a thing or two on that Hammond organ. But maybe he meant that there’re no bands anymore like e.g. Black Sabbath. This might be true but it’s not because of a shortage of musicians who can handle their instruments. My impression is that nowadays (more than ever) it doesn’t matter how good you play and that it’s pure luxury to just focus on the music as a musician.
June 26th, 2017 at 06:27After seeing Ritchie with Rainbow last year: it is apparent that he can not deliver anymore. Sad to see, but he cant. No soul, no rock, no technik. He cant hold up to the current level. He’s got the one and only Blackmore sound. But that was it.
June 26th, 2017 at 07:52May I say there is still a lot of excellent music out there and I believe there will always be. I just listened to the new Gov’t Mule album REVOLUTION COME, brilliant! As is the music of the Tedesci Trucks Band and many others …
June 26th, 2017 at 08:24Interesting comments on the dysfunction in the band after ROTD. Might explain the long pause in recording. Not sure I’ve heard anyone in the band express that before, although they certainly appear happy right now.
June 26th, 2017 at 14:21yesterday 27,great (really great) concert here in Milan.
The set bill is what you know…i find it really good.
I have remained astonished by Gillan’s performance: superb!.
I was able to stop some tear,i’ve seen them on stage a lot of times,but yesterday they seemed to be back over 20 years.
They fuck al lot of younger bands.
THANK YOU DEEP PURPLE,THANK YOU GUYS, I’LL BRING YOU INTO MY HEART FOR EVER,AS I HAVE DONE IN THE PAST.
I LOVE YOU.
June 28th, 2017 at 12:46@3: Tommy H.
Yesssss… the “Revolution” album from Gov’t Mule is also my cup of tea!
You have to read the review on allmusic.com
Have a nice Day and rock on…
June 28th, 2017 at 14:57@4, Steve: The Birmingham gig on Wednesday wa stunning. For sure, his playing lacks the speed and aggression of days gone by but every note was well judged. Stargazer was majestic while Burn and Cactch the Rainbow were among other stunning highlights. As for the unexpected performance of Carry on Jon, it was beautiful. Two hours and 10 minutes on stage! I felt privileged to be there.
July 2nd, 2017 at 16:51Well to those suggesting Ritchie can’t deliver anymore I suggest they watch clips from the Birmingham show from last Wednesday. I attended all three of Rainbow’s show’s this year and 2 last year and although not the guitarist he was in the Seventies he’s still head and shoulder’s above Morse and anything he has ever produced in his 20 odd years in Purple. I left Wednesday’s Rainbow show having witnessed moments of brilliance from Ritchie throughout the night, something I have never felt once after seeing Morse with Purple 20 times.
July 2nd, 2017 at 17:25Music is dead? I disagree, there’s some great new music hot there, but since mainstream media turnned their back on rock music you just need to know were to find it. Deep Purple, Rush, Journey still make excellent new music, Muse has been around for a a while, and Nightwhis with their current singer has taken metal to another level ( both on studio and live)
July 3rd, 2017 at 14:07Roger Glover: Baking is a bit like writing music
July 3rd, 2017 at 14:19“Anders Tengner goes to Switzerland and meets Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover. He offers a family recipe for banana bread – and explains how baking and rock are interrelated.”
http://sverigesradio.se/sida/avsnitt/910249?programid=5089
http://sverigesradio.se/topsy/ljudfil/6137572.mp3