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Steve Morse: Notes from the road
In the new issue of the Notes from the road: sound volumes, mowing grass, fatherhood pride, musicianship, and new ways of collecting guitar picks. Read all about it on stevemorse.com.
Steve’s guitar tech Mike Berger took some pics on the current US tour, including closeup intricacies of the Musicman Y2D. See them here.
Thanks to Daniel Bengtsson for the info.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
I like the shot of the five guitars in a row… My wife says I have too many of them and I keep telling her that guitars are like shoes. Each one has a purpose!
My brother and I were talking about DP today, and we came to the conclusion that in retrospect, Steve Morse was the best thing to happen to Deep Purple. Blackmore was ready to leave, DP was ready to have him leave, and everyone is much happier for it. It was just time. It was the right thing.
Purple are having some of the happiest times in their long career, much of it due to Steve Morse. At the time he came on board, I was hoping for Michael Schenker, and well… I was wrong about that. I wish Michael the best and hope he manages to turn things around. Next to Blackmore, I always though Schenker was one of the greatest guitarists around. Steve has opened up my eyes and he’s on the list now as well.
Steve Morse seems to be a very lighthearted and upbeat guy. I know a lot of people can’t get over Blackmore leaving, but Steve has now been around for what–twelve years? That long already? Thus, he is just as much a Purplite as anyone and more than most. He seems to be thrilled to be in Purple and he doesn’t mind playing “someone else’s” songs.
And because of him, we still have a Deep Purple.
August 2nd, 2007 at 00:24Well spoken T man, well spoken! I enjoy him not only as the guitarist for Deep Purple – but, also, as a solo artist with either the Steve Morse Band or Dixie Dregs. Caught his show earlier this year & he was fantastic!!
August 2nd, 2007 at 05:16Steve is a great and brilliant guitar player and I had the chance to shake his hands and had a liitle chat on one of DP’s Show. In my opinion with regards to writing purple records he does not fit. For me all the four albums they created did not sound like purple and that is the reason why they did not sell well. I liked Purpendicular a lot, but after that album is sounded more like a Gillan solo album with Steves signature solos. The only reason why Deep Purple is still around is because of their live shows covering old purple songs and I think Steve delivers on those shows. One day Steve will be fed up playing songs he did not write and leave purple.
August 2nd, 2007 at 15:42My thoughts exactly T… Steve is the best thing to happen to d.p… And, he’s been in d.p. longer than Blackmore was!!! I’m off to the Connecticut show tonight.. Can’t wait!!!!
August 2nd, 2007 at 16:22Keep in mind it was Blackmore that wanted to leave.Keep in mind it was blackmore that bailed with Japanese dates sill contracted to. I just saw deep purple live july 14at pompano beach amphitheater asnd they were looser and having fun like chidren more than ever. Steve took the resposibility with talent grace and a winning attitude. Those that are ritchie fans ( and no one was bigger than I) look at ritchie live and there is hardly any rhythm playing and the leads we maytimes just flash and noise while more is a study in emotion and technical excellence
August 3rd, 2007 at 01:18It could be argued that no two DP albums sound alike–even with the same line-up.
Gaerlan above makes a good point, however, that the style has changed dramatically. I will have to concede that the albums sound like Gillan albums because my brother made the exact same comment several years ago.
As long as Steve has time for solo work, I don’t see him leaving Purple based on the enthusiasm for DP he gave on a bonus interview at the end of a DVD–although he has been a good sport of playing Blackmore’s stuff for a long time and it is a possibility.
Good comments, Gaerlan.
August 3rd, 2007 at 04:04Write a review, John. I couldn’t see DP in St. Louis this year. :’o(
Steve Morse has turned the most thundering musical force in rock (ever) into a ponderous, pointless farce.
After one good album (Purpendicular) DP made the worst album (yes, even worse than “Who Do We Think We Are”) in their history, Abandon. The band should have had the balls to let Morse go after this shambolic effort, and we have had now had nearly a decade of generally piss-poor ‘Purple’.
Personally I think Jon Lord left because he realised there was no band left! I can’t ever see Blackmore returning but why not get in a guitar player who can actually play the classic stuff with some feel and authenticity (i.e. not a robot)?
My choice would be Akira Kajiyama. Listen to him play “Mistreated”, and “Stormbringer” on Hughes-Turner’s ‘Live In Tokyo’. He gets Blackmore like Steve Morse never can or will.
August 3rd, 2007 at 08:22I ´ve read somewhere that Mr. Kajiyama rerecorded some of the guitars for the Hughes-Turner livealbum. I haven´t heard the abum so I can´t tell if it´s true or not.
August 3rd, 2007 at 09:51Like in any forum, there will be countless opinions of musicians, sports figures, politicians, etc. And that’s all they are, opinions. With that said, you can see many times when folks Leave a Myopic Reply. And I’m chuckling after reading TruthHurt’s post. Steve is the most all around brilliant six stringer (who happens to leave his ego at the door) on this earth and most likely the galaxy. We’ll have to leave that one for the astronomers with their scopes. The Black guy is a great player himself and I’ve seen and heard him since I first got into DP back in ’72. And then I was lucky enough to be turned onto this genius to arrive on the scene during the mid to late ’70’s, that being maestro Steve. Fast forward to opening a Guitar Player magazine which reported Steve joining the band with an article titled Baroque on The Water. And with that, a marriage was made in heaven. To quote the Black guy regarding Steve, “He is brilliant.” Yes, believe it or not! Because when one sees and hears this genius be it with Purple or SMB/Dregs and doesn’t realize the genius of this guy, well, “Houston, I have a problem….” The Black guy did in fact become a cancer. See Come Hell or High Water and the comments from the rest of the “good guys” in the band. And see and listen to the other guys in interviews to this very day and who was on all of their lists after the Black banjo player took his hike. Many myopic fans desire to hear the same music album after album, most likely more of the metal folks. And that’s fine, whatever you are into. That’s not for this listener. I don’t expect to hear the same sounds, a band or individual player should reinvent themselves consistently. That leaves the boredom principle out. I could ramble on, and sing my song until the cows return home. But I won’t. Here is my opinion, again, which is just that. When Steve arrived back in ’93, DP suddenly had the best Mark line-up in the history of the band. I defend the Black guy as a player to this day. I still re-listen to my old DP vinyl over and over again and realize how great a player he is. But as some of the responders who are seemingly not myopic, there is no DP if Steve did not join the band. It’s all about 5 way writing and fun with minimal dysfunction. And before parting, apparently the Yngwie guy had some less than kind words for a fellow musician, that being Steve. And I chuckle and remind myself that said shredder guy can’t even hold Steve’s pick.. :> Peace out!
August 3rd, 2007 at 12:51TRUTH HURTS,
August 3rd, 2007 at 16:00LET IT GO BROTHER. HOW BAD DOES STUPID HURT? STEVE IS NOT RITCHIE AND DOES NOT WANT TO BE. AND TO GAERLAN, HE WILL NEVER LEAVE PURPLE AND HE TOLD ME IN 04 IN THOSE EXACT WORDS. HE HAS HIS OWN THING GOING QUITE NICELY THANK YOU WHEN HE TOURS WITH THE DREGS AND THE STEVE MORSE BAND. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ONE OF THOSE SHOWS? MIND BOGGLING. I’M A HUGE RITCHIE FAN AND HAVE BEEN FOR 37 YEARS, BUT HE IS LIKE A SPOILED ATHLETE. HE WILL SHOW UP SOME NIGHTS AND OTHERS HE MAILS IT IN. WHEN HE SHOWS UP, LOOK OUT. WHEN HE DOESN’T, LOOK OUT FOR FLYING WATER. [SEE HELL OR HIGH WATER].
You guys just don’t get it, it’s all about the music, not the personalities. If the band enjoy drinking or socialising with Mr. Morse in their spare time, I’m pleased for them.
The music is NOT being served, and has n’t been for too long.
Blackmore was/is always obsessed by the potency of the music and where that takes him he follows, often to the detriment of everything and everyone else around him (like Miles Davis you could say) but always for the benefit of the listener.
When it came to making democratic albums, I think “Machine Head” and “In Rock” prove that MkII could work together and make superb albums, but the follow-up to each of these (Fireball and Who Do We Think We Are) were poor and make you realise why Blackmore dominated the way he did.
I don’t think some people realise that the reason why he left in ’93 was because he hated the idea of Purple being some nostalgia oldies trip – the precise opposite of what the band always were: a frighteningly precise smack-in-the-mouth of Beethoven and blues delivered at breakneck speed and volume.
Yes, Purple can make excellent music without him and play the classics decently enough too, just like they did in ’75 with Tommy Bolin (when he was n’t affected by drugs). But Morsey ain’t the guy: he appears to have never understood the 12-bar blues, Fender Stratocaster guitars, European classical music, Pete Townsend, Jimi Hendrix…
The biggest irony about all this is when you watch “Come Hell And High Water” and hear Ian Paice talk about the band firing Joe Lynn Turner: “He comes from a totally different musical background to us. He has an American rock background…we are a European rock’n’roll band”. Enough said!
August 3rd, 2007 at 22:08*Most* fans would agree that it was the original Mk II line-up that was the most influential, exciting and well-known version of Deep Purple. It is also safe to say that Blackmore was the motivating factor behind most of the classics and was enhanced by the major talent around him in the form of Messrs. Gillan, Glover, Lord & Paice who served as a catalyst. Just looking at the old live footage of “Mandrake Root” makes all of that evident.
That said, every guitar player has a “fingerprint” in the form of a style. You can play the notes, but you can never completely clone the style. Ritchie is the only one in the world who get that that last “ernt Ernt ERNT!” at the end of Roger Glover’s remix of “Smoke on the Water.”
Steve Morse has a very different style than Blackmore. He was chosen because of this. The rest of the band wanted to get as far away from Blackmore as they could, and they succeeded in that. A lot of the Morse-era music is very sophisticated, and Morse is *technically* (read: Cleaner, more consistent) than Blackmore, who was more the showman and had that je ne sais quoi (noise and destruction as music?) that made Blackmore more brilliant than any guitarist–ever (in my opinion). Again, look at the “Mandrake Root” clip. Awsome, awsome, awsome to the tenth power.
Truth Hurts makes a valid point in that Morse takes a very different approach. That was on purpose. It’s also true that Morse comes from a very different background (in much the same vein as another American, Tommy Bolin, who was more of a jazz musician).
However, that is not to say that Steve Morse didn’t save Purple. He’s a brilliant guitar player–in a different way than Blackmore–who has a different sound. The bottom line is that Morse did save Deep Purple.
I do not agree that “Abandon” was a bad album–nor do I agree that “Who Do We Think We Are” was, either. I won’t examine it musically here, but go back and listen to them carefully. Then again, I liked “Slaves & Masters” and never cared for “The Battle Rages On,” so what do *I* know? It’s a matter of taste and opinion. We’ll never agree on any of that!
What I *am* interested in is who Purple could have gotten instead of Morse? Who would have stayed–and remained–all those years? I thought Michael Schenker was the perfect choice, and I WAS WRONG!
It is also interesting to note that Morse was the one who told Lord to bring “the beast” back by plugging the Hammond into a Marshall. He also mentioned words to the effect that he wanted the “old” sound back. Therefore, a lot of the “blame” *may* be in the remaining members!
August 4th, 2007 at 04:29Oops, my bad. Truth Hurts mentioned Akira Kajiyama from the Hughes-Turner “Live in Tokyo.” I’d have to go back and give that another listen. He can play–but what about writing? Any writing credits?
August 4th, 2007 at 04:40I saw DP live last night, and they were really, really wonderful.
The idea that Ritchie “left in ‘93 was because he hated the idea of Purple being some nostalgia oldies trip – the precise opposite of what the band always were” sound rather dubious to me. Every setlist with Ritchie from the Perfect Strangers reunion onwards was very, very heavy on oldies. For that matter, his overwhelming desires for commercial success really shaped Rainbow, no? I mean, LISTEN to how Rainbow changed!! COME ON!!!!
Another idea that needs careful consideration is sales. Anyone who wants to say that Morse and his sound/influnce/ideas hurt DP’s chance of hitting the charts needs to re-examine the charts. Sorry kids, hard rock made by elder statesmen just does not sell anymore regardless of WHO is making it. I don’t think that even Ritchie could sell a lot of records anymore, at least not in the US, as sad as that is.
I don’t think anything touches 1970s Purple. However, Blackmore’s efforts with Purple in the 1980s and 1990s were not what they could have been, and I think Steve Morse has helped them put out 4 GREAT studio albums and loads of great shows too.
August 4th, 2007 at 05:17Well put T… I loved abandon as well…. Oh Mr. Truth Hurts, your opinion goes in one ear & out the other.. Do us a favor and don’t bother going to see d.p. anymore.. Have fun at Blackmores Knight show (what a joke)…
August 4th, 2007 at 13:57By the way the Connecticut show was just amazing!!! Full house, loud but clear. The band was all smiles… Alot of kids under 20.. Which is nice to see…Gillan rules and always will now that the band is cancer free!! Long live the Morse Era!!!
Long live rock’n’roll I say (actually that’s a Rainbow song…).
The Deep Purple name, and rock music itself (which has parameters Morse fails to see) deserve so much better than this dull decaffeinated dishwater! We need full-bodied expresso from Purple!
As for influencing younger people I’m actually 31 years old which is n’t too ancient in the scheme of things. When I heard players like Blackmore, Iommi, Hendrix, Townsend at the age 16/17 their performances hit me like a ton of bricks – and when “Slaves And Masters” and “The Battle Rages On” came out I still felt that fire burning me, but in a newer, precise, accessible way. It was an inspiration, to say the least.
What I will say about Steve Morse’s better moments (“Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming” is my favourite, which DP don’t even play anymore!!!) is that I think they sound nice and pretty, are technically perfect, and solid musical compositions, but notice the use of the word THINK. With the masters I mentioned above, you did n’t have to think. Their breathtaking perfomances assualted you before you even had a chance to THINK.
I don’t buy the idea that Blackmore’s playing is old and Morse’s is new. As a Q magazine reviewer (whom I’m loathe to quote because I think they are nearly all a**holes) pointed out when reviewing “Abandon” and giving it a single star rating “the band sound dated and stuck in the 70s”.
Those simple potent riffs will always sound fresh, ageless and timeless to me and anyone who whom they choose to hit, you can never predict who that is, but someone somewhere always does receive it.
The more this kind of material is played by those who are obsessed by it, the brighter the future of rock. I do hope Mr. Blackmore would get back to his strat and join Glenn Hughes and Joe Lynn Turner for a tour. Then all we would hear would be “Burn”….!!!
P.S. Let me reiterate my point about Akira Kajiyama. Check out his stuff, the man has fire and competence and ROOTS. Gotta be a better choice than Morsey!!!
August 5th, 2007 at 08:14I`ve seen DP with Blackmore and I`ve seen them with Morse.All I can say is that it´s unfair to compare the two in any perspective! The best thing to happen DP was when Blackmore left. As much as I love that sour puss genius and his guitarplaying, I must say I don´t miss him!
When “Blackers” were on stage with DP there was always this dark,gloomy and sinister mood up there that was almost touchable….and today?..
August 6th, 2007 at 22:19..Well..anyone remember laughter? What we have today is a much happier DP that seem to actually enjoy being on stage…and it´s a thrill to see the guys smiling and having a good time instead of having to worry about the mood of a primadonna guitarplayer! By the way…Morse is great!Love his playing! Yes it´s different, but I truly think he is adding some freshness to the sound of our beloved DP!
Whoever says “Who Do We Think We Are” is a bad album does not get any credit anymore from me, plain simple………
August 7th, 2007 at 13:18I could react to some more stupid things but I have to go now….
Talking about Blackers being cancer says it all……
Please go away and listen to your fiddler.
Way to go, purplepriest.
“Woman From Tokyo” was only a start. “Smooth Dancer,” “Rat Bat Blue” (AWSOME keyboards) and “Place in Line” (GREAT solos and drumming) included some of Purple at their best. “Mary Long” is generally considered to be a classic and occasionally done live still. “Our Lady” would have fit the musical climate of the time as a single. And they packed a hell of a lot into the two-minute-or-so “Super Trouper” (Love the flanging).
August 7th, 2007 at 16:11I wouldnt want Blackmore to return to DP……………………..he would destroy the band. We all know the band havent many years left before ‘Mr Retirement’ comes knocking at the door, so why force a premature end.
Blackmore had his time, and had his chance. He came, he went. Morse isnt Blackmore, and Blackmore aint Morse…………so ???
Blackmore brought DP to its knee’s, and Morse kick started the machine again. LIKE IT OR NOT !!
That doesnt mean Blackmore aint an extraordinary talent. He’s doing what HE wanted to do…………….LIKE IT OR NOT!!
Enjoy DP for what it is, a fantastic rock band.
IF any of you out there thinks they can play better than MORSE or BLACKMORE then slip on that ‘straight jacket’ cos the the ‘men with white coats’ may come a calling!!
August 7th, 2007 at 16:16I am going to ask you a few questions and you can answer as you read
We are all at some point Purple fans are we not? Regardless of who has been or is in the band.
Purple is alive regardless of what anyone may or may not think right?
Steve Morse has done exactly what he has been hired to do right?
We all have our own personal favorite purple line up, but lets get a couple of things straight. Regardless of what you may think it’s the truth and it may hurt.
If you are a true Purple fan you have to understand that Blackmore wrote most of the material you all have come love and relive when you see a Purple show. Yes he has his own demons, but regardless he has churned out nothing less than outstanding music weather in Purple, Rainbow and even His current project. His riffs are simply ass kicking. Solos are fucking great. The man knows what he is doing. I can go on about him all day. He has balls and does what he wants. I admire and respect that to a certain extent. Yes he left and will not ever return.
Now comes Morse. A very brilliant guitar player and composer. I am a huge fan of him in SMB, Kansas, and Dreggs. Simple amazing. The god honest truth is that he did not save Purple. Weather you choose to admit this or not he didn’t He is simply a hired gun as is Don. They play what they are payed to play and that is Purple classics. I am not downing the guys simply being honest. Yes you see kids 12 and up at the shows, but I can honestly tell you that they are there for Smoke on the water, Highway Star, Lazy, Women for Tokyo, etc etc. Not for Ted the mechanic, bananas, or even Well dressed guitar. Just think about it, how would you feel if you went to a Purple show and only heard material from the last four albums? You would leave. Why? Simply because it is not purple. The music is good, but Rusty and the rest of his friends are there to see Highway Star. Don’t get me wrong the music is good because its good, but its not Purple. There is no edge and there is no balls to the wall. Perfect example the opening track, Pictures Of Home, Balls with the drums. I mean come on. That is what you all thrive to hear. I can appreciate the new Purple, but its not what Americans or anyone for that matter wants. Blackmore left a colossal imprint on the music and it has never been the same since he left. Bottom line is that Purple is touring because they are making a living. Simple as that. If you don’t believe me just check out their set list and tell me how many of those tracks are Morse era tracks vs. the classic Blackmore that everyone needs to hear. Yes he is a breath of fresh air, but you will soon come to find that you are humming smoke on the water and not well dressed guitar.
Just an opinion and nothing more.
August 8th, 2007 at 07:45ohh yeah and honestly since all they play is classics and a few new ones, I would have rather hired some unknown that plays for the passion. Morse does, but he is Morse. Youtube some guitar kids and you will see they are shredding Blackmore. Why because its kicks ass
August 8th, 2007 at 07:48Well thats the answer then……………… Fire Morse from the band and get a Blackmore YouTube clone to replace him. We can all close our eyes and pretend its the Man In Black.
In fact I can play SOTW……………..they should have hired me!!
Someone release me from this jacket!!!
August 8th, 2007 at 13:55The thing to remember here is ROOTS and PARAMETERS OF ROCK. Steve Morse is note perfect but his robotic rendering of Blackmore’s masterful guitar parts suggest he has little understanding of where the songs of Deep Purple originate from.
To me it is Morse’s conservative approach that sounds old and dated, not Blackmore or Bolin who will always sound fresh, ageless, weighty and RELEVANT.
August 8th, 2007 at 20:04Maybe Blackmore playing ‘Ted The Mechanic’ would suffer from understanding…………..
Blackmore is RELEVANT……………….but as of November 1993 not nearly as RELEVANT.
August 9th, 2007 at 10:19Blackmores licks on the madolin are always so fresh, ageless and relevant. Whats he actually done recently on an electric guitar?
Maybe he’s a burnout!! He certainly couldnt hack Purple back in the 90’s, and so he tried to stop the Purple Machine and failed.
He’s a tired old folk player that used to be a guitarist in Deep Purple. Whats left to say?
August 9th, 2007 at 15:01All the best to a man totally whipped……..age gracefully….? Mr.Blackmore!
August 10th, 2007 at 12:51Why all the fuss about Ritchie Blackmore, he is gone and Purple are still going strong. Yes they still play most of MKII classics but I think there is a strong case that RB did not write “by himself” the classic material we know and love! Ritchie was great but he is history, not colossal, but still history.
August 11th, 2007 at 00:35Enter Steve Morse a great guitarist but not RB, just like Bolin a little overwhelmed at first but Morse has his own stamp on DP. I would go to a show of only Morse era material no question. There seems to be a contest of who is better…it is like comparing night and day, simply impossible. I can listen to Rapture and love the shit out of it and still listen to MIJ and just say “oh my God can that man play or what”. To me DP is simply the best band there ever was and still is today and credit goes to ALL contributing members from Evans To Airey and everyone in between. (P.S. does anyone remember Randy California filling in for RB on tour late in the 70’s)
i bet you if he was to ever have complete control of purple is he joined they would churn out nothing less than absolute perfection.
Again nothing against Morse, but to me it will never be deep purple without blackmore.
August 11th, 2007 at 07:35Nothing against Blackmores Knight, but if it were up to his blackness we would have only memories of DP not current tours and terrific new music (ROTD) and we would hang onto rumours of RB hanging up his fairy hat and tights to reform DP. Thanks for everything Steve and the rest of the band!
August 13th, 2007 at 01:27I guess Blackmore had complete control of the Rainbow era, but I hardly think everything they churned out was absolute perfection!! Far from it!!
Some people here seem to think Blackmore is god-like!! He is a guitarist, and once he was an exceptional guitarist…………………
August 14th, 2007 at 07:53TO TELL YOU THE HONEST TRUTH, HE IS A BEYOND EXCEPTIONAL GUITARIST WHO HAS REDEFINED HIMSELF. HE IS TWICE AS DISCIPLINED AS HE EVER WAS, AND IS PLAYING FAR BETTER THAN EVER. IF YOU LISTEN TO OR WATCH THE STUFF HE IS DOING NOW, LIKE IT OR NOT, HE IS AMAZING. IF YOU DON’T HAPPEN TO LIKE THE TIGHTS AND THE OUTFITS AND DIRECTION OR STYLE HE HAS GONE, THEN THAT IS FINE. WHEN HE PULLS OUT THE STRAT, HE IS AS PROLIFIC AS EVER AND MAYBE MORE SO. THE ACOUSTIC STUFF HE HAS WORKED SO HARD AT HAS PAYED OFF IMMENSLY. WHEN HE LOVES WHAT HE IS DOING HE IS STUNNING, WHEN HE IS PISSED HE MIGHT AS WELL HAVE STAYED IN HIS HOTEL ROOM. HE IS JUST LIKE PURPLE NOW…HE HAS FUN EVERY NIGHT. GIVE THIS STUFF HE IS DOING NOW AN HONEST TRY. YOU MIGHT ALSO BE AS AMAZED AT THIS GUY AS I AM.
August 16th, 2007 at 23:18Ok, he is an exceptional mandolin player, with a bit of the occasional Fender thrown in!!
August 17th, 2007 at 09:01I GIVE UP.
August 17th, 2007 at 14:14RB is no longer a “ROCK GUITARIST” can we all agree with that at least??
August 17th, 2007 at 22:19He is what he is, I don’t listen to much of Blackmores Night because it is just plain boring. That is my own opinion and we all have one, I don’t dislike RB in fact I thank him for finally giving in and letting go to pursue his dream, thus leaving us all with DP MK7 & 8.
Blackmore, if you have ever seen him play, plays with such feeling its unatural. thats why he left these guys. THEY are doing it for the money and he still plays just to play. he is too a guitarist with an aray or styles of playing. He is theee complete guitarist. Boring? lol no wonder you are satisfied with purple now.
August 18th, 2007 at 05:48TO EACH HIS OWN
August 18th, 2007 at 13:49I GUESS A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LIMITED TO A CERTAIN THING. I PERSONALLY LOVE ALL OF IT. THE BLACKMORE’S NIGHT THING AND PURPLE. HELL, I EVEN FOUND SOME PRETTY SATISFYING MOMENTS IN COME TASTE THE BAND WITH BOLIN, BEFORE THE HEROIN TURNED HIS FINGERS INTO SAUSAGES. JUST DON’T BRING UP THE LIVE SHOWS DURING THAT ERA. JIM IS RIGHT, TO EACH HIS OWN. THAT IS WHY WE HAVE ALL THIS. THERE IS NO WRONG WAY, JUST OPINIONS ON WHICH IS BEST. TO ALL THE DETRACTORS: WOULD YOU RATHER GO BACK TO ’93 AND HAVE NO PURPLE SINCE THEN? HAVE THE LAST IMAGE IN OUR MINDS BE RITCHIE EMBARRASING HIMSELF WITH A CUP OF WATER AFTER NOT SHOWING UP ON STAGE UNTIL TIME FOR HIS SOLO ON HIGHWAY STAR AND THEN DOING IT TWICE MORE? GREAT END TO A LEGENDARY TRIP. NO THANKS.
August 18th, 2007 at 17:57Deep Purple is a working band, a traveling road show. That’s where the money is for popular vintage music – YES, VINTAGE! I saw them In July in Clearwater, Fl & the boys were smiling, carrying on with the crowd & you could just tell that no one on the stage was just going through the motions. For Christ’s sake, Blackmore is gone – A LONG TIME AGO – Morse is not him but Steve M. IS in Deep Purple & that’s why we’re here. The band is touring it’s ass off, playing kick-ass, LOUD renditions of what we remember & I’m real glad I got to see them – barefoot Gillan & all. I’m betting I see them again.
August 23rd, 2007 at 02:35Thank you Mike could not have said it better……………….long live DP MK8
August 23rd, 2007 at 23:25EXACTLY. THAT IS WHAT I’VE BEEN TRYING TO SAY. I SAW THEM IN 70, 73, 74, 76, 85, 87, 96, 02, 07, AND I HAVE HAD TO TRAVEL SOME OF THOSE TIMES BECAUSE THEY JUST DONT COME THROUGH ATLANTA MUCH. JUST BE GLAD THEY ARE STILL HERE. AND GUESS WHAT. THEY AIN’T GOING AWAY ANY TIME SOON. I’M DRIVING 4 HRS TO SEE RITCHIE IN OCTOBER, TOO. SORRY CRANBERRY. I THINK CRANBERRY NEEDS A HOBBY. WAY TOO MUCH SPARE TIME. TOO MUCH PENT UP HOSTILITY. LET’S BUY HIM A STARTER STAMP COLLECTION.
August 25th, 2007 at 02:20Rainbow1006, with all due respect to “opinion”, you need to work on getting a clue. Rascal, great comments. Zero myopia!!! DP with the Ian’s, Roger, Jon, and the galaxy’s greatest guitar player now and forever is the best lineup ever. Again with respect to the Black guy. And God bless Don for admirably contributing to the band that is smoking more than ever….C’mon all of you Black knuckleheads, come taste this band! (I kill myself :>) Peace out! Getaclue
August 25th, 2007 at 18:58Ive got the starter stamp collection thanks BILL MAJOR………….its giving me hours of entertainment. Do you think RB has one?
Its obvious we all dont love DP and BN, well thats just down to musical taste and certainly not a persons ‘limitations’.
Blackmore hasnt so much ‘redefined’ himself as ‘redirected’ himself. For ten years he’s been doing what he wants, and good luck to him!! Im certainly glad he chose this path instead of squeezing the life totally from DP.
Anyway i will end it their cos all that ‘pent up hostility’ upsets BILL, who doesnt like people having opinions, or as he puts it ‘LIMITATIONS’.
August 28th, 2007 at 09:06Hey I stumbled onto this site….seems I may be a few months off from the debate.
Anyway, i don’t no if anyone will still be reading this…
My take on it (and I’m old enough to have seen purple in the early seventies…and I’m also a musician) is thus…
I was a huge fan of the whole Book of the Taliesyn to Stormbringer era (never got into Rainbow except for a handful of tunes).
Been listening to Steve/Dregs since the early 80’s. Since I found out, over ten years ago, that he tours a local venue , I go to all the shows and mostly to both shows on a given night.
That being said, I kinda agree with TruthHurts. I’m a huge fan of Steve and his music and he is a big influence in my guitar playing. But, I firmly believe that he is at his best and in his element when writing and performing his own brand of eclectic progressive rock.
I do have a few of his DP dvd’s and I feel its all oil and water…his style does not fit at all and kinda cheapens it, if thats the right way to say it. The “living Loud” dvd, while obviously not DP, is especially horrible to that effect.
But, he’s a working musician and its a great gig nonetheless to be able to make a living at playing…and at a world class level.
November 7th, 2007 at 17:58Youngsters, unrealistic assholes & wanna-be’s can never be satisfied. I’ll admit to a little unhappiness when listening to any Mark II album these days – unhappy because it’s over. JESUS! They were completely awesome. No other band at the time could touch them.
So that’s the whole story. Except for this: We DP fans get to witness through the current live shows a little of what was – like 3/5ths of what was DP with Gillan, Glover & Paice on stage right in front of me 35 years later shittin’ & gittin’ & smiling – loving it.
When I first heard the Dixie Dregs I knew I was hearing something really different and really excellent. The skills those folks displayed was like no other band – not better but superbly holding court like nothing I’d heard before. Steve Morse is incredible.
So there’s incredible Steve Morse up there, next to Glover, Gillan & Paice, along with Don Airey who has played with Jan Hammer, Jethro Tull, Ozzy &…oh yeah…RAINBOW for god’s sake…(pause for contemplation)… It’s Clearwater, Fl 2007 at Ruth Eckerd Hall last July, the sound sucks just off stage left – much too LOUD due to reverberation, piss-poor room acoustics etc, me with napkins stuffed in my ears and me utterly mesmerized by this ALMOST DP band. Close enough for me.
Blackmore has been gone, the rest are still here, constantly touring the world delivering just what we want to hear – the old stuff – and getting a more than reasonable facsimile thereof. Just watching the obvious elation they all showed while performing was a plus for me. BTW, how many old bands are there with the same lineup out there playing? – not many – I can only think of one. I’d pay $500.00 to see the 1972 Ritchie Blackmore noodling the intro to “Never Before” just one more time – but I can’t. It’s over.
They make money, we pay to see them & all’s well in a changing world.
May 21st, 2008 at 18:08Steve Morse is the best ! He is awesome ! Nominated for 8 Grammy’s. Richie Blackmore is a dull emotionless soul. He dropped the band while touring!!!!! Who does that. He think he is a God, but he is nothing. Steve Morse saved the band. Buy their new album Whoosh, its friggin’ awesome. STEVE MORSE, GUITAR GOD, IS THE BEST!
December 15th, 2020 at 21:54