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“It’s the same old crap”

Blackmore’s Night, Stroudsburg PA, May 14, 2011; © Nick Soveiko CC-BY-NC-SA

Looks like Blackmore has recently granted one of his rare interviews to the Billboard, and bits and pieces of it continue to surface here and there. Here’s another quote, this time about the new Blackmore’s Night album:

From my point of view, it’s the same old crap that we’ve been doing for a long time. I’m not a person that goes in any direction, you know? I just play whatever I feel like at the time.

The album is being described as including new tracks Troika, inspired by a Russian folk song; an instrumental called The Minstrel Hall; and the Eastern European-infused Dancer in the Moon, which Blackmore admits is much in the same vein of his post-Deep Purple work with his band.

Thanks to Something Else for the info.



48 Comments to ““It’s the same old crap””:

  1. 1
    Andra Thompson says:

    You’ve got to love the guy!

  2. 2
    Roy says:

    You don’t need to be Mr. Blackmore to know that. Yes, it’s a piece of the old crap, but it is not the crap within that we pay for listening, it’s the ocassional solo here and there. To say the truth, for every new album Mr Blackmore has taken part in the last decade, the majority is just crap except for that ocassional solo here and there. And I mean “solos” from his Strat. It totals maybe some 10 minutes in all. It’s sad to say but it takes being forced to buy 10 hours of his wife’s singing for every 10 minutes of Blackmore solos, really sad…

  3. 3
    Tracy (Zero the Hero) Heyder says:

    He states he’s not a person who goes in any direction? Really? He’s been doing the ‘same crap’ for over 15 years now. Amazing. Completely contradicts himself in just 3 sentences. All that frolicking in the forest, making little ‘Blackers’ has produced incoherency…..Dude, it’s time to ROCK something besides the cradle.

    CheerZ

  4. 4
    HZ says:

    To be honest, I love BN. But it’s time to record some rock idea, isn’t it? Just for change… Some Rainbow thing, for example..

  5. 5
    al says:

    a shoe shine music like he used to call funk music back in the days,and his music is worst than that now !
    pop medieval crap that bores the hell out of you in 10 minutes !

  6. 6
    EdwardsColetta says:

    “The Minstrell Hall”? A rework of an instrumental from the first B’sN album?

  7. 7
    balna says:

    Yes. It’s time to recreate Rainbow. Frankly speaking I hate BN themes since the fourth album. I want to listen Rainbow in a real gig.

  8. 8
    buttockss says:

    Can we just for once have ritchie do a blackmores night album of ritchie doing instrumentals and soloing, while candace mouth is ductaped ?

  9. 9
    MacGregor says:

    As I have stated in other previous posts, it has all been before, the riffs, melodies, time signatures & lyrics even to some extent. You can only come out with so much over time & Blackmore should know! It is being repeated time & time again! Blackmore is no fool, & who can tell what he actually meant by that comment. But the people who don’t like BN will no doubt more than likely jump on his comments, as some sort of ‘justification’ for their own version of what is ‘crap’! Even if he went back to ‘rock music’ as some people wish, it will be the same. that is one reason why Blackmore went down the path he chose, to get away from the repeated rock scenario!
    Now as 15 years have past, BN is repeating itself & has been for a while in my opinion. Not to worry, I have moved on!
    Jimmy Page certainly doesn’t have to worry about running out of ideas, He has not repeated himself over the decades. Pink Floyd ceased when they ‘knew’ that it was time to move on! Most others don’t seem to know, but I suppose that is their life to a degree, so they chug along! So many of my favourite artists from over the years, have been left behind, repeating themselves constantly. It become very tedious to say the least.
    Guess what people, The ‘new’ so called Deep Purple album will be the same as well, they ran out of ideas over a decade ago, it will be the same riffs, melodies etc! Oh & just because it is called ‘Deep Purple’ means nothing. Way past it as far as anything ‘new’ being able to be conjured up, from the abyss! But there will always be people who cannot ‘move on’! Time waits for no one! Cheers.

  10. 10
    Errol Arias says:

    how can he call “crap” to what he is doing now..(And,to be honest,I do NOT like BN at all) I don’t understand how a musician refers to his music as a “crap”… Someone can explain me that? Sounds like crazy.. Don’t you think is better to say ” Is the same style of music we’ve been doing.. ” or something like that?

  11. 11
    Anthony says:

    Can’t wait for ther new album but I guess it will sound like the previous ‘same old crap’ but at the end of the day its Ritchie and is always a pleasure listening to the guy play whetever instrument he straps on.

  12. 12
    micke says:

    Yes it really feels like “same old crap” these days… 🙁

  13. 13
    kraatzy says:

    Oh yeah, our Ritchie Blackmore … HE IS T H E GUY WHO HAS HIS PLACE in the RnR HoF since: 1971 – since: IN ROCK, lately since 1972 – Smoke on the Water.
    He is THE MONUMENT of ROCK (´N´Roll – if you will).

    All that mock “RnR” shit from guys like THE TEMPTAITIONS, THE SUPREMES, SIMON & GARFUNKEL or other groups from the RnR HoF like that (nothing against their music and this musicians/groups), are no RnR groups.

    It´s been since 1986 that the RnR HoF has “nominated” a lot of “R O C K” (´N´Roll) bands …
    But T H E R O C K -Band who ARE Rock-Bands are not so many there …

    I am in common with our friends in Purple and related in their meaning, that this NOMINATION is very very un-important !!!!!!

    LLRnR

    -kraatzy-

  14. 14
    Philip says:

    Bought a Blackmore’s Night album a while back. Discarded after a few plays. Occasionally check them out on YouTube and it’s tepid stuff. I liked Shadow of the Moon as a bit of a novelty and think he should have stopped there. But there seems to be a market for this ‘crap’ as he puts it. I seem to recall Cozy Powell saying that Blackmore lost his drive at the end of the 70s and I don’t think he ever rediscovered it.

  15. 15
    byron says:

    I used to love a lot BN in the beginning,but I didn’t pay so much attention to their last albums.Seems they re playing the same song again and again
    I don’t expect Ritchie back to hard rock anyway,but taking a new direction could be nice..

  16. 16
    Brad DeMoranville says:

    I really like the first few Blackmore’s Night albums. But then I stopped buying them. This was because, as Ritchie suggests, it’s just the same old stuff (I don’t think it’s crap myself) on every album. Ritchie is only human and could be running out of ideas for the BN style. So, as most of you have said, it’s time for RB to make a rock album. Ritchie, let your wife take care of the baby awhile while you ROCK.

  17. 17
    Micalonues says:

    Who’s Ritchie Blackmore?

    wink.

  18. 18
    al says:

    no more rock for Ritchie so we have to settle for the same ol’ crap and his annoying partner singing the same cheesy stuff and doing cheesy covers of others people music.I don’t think Ritchie can work with male singers anymore nor does he want to !

  19. 19
    jim says:

    @ macgregor 9
    page has done nothing interesting in 35 years I think you’ll find he ran out of ideas in the mid 70s and not to a bastard here but he really cant play the guitar anymore but the again I never thought he could..he is the most overrated player in the history of guitar playing…But Ritchie has got better and better and went from Purple to Rainbow to Purple to Rainbow to Blackmores Night ..I think you’ll find there’s a lot of music there that was’nt same old same old compared to page who cant and has’nt produced anything since zep stopped shall we say that was in anyway memorable compared to Ritchie ..in fact I read recently page was working so hard to put the finishing touches to the O2 gig to get it out in time for xmas WELL WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS DONT WE ..IT WILL BE SO OVERDUBBED THAT THERE WONT BE A NOTE ON IT THAT WAS PLAYED THAT NIGHT FROM page

  20. 20
    stoffer says:

    jim @19 well said..Page compared to Blackers…no comparison at all, RB wins hands down

  21. 21
    al says:

    @Jim
    you got me beat Jim about Page ,nothing since the 70,some really bad,cheesy,mediocr stuff with Paul Rodgers,( you don’t even know if Page is playing ) The Firm.The only decent album is th Coverdale/Page album and that’s it,zip ,nothing musically and he just keep saying of making an album every year but he just doen’t have it anymore.

  22. 22
    Anthony says:

    Personally I dont think Ritchie’s playing has stagnated over the years with his Blackmore’s Night project. In fact his ability to create melodies and song arrangements even around a known medieval tune is fantastic even though it may ‘sound’ repetitive, and lets not forget the risks ( losing fans–alienating others–diminished credibility ) he took when disbanding Rainbow and going down the so-called non-commercial acoustic medieval folk route. Blackmore’s Night are extremely popular in their own niche though I do admire Ritchie’s very dark humour when saying “same old crap”—genius in every sense indeed!!

  23. 23
    purplepriest1965 says:

    Nothing new.
    Blackmore always had statements like that.

    During Rainbow he said that most of his work was trash.

  24. 24
    Roberto says:

    Yes, Blackmore’s Night has been a great fair move for Ritchie, at least for the first three albums, then it turned boring and really too much ripetitive…Blackmore should find something else now…not necessarily Rainbow or Purple…

  25. 25
    purpdawg says:

    All of you are letting him jerk your chains again. Mr Blackmore has two favorite things to do in an interview. 1- Say what you want to hear. 2- Say what you don’t want to hear. His absolute favorite thing to do in this world is to give you a large dose of the latter.

  26. 26
    JohninNJ4you says:

    Impressive that he thinks it is crap. That is higher than I would rate it.

  27. 27
    Joe says:

    You know what Ritchie, stay home the night of the R&RHOF induction. the guys will gave a better time without you !!

  28. 28
    Tommy H. says:

    I like Ritchie’s dark humor. It’s as catchy as his music.

    @ 19, 20, 21:

    When I look at Zeppelin, there are quite some things that were different to Purple of course. The songs of Zeppelin had more dynamics, there was an acoustic set within the show. The songwriting was rhythmically more interesting. Purple’s and Rainbow’s music always was more or less straight forward in that regard. There was a lot more drama and epic feeling to Zeppelin’s songs etc. These are points I highly appreciate when talking about Page’s songwriting. Plus, Zeppelin was partly responsible for Purple’s direction after Mark I and they didn’t do as many covers. But around the mid-70’s and later on Page stopped developing and his playing became really sloppy. In my opinion you can’t compare the songwriting efforts of Page and Blackmore in the 70ies. But Blackmore continued and did some interesting stuff here and there after this glorious decade. I don’t know if there are more memorable songs of Blackmore but to me he always was technically more accomplished and miles ahead in terms of productivity. Page really lives in the past. Has anybody seen the movie “It Might Get Loud”? I thought: Wow, what would have happened if Blackmore was sitting in with Page?

  29. 29
    HardRockPete says:

    For the first time in a very, very long time Blackmore is totally spot on! BN is “the same old crap” as it’s been for a very long time now. Uninspired popdiscomedivalpseudocrap! I can’t figure out why he’s NOT doing a “symphonic overtones” rock album again??? That’s what he does best! Hard rock inspired by classical music, that’s his game!

  30. 30
    MacGregor says:

    Jim @ 19 – Excellent humour indeed, side splitting & very painful when I cannot stop laughing, but the stitches keep on breaking in my side.
    Please stop with your comedy. Please, oh please stop! Ouch, it hurts!

  31. 31
    Roberto says:

    anyway nothing new here…”same old crap” is pratically the same thing when he commented HOBL (he said something like “making records is like making sausages”…)

  32. 32
    Ron says:

    Ritchie, be a guitar god again….get your white strat and 200W marshall head and Krank it up. You’re a legend of hard rock….now do it again!

  33. 33
    Chip says:

    Since 1981, every single album Blackmore has done has had these things in common.

    Some really good songs…a few brilliant ones (Perfect Strangers)
    A lot of filler and average stuff done from the bands “template” (Deep Purple or BN)
    Brilliant guitar work

    Generally, the farther along he gets into a project…the more rote it gets. Witness TBRO LP. That being said….some of the rote “crap” I like. Ramshackle Man is nothing special but its a fun song and Ritchie plays some nasty bluesy solos.

    As for the crap comment…this is vintage Blackers. Some people like the BN crap and as long as they buy the records, put on their tights and buy a ticket to show up to drink mead at the castle with Ritchie…more power to this “crap.”

    But I’ll stick to the old crap….and the current crap….

    I just hope most members of the family will put aside the past show up in LA in April of next year and do a kick arse show at the Rock and Roll induction ceremony.

  34. 34
    HZ says:

    @27

    I agree with you, then they can play his riffs all night long, and be happy and legendary… They don’t need Ritchie, only his music..

  35. 35
    Martin Johannessen says:

    “Blackmore’s Night – The Beginning” is a documentation about the early period of a musical legend.

    In the lavish velvet-box you will find the first two Blackmore’s Night albums “Shadow Of The Moon” and “Under A Violet Moon” as well as rare video footage of their early tours “Live In Germany 1997-1998″ and”Under A Violet Moon – Castle Tour 2000”. Available for the first time on DVD and only in the “The Beginning” box.
    http://heavyrocktheplaylist.blogspot.no/2012/10/blackmores-night-beginning-new-2dvd2cd.html

  36. 36
    MacGregor says:

    Seriously, after my response @ 30 to Jim @ 19, I thought, each to their own, I just found his rant amusing in a way & I wasn’t sure if he was fair dinkum or not! However Tommy H @ 28 I do agree with. Zeppelin to me were on another level compared to classic Purple & also Sabbath. I was reared on those 3 great British bands as a youngster & still respect them big time today! But Zeppelin’s music was more interesting to me as they mixed it up more, different styles, different melodies & monster anthems, if that’s what you could call it! Page is a master at different instruments & tunings & Plant & Jones also had an interest in other types of music from different countries, hence the variations! As a fan of the ‘progressive’ bands, of which I was introduced to a few years after the big 3, I became more aware of Zeppelin’s ‘other levels’. Tull , Yes & Crimson & early Floyd opened the flood gates so to speak, much more in their music to enjoy, for longer periods of time! I always like Page’s work in The Firm, his solo album ‘Outrider’ & with Plant in the 90’s, always different. Didn’t enjoy the Coverdale thing though! At least with out doing heaps of things over the decades, we don’t hear Page running out of ideas, at least not in my book anyway! cheers.

  37. 37
    MacGregor says:

    Martin @ 35 – yes, the dvd of the early BN ‘live’ would interest me also, as the first 2 albums were fresh, different & also great to see Blackmore travelling a different path! The first 2 albums are the only albums I own of their material, the rest that followed as I heard them, seemed to be coming out to quickly for my liking. I much prefer an artist to take a while to write & record new music. Too many albums to quickly from any artist, leads to bland & boring in my book! Cheers!

  38. 38
    purplepriest1965 says:

    I read in one of the comments on DTB that Blackmore is suffering from tinnitus.
    Meaning : It s not of free choice he had to leave behind the menacing loud sounds of heavy rock.

    Ian Paice with 1 lung and slower than ever.
    Ian Gillan hoarse as an old man often is.
    Glover sometimes being described as the peak of the evening……

    Morse not real;ly knowing how to fit in after all these years.
    Don Airey,…….Well he is alive but NOT Jon !!!

    Still I am Sad.

  39. 39
    purpdawg says:

    #27. Sir, do you realize that all of them say the same exact thing about the rock & roll hall of fame? None of them are interested. And the comments they all make are dead on. After all these years and all these accomplishments & all this tremendously timeless music they have produced, why the hell would this hall of fame mean a damn thing to these guys. Just give a look at the huge amount of ass clowns in there. Kind of like the God forsaken Grammys. 90% pure garbage. About as meaningful as the 5th Kiss farewell tour.

  40. 40
    al says:

    @Mc Gregor
    i totally agree your reasoning about Page’s work with Zeppelin,but cmon His polished work with Firm where he totally takes backseat to Paul Rodgers ( whom I love ) and recycling some old ideas of Zeppelin,a mix of commercial so called rock with pop attitude! no Good at all ! His work with Plant ?!wow what a bad one with a few so so good moments .cmon no riff signature and mediocre after all .
    Coverdale/Page project it was not bad at all,yes Coverdale lyrics are cheesy and alla Coverdale but Page’s best and most inspirational in a post Zeppelin era !

  41. 41
    peter linn says:

    page is a great song/riff writer.

  42. 42
    jim says:

    Stoffer @20 thankyou and I totally agree with you

  43. 43
    jim says:

    to al@21you seem well informed on these matters and thats a good thing so I thank you to for your comment

  44. 44
    jim says:

    @macgregor 30 and 36 I’ll get to you as soon as..at the moment I’m tired and just going to bed

  45. 45
    Svante Axbacke says:

    I’m surprised at how time after time fans of one band have to insult other bands and claim they’re the worst and whatever. Isn’t it enough to just not like a band? I can just imagine what LZ fans say about DP in their forums… Both Page and Blackmore have their places in music history and you can’t really compare the two, or the bands they were in. They are completely different creatures.

  46. 46
    purplepriest1965 says:

    I always have been fan of BOTH bands, not to mention countless other classic rock acts.

    Somehow, people probably know the answer, Deep Purple and split groups and solo artists stayed with me a CORE passion.

    I must say PRESENCE by LZ is 1 of my favourite albums, but also the last one with Page that interested me.
    Is that insulting?
    I dont think so.

  47. 47
    purplepriest1965 says:

    I downloaded a recent boot of BN.
    Recorded in Stroudsburg, PA.

    I think thats USA?

    Indeed, the same old….ahem …..setlist.

  48. 48
    ltia says:

    Blackmore’s Night stagnated after the fourth album I reckon. Somehow now the ‘pop’ feels more ‘pop’ and the authentic element feels less genunine. However, I think that whatever you think of the last four rock albums he played on, he’d certainly stagnated then, too. One or two good songs doesn’t make four good albums, lets be fair. He was certainly repeating himself, that’s for sure.

    It’s easy to forget that the first Blackmore’s Night album was a breath of fresh air, whether it’s your bag or not. I’d take that first five years of BN over yet more uninspired stuff like Stand and Fight, Lick it Up, Fortuneteller or Black and White or whatever any day.

    For some reason, a huge number of famous rock musicians tend to get burnt out after they pass their mid 30s, or sometimes even earlier (Which isn’t really true for other music genres). Whether it’s being surrounded by yesmen, drugs, egos or whatever, the best stuff tends to be the first 10 years of fame.

    Now Jimmy Page is the perfect example of this. Forget his playing – he was a master craftsman of some of the best music ever. For seven albums. Then he seemed to just lose his muse completely. He’s done some good stuff, like the Death Wish soundtrack and Coverdale/Page but that hardly compares to what he was. Blackmore, on the other hand, found a new approach or at least a completely different approach to the same thing (let’s be honest). We should be glad of that.

    Also, on the subject of the new LZ DVD, for once, there’s suprisingly few ovedubs (I didn’t spot any). Consequently, some of it is okay, but some of it sound unreleasable in my opinion.

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