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Peer review
Louder Sound prints some quotes from a 1975 vintage Blackmore interview that originally appeared in the inaugural issue of the International Musician and Recording World magazine:
Assessing some of his peers, Blackmore confessed that he “wasn’t struck” on Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, and admitted “I never saw what was in Clapton at all.” In a comment presumably intended as a compliment, but which came across as a sideways swipe at the ‘Clapton Is God’ brigade, he added, “He’s a good singer.” The Who’s Pete Townshend was labelled ‘The Establishment’, though Blackmore added, “Townshend is not so much of a guitarist as an all-round guy — writer, all that.”
The Deep Purple man nominated Jeff Beck as his favourite guitarist, “a very natural guitar player”.
Read more in Louder Sound.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Ritchie spot on ..as ever!
September 13th, 2024 at 20:29Oh Dear!! The Zep fanboys surely will have their knickers in a knot about Ritchie’s pronouncements on Pagey! LOL And Eric Clapton….another shot across the bow by Ritchie…that’s at least two of them from various interviews. The only Yardbird who passes muster is Jeff Beck, and rightfully so! As for Townshend from the Who….yes The Establishment Man….the critics love him, but his guitar playing was rudimentary at best. Ritchie calls it as he sees it……the unvarnished truth!
September 14th, 2024 at 02:02funny..in a new video on You tube RB says that he thought Clapton was “brilliant and that he always loved his sound..
September 14th, 2024 at 08:02maybe this is a sign of the times..a more mature and laidback Blackmore.. hailing Clapton…and Gillan!!
LOL !
RB at his best, revealing his insecurities for all the world to read about…
But he also needed to sell records with his new band “Rainbow” ( which is a name that KISS used before they changed it out btw ), so why not bag other people to get them to listen to your new release ?…
Any press is good press, even if it means putting down your peers for some eyes & ears to listen to the bollox.
And before you fire-your-weapons at me, remember that RB can’t / doesn’t sing, or write lyrics. A good guitarist for DP at the time, but always a side-man he’ll remain.
Peace !
September 14th, 2024 at 10:26OMG, if you ask Blackmore morning, noon and evening what he thinks of other musicians, you are likely to get three different answers depending on how his whim strikes him.
Between the times when he thinks Clapton is crap OR overawed by receiving a toy duck from him, he’s in any case happy to lift 🚡 a riff or two from him:
https://youtu.be/PkulcvRkd4I
Or name Cream’s White Room as one of his favorite songs, see here:
https://darkerthanblue.wordpress.com/another-service-from-darker-than-blue-magazine/blackmores-top-ten/
I also remember Ritchie mouthing off in the 70s about how horrible the Bee Gees were – these days he’s happy to cover them with his missus.
https://youtu.be/GmXLyA6KpGA
Diana Ross, Roxy Music, Scott McKenzie and Keith West all found his favor once:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zxIIGROslUs
https://youtu.be/BonWfTW7jKc
https://youtu.be/j-447NaiBJs
https://youtu.be/IMEK4VJtlsA
Not much different from the rest of us, guilty pleasures galore! 😂
September 14th, 2024 at 13:14@ 4 – “And before you fire-your-weapons at me, remember that RB can’t / doesn’t sing, or write lyrics. A good guitarist for DP at the time, but always a side-man he’ll remain”. And neither does Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page, Robert Fripp & Alex Lifeson. Please don’t mention Lifeson’s woeful vocal attempts & lyrics on his appalling solo album Victor, that album said a lot about what you are mentioning. But then again how many lead vocalist who don’t play musical instruments, write the music or create the musical arrangements? It is work that goes both ways in many band situations. There are not many Pete Townshend’s & that others of that ilk out there. There are a few more classic examples that we could use, but we are talking about rock music so we will keep it to the point. Cheers.
September 14th, 2024 at 22:04@ 5 – the only trouble is Uwe, Clapton didn’t write White Room, the mighty Jack Bruce did with Pete Brown writing the lyrics. Blackmore waffling on with superlatives, again. It is a devil may care attitude & who gives a crap about journalist asking the inane questions they do, most of the time. Give them a bit of their own back a lot of the time. He has alway’s raved about Beck as a guitarist & Townshend as a songwriter, he ain’t silly. Yes DeeperPurps, the Zeppelin aficionados here are getting a little worried, he he he. However it won’t be until you know who gets in & stirs the cauldron (sighing, again) that any, or at least me that will then get in on the act. I do thing it was probably Ritchie being a little jealous because Page never needed a Ouija board, if you know what I mean. He did purchase Alistair Crowley’s mansion on Loch Ness for a reason. Blackmore probably ditched his hat around that time me thinks. Cheers.
September 14th, 2024 at 22:24@6…
qt.”And neither does Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page, Robert Fripp & Alex Lifeson. Please don’t mention Lifeson’s woeful vocal attempts & lyrics on his appalling solo album Victor, that album said a lot about what you are mentioning”…
***WTF has this got to do with RB & the thread ???…I sure didn’t know we were discussing these people, only RB’ s insecurities. And I won’t clickbait the other ill-informed statements, that would be really foolish & totally unproductive lol !
Better to stay focused on the topic at hand imo.
Peace !
September 15th, 2024 at 00:42He’s definitely a one off. I remember him slagging Fleetwood Mac. “Nice people but awful music.” but him and Candice have covered Rhiannon with BN since then.
September 15th, 2024 at 01:48It is a strange looking list that one, obviously as a song man Ritchie has picked out a few old favourites in the single format, more from the 1960’s. The albums the later period, well the two Jethro Tull albums. Of course the composers of yore are from the dim & distant past. Clapton has obviously been an influence guitar wise for Ritchie, we have always heard that in certain music from Blackmore, particularly earlier on. That is what I was alluding to with the White Room song & who it was written by. It doesn’t sound like a guitar influence there as such, more a song influence perhaps. What is number nine on the albums list, that first name with ‘anything’ written after it. Number two on the singles list, Going to San Francisco????? Don’t tell me Ritchie had a penchant for wearing flowers in his hair back then. That Dreaded Zeppelin band have had a rather diverse influence on Blackers. Percy eat your heart out. Cheers.
September 15th, 2024 at 02:42Well well well, we all know that RB once was a brilliant guitar player. And that, in interviews he could say all kinds of crazy stuff which had nothing to do with thruth or even his genuine opinions. He just wanted to annoy people, he was so full of sh*t.
September 15th, 2024 at 08:08@11
Well said ! +1 here Sir.
Peace !
September 15th, 2024 at 10:03@11 EXACTLY!
September 15th, 2024 at 11:56@ 8 – all those other guitarists I mentioned are heavily involved in the songwriting for their respective bands, including Ritchie in DP. You said ‘but always a side man he’ll remain’. I presumed that because you stated that ‘he doesn’t sing or write lyrics’. They (the other guitarists) have all had a vocalist & lyricist & other musicians to complete the songs with just like Ritchie has. Are they also side men I was wondering. The reason I mentioned big Al’s solo album Victor is because that is a prime example of what it can sound like if a non vocalist & lyricist attempts to write songs & sing solo (spoken word vocals). Alex also needs to write with other musicians, a singer & someone writing lyrics etc. They all need each other these musicians, the guitarists mentioned need the vocalist & also the lyricist to complete the core of the songs along with bass players, drummers & keyboardists etc & none of them are ‘sidemen’. How can they be? Unless you are Pete Townshend but even he had Daltrey lifting the vocal melodies to another level compared to his original demos. Then add Entwistle & Moon. Being in a successful band is a collaborative effort it seems. No ‘side men’ allowed. Cheers.
September 15th, 2024 at 12:38But the WHO had an excellent lead guitarist, he was called John Anthony Entwistle and had the habit of playing everything an octave deeper than most other lead guitarists. And Pete Townshend backed him quite well as part of the rhythm section, albeit one octave higher than most bassists would.
I don’t believe Ritchie ever had the philosophical discipline and serious mindedness to become an Alistair Crowley disciple, his interest in the occult never went beyond teenage novelty seeking kicks, basically Hammer Horror Film stuff. I doubt that he even knows (or ever knew) what Satanism actually is. (Was Ritchie ever much of a reader? Pictures of him reading a book or even a magazine/newspaper are strangely almost non-existent over the decades.) Besides, as Dio once said, Ritchie, not a superstition-free man, was chickenshit about true Black Magic(k) and only professed an interest in White Magic. Jimmy Page otoh, at least for a certain phase in his life, actually took a deeper, serious interest in Crowley’s hodgepodge of religious, philosophical, socio-political + nihilist-libertarian musings & esoteric humbug.
I tend to think that Ritchie’s comments about other guitarists and musicians are 90% off the cuff and rabble rousing jest. If he says he likes something, then is has at least some credibility, if he says he doesn’t, don’t believe a word.
September 15th, 2024 at 13:46#10 MacGregor:
Dietrich Buxtehude organist who influenced j.s.bach
September 15th, 2024 at 13:53Anybody not rating Lindsey Buckingham as the inspirational, totally idiosyncratic and gifted guitarist/musician/artist he is, must lack a pair of ears. He shares with Jeff Beck and Mark Knopfler (and Ritchie as he got older) playing without a pick even on electric guitar which lets him do (and come up with) things most pick guitarists can’t/wouldn’t.
https://youtu.be/bVsxvoUX9Rw
https://youtu.be/MPiJEK8KEjA
The guy is a (driven and high maintenance) genius and vastly underrated. Given the intensity of his work, I can’t believe Ritchie isn’t impressed by him.
September 15th, 2024 at 14:56@15 Uwe-
Just a slight correction Uwe, it was actually John Alec Entwistle, not Anthony.
September 15th, 2024 at 14:58An amazing Bass Guitarist that is sorely missed. What a band The Who were!
If Ritchie liked Scott McKenzie, shouldn’t he have liked the masterminded cash-in “follow-up”, a (skillfully done) Beach Boys pastiche by The Flower Pot men? Here, unfortunately WITHOUT their ‘Garden’, i.e. Jon Lord, Nick Simper, Ged Peck (–> Warhorse) & Carlo Little:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0kg9vOQQ3g
None of them played on the recording, but I would have at least liked to see them mine to it (like the singers do) on this Norwegian TV performance from very late 1967 – that must have been when they were touring Europe and especially Scandinavia on the heel of their hit, so Jon, Nick, Ged & Carlo would have been actually around to be featured too.
Here’s a pic of the “Garden”:
https://www.nicksimper.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/images/NickJonCarloGed.jpg
And here’s a pic of the Flower Pot Men live, but unfortunately you only see Ged Peck sitting down strumming and poor Nick is cut off half, Carlo obscured by the singers and Jon totally out of frame (but his keyboard set-up looks Artwoods-familiar).
https://c7.alamy.com/comp/F7A193/the-flowerpot-men-english-pop-group-in-1967-from-left-peter-nelson-F7A193.jpg
The picture makes it seem that Ged and Nick are lefties, of course they are not, the pic is left/right reversed, so Jon would have been to the right of The Flower Pot men’s live set-up. That is also why the singers are left to right: Peter Nelson, Tony Burrows, Neil Landon, Robin Shaw rather than the other way around as was the regular sequence with the band when appearing live:
https://www.nicksimper.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/images/FlowerPotMen-GedPeck.jpg
BUT WAIT FOR IT, NOT SO FAST !!! To the right of Peter Nelson’s shoulder (of his mic-grabbing arm) you see the cut-off profile of a young mustached backing musician … IT’S JON !!! 🎹
Ladies & Gentlemen, and there you have it, I have just presented to you the
– to my knowledge (and I’ve searched for decades!)
– only
– existing pic of Jon
– performing with The Flower Pot Men !!!
Liebe Admins: Doesn’t that entitle me to some kind of honorary mention as Über-Trainspötter-Gruppenführer? I’m expecting some accolades!
https://c.tenor.com/cvtj3wgHescAAAAd/tenor.gif
All this on a Sunday too! 😁
September 15th, 2024 at 17:04@ 16 – thank you very much Fla76 for that & I will look that individual up for curiosities sake. @ 15 – exactly regarding Page & his ‘occult’ phase, hence my jest at Blackmore getting rid of his hat & Ouija board. Plus the fact Zeppelin were a influence of sorts originally, probably more so than a little later on for Blackmore. They became too big & poor ole Ritchie would have been looking over his shoulder all the time. Regarding Entwistle yes indeed, a wonderful player & a perfect foil for Pete. Townshend is a wonderful rhythm player, hence his acoustic playing as well & being the composer of everything bar a song or two, he was too busy to be a ‘lead’ guitarist as such. Every band doesn’t need a soloist rabbling on all the time, he he he. The wonderful scenario of diversity & not being the same as other bands. Plus he (Townshend) had Moon to contend with, they all did. Daltrey was the one who kept that band together in many ways. The only ‘straight’ one amongst them & it also was his band to start with. The complexities of being in a successful rock band. Cheers.
September 15th, 2024 at 21:11@ 16 – I have read a while ago about Bach walking 200 miles to meet his influence, thanks again. It was Ritchie’s writing where I couldn’t make out the word, terrible scribble it is. I did try yesterday with a search or two with Buxt or similar but mr Google wasn’t into it at all at the time. Who needs Google when the aficionados at THS are there for all & sundry. Cheers.
September 15th, 2024 at 22:02Uwe, he was John Alec Entwistle.
September 15th, 2024 at 22:09Yeah, you guys are right, JAE, whatever. No idea how I came up with Anthony, old typewriter fingers may forgive me!
September 15th, 2024 at 22:41bonjour à ceux qui écrivent de manière constructive….et aux autres qui disent n’importe quoi -> je préfère me taire!
September 16th, 2024 at 06:39Ritchie est le seul à avoir essayer de se renouveler…bien entendu il y à du bon et du mauvais dans ces compositions,mais il à tenté! Après il à ses musiciens préférés comme tous….
@ 19 – “Liebe Admins: Doesn’t that entitle me to some kind of honorary mention as Über-Trainspötter-Gruppenführer? I’m expecting some accolades!” Never expect anything Uwe, especially some sort of reward, then you will never be disappointed, he he he. You couldn’t even get Entwistle’s middle name correct. “None of them played on the recording, but I would have at least liked to see them mine to it (like the singers do) on this Norwegian TV performance from very late 1967”. What is this about mine? Mine what, are the Flower Pot Men digging around or something. Shouldn’t that be mime?????? And you are hinting at being rewarded, the mind boggles it really does. And what about this, “All this on a Sunday too!” 😁Sunday. It is MONDAY here matey. Gee you people over there are really behind the times. We (the colonies), had the foresight to move here app 200 years ago simply because we knew we would be never be able to be called ‘backward’ again, pretty simple stuff eh. Get with the times & move forward Uwe, it is actually a nice place to be, even here in Tasmania. Ahead of the pack, leading the way & never behind the times. Cheers.
September 16th, 2024 at 06:50When reading anything by Ritchie, remember the man has a sly sense of humor.
September 16th, 2024 at 07:41I believe only his comments about Jeff Beck are genuine, the rest were just to get a rise out of people.
Clapton very overrated 🎸
September 16th, 2024 at 11:53How that bloody convict descendant pours his derision over me! 😂
September 16th, 2024 at 13:47@4 It’s like saying Keith Emerson was Greg Lake’s sideman because Greg played more instruments and sang, while Keith would occasionally throw together a tune or two (Tarkus & Karn Evil 9 come to mind) and play some textures on keyboard.
September 16th, 2024 at 19:32Yo,
@29 said re me saying RB being a side-man only…
qt.”@4 It’s like saying Keith Emerson was Greg Lake’s sideman because Greg played more instruments and sang, while Keith would occasionally throw together a tune or two (Tarkus & Karn Evil 9 come to mind) and play some textures on keyboard”.
*The short, direct answer to this statement is that, when you can sing, & support the tune by playing an instrument behind it well, you become a “one-man-band”, & everything else beyond this becomes addendum to your needs.
And time has shown that when a successful name band splits or reforms with different members, the original singer will almost always have a successful career afterwards, less so, the on-going band eg, Ozzy, David Coverdale etc etc.
There’s only 1 x guitar-led band that has maintained its success for over 5-decades that I can think of that’s still working very successfully, & that’s Santana.
Peace !
September 16th, 2024 at 22:42No, Timmi @27, Clapton is just someone who very early in his career matured to a point where he did not want to remain just a guitar god, but wanted to morph into this bluesy and laid back singer-songwriter who accompanies himself on guitar and plays tasteful, but not technically spectacular solos. In an era where guitar heroes ruled (late 60s, early 70s), that was actually a brave step. Clapton decided for himself that he preferred musicality and songcraft to technical flash. And he stuck with it. While I prefer Badge to Lay Down Sally too, I find his career change respectable. Not everyone Ritchie Blackmore’s age has to think that writing and playing Kill The King at 100 mph and smashing Strats are still the be-all and end-all of guitar music once you are past 30!
September 17th, 2024 at 00:32@30
Collins Dictionary
sideman
in British English (ˈsaɪdmən )
noun
Word forms: plural -men
a member of a dance band or a jazz group other than the leader
sideman
in American English (ˈsaɪdˌmæn) US
noun
Word forms: plural ˈsideˌmen (saɪdˌmɛn)
1. an instrumentalist in a band or orchestra
2. an instrumentalist supporting a soloist or a principal performer
RB fits only the first meaning of the word ‘sideman’ in American English as an instrumentalist. Otherwise, he wasn’t a sideman. He was the leader in both DP and Rainbow. He wrote or co-wrote most of the music for both bands and dominated their stage shows. Hardly a sideman.
Speaking of your other point (lead singers generally having a successful career), that may or not have been the case. David outshone DP and Rainbow only with one mega-successful album. Ozzy as we know him has been a thoroughly commercial product of his missus manager who would gather talented songwriters and musicians around him (quite a few being RB apprentices) and dump them when no longer needed. All RB singers except DC had quite modest careers (sometimes impressive creatively but hopeless commercially). Even the great IG would end up drunk and penniless each time he quit DP.
September 17th, 2024 at 10:02Yo,
@31…Well said, +1 here.
Peace !
September 17th, 2024 at 11:26@ 31. i am sure he is considered one of the greatest guitarist of all times. Me i just think he is very basic and boring and can pick many of guitarist over him, Gallagher, Moore etc. Have great day Uwe your the best!
September 17th, 2024 at 11:51Gregster @30…..speaking of Santana, Blackers had a few choice words about him too, as well as John McLaughlin. Here’s an excerpt of an interview of Blackers in 1974 by rock journo Cameron Crowe, for the L.A. Times……”The guitar has become too trendy. People like John McLaughlin . . . he’s a jazz guitarist who thought that playing with a fuzz would make him a rock ‘n roller. He leaves me cold. He’s influencing a lot of people, though, whereas the (Carlos) Santana guy is just plain rotten. I don’t (know) why he’s got such a name.”
September 17th, 2024 at 12:59Der gute Gregster isn’t wrong, Police/Sting is another example, who buy’s Andy Summers’ and Stewart Copeland’s solo albums? Singing (along to playing guitar) infinitely helps commercial accessibility and identification of an artist. Peter Frampton’s and even David Gilmour’s solo careers wouldn’t have flourished the same way without their singing capabilities. And even for Tommy Bolin, his ability to sing with that charming, slightly nasal voice of his was key for his intended solo career. I still maintain that his complete package of “looks + voice + songwriting craft + guitar ability” could have rewarded him with Peter Frampton-like success had his drug habits not intervened.
September 17th, 2024 at 14:09Der gute Gregster isn’t wrong, Police/Sting is another example, who buys Andy Summers’ and Stewart Copeland’s solo albums? Singing (along to playing guitar) infinitely helps commercial accessibility and identification of an artist. Peter Frampton’s and even David Gilmour’s solo careers wouldn’t have flourished the same way without their singing capabilities. And even for Tommy Bolin, his ability to sing with that charming, slightly nasal voice of his was key for his intended solo career. I still maintain that his complete package of “looks + voice + songwriting craft + guitar ability” could have rewarded him with Peter Frampton-like success had his drug habits not intervened.
September 17th, 2024 at 14:09@37 I do own a couple of Andy Summers & Fripp/Summers albums and they are amazing.
September 17th, 2024 at 15:39That comment of Ritchie about Carlos Santana is inane. You hear three notes of the guy and you know it‘s him. ABRAXAS is a friggin masterpiece and invented a whole new genre.
Let‘s file this under “Ritchie trying to be controversial“. Today the term would be “trolling”.
September 17th, 2024 at 21:41It is exactly as I first stated, that is why I mentioned Pete Townshend, the complete package. If you cannot sing & write lyrics, you will need other musicians to complete the song. Ozzy is not a songwriter per se, Geezer did that in Sabbath & Bob Daisley wrote the lyrics & music with Randy Rhoads. Then with Jake E Lee, where would Ozzy have been without them, in the gutter. Coverdale also had other musicians he wrote with, were would old Cov’s be without them. Sure he could play a few chords on a acoustic guitar & sing his own lyrics, but what made his career blossom? Sting & Phil Collins & Peter Gabriel should be the comparisons along with Pete Townshend, Ian Anderson, Mark Knopfler, etc etc. Musicians who do it all, so to speak. However even they need the other musicians to complete what we hear on the record & in concert. Many band members also help with certain arrangements at times on composition, but you don’t get a songwriting credit for that. No one is a ‘side show’ unless as a accompanying tour or session musician. Blackmore was never that, only a session musician in a sense before DP, in a manner of speaking. Jimmy Page was back in the 1960’s. However when needing collaborators for a band, Page needed a lyricist & singer & Jones & Bonham. Iommi needed Geezer & Ozzy & Bill Ward. Just like Ritchie did, the musical kernel often & as the guitarist & a writer with a vision of what could or should be, he then finds musicians who also can join in & contribute to that vision. Blackmore ‘ but always a side man he’ll remain’ is a put down of Ritchie, nothing more. The reality is very very different as we all know. I could find the interview clip with Jon Lord saying as much, but do I really need to. Cheers.
September 17th, 2024 at 22:22Clapton in the 70s was an absolutely overrated guitarist, both in hard rock and blues there were much better guitarists than him.
September 17th, 2024 at 22:45from the mid-80s to the mid-90s I think he wrote his best pages of very classy pop-rock, that’s the Clapton I prefer.
@ 38 – Georgivs thanks for your comments re Blackmore not being ‘a side man’. Nice to see. I also own both of the Fripp/ Summers albums, wonderful guitar playing & interesting compositions indeed. Talking about them here reminds me of a comment a guitarist I knew decades ago & what he said about that music. ‘A load of esoteric bullshit’ he called it. I laughed aloud when he said that & obviously it was his way of putting it down. He wasn’t into experimental avant-garde guitar playing at all. So I guess it was predictable from him. Cheers.
September 17th, 2024 at 23:10DeeperPurps @ 35 – I sort of agree with Blackmore regarding John McLaughlin. He isn’t really a rock or rock ‘n roll guitarist per se. Jazz he is in so many ways along with a few other influences. I have witnessed McLaughlin twice in concert, 1991 & 2015. A stunning player & all the musicians all round are mind blowing. Regarding Santana who I have also attended a concert of in 1983 & it did become rather tiresome & repetitive after an hour or so. I do think that the Latin percussive scenario could & does turn off many people after a while. Maybe it was Carlos’s endless soloing, I don’t know & Ritchie being Ritchie may have been annoyed about all that. As we know, the ‘what does Blackmore mean by that’ query is moot for a talking point & has been for almost 60 years. Cheers.
September 18th, 2024 at 02:17@ 37 – hindsight eh, again. I am not sure about Tommy Bolin possibly having a similar success as to Peter Frampton. The hooks for melodic songs were a natural for Frampton it seemed at the time & they still do. Bolin writing songs that catchy, I wouldn’t think so. He was more avant-garde & experimental, not as defined by that style of hit songwriting. But who knows, as we ponder the impossibility of what if. Cheers.
September 18th, 2024 at 02:32Yo,
@32…The way you see things is fine, it’s your right, just as many others would see Jon as DP’s leader, or the only consistent member Ian Paice. For myself, I’m an above-average-musician, & I always treat the folks in the band as equals, & yet appreciate the fellow who offered me the job can sing & play, & so warrants special consideration as being the boss, simply because he doesn’t really need me. He can fire me, or I can leave, & he / she will still carry-on as they were.
@35…Yes, well posted, & yet another few statements of no real substance other than RB bagging others, revealing his own insecurities…Lets face it, the people mentioned are legendary players, & he doesn’t see that…So when he says what he says, its also aimed at their fans too. This is why I have a respectful appreciation of RB, but I don’t really like him, & I’m so glad that he left DP, & that we’ve had a relatively happy band for decades, with better-than-ever music, album for album. And as I’ve said now for quite a while, RB is simply an ass-hole, take-it-or-leave-it. I wouldn’t employ him in any of my projects if I had unlimited funds, that’s for sure…And yet, I think Santana, & John McLaughlin would be delighted to receive the offer.
Peace !
September 18th, 2024 at 05:17@42 My pleasure.
September 18th, 2024 at 07:41Wrap up:
I wasn‘t aware that good ole Mahavishnu ever considered himself a “rocker” just because he bought himself a distortion pedal. He would simply do unconventional things for a jazz musician like solo on 12-string, something no one else did in jazz OR rock.
Ritchie a sideman? He subjugates any song under his own style.
Carlos’ ‘percussive scenario’ turning people off? Millions in Africa, South & Middle America and the Caribbean disagree, move your darn Aussie sheepskin butt MacGregor!
https://youtu.be/54ItEmCnP80
Shame on you as a drummer! That’s like saying Ritchie’s classical leanings and strange scales put off most of his fans.
Tommy wasn’t afraid of being avant-garde, much like drugs he’d try anything in music intrepidly too, but Private Eyes is a thoroughly melodic album front to back.
https://youtu.be/DyXrQUumEBw
https://youtu.be/qako94KrCV0
https://youtu.be/MNp9FLF2e1U
And if you listen closely, when Frampton soloed, he incorporated a lot more jazzy licks than most rock guitarists.
September 18th, 2024 at 13:05Regarding certain Blackmore ‘controversial’ (not really) comments. What is the difference between Blackmore’s comments on musicians both past & present and many of the comments here at times, including mine? It is pretty well exactly the same, a not liking or liking comment, dismissive at times yes, just like some comments here are about certain artists. Caustic also in some respects. Poor ole Blackers gets fried for some reason. Do we use the word hypocrisy for some of our comments if criticising Blackmore for some of his? It sounds awfully similar in many ways. I am not suggesting everyone does this. Put my head on that guillotine. As long as a few others here are there with me. I will give you a little wink guys, as we hear that sound. Cheers.
September 18th, 2024 at 21:45Have I ever written or said anything nasty about LZ? I’d rather swallow my tongue!
It’s ok for Ritchie to be caustic about other musicians, it does have entertainment value after all. But he and his devotees also have to accept him getting some stick for it. He sure can take it.
Carlos btw seems to have no issues with Ritchie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6AYDafJeak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8ez-8WAUEg
Come to think of it, some of the licks Carlos plays – and the way he plays them, those short spurts of a flurry of notes – do sound Tommy Bolin’ish.
That said, I don’t believe for a minute that Ritchie ever sincerely rated Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Carlos Santana, Alvin Lee, Steve Howe, John McLaughlin, Stevie Ray Vaughn or anybody else he might have put down at one point with a comment as mediocre (or even worse) guitarists. He is too smart and perceptive for that.
September 18th, 2024 at 22:19@47 – When I went to that Santana concert in 1983, there was a palpable ‘it gets a bit too much after a while’ vibe hanging around, as in comments. However we did enjoy the concert as a whole, very ‘upbeat’ for want of a better description. Although Carlos did have his back to us for long periods of time, for whatever reason. Traditionally of course many like the percussion for many hours on end at festivals, rituals & with the cultural aspects etc. Maybe we are too used to ACDC out here, he he he. I owned Abaraxas & the triple live album Lotus on vinyl & enjoyed them immensely back in the 70’s & 80’s. Also the Love, Devotion Surrender album with McLaughlin. The two ‘rock’ style albums I really enjoyed were Inner Secrets & Marathon, late 70’s to early 80’s era. Wonderful albums & the cover songs are grand. Tommy Bolin is melodic, if he wasn’t he wouldn’t have been selected for DP. I just cannot see him doing a ‘Frampton’ at all. That pretty boy blues rock pop song thing. His stint in The James Gang said a lot to me. Mind you that wasn’t his band, so he couldn’t stretch out & do his thing as much. However we have been shocked & surprised by certain artist over the years who venture into uncharted territory. Who knows. I always liked Frampton & I owned the proverbial ‘Comes Alive’ back then & played it to death like so many. He did sort of remind of Marc Bolan in a way, that pop rock crossover catchy song scenario. I know Frampton didn’t just do that popular style, but that commercial aspect to rock music at that time? I have watched recent live performances of Frampton & I enjoy them. Tommy Bolin was a lot more bohemian, a wandering gypsy type of character. A bit of Hendrix swagger & vibe in many ways. Not as commercial, if you know what I mean. Cheers.
September 18th, 2024 at 22:26MacGregor @48…well stated. Everybody here, and Blackmore, all have opinions on musicians. It’s all subjective….it’s all based on personal preferences and tastes. I can’t agree that Blackers is simply a sideman because he doesn’t sing. If such is the case, then Steve Morse could also be considered simply a sideman. As for Blackmore himself, having read numerous interviews and articles, I am not sure I would ever want to meet the man in person; but I still have immense respect for his genius, the riffs and music he created and/or contributed to; and for his brilliant guitar playing and improvisational prowess. Whether Ritchie’s stated opinions were truly reflections of his feelings, or were deliberate attempts to stir the pot, they were not entirely off the mark.
September 18th, 2024 at 22:41Yo,
@48…
I have no idea what you’re talking about. Your post makes absolutely no-sense…
Everyone is different, & will have a differing opinion on most matters. At certain times, they may-well agree 100%.
qt.”Poor ole Blackers gets fried for some reason”…
R1. He’s certainly not a poor man.
R2. He brings his own bollox upon himself.
R3. If its too hot in the kitchen, move on.
We will all have our own POV of this fellow, & from a performance / recorded music POV, yes he could play fine guitar, as countless others can. From the POV of what we find written within his quotes, he’s childish enough to the point that he puts his own peers down for his own intended glorification…Ergo, he’s an ass-hole.
Peace !
September 18th, 2024 at 22:48Herr MacGregor, @47, I get what you mean, the one Santana gig I saw also had his newer fans from the Supernatural era “invite contemporary guest artists to sing”-era befuddled when mid-concert he went into full Woodstock mode with endless extended improvisational versions of older material. I of course dug it, but a lot of people were getting impatient for another gig, the drummer he had – Dennis Chambers – was marvelous though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKv5-rOIY_0
One of the most impressive drum solos I’ve ever witnessed live – and I’ve heard ones from Neil Peart, Little Ian, Carl Palmer, Mike Portnoy and Gary Husband, who are all no slouches.
Carlos’ “back against the audience”-shtick never bothered me though, I knew Miles Davis and Micky Moody! 😁 If he prefers looking at his band mates instead of me, let him if it does the music any good.
BTW, I’ve never heard another guitarist or musician say that Ritchie can’t play or is overrated. What I have heard is that he is underselling his talent and his refined abilities in structuring a solo because his music is so heavily compartmentalized. And that has a ring of truth to it. Whether with Purple, Rainbow or Blackmore’s Night, Ritchie always clings to the format he is doing right now – until one morning he wakes up and decides to do something else of course. If he had that open approach to all kinds of music like, say, Jeff Beck had, Ritchie’s status as a guitarist and musician would have been even more pronounced I’m sure.
September 19th, 2024 at 15:48@ 53 – I have found a Santana Melbourne concert online from 1983 & listening now. It has been a long time & looking at the set list, it is nice to be reminded of what was performed. Thanks for the Dennis Chamber solo, yes he has an excellent reputation & for good reason. Regarding Santana turning his back constantly & my memory of it was him facing his amps a lot of the time. Friends with me were also wondering what he was doing as there didn’t appear to be any sound issues from where we were. However he could have been in a fidgety mood or something, who knows. Maybe he was looking at the best way to get around to the rear of the amps to do a Ritchie. Still a good concert though & he is a guitar legend indeed. Cheers.
September 19th, 2024 at 22:57I remember that in the late 70s, Carlos would perform with a whistle around his neck – as if he was a football referee or a PE coach. He’d use it to cue in (or admonish) the many musicians in his band while on stage. 😁 For all his esoteric humbug, he tended to be a hard taskmaster with his musicians.
These days of course, like all the best husbands, he is under the loving, yet firm control of his drummeresse exceptionelle, Ms Cindy Blackman Santana!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWXneEHSv-c
Hell hath no fury like a woman’s paradiddle, I tell you.
September 20th, 2024 at 13:57Cindy Blackman is a fine musician & it sounds like a fine ‘task master’ & good on her. Sheila E. is superb also, there are many very good female percussionist/drummers & we must not forget the wonderful singer & drummer Karen Carpenter, bless her. Regarding Santana, I listened yesterday to the Melbourne concert (they only did two in Australia) & it sounded more disappointing in many ways (my musical preferences have shifted somewhat since then) than what my memory was telling me. Too much unknown material & extended jamming (jamming for the sake of it perhaps) & the lead vocalist Greg Walker was disappointing. The Havana Moon tour it was. I had moved away from Santana’ music by that stage and his best material/covers are from the 1970’s for me. No Alex Ligertwood (Dixie Dregs ‘Crank it Up’ song) lead vocalist who was with them previously & then also after that tour. We had Greg Walker & he was poor in his delivery. I had forgotten that disappointment. Very few classics (no Black Magic Woman, Oye como Va etc) from the classic Santana era of the 70’s. Their European tour not long before touring here, had those classic era songs in the set list. They did perform the Zombies song She’s Not There. Not to worry, Santana himself was not in a good mood or he was feeling a little under the weather perhaps. They flew in from Japan so it couldn’t have been jet lag, as is often the case for artists flying all the way out here to no man’s land. “Hell hath no fury like a woman’s paradiddle, I tell you.” Ha ha ha ha. Cheers.
September 20th, 2024 at 23:26Hi everyone
Is it just me thinking too many people take this this GREGSTER fellow too seriously?
Way back I saw several SANTANA shows, loved it.Must ve been one of those rare moments I danced to the music and didnt feel bad about it doing it.
I remember Carlos being , erm, Carlos, he had an image of some Guru like personae on a drawing/pic somewhere and he felt he to pay his honour to this “spiritual” image.
Wasnt it a person that would not ve been out of place in George Harrissons livingroom?
He could also go too much into political sphered, not as bad as Roger Waters, but still…..
Mothers Finest, like Santana, had to plug their appreciation of this Manedla person as well.
It got up my nose.
Sorry for not being precise enough. And no, its not booze, I am sober for 6 months.
It did elevate my crankyness, btw.
September 22nd, 2024 at 00:01Mothers Finest were kick-ass, that legendary Rockpalast TV show gig saw them invade millions of European living rooms victoriously.
https://youtu.be/6BcdaRmGtoU
It’s the kind of music Glenn Hughes always wanted to make, but didn’t quite have the guts and perseverance to.
September 22nd, 2024 at 19:56Anyone remember the good ole days, when Ritchie was still leading the field of best punk guitarists?
https://2img.net/h/31.media.tumblr.com/402e7963aef3a0479b8e7bfe6c830b1f/tumblr_msvit7fTvm1rbwewgo1_500.jpg
This looks like something that might have come from Sounds in the Summer of Punk, don’t think its either NME or Melody Maker. Interestingly, no Jeff, Jimi or Rory in sight and Eric only at #10. Revelatory in how quickly Punk made headway in the UK as a popular genre, yet how some hard rock and prog heroes held on.
October 2nd, 2024 at 13:15@ 59 -Interesting that Steve Hackett is in that list. It must be the 1976/7 era as he left Genesis around that time. No Rory as you said or Jeff Beck & no David Gilmour. However as we know the ‘I hate Pink Floyd’ t-shirt was a joke of sorts, but were the Floyd already on the nose. Animals was released that year & their most ‘anti establishment’ album to date. A significant change in the British music environment indeed, with four to five guitarists there you wouldn’t think would make a ‘most favourite’ list, but there you go. Clapton, Ritchie, Page, May & Howe are the only ones I remember regularly making those sort of lists back then. Ritchie crowned the most favourite two years in a row. The KING is not Dead, long live the KING. Cheers.
October 4th, 2024 at 10:17I was happy to see Bill Nelson there. I’ve only recently realized that there are similarities in his solo playing to Michael Schenker’s though I’m pretty sure they never really heard much of another.
October 4th, 2024 at 17:31