johnny9fingers: (Default)
johnny9fingers ([personal profile] johnny9fingers) wrote2008-02-25 01:54 pm
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Wither Ritchie?

Poor Mad Jeremy is coming around for tea.

Correction: I finished writing that sentence just before 2pm and the doorbell rang.

Gods PMJ is looking his age and then some. He's lost many of his teeth, and years of institutionalisation have left him hugely overweight and unfit.

He hasn't been playing much guitar, but I think I managed to re-enthuse him with the joys of shredding. We had a long discussion on the merits and defects of Ritchie Blackmore and both came to the conclusion that he is the most overlooked player of the 'Golden Age'.

Poor Ritchie: he went mad, then invented a rock music that did not have enough Africa in it. But when he was good ('70-'73) he was obviously the tallest poppy in the field. In fact we were debating whether or not, during that period, he could have slotted into Miles' band line-up. Because the Blackmore of that period was a wittier guitarist than McLaughlin, and with a similar level of blinding technique.
Bit of a shame he became po-faced about it all.
There's no point in basing your life on a sense of humour failure.
Ritchie, where are you now?

Drove Poor Mad Jeremy back to his sheltered accommodation. Will see him later during the week, and put more tea in front of him, and try to stop him dribbling too much on my number two Strat.
 

[identity profile] johnny9fingers.livejournal.com 2008-02-25 05:56 pm (UTC)(link)
I haven't bought any of his music since the 70's, but I have listened to the odd bit here and there.

I like my mediƦval influenced music to have some pretense to authenticity, though I did listen to a band called Gryphon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gryphon)*in my youth. The stuff I heard from Blackmore about two or three years ago seemed a bit of a halfway house. I shall have to search out his new stuff.

*Richard Harvey is a bit of a genius.
ericcoleman: (Default)

[personal profile] ericcoleman 2008-02-25 06:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Red Queen to Gryphon Three was one of my favorite records a couple 100 years ago.

I need it on CD

[identity profile] johnny9fingers.livejournal.com 2008-02-25 06:09 pm (UTC)(link)
I need a CD of 'Midnight Mushrumps'. I have it somewhere on vinyl but....
ericcoleman: (Default)

[personal profile] ericcoleman 2008-02-25 06:41 pm (UTC)(link)
It's the one that I actually have on CD. I want a good example of the prog stuff too

[identity profile] vlion.livejournal.com 2008-02-26 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
I've largely given up on authenticity unless it's honest, old-timey, 1960s-type folk, where the band is still picking the straw from out of the violin case.
Modern 90's era world beat has jaded me on authenticity, it all feels so phony. Especially when the backbeat kicks in, in Ye Olde Elvis Styele.

[identity profile] johnny9fingers.livejournal.com 2008-02-26 09:39 am (UTC)(link)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio3_aod.shtml?radio3/earlymusicshow

Check out the early music show. No sawdust.