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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.
 

Wither, Ritchie - general reactions

Date: 2008-02-25 07:56 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ankh156.livejournal.com
There was always something horribly white and (thatched-) british about DP. I was required to learn Black Night and Speed King 'back in the day'. I had a sneaking admiration for RB, his sound was one of the 'ripest' of all time, and with his hands on the instrument, riffing like a mad thing and playing tightly-scripted solos, there was nothing quite like him. He was not copying Hendrix, and neither was he a blues regurgitator. When I saw him (with DP) at Wolverhampton Civic hall in 1971 I was quite delighted until he did his own solo break. Then he went into this hammering/pull-off thing which was neither rhythmic or melodic. I was appalled. No humour, no fun, no interest. I couldn't believe somebody who had played so excitingly and so faultlessly up until then would offer this as his personal gift. He took his strat off (a very nice black one) and put it atop his Marshall stack and wiggled the trem. I giggled. I'd seen Hendrix do similar stuff - it was funky, musical and ... sexy. RB... I just had no idea what he was after. I know McLaughlin has not much humour either, but at least he was influenced by early RnB, James Brown, and of course Jazz. RB, whilst a formidable player was in another universe, certainly from JH, and even from JM. We know that Miles wanted to collaborate with Jimi, but thought he needed training and discipline. RB didn't really swing. All of Miles' guitarists could at least swing - even Mike Stern. I find it hard to even imagine RB in Miles' band. Miles used to say to his musicians 'I'm not interested in what you know how to play.' RB only played (plays) what he knows. I think Miles would have said 'Either you go beyond that, or you get out of the (motherfuckin') band'.
Edited Date: 2008-02-25 07:59 pm (UTC)

Re: Wither, Ritchie - general reactions

Date: 2008-02-25 08:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] johnny9fingers.livejournal.com
Ritchie didn't really swing....
Check 'Made in Japan' m'dear....his solos show a greater rhythmic sophistication than McLaughlin of the period. I still defy anyone to say DP didn't swing after hearing 'Lazy' from the 'Made in Japan' album. (But not the studio version.)

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