ritchi blackmore

Hello

Firstly let me say that Ritchie was a massive influence on me in the late seventies early eighties, I still regard his album Rainbow Rising as the greatest hard rock album of all time. His playing when he was "on" was simply better than anybody else, unique, individual and tasteful.

and his MK 2 Deep Purple catalogue is simply awesome.

However, for the last 20 years Ritchie has sold himself way short. His late Rainbow efforts with Joe Lyn Turner were safe, and aimed at making money rather than pushing the envelope that he pushed so hard with Purple and the early Rainbow lineups and his subsequent contributions to the reformed Purple (with the exception of the odd flash of brilliance on Perfect Strangers) were tired and largely uninspiring. Strangely I enjoy his work with Blackmore's Night because it seems that he is at least enjoying himself and his playing reflects that.

Sadly I believe that Richie was potentially the greatest guitar player ever, but something be it ego, character flaw or a willingness to self destruct prevented him from realising the potential that Rainbow Rising, In Rock, Machine Head and Burn evidenced.

How could anybody in his right mind sack Ronnie Dio?

If you listen to interviews with the other Purple members two things are immeaditely evident, they still hold his playing and creative spark in enormously high regard, but have no desire to work with him again EVER.

I find this very sad, the Purple MK 2 lineup was perhaps the definitive all time best hard rock band, they should be mentioned in the same breath as Led Zepplin, but they aren't, so your average music listener doesn't even know who Ritchie is and that's a tragedy.

What would I say to him?

I'd ask him to jam ( with knees knocking)


Cheers
Mark