Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - Accoustic Melody Cover

This is the only way to play Sabbath Bloody Sabbath on semi-acoustic guitar.

Dio Singing Backing Vocals

Many knows that the late Ronnie James Dio did backing vocals (or featured) on a number of tracks. He can be heard on Ian Gillan's 40 years anniversary album, Gillan Inn, singing "Day Late and Dollar Short".
The other time was with Queensryche, when he Leant vocals as  Dr.X on the Operation Mindcrime II album.
But it was a big surprise when came to my knowledge that the legendary musician did backing vocals on the song "Give Me Kindness", from David Coverdale's second solo album, Northwinds.
More interesting is that Ronnie's wife (and later his manager), Windy, is singing backing vocals on that song too.
I would love to hear the full story of how all his come around! During that time Dio was part of the first reincarnation of Richie Blackmore's Rainbow.
By the way, Northwinds is a great album, more blues than rock. Some critics considers the music from that album is the early trademark to Whitesnake MKI sound we all used to listen to in the years that followed.

Rainbow - Death Alley Driver

Cheesy video of a great song. This song is one of the best and powerful Rainbow songs ever recorded. Some call it Deep Purple's "Highway Star" of Rainbow.

The distinguished part of the song is the guitar solo.

Fascinating!

Ritchie Blackmore is one of God's chosen ones for his musicianship and guitar technique.

I never heard Ritchie Blackmore plays the same solo live as it has been recorded in the studio. I think the reason maybe because it is widely known that Blackmore doesn't plan in advance on a specific solo for a particular song.

Genies!

Joe Lynn Turner: On Working With Deep Purple

Jon Lord and Ian Paice were feeling jealous from and threatened by Joe Lynn Turner when he was the singer of Deep Purple in 1990?!!

This is what the Turner said during an interview back in 2008 on Living Legends (see below) Talking about the writing of the fellow up to Deep Purple's Slave & Masters with him on vocals after Gillan left in late 1987, Joe Lynn Turner said: "...for the second album (following Slave & Masters)... they didn't want to hear it." He goes into details "Ritchie and I were OK with it. Roger was in the middle, and there was Jon and Ian (Paice) that were absolutely against it. They were really... I have to say it, absolutely jealous... absolutly jealous, and I don't... care... what you say... guys... you are... you were threatened. and I understand that! They felt it were slipping away from them, because the focus has been shifted, and it was, because of more commercial purposes. And that's exactly what we suppose be doing. Becoming more commercial... "

As a matter of fact I never imagined Turner singing any song from Battle Rages On album.

Mr Turner's work on Rainbow is outstanding, and his work on Slaves & Masters is excellent. No doubt about it, but I don't see opposing an attempt to change Deep Purple into a hair-metal band, for example, would be threatening the career and future of giants like Ian Paice and Jon Lord! Jealousy? from a situation where Turner and Blackie trying to change the future of Deep Purple?

Please... I don't want to be harsh.

As I said, Slave & Masters is a great album, but most of DP fans and music critics agreed that the album was (and still does) sound like a typical Deep Purple one, but certainly more like one of the best Rainbow albums.

I think this is one of the reasons Jon and Paice were against a second shot to take with Turner on helm - I still doubt that Roger Glover went with it in the first place.

First time I listened to Slaves & Masters was at a friend's house. That was a couple of months after the album came out in Europe. My friend phoned and asked me to come over to his house. When I entered the house it was the first time when I heard "Fortuneteller". We gave the album a very in depth listen, and a second one. I was filled with joy from the first listen. The album is just great: lyrics, music, singing, mixing and production.

However, I agreed with my dear friend when he said that this brilliant album was more like a Rainbow album. My judgment was not based on comparing this album with Perfect Stranger or Machine Head aka Gillan on vocals, I adored Deep Purple when Coverdale and Hughes were on vocals, that was Deep Purple too. 

I never thought of Deep Purple as Blackmore's band...

... but this is a different story to tell.

Nevertheless, this is my opinion as a fan.

Federico Colli Plays The Emperor

Earlier today I watched on BBC4 one of the series recorded as part of the Leeds International Piano Competition. An event that brings pianist from all over the world every three years.

Today's episode was on the brilliant performance by 24 year old pianist, Federico Colli, playing Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, called the Emperor.


The performance is dated back to the time when this Italian virtuoso was still in the second place

When I saw him playing I just left everything I was doing and began watching Colli bringing a new life to Beethoven's 5th Symphony.

Extraordinarily, his piano playing is magical. The first thing comes to mind when watching and listening to him confirm the theory that there are wizards living among us. He can make the sun shine on stage and not in sky.

The special thing about Federico Colli  is that you won't see him as just an amazing musician who learned to play a difficult and technically-complex musical score. Colli plays with perfection (and ease), with passion and conviction towards the score.

A couple of days ago he won the first place in this competition. Can anyone would dare of have any doubts?

A Quote I like

 

"Be safe, be happy and don't let anyone make you afraid"

 David Coverdale - Whitesnake

 

Black Sabbath New Album Update

What we know so far came out a couple of days ago from various online sources. Metal Injection is one of the websites who published an exclusive report. Adding to that other websites talking about the progress of the one of the most anticipated albums in rock and metal.

So this is what is known about the progress of the new Black Sabbath album:

- One song title, called "God Is Dead".

- The band recorded 15 songs. 12 will make it to the album, the other 3 will be released with other special / deluxe editions.

- The band is recording the new album at Shandri La Studios in Malibu, US.

- The album will come out next, but no release date announced.

- The title of the album will also be announced next year. Ozzy told NME "next year, 2013, is a good clue of what we'll call the album."

- Bassist Geezer Butler revealed that the band was approaching the album in the same way that they did with their all important second album "Rick Rubin (Producer) sat us down, put the first album on and said, "listen to this. Imagine it's 1969. You just did that. What would you do next?"

- Tony Iommi finished guitar tracks on all songs of all 15 songs.

- Ozzy and Geezer are writing lyrics, and currently putting vocals and bass on all songs.

- No word on who is (already) given the drums tasks.

On all websites publishing current Black Sabbath news one can see already seen pictures of the band from the Ozzy era, but all pictures have Bill Ward removed from them!

It doesn't need a lot of thinking to know that Bill is our of the picture the moment the official Black Sabbath website came online with dozens of old and new pictures, all cut artistically to show three instead of the original four band members.

Back to the new album, from reading the above, am I seeing a fast pace in putting things together? In either case, I look forward to the new album next year.