Deep Purple got lost in the Darkness

You force the music section to take triangle lessons, and we reward you with a Payback Time T-shirt and two tickets to a Live Nation club show of your choice taking place in Vancouver within the next four weeks. Here’s this week’s winning whinge.

Dear Payback Time: Three times in the last decade, Deep Purple have given stellar performances in our fair city. This is a band that produced some of the great rock anthems of the ’70s, that now features one of the best guitarists in the world, Steve Morse, as well as a world-class keyboardist, Don Airey. Sunday’s performance at the luxurious Queen Elizabeth Theatre was the latest, and they blew me away—and just when I recovered, they blew me away some more. So you can imagine my disgust to find that once again the Straight ignored them, instead reviewing the Darkness, whose one song I’ve heard was basically a gimmick tune. Wow, the guy stood on his head. Oooh, the guy sat on his shoulders playing guitar. Knowing most music critics play an instrument, I can only conclude Steve Newton must be in the same category as Ed Grimley and is probably quite adept at the triangle. The only saving grace in that article was the fact he mentioned Thin Lizzy, who kicked ass here five months ago, not that anyone at the Straight noticed. Pretty sad.

> Alfred Overton

Steve Newton writes: Dearest Alfred—Get your freakin’ head screwed on straight, Chucklebunch. As much as I love Steve Morse—he’s one of the nicest guitar heroes I’ve ever interviewed—Deep Purple has never been the same without Ritchie Blackmore. I saw the band at the Orpheum a few years back when it was playing with Thin Lizzy (before John Sykes unfortunately quit), and while that was a decent show, it was no Made in Japan. Morse is a technical wizard, no doubt, but Purple’s best Mark II tunes (“Highway Star”, “Strange Kinda Woman”, “Space Truckin’ ”) scream out for a player who’s reckless and wild, not note-perfect. Here’s an idea: since Blackmore was the most important member of Deep Purple, maybe they should give him back the name, and he can reunite with David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes (they’re still alive, you know) and—with Ian Paice on drums and Airey on keyboards—play Burn and Stormbringer in their entirety. That I’d like to see. And just so you know: I kick Grimley’s ass on triangle (I must saaay).

You can voice your impotent rage by snail mail or by sending an email to payback@straight.com.

Comments

6 Comments

miguel

Mar 7, 2012 at 4:23pm

Hell! I play triangle better than Grimley, but I must admit, he has better hair.
Miguel

Pat Crowe

Mar 7, 2012 at 8:42pm

Sure Steve, what you say makes perfect sense. Deep Purple is not worth reviewing because Coverdale isn't in the band.
I anticipate your next glowing Nickleback review.

Steve Newton

Mar 7, 2012 at 9:21pm

Stay off the sauce, Crowedaddy. I never said they weren't worth reviewing. But at this stage of the game the Darkness is just a better band. You should have been there; you'd have loved it. There are some amazing rockers under 65, ya know. And I'm not talking about Nickelback.

Carl Spackler

Mar 8, 2012 at 11:02am

Newt, the guy's name is Alfred Overton. I wouldn't get too worked up.

Steve Newton

Mar 8, 2012 at 11:06am

good point, Spackle King.

Carl Spackler

Mar 10, 2012 at 1:46am

And Christ Crowe you ain't the sharpest tool in the shed.