By Steve Newton
I really appreciate rock music, and I’m very thankful to the musicians whose talent has given me such joy over the years. Sometimes, when I hear something that really turns my crank–like a particularly awesome guitar solo–I even ask God to bless it.
In previous blogs I’ve asked Him to bless exquisite guitar solos by Scott Gorham on Thin Lizzy’s “Romeo and the Lonely Girl”, Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser on Blue Öyster Cult’s “Burnin’ For You”, Snowy White on Peter Green’s “Slabo Day”, Steve Cropper on Rod Stewart’s “Stone Cold Sober”, and Huey Thomasson on the Outlaws’ “Hurry Sundown”.
Sometimes I’ll even ask God to bless bits of music played on other instruments, like that time I asked Him to bless Chuck Leavell‘s piano solo on the Allman Brothers’ “Southbound”.
Up until now I’ve never asked His Holiness to bless a drum solo for me, but that all changes today as I’m putting in a request for Him to sanctify Ian Paice’s drumming on Deep Purple’s “Burn”.
I was a rock-crazed kid of 16 when the Burn album was released on February 15, 1974. I was a little worried before I heard it because I’d learned from reading Circus magazine or something that lead singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover had been replaced in the lineup by lead singer David Coverdale and bassist-vocalist Glenn Hughes.
I’d liked the previous Mark II formation just fine on discs like Machine Head and Who Do We Think We Are, and didn’t welcome any change. But as soon as I heard the opening title track, my fears were allayed.
“Burn” kickcd off with a killer guitar riff and tranformed into a six-minute monster of virile vocals and Hammond organ-infused ’70s boogie-rock. But the thing that always blew me away most about the song was Paice’s amazingly solid yet swinging drumwork. His phenomenal skinbashing on that track is definitely bless-worthy.
Hey God: now that I think of it, would you mind blessing Ritchie Blackmore’s shiver-inducing guitar solo on “Burn” as well, please? Thanks buddy. (And if you can make sure WWIII doesn’t break out in the Middle East today that’d be cool too.)
To hear the full, uncut audio of my one-on-one interviews with rockers since 1982 subscribe to my Patreon page.