In most articles about rock bands and music the talk always seems to default to either the guitar player or the lead singer. Rarely does the drummer ever get their due, but one name to me stands head and shoulders above most all other drummers and that is Ginger Baker.

Whether or not you acknowledge his technical skills as the greatest of all time, he truly was a pioneer in that he re-defined the drummers role in the band as an equal. Other than a handful of jazz drummers, most people couldn’t name the drummer in their favorite band and Ginger did so because of his legendary style and soloing.

He was the first drummer in a major rock band that would make every song that (Cream) did his own unique drumming composition as well as the guitar and bass did. I go back and listen to old cream tunes and focusing in strictly on the drumming even though the rest of the song is a classic too.

I remember reading that John Bonham idolized Ginger because of the fact that he brought the role of the drummer to such a fore front. He opened the door for so many great drummers like Bonham, Keith Moon, Mitch Mitchell, Alan White, Ian Paice, etc…

I have probably heard at least 5 or 6 different versions of “Toad” which is definitely the standard drum solo format song (check out the similarities of the way Led Zep’s “Moby Dick” was structured after it) and each time I hear it, it just blows me away. Each time it is completely different. Ginger just has such great articulation and subtleties to his playing that if you listen closely you keep hearing new things.

The latest version of “Toad” I heard was on the Cream Reunion Tour at the Royal Albert Hall in 2005 and Ginger (who is well into his sixties) was just as amazing as he ever was.

I know to most people the drums are just a background instrument, but to me they can make or break a song and certainly a band as well. A band can survive with a mediocre or good drummer, but a great drummer elevates any band into the stratosphere and that is why I still love listening to Cream, because I will never get tired of hearing the energy Ginger created.

Will the real Deep Purple Please Stand up. It was worth a try anyway. Deep Purple is one of my favorite rock bands, they have so many classic riffs and songs and what a great overall sound, but there have been so many incarnations of Deep Purple it’s truly amazing.

First they were actually called “Roundabout” and consisted of Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Chris and Dave Curtis and Bobby Woodman. Ritchie suggested the name change to Deep Purple as a tribute to his grandmother and the personel were changed again.

This time it was Ritchie and Jon but then Ian Paice took over on drums, Rod Evans on Vocals and Nick Simper on Bass. This was the lineup that Did “Hush” along with great covers of “Hey Joe” and “I’m so Glad” on “Shades of Deep Purple” their first official album.

Then it was time to switch again, replacing Evans and Simper with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover on vocals and bass respectively. This, the quintessential lineup is the one that cranked out “Machine Head” one of the most enduring and inspiring rock albums of all time.

Shortly after that Gillan and Glover were out and David Coverdale (vocals) and Glenn Hughes (bass) were in. By 1975 Ritchie had had enough and left to form Rainbow. Enter Tommy Bolin a jazz educated American who’s musicianship was without question, but it just wasn’t that easy to replace Ritchie. By 1976 through many difficult tour dates and an erosion of chemistry within the band, Deep Purple disbanded; Coverdale had walked out and Tommy Bolin Tragically died of a drug overdose at the age of 25.

There was an 8 year hiatus in which there was no “Deep Purple” and all of the other members were busy in that time with solo or other projects. By 1984 however, there was a compulsion to reunite the “Machine Head” lineup for a new album and tour “Perfect Strangers”. I Saw this tour right after I got out of college at a High School Football Stadium in Flint and to this day it was the best concert I have ever seen. It was mind blowing, there they were standing no more than 30 feet from me pumping out newly energized versions of Highway Star, Lazy, Smoke on the Water as well as a couple of great songs from the new album.

My ears were ringing for almost a week after that, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. What a show. They did a couple more albums in the 80’s “the House of the Blue Light” and “Nobody’s Pefect” a live album, but in 1989 Ian Gillan once again was replaced, this time with former Rainbow singer Joe Lynn Turner, they recorded one album together “Slaves & Masters”.

After that the rest of the band besides Ritchie wanted Gillan back for a 25th anniversary album and tour “The Battle Rages On”, but Gillan and Blackmore couldn’t work out their differences and Ritchie walked out on the tour in 1993. Joe Satriani filled in for the rest of the tour, but the band ultimately chose Steve Morse to replace Blackmore and he has been in the lineup since.

My opinion on this is really crystal clear, It’s not Deep Purple without Ritchie Blackmore. I have always felt that way and always will. I have nothing against Steve Morse, he is very talented in his own right, but he just doesn’t fit my perception of Deep Purple. I should note, that Jon Lord is one of the staples (being a founding member along with Ritchie) and again I can’t buy into this collection being Deep Purple without him as well.

Although I liked the music on Shades of Deep Purple and that lineup with Simper and Evans, the ultimate and really only Purple lineup for me will always be the Machine Head lineup of Blackmore, Lord, Paice, Gillan and Glover. Rock on guys!

I just have to pay tribute to one of my favorite Blues Players - Freddie King. He could really get your blood moving with his great riffs and shuffles. Of course his signature song “Hideaway” is a showcase of great fast tempo blues which has inspired alot of players such as Peter Green and of course Eric Clapton who did a superb cover of “Hideaway” on the “Beano” Bluesbreakers Album. I searched and found a nice version of “Hideaway” by Freddie on youtube. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do:

Here is another video from youtube that I think really showcases Johnny Winter in his earlier days. This was some sort of impromptu tv appearance that he did and he performed a great version of “Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo”. The notes just seem to flow from his fingers as it’s just he and the bass player performing. This is a great example of why he is such a classic - enjoy!

Hey everyone,

I just want to share my enthusiasm for classic rock music with fellow enthusiasts. I really enjoy finding videos online and checking out all kinds of new guitar and rock related items which I will review here on this site. Enjoy.

I had to share this video I found on youtube

This is the Great Alvin Lee, who I think does not get anywhere near the credit  that he should. His sound is as unique as almost anyone (Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, BB King), but he just doesn’t seem to get the recognition that any of the bigger names get.

He is also one heck of an entertainer, I saw him about 5 years ago and couldn’t believe the energy he had for having been around so long. This particular song is a fantastic showcase of some his most classic riffs and soloing. Note the great turnaround at the end of the intro and how he slides the 7th and 9th chords to get such a great tone out of his old Gibson ES-335.

Alvin has a couple of really great single note lines in this too that are Classic Alvin. There’s one at around 4:13 which he slides up and back into a neat pulloff which repeats several times. I’ve tried to get this one down myself but can’t repeat it the way he does. The other line to notice is the great Chuck Berry inspired line at about 4:55; Just great stuff-enjoy!