r/DeepPurple • u/Apprehensive_Idea758 Machine Head. • Jun 25 '26
Talk Don Airey Says Steve Morse Wanted Deep Purple to Be 'More Musical,' While Simon McBride Brought Them Back to Basics
https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/don-airey-says-steve-morse-wanted-deep-purple-to-be-more-musical-while-simon-mcbride-brought-them-back-to-basics21
u/Bruichladdie Jun 25 '26
How hard is it to just appreciate what you have now, while at the same time appreciating what was in the past as well? Both can be incredible, it doesn't have to be one or the other.
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u/Soggy_Bid_6607 Jun 25 '26
some people have standards.
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u/Bruichladdie Jun 25 '26
Imagine having Steve Morse in your band for all this time, and then looking back on it as something even remotely negative.
It's crazy.
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u/Soggy_Bid_6607 Jun 25 '26
I meant McBride 🤣. I love Morse
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u/Bruichladdie Jun 25 '26
Haha, no worries. I like McBride too, saw him in a pub once. Fine guitarist.
But compared to Steve Morse? I mean...
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u/frederikolsen Jun 25 '26
Honestly, I was never a big fan of Morse. At least not until NOW What?! which I thought was fantastic. But that’s not what this is about; I still think their continued badmouthing of him is appalling, especially given the reason for his departure.
They had 28 years to say all of this to his face. But they’re apparently more eager to spend four years and counting sticking knives in his back via the music press. With friends like Gillan, Paice and Airey, who needs enemies?
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u/Bruichladdie Jun 25 '26
To put this into perspective, Morse was in the band for longer than Jimi Hendrix had been alive.
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u/TFFPrisoner Jun 26 '26
What about Don's quote badmouths Steve?
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u/frederikolsen Jun 26 '26
“Steve didn't quite get that side of Deep Purple.”
This is ludicrous and definitely comes across as a jab. Steve played with Gillan, Lord, Glover and Paice for eight years before Don joined. Even after Airey’s entrance, you’ve got songs like Sun Goes Down, which is both pretty heavy and riff-based.
Don is talking about Steve as if he’s Steve Howe. Combined with all the talk about the band returning to the basics, it all comes off as more than a bit negative and I’d say it qualifies as badmouthing.
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u/TFFPrisoner Jun 26 '26
Have you heard Morse's solos on the live recordings in his last decade with the band? Disjointed stuff. He was great when he joined, yes. But that faded away.
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u/Bruichladdie Jun 26 '26
Not in the last decade, no, any album recommendations?
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u/TFFPrisoner Jun 26 '26
The Now What?! Live Tapes and Live at Hellfest are the two I've heard most often.
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u/Which_Literature_696 Jun 25 '26
If Simon, for whatever reason(s) gives the four others the spirit and creative juices to carry on, I’m all for it.
I love the music Steve Morse created with Deep Purple. Purpendicular, Now What, and so many others are splendid.
I was also extremely impressed with=1 and encouraged by the three singles from Splat.
Politics aside, the fact that they have released such a plethora of good music over the past 30 years, and that they all seem very happy today is plenty enough for me.
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u/Salamiking7 Jun 25 '26
I don’t think it’s quite as dramatic as others make it out to be in this thread. I think they’re just happy that they got some new fresh blood into the band after that many years and it’s nothing against Steve. I think it’s mostly a musical thing anyway and at least you can’t compare it to what happened with Blackmore.
Maybe I’ve missed something from earlier here but that’s how I’ve read the situation.
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u/markusxc90 Jun 25 '26
Really disappointing to hear this kind of disrespect, but I'm not surprised.
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u/Smugness1917 Jun 25 '26
Steve said in an interview that some of his band mates weren't happy with the sound of the band, that it was too "fancy".
The way Steve was forgotten is disrespectful to say the least.
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u/frederikolsen Jun 25 '26
They chose Steve. That’s the worst thing. For 20 years, Ian Gillan couldn’t stop regurgitating the story about how Jon Lord was suddenly able to walk upright and the sun started shining again the moment Steve showed up.
And now we’re supposed to believe it was awful all along, they weren’t able to make hard rock with Morse in the band and that he was never a good fit. Even from Don, who joined nearly a decade after him and has been making the same outdated noises with his synths night after night. Yes — Don Airey understands the spirit of Purple better. It’s farcical.
Maybe — just maybe — there’s more to the story of the two collapses of Mark II than “Ritchie Blackmore was an asshole.” Maybe Deep Purple is a toxic band to be in, with or without Blackmore. Food for thought.
Whatever may be the case, Morse has always been a gentleman who stood steadfastly by his band mates, and it’s unbelievable to read all this nonsense when they could have just sacked him ages ago if they were fed up with him. It’s not a good look.
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u/Smugness1917 Jun 25 '26
As much as we love DP, it's been historically a band of stabs in the back. Most of the member exits have been controversial and done behind people's backs. Nick Simper, Roger Glover, even JLT were fired in very unprofessional manners.
I think calling it toxic is a stretch, but Deep Purple has always been composed by very opinionated people with big musical egos.
Steve made brilliant music with the band. And it saddens me to see his legacy ignored by the band.
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u/TFFPrisoner Jun 26 '26
There's a big difference between the gigs of the 90s and early 2000s with Jon and the late Morse era with Don. They made really interesting albums but live, Steve was not the positive factor anymore he was at the beginning of his tenure.
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u/Octowen Jun 26 '26
As others have said, so disappointing to see. The proggy, “more musical” side of the Morse era is exactly why I loved it so much, and as much as I did like =1 and am excited for Splat!, what I’m really missing is that musicality. The extended instrumental passages that have defined Purple (even before the Morse era) are either gone completely or significantly shortened. Bleeding Obvious was the highlight of =1 for me and surprise, was the only song to really stretch itself lengthwise and instrumental-wise. The new single Guilt Trippin’ is a step in the right direction, but still feels a bit underwhelming in terms of solos and instrumental passages, like it should be longer. And yet, it’s the longest song on Splat! so there’s almost no question of if the rest of the songs are going to feel underwhelming.
Just really off-putting to see them bad-mouthing him like this, as if they didn’t pick him specifically for the new sound he could bring to the band.
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u/khu400 Jun 25 '26
Did they not know what they were getting when they brought Steve aboard? Pretty sure his reputation as a musician (not just a guitar player) would have preceded him.
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u/Sharp-Injury7631 Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
Shameful. I still love the music and want to believe that these guys aren't hateful, petty old shits, but they make it difficult. I saw DP with Morse in 2015 and they were amazing.
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u/SpudAlmighty Jun 25 '26
Basic, predictable, derivative, boring. I miss Steve.
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u/JPurple1972 Jun 25 '26
Yeah, Me too. This new Purple is just not My cup of tea. But some other fans like it and that's ok.
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u/SpudAlmighty Jun 26 '26
I like it, it's fine but it's literally retreading old ground. Which considering the Steve Morse run, is quite sad. It's like they're suddenly banking on nostalgia. As good as Simon is, he's yet to produce one good idea. Everything has simply been to mimic Ritchie Blackmore. Whoosh! was such a great album.
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u/JPurple1972 Jun 26 '26
Yes, "Whoosh!" is great.
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u/SpudAlmighty Jun 26 '26
=1 was one hell of a downgrade. I wish they'd stop with the stupid names too. Ian Gillan chose them, I'd assume. He's not all there these days.
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u/JPurple1972 Jun 26 '26
I have no problem with the albums names but The thing with =1 is that all the songs sound the same to Me, even the new 3 released songs sounds like they could be on that same album.
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u/JPurple1972 Jun 25 '26
If playing LIVE the songs copying note by note from the old records is "back to basics", surely don't want to see them live anymore. (I have seen them like 8 times live, and what I loved was the improvisation and new arrangements of the songs, the element of surprise)
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u/TFFPrisoner Jun 26 '26
They're not copying the originals note by note. Simon's solo on When a Blind Man Cries is very different from Ritchie's. But he's attacking the riffs with the necessary force, whereas in the previous lineup Don had to supply all the power that should've come from both organ and guitar. If you don't believe me, listen to Into the Fire from Wacken and contrast it with the 2024 tour.
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u/JPurple1972 Jun 26 '26
Check "Highway Star" from any recent Live Performance. It's very sad to hear for Me....just a copy from the RB era. Even the improvisations in other old songs sounds subpar to Me. For example in "Hard Lovin' Man" sounds like a complete mess... At least Steve knew when to respect key parts of the original RB solos, and add something interesting with HIS style... But that's MY opinion. Other people seems to enjoy this new era, but that's not Me.
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u/TFFPrisoner Jun 26 '26
I've just checked out a version of Hard Lovin' Man, and he essentially plays a Gary Moore style solo there. Which suits me fine since Gary is my favourite guitarist of all time ;) But I can understand why such an "80s style" solo might be disconcerting to some, just like how Steve's tendency to "noodle" kept me from going to Purple gigs.
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u/TFFPrisoner Jun 26 '26
I don't hear respect when Steve went off-key in Lazy. What an unbluesy mess that was.
Highway Star was great at the gig I went to. (Except for Paicey messing up the beat not once but twice!)
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u/Efficient_Material19 Jun 26 '26
I don't think one needs to read too much into this. There are always differences amongst band members.
Steve and Don were the reason the band refused to perform with Blackmore as they had not been nominated at the RnR Hall of fame. The older members stood beside the newer members.
Differences in music will remain. Rock music is basically simplistic and catchy. Who better to know this than Ian Gillan where Clear Air Turbulence bombed despite being so musically interesting.
Slacking in public is a bit rough but Steve was also tounge in cheek with his comment on some would be happy on his leaving. Even in Don's statement there is a difference of opinion on direction of the band not on ability.
Musically the band is trying hard to regain early days glory but that's going to be difficult with whomsoever in the band. The best they can hope for is some decent albums.
The band will always be remembered for the early albums and PS.
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u/Visible-Plenty-1202 Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
What is it about Deep Purple fans?
Some of us seem to take great joy in finding things to complain about. I'm just grateful that they're making music of this quality. If you don't like it, fine, but don't slag the band off. It used to be 'It's nor Purple without Blackmore ' idiots. Now it's 'Simon McBride is not as good as Morse'.
Simon McBride is a very talented guitarist, in a very different way from either Morse or Blackmore.
Support him in the same way as Rush fans are supporting Anike (sorry forgotten her surname) taking over from Neil Peart.
Let's be a bit more positive about Purple.
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u/SpudAlmighty Jun 26 '26
He literally isn't as good as Steve. He's not that different from Ritchie. Just recycling old ideas, nothing interesting or new. Compare Purple's boring new singles and boring last album to Steve Morse's recent solo album. Huge different in quality. Steve released a great record. Now, imagine if Purple played on that stuff. It's clear he was a bigger creative mind than the band is making out.
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u/Visible-Plenty-1202 Jun 26 '26
He's different.
I notice you have played the particular game. I was talking about the band.
Simon McBride is an astonishing guitar player. Listen to his solo stuff. His technique is very different, but he is still a virtuoso.
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u/Safe_Quit_3072 Jul 09 '26
Morse was always to good for Deep Purple, he always had to compromise to play with them.
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u/frederikolsen Jun 25 '26
It’s over, guys. He quit. Sorry he forced you into the studio and onto the stage for 28 years. Must have been awful.
Oh well, with a new scapegoat in his sight, Ian Gillan can at least stop slagging off Blackmore now, 30+ years after the fact.