Old as hell but still sweet as wine: Deep Purple's 41th Birthday today!

I failed to write some more up-built essay on the person of the just-so Ritchie Blackmore on time and as for now the idea must get shelved due to the hecticness of other sides of life. It's, however, impossible not to at least mention the fact that Deep Purple is having it's 41st Birthday today.

Having played a gig in Taastrup, Denmark on the April 20th, 1968 the line-up of Jon Lord, Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Paice, Nick Simper and Rod Evans did their first gig under the name believed to be the best of the series of other band name suggestions (like, for instance, Concrete God).

For the next four decades the Purple ensemble would not only spawn the world wide career, winning them listeners and followers all over the globe, but - to even a bigger achievement - they would've laid the indestructable basis for the shape of heavy melodic rock, which is now considered and labelled by many as a classic rock. It has to be said also that the Purple is a main root for an awesome geneological tree of musicans, bands and projects - reaching possibly a three figure number - "ranging from rock to roll", with it's way via the most of the styles and musical flavours that one could be thinking of, including couple of very exotic ones in comparison to rock music.

Being what it is now, a Deep Purple eighth line-up, once being described by a randomly listener as "a well oiled machine, an institution allowing to gain it's current members a considerable amount of money to be added to their retirement fees they do desire" (two of the members will turn 65 next year) - it is more a tribute band to themselves than a rock band that still desire to develop and strenghthen the musical borders. Nevertheless they almost flawlessly (and to the enthusiasm of wide audiences) manage to keep up their legacy alive, playing long strings of concerts all over the world. Although these days it's hard to find the substantial elements of the stage craft that made them famous and critically acclaimed over the 70's, 80's and 90's - they still wake up a rock and roll spirit among their large fanbase and for just that they deserve an undisputed credit.