Stratovarius Community

This is a stratovarius forum, and thus, I think this place needs some serious discussion of what is arguably the #1 influence on Mr. Timo Tolkki, the collective works of Ritchie Blackmore in the bands Deep Purple, and Rainbow.

I will chime in with my thoughts after I see some of yours, because that's how I roll.

Rebel wrote:This is a stratovarius forum, and thus, I think this place needs some serious discussion of what is arguably the #1 influence on Mr. Timo Tolkki, the collective works of Ritchie Blackmore in the bands Deep Purple, and Rainbow.

I will chime in with my thoughts after I see some of yours, because that's how I roll.

While I understand the Tolkki has noted that Blackmore is one of his biggest influences, I certainly don't think that Tolkki himself is a Blackmore "sound-alike"- but that is meant to be a compliment, not a criticism.

My own opinion is that Blackmore was much more heavily influenced by the blues (i.e., the well known solo in "Smoke on the Water"), than Tolkki ever was- although it is certain that RB was also influenced by classical composers (i.e, when he quoted Beethoven in "Difficult to Cure").

Unless I'm missing something, at least for Deep Purple-era Blackmore, I don't hear a lot of similarities between Blackmore and Tolkki. I think Tolkki, in turn, definitely quoted (or nicked) a bit of Rainbow's "Gates of Babylon" in "Future Shock", although I'm just trying to use some examples, and not write an extended comparison.

I am sure that other forumites will be able to go into greater detail, and I'm confident that their observations will be interesting.

miditek wrote:

Rebel wrote:This is a stratovarius forum, and thus, I think this place needs some serious discussion of what is arguably the #1 influence on Mr. Timo Tolkki, the collective works of Ritchie Blackmore in the bands Deep Purple, and Rainbow.

I will chime in with my thoughts after I see some of yours, because that's how I roll.

While I understand the Tolkki has noted that Blackmore is one of his biggest influences, I certainly don't think that Tolkki himself is a Blackmore "sound-alike"- but that is meant to be a compliment, not a criticism.

My own opinion is that Blackmore was much more heavily influenced by the blues (i.e., the well known solo in "Smoke on the Water"), than Tolkki ever was- although it is certain that RB was also influenced by classical composers (i.e, when he quoted Beethoven in "Difficult to Cure").

Unless I'm missing something, at least for Deep Purple-era Blackmore, I don't hear a lot of similarities between Blackmore and Tolkki. I think Tolkki, in turn, definitely quoted (or nicked) a bit of Rainbow's "Gates of Babylon" in "Future Shock", although I'm just trying to use some examples, and not write an extended comparison.

I am sure that other forumites will be able to go into greater detail, and I'm confident that their observations will be interesting.

Well I think if you look at songs like "Lazy", "Speed King", and others, Jens' place in the band closely resembles what Jon Lord did for Deep Purple. Now, other bands did it between Deep Purple and Stratovarius. Rainbow showed more of Ritchie's classical influences, and thus, was more of an influence on strato, but there are parts of Deep Purple that certainly show in Stratovarius.

Tolkki stated in an interview that when he was a kid he learned the entire Rainbow catalog on guitar, on his facebook he said for the first time in years he played it through.

What you have to keep in mind with Tolkki is he is just as much a composer as he is a guitar player, maybe moreso the first. So a lot of the similarities between him and Blackmore are in the composition, how they handle the other instruments.

I think timo is a big fan of ritchie songwriting more than his guitar playing, he also cited ABBA and jhon lennon, and I think if you dig up all strato records you find glimpses of those artists in there.

I like Rainbow but I don't care for Deep Purple.

mayhem-for-all wrote:I like Rainbow but I don't care for Deep Purple.

And what color, may I ask, is the bottom arc?
Your hypocrisy has been exposed.

mayhem-for-all wrote:I like Rainbow but I don't care for Deep Purple.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UmL1JPimmw
o.0

AAAAAAAAAA wrote:

mayhem-for-all wrote:I like Rainbow but I don't care for Deep Purple.

And what color, may I ask, is the bottom arc?
Your hypocrisy has been exposed.

First of all I am not laughing and your attempt has a weak point.
I said I liked RAINBOW
not RAINBOWS or A RAINBOW or THE RAINBOW so we come to conclusion I must have been talking about something CALLED RAINBOW instead of an actual rainbow.

So you just misunderstood me.

Don't we all?

mayhem-for-all wrote:

AAAAAAAAAA wrote:

mayhem-for-all wrote:I like Rainbow but I don't care for Deep Purple.

And what color, may I ask, is the bottom arc?
Your hypocrisy has been exposed.

First of all I am not laughing and your attempt has a weak point.
I said I liked RAINBOW
not RAINBOWS or A RAINBOW or THE RAINBOW so we come to conclusion I must have been talking about something CALLED RAINBOW instead of an actual rainbow.

So you just misunderstood me.

mayhem-for-all wrote:

AAAAAAAAAA wrote:

mayhem-for-all wrote:I like Rainbow but I don't care for Deep Purple.

And what color, may I ask, is the bottom arc?
Your hypocrisy has been exposed.

First of all I am not laughing and your attempt has a weak point.
I said I liked RAINBOW
not RAINBOWS or A RAINBOW or THE RAINBOW so we come to conclusion I must have been talking about something CALLED RAINBOW instead of an actual rainbow.

So you just misunderstood me.

:user: Why? Rainbow is a band and the picture I posted contains six brightly colored bands. In the future, I must ask you to be more explicit (ie: post nude pictures of the group you're referring to).
Otherwise, your lips can kiss my well oiled haunches (see avatar for details). :bounce2:

Yeah: Thanks Rebel for using "Serious Converstaion"
This is exactly what happens.

mayhem-for-all wrote:Yeah: Thanks Rebel for using "Serious Converstaion"
This is exactly what happens.

If you take them seriously like that, it only derails them further.

Rebel wrote:

mayhem-for-all wrote:Yeah: Thanks Rebel for using "Serious Converstaion"
This is exactly what happens.

If you take them seriously like that, it only derails them further.

Well I myself was out of the serious conversation at that point but...

mayhem-for-all wrote:

Rebel wrote:

mayhem-for-all wrote:Yeah: Thanks Rebel for using "Serious Converstaion"
This is exactly what happens.

If you take them seriously like that, it only derails them further.

Well I myself was out of the serious conversation at that point but...

I can see points where one might prefer Rainbow, I won't concede that Dio>Ian Gillan, but the music was more melodic, and the lyrical themes were certainly different. Deep Purple represents way more energy though. Deep Purple live shows were downright legendary, and I think shot for shot, Deep Purple was more talented than any other band of the 70s or 80s. (Even Led Zeppelin). Check Ian's scream near the end of that vid I posted, it's absurd.