Don Airey | Through the Shattered Lens

Why is it that those with creative talents that border on genius tend to die young and much too soon. This has become almost synonymous with the premature passing of some of the greatest musician of the last 50 years. Most seem to be from the rock and metal corner of the musical landscape. Some has been due to the very lifestyle led by these musicians. A lifestyle of libertine excess that catches up to their talent way too soon.

One such individual who went before his time yet made such an impact on the music scene that he’s considered one of the greatest metal guitarist of all-time (I say one of the best guitarist in or out of metal). His name was Randy Rhoads.

Only 25 when he passed away not due to a life of excess (he was actually quite responsible a rock star in his era where sex, booze and drugs were commonplace) but to a tragic accident that didn’t need to happen.

While some always point to his guitar work on the Ozzy Osbourne song “Crazy Train” from his solo debut album, I always thought one of his best guitar work was on another song from that debut album. The song I speak about is “Mr. Crowley”.

The song itself is one of those songs that drove parents crazy when they first heard their young teenage sons listening to it. I mean it’s a song about self-proclaimed Anti-Christ, libertine and sex magick user Aleister Crowley. Yet, it’s not Ozzy’s vocals that make the song memorable. It’s Rhoad’s lead guitar performance with special focus on the two guitar solos which rise up in the middle of the track and closes it out.

Mr. Crowley

Mister Crowley
What went down in your head?
Oh, Mister Crowley
Did you talk to the dead?

Your lifestyle to me seems so tragic
With the thrill of it all
You fooled all the faithful with magic
Yeah, you waited on Satan’s call

Mister Charming
Did you think you were pure?
Mister Alarming
In nocturnal rapport

Uncovering things that were sacred
Manifest on this earth
Oh, conceived in the eye of a secret
Yeah, they scattered the afterbirth

(guitar solo)

Mister Crowley
Won’t you ride my white horse?
Mister Crowley
It’s symbolic, of course

Approaching a time that is classic
I hear that maiden’s call
Approaching a time that is drastic
Standing with their backs to the wall

Was it polemically sent?
I wanna know what you meant
I wanna know
I wanna know what you meant, yeah!

(guitar solo/outro)

Great Guitar Solos Series

“An’ I’ve made up my mind, I ain’t wasting no more time
but here I go again, here I go again.”

Previous entry to our 27 Days of Old School I mentioned something about how hard rock and metal music videos were mostly the realm of hair metal bands. Videos all about loud, over-the-top costumes and personalities. bands such as Motley Crue and Poison just to name a few. Other bands would mimic the long, over-teased and hairsprayed look which gave hair metal it’s name. Coming in at #22 is a rock band from England that took on the look of your typical hair metal band, but had some deep roots in old school blues rock.

“Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake is a great song of the 80’s and part of it was due to an even more awesome video which included a young Tawny Kitaen, white lingerie and the frontman’s Jaguar XJ. Yes, the car used in the video is David Coverdale’s own car. Kitaen would later marry David which just took the whole thing full circle.

While Whitesnake and Coverdale made sure to take advantage of the hair metal look of the 80’s he definitely channeled Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant more than he did Vince Neil or Bret Michaels. And for that the world was and continues to be grateful.