Glenn Tipton - Parkinson’s

lowend1 · February 12, 2018, 09:17:56 AM

These years aren't getting any easier, are they?

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/judas-priest-guitarist-glenn-tipton-diagnosed-with-parkinsons-disease/

Highlander · February 12, 2018, 02:32:23 PM

This age thing is not getting ain't easier, is it...

wellREDman · February 12, 2018, 02:47:41 PM

nope

uwe · February 15, 2018, 08:53:55 AM

Au Mann. $:-\$ $:-\$ $:-\$

I had noticed on the last few gigs I saw how he is getting frailer and frailer and leaving more and more of the lead guitar work to new kid Richie Faulkner - I thought ok, he might not have his former dexterity anymore (Tipton is vastly underrated for his solos) and he's played those lead breaks often enough in the last four decades and lets "the kid" have a try at them -, but this is crushing.

Halford is the voice of Priest, but Tipton was the heart and brain. Without him (he joined shortly before their debut album), they would have never left that rehearsal space in Birmingham.

Highlander · February 15, 2018, 12:37:39 PM

Maybe we should open a new section of the site for "Who's going to peg-out next...?

uwe · February 28, 2018, 02:56:22 PM

Uh-oh ... family feud!

http://www.metalinjection.net/latest-news/drama/rob-halford-isnt-happy-k-k-downing-insinuated-glenn-tipton-didnt-play-guitar-on-the-new-album

lowend1 · February 28, 2018, 06:14:17 PM

Odd that Tipton himself didn't confirm or deny...

uwe · March 01, 2018, 06:34:41 AM

He has confirmed that he has been suffering from Parkinson's for the last 10 years and that it has now reached a stage where it impedes his live playing. As regards the studio recordings, who knows what was played by Richie Faulkner and what was Glenn Tipton's share, all they are saying now is that Glenn played "his parts", but not how much these parts amount in the overall picture. Faulkner has certainly - even live - taken a larger space than KK Downing ever had, who in essence was Priest's rhythm guitarist with a sizeable chunk of solos whenever the music called for a "dirtier break" than Tipton with his very structured, gentlemanly style could have naturally provided. KK with his Jimi Hendrix influence (in contrast, Tipton is more Clapton'esque) excelled at being the "gyrating guitar hero - noisy, bluesy & rock'n'roll". He kept Priest from sounding too clinical.

With all due respect to KK who was an integral part of classic Priest, I would doubt that he could cover all of Tipton's parts for the sheer necessary technique (and I've seen both dozens of times playing solos up close). While Tipton became evidently more analytical, even professoral in his playing over the years, KK didn't develop much, he's an intuitive devil-may-care attitude player, more Slash than - to mention a name rarely dropped in these quarters - Ritchie Blackmore. KK's on record for having himself stated in an interview that he admires Tipton's "overall fretboard dexterity which I fail to ever match" and it is true that KK tended to play solos in one or two scale positions only (the second position being generally the same one, only 12 frets higher) while Tipton's solos traverse the full length of the fretboard. It's a bit like Keith Richard saying that he could replace Mick Taylor. Something Keith would have never claimed.

doombass · March 01, 2018, 01:36:26 PM

I don't really get why K.K Downing was "shocked and stunned" that he was'nt asked to rejoin. He was the one leaving in the first place, he was'nt fired. But OTOH, if you take a look at his initial statement when he left and pair it with his recent you'll see that it was Glenn he had a fall out with, and now he feels that he ..."was and is unappreciated by more than one member"..

Highlander · March 01, 2018, 02:55:47 PM

Priest and Member go together like Pope and Vatican...

uwe · March 02, 2018, 04:05:49 AM

You think it was Glenn he had issues with? I never thought about it that way - I thought there were issues between KK and Halford. During Halford's wilderness years - AWOL from Priest - it was always KK who was most emotional about his departure "Rob simply doesn't deserve to be back in Priest". To me, there was always a trace of irritation in KK's reaction to Halford's coming out - along the lines of "yeah, we know you're gay, but don't let it get into the way of the band". It never went away, he seemed to be uncomfortable about the whole thing.

It seems to me that KK had been aware of Tipton's health issues for a long time - just like the rest of the band. Who knows, maybe he thought the live performance of Priest was no longer up to scratch and left because of that. It would explain why he is now offended not to be asked back when Glenn Tipton has finally realized that he cannot continue after all.

OTOH, if Richie Faulkner and KK Downing shared the same stage, it would look a bit as if KK was playing with his son!

lowend1 · March 02, 2018, 08:10:16 AM

Quote from: uwe on March 02, 2018, 04:05:49 AM
OTOH, if Richie Faulkner and KK Downing shared the same stage, it would look a bit as if KK was playing with his son!

Or himself.

uwe · March 02, 2018, 09:03:06 AM

Visuals aside, Faulkner is more Tipton in style than he is KK. He is too fluent and modern, lacks that bit of Hendrix flamboyance and grit KK had always so carefully cultivated. He plays KK's parts, but he plays them like Tipton would. Which is probably just as well because my hunch is that Priest's twin guitar arrangements were mostly Tipton's do.

Highlander · March 03, 2018, 12:06:57 PM

Quote from: lowend1 on March 02, 2018, 08:10:16 AM
Or himself.

That just reads soooo wrong...

lowend1 · March 03, 2018, 04:26:01 PM

Quote from: Highlander on March 03, 2018, 12:06:57 PM
That just reads soooo wrong...

Does it? How politically incorrect of me.