The ultimate rock keyboard player, Jon Lord‘s work with DEEP PURPLE and WHITESNAKE, let alone with THE ARTWOODS and PAL, is loved, admired even, yet it’s not scrutinized enough, despite a couple of volumes on the late musician adorning the aficionados’ shelves. But there’s another one, on the way, that might change this situation: penned by Ovais Naqvi, titled “Before We Forget – A Work in Eight Movements” and set to be out in February.
Before We Forget
There are Lord’s personal stories in this tome, as well as memories of him as recounted by those close to him, with Jon’s brother Stephen remembering his early days and a lot previously unseen photographs illustrating it all. However, the volume is more than a mere chronicle; “Before We Forget” is supposed to be the study of the ivories master’s sound and the instruments he used. The author’s two years’ work and 6,000 hours of research and writing resulted in proper analysis of Lord’s art: every keyboard he used in the studio and on stage is catalogued, all seven different Hammonds he played with PURPLE from 1968 to 2002, all the effects he deployed are identified and looked into. It’s as definitive as it gets.
What can be pre-ordered at the moment is “The Concerto Edition” of the biography – limited to 250 copies, numbered and signed by Naqvi and by conductor Paul Mann, who collaborated with Jon Lord more than once, but the very mention of “edition” suggests there might be a more accessible variant in the cards.
