GLENN TIPTON - And Then There Was One... Page 3
by Martin Popoff

"There was a time, when there was talk of it, yes," laughs Glenn, asked if Powell was ever considered for the post of Priest pounder. "And that never came about, because we got Scott. And Cozy went into Sabbath for a while. But there was talk of it; it was a possibility at some point. I've always felt that the two best rock drummers were John Bonham and Cozy, so I have a lot of respect for him."

For those who need a refresher on the dead, Cozy was killed when he crashed his car (while on his cell phone) in 1998, and John Entwistle suffered a heart attack in a hotel room touring America, in 2002, with coke in his system. And as a refresher on the living, Glenn Tipton will shortly be joining penpals Rob Halford and K.K. Downing to write the follow-up to the acclaimed reunion album Angel Of Retribution, with one charity gig (for the Teenage Cancer Trust) in the midst, at Royal Albert Hall, March 31st, rocking you all around the world like hurricanes with the Scorpions. Glenn says most definitely you will see a new studio album before any sort of live album - "We just had the DVD, which itself has sort of taken over from live albums. We sort of consider that our last release, if you like. So we're not looking for anything live at the moment."

"Solo albums are a funny animal, really," continues Glenn. "They're done for the right reasons or they're done for the wrong reasons. You know, at the time, when I started to write these tracks, there was no Priest. So initially it was done for the right reason. And another reason I do them is to work with other musicians. It's a great opportunity to just get a feel and experiment and jam and work with other musicians. But I think one of the main reasons is, as all long as you're not sort of indulgent on the solo album, I believe a solo album should be all about the songs. Not really you as a musician, but great songs and what you can come up with as a song, or a band making a song. But also you've got the ability, and you just hit the nail on the head, to explore more areas and touch on areas that you wouldn't do with your own band, i.e. Judas Priest. You can visit musical areas that just aren't appropriate for Priest. You can also visit lyrical areas that you certainly wouldn't approach with Priest. And that's the major reason I think you're doing these albums. There's no reason on this planet that I would emulate Judas Priest, as a solo musician. I wouldn't come close because Priest for me is arguably the best metal band on planet. So as a solo artist, I would never try to compete with that. But it does give me the ability and the freedom to explore other areas, and I think that is the main reason to do a solo album."

GLENN TIPTON - And Then There Was One... Page 4