"His Midas touch is confirmed": Bernie Marsden covers the greats on posthumously released album

Classy covers from late guitarist Bernie Marsden on Icons, the fourth album in a series of five

Bernie Marsden studio portrait
(Image: © Fabio Gianardi)

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The fourth album of five in the now sadly departed guitarist Bernie Marsden's Inspirations series comprises Marsden's devoted covers of songs by some of his rock heroes, and includes a sparkling reimagining of Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze.

It opens, in homage to Peter Green, with Shake Your Money Maker, the Elmore James song made famous by blues-years Fleetwood Mac, and also includes Green's Man Of The World, as well as Like It This Way, a Danny Kirwan song from Mac's 1969 Chicago sessions album.

Purple Haze - YouTube Purple Haze - YouTube
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The choice of that illustrates Marsden's appreciation of deep cuts, underlined by a brilliant version of Rory Gallagher's Wheels Within Wheels and his take on Derek And The Dominos' Bell Bottom Blues.

Two bonus originals – the instrumentals Kestrel and Barford Blues – show just how much Marsden learned from the masters named above and others, and his Midas touch is confirmed on all 12 tracks.


Freelance contributor to Classic Rock and several of its offshoots since 2006. In the 1980s he began a 15-year spell working for Kerrang! intially as a cub reviewer and later as Geoff Barton’s deputy and then pouring precious metal into test tubes as editor of its Special Projects division. Has spent quality time with Robert Plant, Keith Richards, Ritchie Blackmore, Rory Gallagher and Gary Moore – and also spent time in a maximum security prison alongside Love/Hate. Loves Rush, Aerosmith and beer. Will work for food.