Pell often says his music is about a Knight in shining armour going on various adventures. Each album continues one new quest after the other, and songs are told as separate stories. Pell's main influence in guitar work has been Ritchie Blackmore from Deep Purple.
SPV Records released a live DVD on 25 February 2008, titled Live over Europe, which includes the full performance from the Rock Hard Festival in 2007, and comes with a bonus disc which includes live footage from Pell's own archive. In 2012, a new Axel Rudi Pell live concert CD/DVD Live on Fire was released.
In 2013, ex-Rainbow drummer Bobby Rondinelli joined the band, replacing Mike Terrana after his initial departure in 2013. Mike Terrana wanted to pursue other projects, such as becoming a member of the supergroup The Ferrymen, featuring Rainbow singer Ronnie Romero on vocals. Axel celebrated his 25th anniversary as a musician in 2014, headlining the Bang Your Head festival in Balignen Germany on 11 July 2014. It featured one of the original line up's singers: Jeff Scott Soto. Special guests also included Joerg Michael, Rob Rock, Ronnie Atkins, John Lawton, ex-Rainbow singer Graham Bonnett, Doogie White, keyboardist Tony Carey and drummer Vinny Appice. The show consisted of 3 acts: a short Steeler reunion and brief Axel Rudi Pell original line up reunion with Jeff Scott Soto, a full modern Axel Rudi Pell show with vocalist Johnny Gioeli and current band members, and the last act featuring various Deep Purple and Rainbow covers with a full ensemble.
In 2019, the band celebrated their 30th anniversary, releasing a double live album called XXX - 30th Anniversary Live. The songs were recorded on various dates of the Knights Call 2018 tour. The group's Facebook page stated at the time that the band did not know they were being recorded but when they heard the audio they were amazed and wanted to release it to celebrate the group's 30th Anniversary. It was released in June 2019 on CD and LP.
On 5 February 2020, they announced their latest album on their Facebook page, titled Sign of the Times, due for release on 24 April 2020. In March 2020, the band announced a delay of the release of the new record, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and was released on 8 May 2020 instead. A tour in support of the new album was also postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and then later delayed again until 2022. In late 2020, Pell announced his newest album Diamonds Unlocked II, which was released on 30 July 2021. It is another covers album similar to Diamonds Unlocked from 2007. Pell is well known for his extensive touring, mostly around Germany and his home town in Bochum. He rarely tours globally, but has performed a few one-off shows in London over the recent years. However, there has always been high demand to bring him to other countries. They are also famous for attending many music festivals such as being regulars at Wacken Open Air since the late 1990s. Most recently they announced a new album of original music, called Lost XXIII, which was eventually released on 14 April 2022.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axel_Rudi_Pell
Studio albums
Wild Obsession (1989)
Nasty Reputation (1991)
Eternal Prisoner (1992)
Between the Walls (1994)
Black Moon Pyramid (1996)
Magic (1997)
Oceans of Time (1998)
The Masquerade Ball (2000)
Shadow Zone (2002)
Kings and Queens (2004)
Mystica (2006)
Diamonds Unlocked (2007) (cover album)
Tales of the Crown (2008)
The Crest (2010)
Circle of the Oath (2012)
Into the Storm (2014)
Game of Sins (2016)
Knights Call (2018)
Sign of the Times (2020)
Diamonds Unlocked II (2021) (cover album)
Lost XXIII (2022)
When a Blind Man Cries
Axel Rudi Pell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm not expecting people any more
Hear me grieving, I'm lying on the floor
Whether I'm drunk or dead
I really ain't too sure
I'm a blind man
I'm a blind man
When a blind man cries
Lord you know, there ain't no sadder tale
Had a friend once, in a room
Had a good time,
But it ended much too soon
In a cold month, in that room
We found a reason for the things
We had to do
[Repeat: x2]
I'm a blind man
I'm a blind man
Now my room is cold
When a blind man cries
Lord you know, he feels it in his soul
I'm a blind man
And there ain't no sadder tale
The lyrics to "When a Blind Man Cries" by Axel Rudi Pell tell a tale of heartbreak and sorrow. The first lines speak of loneliness and isolation, with the singer asking whoever is leaving to "close the door." He says that he isn't expecting anyone else to come by, highlighting the feeling of abandonment that he is experiencing. The next line, "Hear me grieving, I'm lying on the floor" shows just how deep the singer's sadness goes. He doesn't even have the strength to sit up, and is instead lying prone on the ground.
The next line is particularly poignant - "Whether I'm drunk or dead, I really ain't too sure." It speaks to the feeling of hopelessness that can consume someone in a time of deep sadness. The singer is so lost in his grief that he feels like it doesn't matter whether he's alive or not. The chorus then kicks in with the repeated refrain of "I'm a blind man, and my world is pale. When a blind man cries, lord you know there ain't no sadder tale." The lyrics here tell us that the singer is blind, which adds another layer of difficulty to his already challenging situation. He feels like his world is pale and dull, which is a direct result of his blindness. The final lines of the song "Now my room is cold, When a blind man cries, Lord you know, he feels it in his soul" convey a sense of profound loss and emptiness. The singer's room is now cold, which is a contrast to the warmth and happiness he once felt with his friend. He is now feeling the loss in his very soul.
Overall, the lyrics to "When a Blind Man Cries" by Axel Rudi Pell tell a powerful story about grief, loss, and isolation. The repeated refrain of "I'm a blind man" highlights the additional challenges the singer is facing, and the imagery of a cold and lonely room paints a vivid picture of his sadness.
Line by Line Meaning
If you're leaving, close the door
Please close the door when you leave.
I'm not expecting people any more
I'm done waiting for people to come.
Hear me grieving, I'm lying on the floor
You can hear me crying and lying on the floor.
Whether I'm drunk or dead
I don't know if I'm drunk or dead.
I really ain't too sure
I'm not sure what's happening.
I'm a blind man
I'm blind.
And my world is pale
Everything I see is dull and colorless.
When a blind man cries
When a blind man cries.
Lord you know, there ain't no sadder tale
It's the saddest thing you'll ever hear.
Had a friend once, in a room
I once had a friend in this room.
Had a good time,
We enjoyed our time together.
But it ended much too soon
But it didn't last long enough.
In a cold month, in that room
It was a cold month when we were in that room.
We found a reason for the things
We discovered why things were happening.
We had to do
We had to do what we had to do.
Now my room is cold
My room is now cold.
Lord you know, he feels it in his soul
It's a feeling that is deep in the soul of a blind man.
And there ain't no sadder tale
It's the saddest thing you'll ever hear.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN GILLAN, IAN PAICE, JON LORD, RITCHIE BLACKMORE, ROGER GLOVER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind