MusicRadar

When Steve Morse became the guitarist for Deep Purple in 1994, he had big shoes to fill - the band’s previous axemen were Joe Satriani, Tommy Bolin and, of course, Ritchie Blackmore.

But Morse’s reputation for six-string excellence preceded him. As a founding member of the revered fusion ensemble Dixie Dregs (later The Dregs), he bewitched fans of instrumental virtuosity across the globe - and racked up boatloads of Best Guitarist awards along the way.

Here, Morse picks the seven records which have most defined his career - from chicken-pickin’ hoedowns to heavy metal thunder - and tells MusicRadar why they make the cut.

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