When you've toured for about 10 years like me, you end up feeling like you're always waiting for somebody or something. The whole day is a drag

Jeff Beck is my idol .. sometimes he finds notes that I just do not have on my guitar. Frank Zappa's another one .. I loved Frank Zappa ... I do think Van Halen reinvented the guitar ... he's an excellent musician, a shrewd guitarist and as a person he's wonderful.

If a ballet dancer falls over, it's knowing how to get out looking clumsy that counts.

One of the reasons I took up the guitar was I didn't want to speak to anybody. I really felt uncomfortable speaking to people, so I took the guitar up so I could hide behind it. I'm not comfortable explaining things, because my brain doesn't work that way.

Learning to play with a big amplifier is like trying to control an elephant.

Ian Gillan, Roger Glover and I wanted to be a hard rock band - we wanted to play rock and roll only.

Jimi... He was the gov'nor and that's it. He was brilliant, wasn't he?