Many of you might recall when I did this particular festival back in 2017, and I have good reason to bring it back for 2020. The world’s going to hell: plague is everywhere, political competency is at an all-time low, people are at each other’s throats, no one seems to want to get along, and the world burns. However, I want to alleviate even a sliver of that negativity, so I’m injecting some happy into all of your asses! Power Metal has always been the happy subgenre of metal, and I’m going to give it to all of you whether you like it or not!....but you’ll probably like it.
To kick off our return to Power Metal Pandemonium, let’s go back to the basics. Let’s go back to when it was just beginning to form, and I don’t mean the 80s! We’re heading back to 1975 for this review, and to a band many longtime Hard Rock fans might recognize. Yes, Hard Rock everybody! As far as I know, this is the first time I ever took a look at a band in this style, so this should be a lot of fun! Now, get your walking stick & traveling boots, and let’s take a trip to a rainbow. Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, that is. Let the review begin!
Background
Taken from Wikipedia:
“By 1973, Blackmore had steered Deep Purple through a significant personnel change, with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover being replaced by David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes. However, the new members were keen to add musical styles and Blackmore found his request to record the Steve Hammond-penned "Black Sheep of the Family" with "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" turned down by the band. He decided to record the song with Dio instead, using Dio's band Elf as musicians. He enjoyed the results, and a full album, billed as Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, was recorded between February and March 1975 at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany. The band name was inspired by the Rainbow Bar and Grill in West Hollywood, California.
Rainbow's music was partly inspired by classical music since Blackmore started playing cello to help him construct interesting chord progressions, and Dio wrote lyrics about medieval themes. Dio possessed a powerful and versatile vocal range that encompassed hard rock and lighter ballads. Blackmore reported, "I felt shivers down my spine." Although Dio never played a musical instrument on any Rainbow album, he is credited with writing and arranging the music with Blackmore, in addition to writing all the lyrics. Blackmore and Dio also found a common ground in their sense of humour. Rainbow, said the singer, "was my opportunity to show my wares. I thank Ritchie for that all the time. Ritchie Blackmore is the one who gave me my opportunity to show what I was worth."”
Rainbow would go on to be a big successful release. It made it into the UK’s Top 20 list, and over here in the states it would be in the top 30. Due to this success & positive experience of working alongside Ronnie James Dio, Blackmore decided to leave Deep Purple, and the rest is history.
Basic Description
Old School Hard Rock & Metal with a fantasy twist.
At first glad, I can see why people would scratch their heads when I call this a building block of Power Metal. In fact, this album doesn’t even sound like metal to a certain degree! Rainbow is more of a Hard Rock record, albeit one that has elements of Heavy Metal to it, along with medieval/fantasy imagery and a hint or two of the blues. However, it’s this mix that hardens it into something that Power Metal would begin to build upon in the 80s, and establish it in the decades afterwards. Rainbow is an album that just catches your imagination with it’s evocative storytelling in each of it’s songs, and hooks you with it’s blusey, rocky, metallic instrumentation. It definitely might make some people do a double take upon their first listen, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they’ll probably like it afterwards!
Best Track
I think people who aren’t even fans of this album or the band in general might be familiar with Man on the Silver Mountain. The opening track off this record, it shows off it’s fantasy roots in weird ways. The instrumentation is firmly rooted in Hard Rock (Along with some metallic hints, and perhaps a slivers of blues & medieval elements), and Dio simultaneously croons and sings his way through it. But it’s the lyrics that show off where the band lies. There’s the journey-like feeling as the song plays, and Ronnie leads us through it as if he was an elderly storyteller you’d find in a cozy tavern in a small village. A song that’s more than worthy to start this album off, and I love it!
Man on the Silver Mountain
Worst Track
The only real fault I have with Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow is the same As when I did my overview on the Quake & Diablo franchises, and that’s age. Coming in at 45 years old in 2020, there’s a dated feel over everything: from the instrumentation, to the vocals, to the production, Rainbow is a record of it’s time. I don’t have a problem with this, as I’ve gained quite an appreciation for older music. It’s younger people that’ll probably be turned off by the age of this release, although with the boom in records & record players in recent years this might not be as much of an issue.
Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below:
Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow
Overall Impression & Rating
Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow may not be Power Metal in the traditional sense, but with the funky nature of Ronnie’s singing and imaginative lyrics, makes this a Hard Rock/Heavy Metal album that’s got a bit of funk behind it. Younger listeners might be put off by the album’s age, but due to an appreciation for older music in recent years, I’m kind of fond of Ritchie Blackmore’s first outing. It may not be the 1st thing I go for when I’m in the mood for something heavy, but I sure as hell won’t complain if I hear it blasting through some speakers!
Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow gets a 8 out of 10.
And thus the return of Power Metal Pandemonium begins here, and while it may have been a strange choice to start off with a band like this, it’s one I feel was necessary. Well, with the first review done we got more powerful metal to cover this summer, but first there’s one thing I gotta do, so join me tomorrow......when we’ll take one final trip into the Nexus. See you then!
***
If you’d like to see how I started off last year, click on the link below:
Album Review - Iron Maiden’s Powerslave
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