RITCHIE BLACKMORE'S RAINBOW

After leaving Deep Purple, guitarrist and songwriter Ritchie Blackmore launched his own project Rainbow. Backed by singer extraordinaire Ronnie James Dio and the other members of Elf (minus the guitar player, of course). he proved he could do much better than his ex colleagues. While Come Taste The BAnd was a mediocre affair at ibest, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow drips with power, good ideas and conviction.

Maybe the most surprising aspect fo this album is the fact that this line up never played live, before or after the release of this LP. It was supposed to be an one off project, but Ritchie ended up talking Dio into joining in as a permanent member when he decided to play some live shows after the album was well received by fans and critics. And he never bothered to ask the other Elf musicians to join. But really the impression you get hearing this CD is one of a seasoned band, belive it or not. Very well recorded and played, this CD was a nice surprise and promised a bright career for the guitarrist (which, by the way was totally fulfilled).

The album as a whole is fantastic, but I should point out some classics: Man Of The Silver Mountain (a personal favorite), Catch The Rainbow (the most progressive track, just beautfiul), Temple Of The King (great acoustic ballad in the vein of Deep Purple's Soldier Of Fortune) and the closing number Still I'm Sad. This last track was an old Yardbirds song that Ritchie completely rearragend (making it an instrumental tune) and it's a great showcase for his absolute incredible technique and feeling. Any doubts this guy is a genius? Just hear Still I'm Sad.

With a great cover and the production on the hands of the legendary Martin Birch this is a truly classic rock gem. Although the prog elements here are few, the awesome musicanship, the tasteful arrangements and melodic sounds makes this CD a must have for any rock fan, prog or otherwise.