Blackmore´s Night - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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NotAProghead View Drop Down

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Topic: Blackmore´s Night
Posted: May 05 2006 at 12:16

moodyxadi wrote:

Under a violet moon .... Forget the usual silly lyrics.

I don't think the lyrics are silly, nice lyrics IMO, with images from good books we read in our childhood years.

moodyxadi wrote:

Castles and Dreams DVD .... Candice talks a lot, what it's boring, but you'll survive.

I find it rather lovely than boring. This lady has irresistible charm and a good sence of humour.

Edited by NotAProghead - May 05 2006 at 12:19

Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour)

moodyxadi

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Posted: May 05 2006 at 12:04

I'm a huge Blackimore fan, and a moderate Blackmore's night fan. Have all their albums minus the last one (in the buying list), and these are my impressions about them:

Shadow of the moon - excelente begining, tracing the lines for the group and their future work. 4/5 (in Blackmore's Night terms, of course)

Under a violet moon - more electric than the first one. Forget the usual silly lyrics. Don't understand the bad impression some of you have about this album, that is their best. Listen to Spanish Nights and the guitar soklo in Gone wit the wind. A forgettable Candice ballad is the weak point of this album - 4,5/5

Fires at midnight - a lot of electric guitars, but the tunes star to repeat themselves a lot. More forgettable ballads. 3/5

Past times with good company - a great deception. Boring in most parts, this double album doesn't reflect the real energy of this band playing live. Only the cover of Sixteen Century Greensleeves saves the album. 2,5/5

Ghost of a rose - I expect for the worst after the previous albums, but this one is far better than Fires at midnight. Diverse moods (not the "more of the same" thing that bores me in their playing in the live album) and a good cover of Tull's rainbow Blues. 3,5/5

Castles and Dreams DVD - absolutely necessary even for the casual listener. This is a huge improvement after the disapointment of Past times... It's a complete show, full of energy, dynamic and a band very excited with their playing. Ritchie still captures the atention for him, even when he's playing an almost audible acoustic guitar (that lies under the keyboard and violin sounds in many songs). Candice talks a lot, what it's boring, but you'll survive. Only flaw: an unecessary Black Might at the end of the show. Why not one or two rainbow tunse? And Candice's Soldier of fortune is too weak. But it's a wondeful show with a bonus DVD full of information. 4,5/5

I hope this comments can help you.

Bach, Ma, Bros, Déia, Dante.

XTChuck

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Posted: May 05 2006 at 11:21

I've only heard the first album. I wasn't impressed........

M. B. Zapelini View Drop Down

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Posted: May 05 2006 at 10:32

I like the live album - is a good overview of their career to that point.

"He's a man of the past and one of the present"
PETER HAMMILL

Paco Fox

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Posted: May 04 2006 at 04:22

Those who wish for a rockier version of Blackmore's Night should try their latest, The Village Lanterne.
For everyone who just have he first one, I'd say the best of the rest is 'Ghost of a Rose', specially the title track, which is the closest thing to the proggish sound they have got.

Serguilloche View Drop Down

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Posted: May 03 2006 at 18:45

Blackmore's Night is wonderful.

Some of the songs that Ritchie lets his lass write are a bit iffy, but that's the price of having a tasty wife half your age. Her voice is much like her, sweet and pretty Smile

Most tracks from Ghost of a Rose and Shadow of the Moon (the ones I own) are just lovely, simple yet catchy and innocent.

Not everyone's cup of tea, but they make a jaded bugger like me smile.

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Posted: May 03 2006 at 18:31

I've mostly only listened to their first album. Though I really like Deep Purple, Rainbow, and a lot of medieval rock out there, the first Blackmore's Night album seems very weak. I've heard a few later songs (like Road to Mandalay), and they sound much better (slightly heavier and rockier).

NotAProghead View Drop Down

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Posted: May 03 2006 at 15:20

Abstrakt wrote:

NotAProghead wrote:

Abstrakt wrote:

I Have Never HEard them, do you reccomend me to buy one of their albums?

IMO the best starting point is "Castles And Dreams" DVD - good selection of songs, impressive performance, high sound and picture quality, lots of extra features.

Thanks! but i have many cd's to be bought before that DVD

And, in this case, what for you asked recommendations?

Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour)

Abstrakt

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Posted: May 03 2006 at 11:58

NotAProghead wrote:

Abstrakt wrote:

I Have Never HEard them, do you reccomend me to buy one of their albums?

IMO the best starting point is "Castles And Dreams" DVD - good selection of songs, impressive performance, high sound and picture quality, lots of extra features.

Thanks! but i have many cd's to be bought before that DVD

Kotro

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Posted: May 03 2006 at 11:57

NotAProghead wrote:

Abstrakt wrote:

I Have Never HEard them, do you reccomend me to buy one of their albums?

IMO the best starting point is "Castles And Dreams" DVD - good selection of songs, impressive performance, high sound and picture quality, lots of extra features.

That has a lot of atributes, but also a big price tag. I would recomend "Fires at Midnight", is probably their easier album to listen.

Edited by Kotro - May 03 2006 at 11:58

Bigger on the inside.

mystic fred View Drop Down

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Posted: May 03 2006 at 11:09

ritchie blackmore is, and always was, a magical guitar talent. he spent many years learning his craft, some years before he formed deep purple (he named the group after one of his mother's favourite songs). after almost driving himself into the ground touring with purple (management flogged them to death with relentless touring, afraid that the "bubble" would burst - they made it burst!) he left purple and ploughed his own hugely successful furrow with rainbow. i'm not a fan of "blackmore's night" but whatever ritchie decides to do is fine by me, he's given his all for us in the past and he's entitled to do what he likes, he's entitled to be happy in his work and good luck to him!

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NotAProghead View Drop Down

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Posted: May 03 2006 at 10:53

Abstrakt wrote:

I Have Never HEard them, do you reccomend me to buy one of their albums?

IMO the best starting point is "Castles And Dreams" DVD - good selection of songs, impressive performance, high sound and picture quality, lots of extra features.

Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour)

Abstrakt

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Posted: May 03 2006 at 09:16

I Have Never HEard them, do you reccomend me to buy one of their albums?

Sean Trane View Drop Down

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Posted: May 03 2006 at 07:46

Kotro wrote:

"Shadow" is quite good, "Under a Violet Moon" is more of the same.

Is there anything great after those two? Yes. Last three albums are the best in my opinion.

I would tend to agree with you that the later albums are generally better 'although I have not heardthe one from this year yet).

let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter
keep our sand-castle virtues
content to be a doer
as well as a thinker,
prefer lifting our pen
rather than un-sheath our sword

Kotro

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Posted: May 03 2006 at 07:05

RycheMan wrote:

What are your thoughts on Ritchie´s mediaval band? When their first album was released "Shadow of the Moon" I remember rushing out to buy it. After the initial shock that it was far removed from the music I was used to, I gradually came to like it and thought it different. I landed up buying the second album, but it sounded much the same as the first. Also Candice Night´s voise gets a bit monotonous and monotone. I basically gave up on them after that.

Some stuff on each album is really good but the majority of the songs seem like rehashed songs.

Was there anything great that came after "Under a violet moon"

"Shadow" is quite good, "Under a Violet Moon" is more of the same.

Is there anything great after those two? Yes. Last three albums are the best in my opinion.

Bigger on the inside.

oracus

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Posted: May 03 2006 at 05:34

Sorry, i forget. RycheMan, the dvd is quite good, i recommend it

oracus

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Posted: May 03 2006 at 05:33

Is actually good but as you said Night's voice gets monotonous. Is good music but not for ears that used to listen prog.

Sean Trane View Drop Down

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Posted: May 03 2006 at 03:54

Logos wrote:

Horrible. Confused

It's a shame Ritchie has gone that low quality-wise. Great guitarist.

Actually this is exactly this kind of attitude that Blackmore hates: he spent years making a fortune for the record industry and now he wants to do what he wants and not whartt is expected from him

I also was taken aback at first

and had repulsion for what seemed a phoney Troubabour /bard trip which some obviously well-endowed but moderately talented blonde bombshell half his age induced, but this medieval thing was a real interest from him since the early Rainbow days. It took meyears to come to terms with his new career twist , but I recently rewrote some reviews of mine - though not of the second album yet!!!

There are still some superb wailing guitars solos on some tracks of BN, just listen to the stuff!!!

Of course there are times when this stuff is close to laughable (the travelling bard myth, the dressing up>> obviously an influence of Candice , the touring in medieval castle etc..) , but why the hell should Ritchie not live his fantasies the way he feels >> with a luscious babe in his arms , sounds like a dream come true

and believe me, this group has its solid following , far away from the rock crowds. Next time he comes around in Belgium, I will try to catch his show, out of curiosity , but I think I might actually enjoy it

let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter
keep our sand-castle virtues
content to be a doer
as well as a thinker,
prefer lifting our pen
rather than un-sheath our sword

Logos

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Posted: May 03 2006 at 01:30

Horrible.

It's a shame Ritchie has gone that low quality-wise. Great guitarist.

The Miracle View Drop Down