Top 5 underrated prog keyboadists

Oh, I don't dislike it, and you're right, there are some great songs on it. I just thought at the time it was a notch down from to 'Rising' and the live album - and after the epic grandeur of 'Rising', 'Long Live Rock'n'Roll' sounded like a title I'd have expected from AC/DC or Kiss. 

Right. By 'the two and a half albums' I meant 'Rising', 'On stage' and some tracks on 'Long Live Rock and Roll' (I think I knew their glory days were over when they released an album with that title - though it was still pretty decent. The next year's 'Down to Earth' was when i knew it was over. God, that cover....)

I praise Tony Carey whenever the opportunity arises. Rising is indeed the best album in Rainbow's repertoire. Tony's intro on "Tarot Woman" is iconic on its own. Post-Rainbow, he's done some great stuff, as Planet P Project or under his own name, even if not all of it's prog. He's even recorded instrumental electronic fare. He moved to Germany, took part ownership of a studio and spent virtually all his waking hours within that building and made many hours of music. He was born in California but has remained in Europe. 

Also, that's not Tony on the first Rainbow album. The first line-up was Ritchie and 4/5 of Elf. Mickey Lee Soule was the keyboardist. 

After the first album and tour, Ritchie fired Soule, bassist Craig Gruber ("plays too funky") and drummer Gary Driscoll ("don't like his style").

Ritchie found Carey when he and Bain were in Hollywood for auditions for the band that would go on to record Rising. Carey was in another room with his own band. Carey joined not so much because of Ritchie, but because of frustration with his own band not making satisfactory progress with their own record.

It actually isn't him on 'Gates of Babylon', from what I remember. He played on some tracks on that album, but I think it was David Stone on that track.  Still, I've watched some live  clips, and the guy was no slouch.