DIFFICULT TO CURE

Two years after Down To Earth Rainbow was back with a new album and, as it is their wont, with a new line up. Replacing the erratic Graham Bonnet enters Joe Lynn Turner, the first american to join the british outfit. In several ways Turner was much more suited to the "new" sound guitarist and leader Ritchie Blackmore was aiming: a more melodic and radio friendly hard rock to win over a wider audience, especially in America. So a kind of AOR type of singer was needed. And Turner, a superb vocalist, seemed to be perfect for the job. However, the band also lost their drummer Cozy Powell, since he was not happy with the more commercial approach of the band. And although he was replaced by an excellent musician (Bobby Rondinelli, another north american), his unique style and thundering sound would never be equalled. Again the newcomer did fit well into the new style.

Unfortunately the new material did not really reach the power nor the inspiration of Down To Earth: the new compositions were good, sometimes very good but not excellent, while the slicker production and the new direction did nothing to add energy to them. The inclusion of not one, but two commercial pop covers (I Surrender and Magic) only worsened things for fans. Ok, I Surrender became a hit, but the album did not sell as much as it was hoped. Which is really a pity, since the album is not nearly as bad as some people rate it here in PA. As usual the high quality of the playing is intact and songs like Spotlight Kid, Can´t Happen Here and Midtown Tunnel Vision are all very worth hard rock songs with tasteful arrangements and Blackmore´s unique gutsy guitar delivering. The instrumental Vielleicht Das Nachster Zeit is another highlight, with a brilliant and emotional guitar solo from Blackmore (I only wish it was longer...). Their version of Beethoven´s Nineth Ode To Joy however all their great skill and technique smells of filler material and it is really dismissible, and not even a good organ solo by Don Airey can redeem it.

In the end I found Difficult To Cure to be a better LP than I thought when it was released. Certainly it has its merits and the musical in general stood well the test of time. But it was a step back from their previous one. So I rate this one 3 stars: good, but not essential.