Rainbow ~ England

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (1975)  

This is the second time for me to run into this album since 2019. Each listen is a little bit more enjoyable, but mostly it always falls short of my expectations. Perhaps because of my personal experience with the band, I find that I enjoy Down to Earth and subsequent albums more satisfying. The exception to this - like just about every one else - is that I think Rising is their masterpiece. And it's much more aggressive and chance taking than this rather tepid debut. As some clever folks have noted, the band should have been called Ritchie Blackmore's Elf at this stage. It all came together in one short year. Once again I cannot find a reason to hang onto this, despite a few good - though not exceptional - tracks.

Ownership: Polydor (MC). Acquired in 2026. Will likely pick up the CD to close out this title.

First copy: 1975 Polydor (LP). Had a few of these over the years. I always take the profit haha.

8/2/19; 10/21/22 (review)

Bent Out of Shape (1983)

Since I stopped at Straight Between the Eyes, I never did hear this final (for all intents and purposes) Rainbow album - until now. It's a nice return to form, showing off a more meaty hard rock muscle than prior - closer to Difficult to Cure in that manner. It would not have been enough for me in 1983, but I now appreciate this style considerably more. 

Ownership: Polydor (CD). Acquired in 2026.

First copy: 1983 Mercury (LP). Acquired in 2022.

4/5/22 (review)

Straight Between the Eyes (1982)

This is where I initially got off the Rainbow bus. I had stayed loyal, but as each year progressed in the early 80s, I wanted heavier and heavier music. And there were bands to fill that desire. Rainbow were going the other way. This is probably the most commercial of the four post-Dio albums. I'll keep it anyway. 

Ownership: 1982 Mercury (LP). Reacquired in 2022. First purchased in 1982.

1982; 4/22/22 (review)

Down to Earth (1979)

In an earlier post, I had mentioned that I bought this along with Judas Priest's Rocka Rolla. It was real time in Seattle while visiting my aunt and uncle. I enjoyed it at the time, but I was hoping for something heavier and less poppy. Over the years, it didn't survive some of the LP purging, which was necessary. Now I'm just scooping these up out of nostalgia. I actually remembered this album pretty well, though it's been 30 years since I last heard it. Down to Earth features Graham Bonnet, and he does possess quite the voice. Last year I revisited Difficult to Cure with great results, and I'll give the nod to that album over this, since it's less commercial. But for memories alone, I'll probably keep this one for a long while. 

Ownership: 1979 Polydor (LP). Reacquired in 2022. First purchased in 1979.

1979; 4/19/22 (review)

Difficult to Cure (1981) 

I've been hoping to find any of these early 80s Rainbow albums, and I finally got one with this latest haul. I had originally bought this album real time. According to RYM, it was released in February, which would have been the second semester of my sophomore year of high school. That rings true. By this point I had already owned Down To Earth (also purchased when it came out) and Rainbow Rising. Over time, the former didn't make much of a mark (long sold off), but the latter remains one of my all-time favorite hard rock albums - a brilliant work. When trying to recall my mindset of the era, I'm pretty sure I enjoyed Difficult to Cure on initial impact, and it would have been sandwiched between the other two in quality. For whatever reason, my interest in traditional hard rock soured throughout the 80s, as my heart and mind were more dedicated to the current metal movement, as well as my first forays into deep diving European prog rock. So Difficult to Cure didn't make the cut either. Hearing this again for the first time in probably 35 years, my perspective towards hard rock has long been altered to the positive. There are two cover songs here, and they are Rainbow's half-hearted attempts for radio airplay. The rest, all originals, is just killer hard rock, and out of time for the 80s. This is mid to late 70s hard rock all the way. Side two in particular is fantastic. And even the Beethoven Ninth cover, usually a trite groan-worthy exercise, has a superb instrumental mid-section written by the band. All-in-all, Difficult to Cure ended up being a +3 listen. It will be a long time before this one goes again. If ever.

Ownership: 1981 Polydor (LP). Reacquired in 2021. First purchased in 1981.

1981; 5/1/21 (review)

Also own: Rising

Once owned: Long Live Rock 'N' Roll

5/19/26 (new entry)