RAINBOW – Live In Germany 1976 (Connoisseur Collection) *HQ*
With the RAINBOW albums recently featured here, it was requested as well “Live In Germany 1976“, an official release selecting tracks recorded from a series of German dates during their world tour in September 1976 (Cologne on the 25th, Düsseldorf on the 27th, Nuremberg on the 28th, and Munich on the 29th) featuring the Ritchie Blackmore / Ronnie James Dio / Jimmy Bain / Cozy Powell / Tony Carey line up.
This eight-song set accurately captures the firepower of early Rainbow; a time and circumstance that was, for many, the band at their absolute peak as a concert attraction.
Touring behind the stunning sophomore effort ‘Rising’, this configuration was the first under the Rainbow moniker to play live, so the stakes were high. Much of the pressure lay with Blackmore who had left Deep Purple the year before because of musical differences. With two solid Rainbow releases for the public to explore, the notoriously moody guitarist was intent on reclaiming his credibility as a dragon slayer, a medieval minstrel whose every pluck of the string would send chills through the main vein of all who entered the castle.
Having the mighty Dio along as his verbal messenger added to the depth and commitment of Blackmore’s goals.
Having been on the road for a few months, the band’s chemistry on stage had reached a boiling point. “Kill The King” lifts up and saturates the audience before they even know what hits them. But this is Blackmore’s moment, and on “Mistreated,” the lone Purple track the guitarist returned to, the solos run the gamut, from sizzling to dramatic to all-out mind-blowing.
On the epic “Stargazer,” Blackmore and company embark on a most ambitious journey, first put into play by a few swigs of Moog-berry delight courtesy of Carey, who would later makes waves with his Planet P Project. The gate is open, Powell does a drum roll, and the main riff drops, like a bomb from a cargo plane.
Live In Germany 1976 is classic Rainbow rising, on all fronts – a monolith of perpetual motion, advancing with an agenda that practically defied the commercially driven whirlpool sequestering the music world of the late 70s.
Blackmore’s choice of Dio to enhance the melodies with majestic salt and soul was, at the time, perceived as a lucky stroke of genius. Hearing this record now, it’s a marvelous tribute to a time and place that should never be taken for granted.
Highly Recommended
Disc 1
01 – Kill the King
02 – Mistreated
03 – Sixteenth Century Greensleeves
04 – Catch the Rainbow
Disc 2
01 – Man on the Silver Mountain
02 – Stargazer
03 – Still I’m Sad
04 – Do You Close Your Eyes
Ronnie James Dio – vocals
Ritchie Blackmore – lead guitar
Tony Carey – keyboards
Jimmy Bain – bass guitar
Cozy Powell – drums
Performances were done at these towns:
Munich: Kill The King, Mistreated, Do You Close Your Eyes
Cologne: Sixteenth Century Greensleeves, Stargazer, Still I’m Sad
Dusseldorf: Catch The Rainbow
Mannheim: Man On The Silver Mountain (mislabeled; it is actually from Nürenberg)
Try here:
amazon.com/Live-Germany-1976-2-CD/dp/B0058U80J0
