Blackmore's Night
Ghost Of A Rose

Ritchie Blackmore is certainly one of the most fascinating and controversial figures in the history of Rock. He who made the genius and recklessness a true Creed. An undisputed advocate of mood swings, a true trademark of his personality and a source of much musical gossip that has fueled over these 40 years and more of his career. It was clear for some time that Ritchie had some strange ideas in mind and that they had not much to do with canonical Rock. Already by the late '80s, he was trying to involve other Deep Purple members in joyful historical scenes with a medieval-chivalric flavor; things that honestly didn't excite Gillan and the merry purple crew at all. But surely the point of no return would be reached in the middle of the tour supporting "The Battle Rages On."

The year was 1993. Blackmore would appear adorned with heraldic medals on his belt, creating a fascinating contrast with the black tights and ankle-laced boots. A minstrel, not a Rocker. I think that despite everything, that period left behind the best sound in Ritchie's history, along with that of the 1976/1977 biennium; but based on the look, everything suggested anything but a Rock guitarist. He would leave the main house in the middle of the tour (ended in his place by Satriani) and would never return. For this definitive departure, among Deep Purple fans, in moments of stagnation, it's natural to give life to those infamous musical gossip that so enliven discussions; giving birth to some chatter: there are those who steadfastly point the finger at Candice Night. The real mantis that prospered in those years within the Purple family, taking Ritchie away, known in 1990 after a charity soccer match with Ritchie as protagonist and Candice as a reporter for a small radio station. As if that wasn't enough, Candice's mother would arrive, who would later become the puppeteer of Blackmore's Night, increasingly distancing Ritchie from the world and Deep Purple's fans. But despite this, I don't believe the relationship between The Blonde and Blackmore is the main reason. Or rather: this could have been an excellent escape route for Ritchie, having finally tired of Deep Purple and especially of Ian Gillan, his historic antagonist. Ritchie rearranges his thoughts and seeks to give vent to his passion for medieval music; according to him, born at a young age, that is when his father took him to visit a castle in Germany. Another of his versions attributes the spark to the traditional "Greensleeves," which he would revisit several times with Rainbow: he claims that after hearing it for the first time, he believed he had heard it in a previous life (!) It's not that strange. I have happened to hear something I've never listened to but which already feels familiar at first listen. I don't know if this phenomenon has a specific name (...) After a brief re-proposal of Rainbow in 1995, from which the excellent "Stranger in Us All" was born and which saw Candice as a backing singer, Ritchie decides to make a definitive change, creating Blackmore's Night with his partner. Ok Ritchie: let's raid a bit of the medieval traditional repertoire, supported by my heavenly voice and a few eyelash batters, and let's add your undisputed class, with a bit of catchy and captivating Pop à la Mike Oldfield of "Moonlight Shadow," we can start.

This, in essence, is the evolution of Blackmore's Night, authors of a debut like "Shadow of the Moon," which I include among my favorite albums, which also featured someone like Ian Anderson as a guest on one of the best tracks on the album ("Play Minstrel Play"). A sensational first stone of a group that started with a bang, also pushed by the novelty of the proposal put on the field by someone like the (ex) Deep Purple guitarist, but which would give birth to an inexorable downward spiral. This album, "Ghost of a Rose," represents the watershed of the before and after of Blackmore's Night, which internally holds exciting moments that were and saturated and inevitable moments that will come from this album onwards. "Ghost of a Rose" besides being the title that gives its name to the album, is also one of the standout tracks of the album: it is certainly one of the best moments. A dreamy and delicate ballad dedicated to Jacqueline du Pré, an unfortunate English cellist who died due to muscular dystrophy in 1987, whose story is proposed in the beautiful "Hilary and Jackie" with Emily Watson. The album leaves a feeling of fragmentation, as if it weren’t following a single thread; for this reason, the stagnant moments and acceptable moments are diluted, blending and not giving a homogeneous idea of the album. Unlike the electrifying debut or the second "Under a Violet Moon," both of which flowed smoothly like oil. There are many enjoyable moments: from an evocative "Diamonds and Rust," Joan Baez's cover, to "Rainbow Blues," a Jethro Tull cover; which I prefer in the Blackmore's Night version rather than the Tull one.

Some appealing but cheesy experiments with an Arabian flavor like "All for One" to cloying quasi-Christmas ballads of dubious taste like "Ivory Tower". Ritchie's class is unquestionable, as evidenced by pieces like "Nur Eine Minute", in which he excels and exalts; but the whole discussion from this point on will leave more than a few perplexities, even in those who, although ardently desiring a Ritchie in the style of Deep Purple or Rainbow, have appreciated, up to a certain point, this dream of his.

Ritchie, Come back! This house is waiting for you...