Rainbow
Live In Munich 1977

After spending an hour waiting for the bus and another half hour to arrive at my trusted nightclub, here I find myself with this double live Rainbow album in my hands.

At first glance, I am disappointed because the tracklist includes only eight tracks, but upon a closer look, the frown of disappointment disappears from my face since each song lasts, on average, about fifteen minutes. And finally, after three hours, I return home and put on the stereo this new Rainbow album just released (even though the concert dates back to '77); recorded in Munich, it will be one of the last performances of the band featuring Ronnie James Dio as front-man (it was indeed a date that was part of the promotional tour of “Long Live Rock’n’Roll”).

From the four large and powerful speakers of the stereo emerge the first notes, none other than the hard and gritty riff of “Kill The King,” a song I hope you all know. Dio's voice becomes strong and “aggressive,” the guitar is fierce, Bob Daisley's bass functions almost like a second guitar, and Cozy Powell's poor drums are strong and heavy; Dave Stone's keyboards, for now (and I repeat, FOR NOW!), do not stand out too much. Unfortunately, even now it is evident that the audio of the CD is not excellent.
The concert continues with the blues notes so dear to David “The Gentleman” Coverdale… yes, it is indeed “Mistreated”: Ronnie James Dio manages to sing divinely (editor's note: now I understand why his stage name is Dio) transitioning from a “violent and gritty” voice to a very sweet and melancholic one so much that he makes this song his own. The eleven-plus minutes of the track are mainly occupied by fantastic improvisations by the entire lineup, and here's where Dave Stone and his keyboards also make themselves heard.

Initially, the album continues with further impressive guitar improvisations (and, as we know, the improvisations of the “Man In Black” are highly reminiscent of Bach) and, soon after, it's time for the famous “16th Century Greensleeves” here presented in a unique version: much more “heavy sound” compared to the original, perhaps even better. More improvisations for Blackmore “and suddenly it's evening” since the words introducing this track are “When Evening Falls” (“when evening falls”), it is, of course, “Catch The Rainbow,” in an extended version lasting 17 and a half minutes, where Dio's voice becomes melancholic and very powerful again. The guitar passages are very classical, and the improvisations (apologies for the continuous repetition of this word) of voice, bass, keyboards, and drums are indeed plentiful. The first CD then closes with “Long Live Rock’ n’ Roll,” in which the Italian-American elf involves the audience by having them sing in response to himself.

I momentarily pause my reading of “The Lord of the Rings” (editor's note: as I was listening to this masterpiece, I was reading this fantastic book) to insert the second CD; it opens with “Man On The Silver Mountain” presented, for the occasion, in a fifteen-minute version. The intensity of the track is the same as the previous ones, and immediately further improvisations of the entire lineup and solos make anyone passionate about this band any individual unfamiliar with it; especially excellent is Cozy Powell's work.
But Rainbow doesn’t stop astonishing us and continues with the long (over 25 minutes) “Still I’m Sad.” Unfortunately, this is the last track featuring further improvisations and more solos, as Blackmore reintroduces (for electric guitar) pieces of Bach on pieces of Bach, while among the notes of Dave Stone’s keyboards, I seem to perceive (or better, hear) something of Rossini. The drum solo is impressive, perhaps even “perfect,” and I realize that R.J. Dio’s words in memory of Cozy are correct and well-deserved: “The world lost the greatest drummer who ever existed and, at the same time, a wonderful person.”

The concert concludes with the “metallic” (allow me this term) “Do You Close Your Eyes” which unfortunately, although it lasts almost ten minutes, features no improvisations but only a guitar solo, yet another of keyboards, and an excellent accompaniment of bass and drums. The voice, instead, becomes charged with energy and power once more. Overall, this double live album is wonderfully structured, with a heavy sound and, in my opinion, better than “On Stage.” The flaws? Only one: despite being official, the audio sounds like that of a bootleg.
The DVD related to this “masterpiece-in-the-true-sense-of-the-word” should already be out, but, in truth, I haven't found it yet (unfortunately), and they say it also contains three bonuses… Meanwhile, I continue to proclaim that Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio, and Cozy Powell are respectively my favorite axe-man, my favorite singer, and my favorite drummer.

Oh, I almost forgot: the CD comes with a beautiful and interesting booklet full of photos and articles about Rainbow in which I read that the “Man In Black,” years ago, was arrested for throwing his guitar at two guys who were jumping… well, I think you are already familiar with Blackmore’s character…

Tracklist:
CD1: Kill The King (04.41) / Mistreated (01.03) / 16th Century Greensleeves (08.21) / Catch The Rainbow (17.31) / Long Live Rock’ n’ Roll (07.33)
CD2: Man On The Silver Mountain (14.39) / Still I’m Sad (25.16) / Do You Close Your Eyes (09.37)

The Rainbow:
Ronnie James Dio (frontman)
Ritchie Blackmore (guitarist)
Cozy Powell (drummer)
Bob Daisley (bass)
Dave Stone (keyboards)