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Rating: We are in 1982, the year of the release of the second chapter of the "Oriented Rock" trilogy by the Rainbow, Straight Between The Eyes, which marks even more the decisive turn in favor of the masses undertaken by the iron sergeant Ritchie Blackmore. The lineup - obviously - has changed again, even if only partially: replacing the veteran Don Airey on keyboards is the newcomer David Rosenthal, while the rest is confirmed with the reliable Roger Glover on bass, American Joe Lynn Turner as the vocalist, and Bobby Rondinelli on drums.
Now captured by the American market, Ritchie decides to continue riding the wave of overseas success and, between tours, moves to Canada to record the album in question; a certain hastiness is evident from the lackluster care in the recording - especially regarding some mixing choices - yet the quality of the musicians is undisputed, and what emerges perfectly reflects the atmosphere within Rainbow at that time.
A somewhat chaotic atmosphere, to tell the truth, where the strong personality of the Man in Black lines up his subordinates and completely overshadows them. Indeed, the lack of motivation is quite noticeable, and combined with the glaring submission to record label advances, a breakdown is just around the corner. Yet something good immediately jumps out from the listening experience. Death Alley Driver, characterized by a very fast rhythm and a Blackmore in top form, seems to steer the album in the right direction: the signature frenzied solo, in which Ritchie seems almost to be mocking (but it’s nothing new) the listener with ascending and descending scales, then unleashes like a funnel into the usual and intensely focused delightfully distorted pot-pourri of notes bordering on cacophony; the young Rosenthal on keyboards is clearly heard, and the whole is undoubtedly very engaging and entertaining. But soon the sparks ignited with the opening track fade as the listening continues: the following Stone Cold highlights the melodic side of Joe Lynn Turner's voice, yet some choices of vocal lines are not entirely convincing; Bring on The Night once again increases cruising speed with a good Ritchie solo, highlighting Rondinelli’s excellent rhythm, good in execution but lacking, alas, the personality shown just a year before. Tite Squeeze, rather unsuccessful and decidedly banal, closely resembles what could be considered filler, but the ballad Tearin' Out My Heart somewhat recovers this dip, once again finding as its protagonist Mr. Blackmore's reflective and melodic Fender.
Like a roller coaster, the second part of the album sees the pace rise again, but suffers from a heavy radio-friendly turn with the pair Rock Fever and Power (in the latter, one wonders if the riff is really Blackmore’s work and not a session musician passing by!). Better is MISS Mistreated, where our hero finds a bit of vigor at the end - well accompanied by Rosenthal - and especially the closing Eyes Of Fire, with an excellent Roger Glover and Blackmore once more in perfect form, in a dialogue with vaguely oriental melodies and wandering with extreme class up and down his personal (and known only to him) scales and phrases, distortions, and high-pitched cries, whines, and electric roars... definitely the best and most convincing track.
Overall, we are faced with a good album, not homogeneous but still well played, which suffers from haste and hurry in production and in setting ideas; the delightful touch and skill of Blackmore are always present, but it is clear that the blatantly AOR imprint significantly dampens the expressiveness and genius of this great band.
It deserves to be listened to in order to fully understand the musical journey of Rainbow: from the Rock Olympus to the Limbo of FM Waves, but the class of one of the greatest guitarists of all time remains unreachable.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Death Alley Driver (04:45)
Rough and ready rider
in a supersonic sound machine
Rock and Roll survivor
Chrome pipes between your knees
Running all the red lites
Your gonna make a dead stop
But you just can't see the signs
Oh - you'll never win the race
But you can't give up the chase
Death alley driver
Living at high speed
Death alley driver...Yeah
Death alley driver...who knows what you need
Death alley driver...
One hundred twenty five smokin' on the turns
Always on the hit and run
But you never learn...
Running from the man... and you're running
from yourself
Another dirty angel heading straight to hell
Oh - you'll never win the race
But you won't give up the chase
Death alley driver...
Live in overdrive...Death alley driver...yeah
Death alley driver...ride to stay alive
Death alley driver...
let's go
Red lights in the mirror
Danger on the band
Got to take a detour cause a road block's up ahead
He takes you on the corner with a wave of his hand
Death is in the back seat of a big old black sedan
Oh - you'll never win the race...
As you turn and see his face...
Death alley driver...
Movin' for the kill
Death alley driver...yeah
Death alley driver...
Time is standing still...
Death alley driver...
Always on the run cause you're a...
Death alley driver
Love the way it feels
Death alley driver...yeah
Death alley driver
Hell on wheels...
Death alley driver... ooh -
02 Stone Cold (05:19)
Every night I have the same old dream
'Bout you and me and what's in between
So many changes, so many lies
Try to run, try to hide
From everything that I feel inside
But I can't escape you or your frozen eyes
Searching in the darkness
Fading out of sight
Love was here and gone like a thief in the night
Stone cold
And I thought I knew you so well
Stone cold
Can't break away from your spell
Another dark and empty night
If I was wrong, I wanna make it right
But you are so distant, so far away
Your words like ice fall on the ground
Breaking the silence without a sound
Oh, familiar strangers with nothing to say
Searching in the darkness
Fading out of sight
Love was here and gone like a thief in the night
Stone cold
And I thought I knew you so well
Stone cold, yeah
I can't break away from your spell
You leave me stone cold
Searching in the darkness
Fading out of sight
Love was here and gone like a thief in the night
Stone cold
And I thought I knew you so well
Stone cold, yeah
I can't break away from your spell
Stone cold, baby
(And I thought I knew you so well)
You're stone cold, ice cold
(I can't break away from your spell)
(You put me in the deep freeze) Stone cold
(Oh baby, don't you leave me) And I thought I knew you so well
(Stone cold, your leavin' me cold) Stone cold
I can't break away from your spell
Stone cold
And I thought I knew you so well
Stone cold
Can't break away from your spell
Stone cold
And I thought I knew you so well
Stone cold
Can't break away from your spell
04 Tite Squeeze (03:16)
I ain't lyin' to you baby...I hope you don't refuse
But I'm red hot...Ready or not...to give my love to you
I don't have forever, but I got tonight
The look in your eye said you'll give it a try...
I know the moment's right...
Ooh - give it to me...you got everything I need
Ooh - do it to me...Bring me to my knees
When you gimme that tite squeeze...
Baby, baby please
Gimme that tite squeeze
When you start to touch me...I can't believe it's real
You make it hard for me to take. I love the way you feel
I'm hungry for you baby, I just can't get enough..
If it's alright I'll take a bite, I'll taste your love
Ooh - give it to me...you got everything I need
Ooh - do it to me...Bring me to my knees
When you gimme that tite squeeze -
gimme that tite squeeze - yeah
Rock me in your cradle, roll me like the dice
Do it to me and I'll do it to you, do it till we do it right
Don't tell me that you love me, when you walk out the door
cause I'll hold you down, turn you around, I'll come back for more
Ooh - give it to me...you got everything I need
Ooh - do it to me...Bring me to my knees
When you gimme that tite, tite, tite yeah...
Gimme that tite squeeze, ooh baby, gimme that tite squeeze
Oh - bring me to my knees, gimme that tite squeeze
06 Power (04:27)
Everybody's sayin' that the times are getting rough
You gotta stay loose baby and you gotta be tough...oh
I get knocked down...get right back up again
Cause I never give up and I never give in...
Oh - so strong
Got the power when I turn it on
Yeah - I'm gonna get my fill
Nothin's gonna stop me now and nothin' ever will
I got the...power
I got the power
I feel the power...
and don't forget it
Make some, break some ain't no big surprise
They're gonna wheel ya, deal ya, tell ya all the lies...(realize)
But I'm a hot shot, shoot em down let me be (that's me)
Cause I got nothin' for nothin' and nothin's ever free...no
Oh - so strong
All I gotta do is turn it on
Yeah - I'm gonna get my fill
Nothin's gonna stop me now and nothin' ever will
I got the power
Oh, I got the power
I can feel the power
I got the power
Yeah yeah yeah...turn it on
I can take anything that gets in my way
I don't worry 'bout tomorrow I just live for today...
Oh - so strong
Got that feeling when I turn it on
Yeah - I'm gonna get my fill
Nothin's gonna stop me now and nothin' ever will
I got the power
I can feel the power
power
I can feel the power...
Turn it on...
Power (can you feel it)
Power
(repeat)
(you can turn it on, turn it on, switch it on behind)
(Super charged...I can feel the power)
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