• From: Swindon, UK
  • Registered: 2008-11-13
  • Posts: 78

Topic: Classic bands of yesteryear - Rainbow

I was a fan of Rainbow back in the 1970’s and had several of their albums on vinyl.  However, over the years I’ve never bothered to convert them to digital or replace them with CD’s.  As a result it is years since I really listened to any Rainbow other than the couple of songs that occasionally get played on Planet Rock.

Today I bought, on a whim, a Rainbow greatest hits CD called Classic Rainbow (for £3 in Tesco of all places).  I’ve just been listening to it in the car. 

WOW ! – I’d forgotten what a fabulous collection of songs they produced during their relatively short lifespan.  From radio friendly classic singles like ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’,  ‘I Surrender’, ‘All Night Long’ and ‘Long Live Rock and Roll’, to full blown bombastic masterpieces like ‘Man on the Silver Mountain’, ‘16th Century Greensleeves’, ‘Gates of Babylon’ and the incredible ‘Stargazer’ (in my opinion one of the top 5 rock songs of all time).  It also showcased one of the great rock vocalists in Ronnie James Dio, although those who came after him in the band were no slouches either.

I think I’m going to have to revisit a few more of the bands of my youth, or else replace my old vinyl collection.

Marty

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  • LynB
  • LynB
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  • From: Poole - UK
  • Registered: 2006-10-02
  • Posts: 1,155

Re: Classic bands of yesteryear - Rainbow

Nice one Marty.  It's a good collection but personally I'm not so keen on much of what they put out after the early stuff, what I call 'middle America rock'.  I much prefer Rainbow Rising - Stargazer being one of my all time faves too.  Still got that on vinyl.

  • From: Swindon, UK
  • Registered: 2008-11-13
  • Posts: 78

Re: Classic bands of yesteryear - Rainbow

LynB wrote:

It's a good collection but personally I'm not so keen on much of what they put out after the early stuff, what I call 'middle America rock'.

I had to pick up a musician friend from Russ Ballard's house not far from Knebworth a few months ago.  When I got there it was a huge great mansion with a swimming pool.  My friend told me that 'Since You've Been Gone' (which Ballard wrote) basically paid for that mansion.

Those were the days.

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  • rpic
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  • From: Sonoma, Ca.
  • Registered: 2006-08-16
  • Posts: 852

Re: Classic bands of yesteryear - Rainbow

Funny you should write this. Yesterday I ordered Rainbow's "Long Live Rock n Roll" from Amazon.

along with Led Zep "The BBC Sessions", The Black Keys "The Big Come Up" (this will round out the entire Keys catalouge for me) and Jim Suhler "Tijuana Bible."

  • From: Sussex UK
  • Registered: 2009-07-12
  • Posts: 1,465

Re: Classic bands of yesteryear - Rainbow

and talking of Russ Ballard and vinyl.....Here is one of his songs that I own on 7" vinyl but have not played in 20 plus years..very 80's

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NiZxwdNvAI

I still have the Rainbow album that Since You've been gone was on in clear vinyl!! - Cozy Powell on drums if I remember right!

Those Tesco £3 albums are worth a look through, - picked up Led Zep 4 remastered and Best of Boston!

My YouTube channel with plenty of my Joe's videos dating from 2009 inc his first Hammersmith Odeon ones:
http://www.youtube.com/ian916fun

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  • Registered: 2006-05-08
  • Posts: 1,996

Re: Classic bands of yesteryear - Rainbow

Rainbow with RJ Dio was my second concert ever.  I was hooked.  I saw the band with Graham and Joe Lynn on vocals as well.  Have pretty much all of their original LPs and even more on CDs.  Interesting band with things to like during their 3 main iterations in the late 70's through the 80's.  Love the RJD albums to death, but Difficult To Cure was a monster as well.

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  • Registered: 2009-05-18
  • Posts: 306

Re: Classic bands of yesteryear - Rainbow

CATCH THE RAINBOW and MISTREATED from the RAINBOW ON STAGE-Album - I will love those songs FOREVER!!!

  • Brack
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  • From: London, getting hotter \m/
  • Registered: 2009-02-24
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Re: Classic bands of yesteryear - Rainbow

I have their first two, filed under B, Richie Blackmore's Rainbow   tongue

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  • From: N.Wales, UK
  • Registered: 2009-03-06
  • Posts: 2,183

Re: Classic bands of yesteryear - Rainbow

Gates Of Babylon, Kill The King, I Surrender...

and their Kashmir-opus...Stargazer. Blackmore is killer.