Rainbow / Tokyo, Japan 8.28.1981

RAINBOW welcomed Joe Lynn Turner as vocalist, and from the 1981 Japan tour “DIFFICULT TO CURE”, the final day of the tour in Japan, the performance at the Tokyo Budokan on August 28th, will be released with superb sound quality using the audience recording master tape, which will be released for the first time! RAINBOW’s ’81 tour started with a performance in Virginia on February 20th, and then they toured the US, and from June to July, they toured Europe, which was one of the most energetic tours in the history of the band. The long-awaited Japan tour started with a performance in Fukuoka on August 18th, and eight performances were held in five cities over 10 days, and RAINBOW’s performance with renewed charm attracted the cheers of fans in each area. There are various titles of collector’s sound sources that record these scenes, but especially on this final day, a shocking sound board sound source called “SURRENDER DOCUMENTS” was released from the Darker Than Blue label, making it a live performance that left a strong impression on fans. However, this “SURRENDER DOCUMENTS” was not a complete recording due to the master tape, and due to the nature of the recording directly connected to the board, it was not a type of sound source that seeks the unique realism of the venue, such as the excitement of the audience seats that is suitable for RAINBOW’s live performance. This work “TOTAL SURRENDER” that will be released this time is the highest quality recording for this era, which satisfies the desire of such fans to listen to “the complete version”, “full of realism”, and “high sound quality” as the title suggests, and the opinion that “there is no need for audience recording because there is a sound board” will feel foolish at first listen, and the wonderful quality has been realized! From “Land Of Hope And Glory” before the start of the show, it was recorded in a perfect condition that you would not think was 40 years ago, and the excitement of the audience that rises at the moment the members appear on stage will give you a wonderful sense of realism that will make you shiver even as you listen. The first half of “Spotlight Kid” is a little noisy due to the equipment, and there are parts where the audience’s cheers and singing overlap the band’s performance, but this is also due to the heat of the venue, and the screams and choruses that cannot suppress their overflowing joy will be understood by anyone who has been to a live venue of their favorite artist even once, and will rather feel happy. Even in the quiet parts where Richie is spinning a solo in “Catch The Rainbow”, the sound of the taper moving the equipment and the voices of the audience can be heard, but each of these sounds is a document of the audience recording, and anyone who was at the venue at this time will surely feel deeply moved by the fact that conversations that should not have been recorded in the first place can be heard beyond 30 years. There seems to be a slight distance between the taper’s position and the stage, but Richie’s guitar and Joe’s singing are as fresh as if they were recorded yesterday, and the outline of the performance is clear. Especially from “Love’s No Friend,” the sound is settled, and you can enjoy the live performance with clear visibility, excellent balance, and punchy sound image. This ’81 set list inherits the outstanding perfection of the ’80 set list, but it is calculated to highlight the songs of “Difficult to Cure” placed at key points, and “I Surrender” and “Can’t Happen Here” have received enthusiastic reactions as if they have been played for years. Even in “I Surrender,” where Don Airey invites the song with a colorful keyboard intro, and “Can’t Happen Here,” where Richie’s aggressive guitar runs vertically and horizontally through the space, Joe’s fresh and fresh singing voice is superb, and the song is captivating. Even in Ronnie’s signature songs “Man On The Silver Mountain” and “Catch The Rainbow”, Joe’s expression is skillful, and Richie’s guitar is inspired by his voice, which depicts a drama with a delicate touch different from his predecessors, and he plays wonderful phrases and solos one after another. In this live performance, Richie calls from the audience were constantly flying around during and between songs, and Joe, who was visiting Japan for the first time, must have been strongly impressed by the greatness of the Richie myth in Japan, but when it comes to playing, Joe does not shrink back in any song and boldly challenges the veteran British members, and you can hear from the sound that he is asserting himself as the face of the band. The Joe Lynn Turner era, which is different from the fantastic and noble Ronnie era and the nihilistic and dandy Graham era, is already here, with young energy and American spirit that opens up a new era! The medley that flows from Don Airey’s keyboard solo to “Lost In Hollywood” and “Difficult To Cure” is overwhelming, and you can understand the performance power of RAINBOW at this time. At the beginning of “Difficult To Cure”, Richie’s guitar exudes even a sense of danger, but in the main part of the song it changes to dignity, and after Don’s keyboard part in the middle, the way everything is concentrated and sublimated towards the coda is even cathartic. Another new member, Bobby Rondinelli, was probably under a lot of pressure because his predecessor was Cozy Powell. However, Bobby also hits a tight rhythm in each song, and is very active in the drum solo and “Long Live Rock’N’Roll”. After “Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll”, it is the end of the show that has not been recorded in “SURRENDER DOCUMENTS”, and the unique listening points of this work are fired one after another. In the first encore song, “All Night Long,” Joe is already singing in the same original style as he does now, and he also shows off his interplay with Richie’s guitar, highlighting the difference from the Graham era. The excitement of the live reached its peak with “Woman From Tokyo” and “Smoke On The Water,” which were played consecutively from “Blues,” where Joe also shows off his bluesy side. It is not difficult to imagine that the performance of “Smoke On The Water,” which Richie had not performed for six years since leaving DEEP PURPLE, was a great surprise and delight for the fans at the time, and the entire Budokan seemed to be shaking with the cheers and applause of the audience. After the 100 minutes of excitement ended with “Since You Been Gone,” and Judy Garland’s “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” was also finished, another major feature of this album is that you can listen to “Maybe Next Time” for about three minutes, which is playing in the background of the audience’s voices leaving the Budokan and the announcement of the end of the show. If you listen to the vividly recorded Budokan performance after the show in a well-organized playback environment, you will even have the illusion of being taken back 30 years! The three consecutive Budokan performances at the end of the Japan tour were released by the Power Gate label as wonderful audience recordings, including “NOWHERE TO HIDE” which included the first day on the 26th, and “INSTRUMENT OF SURRENDER” on the 27th, both of which were well received by fans. In addition to the rarity of the complete version of the final day of the Budokan performance, which has never been released before, this work is undoubtedly at the top of those high-quality audience recordings, and the unique flavor that condenses the charm of the live recording without leaving anything out can be said to be the definitive class sound source as an audience source even when looking at the entire ’81 tour. We declare that this supreme work that decorates the end of RAINBOW’s ’81 Budokan trilogy is a must-listen for all hard rock fans! Live at Budokan, Tokyo, Japan 28th August 1981 PERFECT SOUND(from Original Masters) Disc 1 (44:38) 1. Land Of Hope And Glory 2. Over The Rainbow 3. Spotlight Kid 4. Love’s No Friend 5. I Surrender 6. Lazy Intro 7. Man On The Silver Mountain 8. Catch The Rainbow 9. Can’t Happen Here Disc 2 (59:15) 1 Keyboard Solo 2. Lost In Hollywood 3. Guitar Solo 4. Difficult To Cure 5. Keyboard Solo/Difficult To Cure 6. Jam/Drum Solo 7. Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll 8. All Night Long 9. Blues 10. Woman From Tokyo Intro 11. Smoke On The Water 12. Since You Been Gone 13. Somewhere Over The Rainbow 14. Outro (Maybe Next Time) Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar Joe Lynn Turner – Vocal Roger Glover – Bass Don Airey – Keyboards Bob Rondinelli – Drums