Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow/Germany 1996

Ritchie Blackmore’s last era of hard rock was RAINBOW in the 90’s. The new masterpiece is the new excavation. Two of the best live albums from the Doogie White era will be released at the same time, and this is the first of them. This is a superb audience recording of “July 26, 1996 Passau Performance”. The biggest point of this work is the super-excellent sound that makes you wonder, “Where is the audience with this?”, but first of all, the position of the show. RAINBOW’s only work in the 90’s was “STRANGER IN US ALL”, but their live activities spanned three years and there were some member changes. Let’s start with that step. 1995《August release of “Solitary Stranger”》 September 30th – November 4th: Europe #1 (25 performances) November 11th – 23rd: Japan (9 performances) 1996 June 27th Sunday – July 7th: South America (8 performances) / July 21st – August 11th: Europe #2 (13 performances) ←★Here★《Chuck Berghi leaves → John Miceli joins》 February 1997 20th – March 19th: North America (18 performances) / May 31st: Denmark (final performance) [RAINBOW disbanded → BLACKMORE’S NIGHT started] This is RAINBOW in the 90s. The album, the visit to Japan, and the official video were all from 1995, but the second part of the tour was held the following summer in 1996. The Passau performance of this work was the third concert of “Europe #2″, which is the second tour in Germany. Records of such shows have been kept for a long time, but this work is a new excavation master that is different from that. It was recently released by the person who recorded it. Moreover, the sound is surprising. According to Taper, “I recorded it right in front of the mixing desk,” but I’m tempted to say, “Isn’t it actually not “in front” of the mixing desk, but “directly connected to it”?” After all, there is no sense of distance between all the sounds, and the guitar, vocals, and bass are all in close contact. The core is also extremely thick, so the details are vivid down to the tiniest details, the drums move in a horrifyingly crisp manner even when you turn the toms, and the keyboard is super clear, down to every sparkling sound effect. This feeling of close contact is more fitting if it is said to be “in front of the PA” rather than “in front of the table.” However, the deep bass, which would probably break if played in front of a PA, is also glossy, and each instrument is perfectly balanced. It is exactly the best sound with “super” sound board barefoot. Such a sound depicts a full show that is said to be the No. 1 best show candidate for RAINBOW in the 90s. The set is also different from 1995, so let’s organize it while comparing it with the official version “BLACK MASQUERADE”. PURPLE number (4 songs)・2nd period/5th period Perfect Strangers/Smoke On The Water ・3rd period: Mistreated (★)/Burn RAINBOW Classics (5 songs)・Ronnie era: Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll/ Man On The Silver Mountain・Graham era: Since You Been Gone・Joe era: Difficult To Cure/Maybe Next Time (★) Solitary Stranger (5 songs)・Wolf To The Moon/Still I’m Sad/Temple Of The King /Black Masquerade/Ariel *Note: Songs marked with “★” are not available on the official version of “BLACK MASQUERADE”. …and it looks like this. The opening following “Over The Rainbow” is not “Spotlight Kid” but “Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll”, so the 1996 color is rich, but the distribution has also changed. The selection from “Solitary Stranger” has been reduced, and “Mistreated” and “Maybe Next Time” have been included instead, making it an even more culminating set of Blackmore music. And even more than that, it’s a great performance! As mentioned above, this work is a show that has just returned to Europe for the first time in a year, but whether it is because of the feeling of triumphant return or because of the excitement in South America just before, both Dougie and Richie are very motivated. In particular, Dougie has a good voice, his shouts are amazing, and his rich melodies are full of spirit. Richie’s phrases are very colorful, and his cutting is energetic. In this work, you can feel even the smallest details. Anyway, it’s a masterpiece with ridiculously high sound quality and great performances. To be honest, I have never heard the quality and performance so far in 1996…or rather, it is the top class of RAINBOW in the 90s. This is the live album you should listen to after the official version “BLACK MASQUERADE”, and it is a full live album that would reign at the top in 1996. Live at Nibelungenhalle, Passau, Germany 26th July 1996 TRULY PERFECT SOUND Disc 1 (40:05) 1. Over The Rainbow 2. Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll 3. Mistreated 4. Wolf To The Moon 5. Difficult To Cure 6. Keyboards Solo 7. Still I’m Sad 8. Drums Solo 9. Man On The Silver Mountain Disc 2 (47:00) 1. Temple Of The King 2. Black Masquerade 3. Ariel 4. Since You Been Gone 5. Perfect Strangers 6. Burn 7. Maybe Next Time 8. Smoke On The Water 9. Over The Rainbow Ritchie Blackmore – lead guitar Doogie White – lead vocals Greg Smith – bass, backing vocals Paul Morris – keyboards Chuck Burgi – drums Candice Night – backing vocals