Rainbow/Live Japan 1984

Thanks to MR HMO who so graciously got me a copy of this show!

So just before Ritchie Blackmore  ice’s Rainbow. He takes his cast of characters (Roger Glover/Joe Lynn Turner/Chuck Burgi and David Rosenthal)  and High Tails it to the infamous Budokan In Japan(back in 1984)  and plays  for one last time with this lineup before the $$$$$$ lured Ritchie and Roger back to Deep Purple where they ended up cutting the classic Perfect Strangers album which came out late that year.

Here’s the track list for the Last Hurrah For Rainbow…

1 Intro
2 Spotlight Kid
3 Miss Mistreated
4 I Surrender
5 Can’t Happen Here
6 Catch The Rainbow
7 Power / Keyboard Solo
8 Street Of Dreams
9 Fool For The Night
10 Difficult To Cure / Guitar Improvisation
11 Drum Solo / Blues
12 Stranded
13 Death Alley Driver
14 Fire Dance
15 Maybe Next Time
16 All Night Long
17 Lazy
18 Since You’ve Been Gone
19 Smoke On The Water

Basically you get 19 tracks and this album reeks of 80s Rock on a how a show was done back than. You want a Drum Solo? How about a Keyboard solo? How about Guitar Improvisation? Haha…I think that means Guitar Solo but hey it’s Ritchie and he is in my book is the King Of Improvisation!
My spin on Rainbow is the 80s version with Turner handling the mic is my favourite period of the band as this was when I first discovered them.  As Blackmore changed vocalists (Ronnie James Dio/Graham Bonnett) and my first discovery of Rainbow was 1982’s Fantastic Straight Behind The Eyes.  Ritchie amps up on this live album in the form of Death Alley Driver from SBTE’s. All bet’s are off as Ritchie basically rips his start apart and Joe delivers it vocally. Love this tune. Straight Ahead And Through My Noggin!

That video of Death Alley Driver is from the actual show that i’m reviewing and don’t you just love it when Joe throws the old quick fist at the camera at the 1 minute mark! I always laugh back than and today when I see this stuff when Rock Dudes try an act tough! The King Of Tough hands down is David Bryan in the Bon Jovi video Only The Lonely where David and his poodle perm rough up some chap in the video. HAHAHAHA….

Ok let’s get back on track. For all the Zaniness Blackmore Guitar Action he does  deliver along with Joe one of the best kinda Power Ballads in Street Of Dreams. It is a well written Piece of Rock where Burgi keeps his drums moving so the song does not Sap out! Neil Schon and his turned down amp could have used this song in Journey but then again this song would have been wimped out through the piano blender  by Jon Cain!

Blackmore hahaha….has to contain himself from cutting loose like the lunatic he is on guitar but he even though knows the deal! It’s 1984 and you gotta play the tunes like Street Of Dreams.

Of course like any Rainbow show Rich dips into his own back catalogue as well as he does a rocked up sped up jam of Since You’ve Been Gone  and a couple of Deep Purple classics in Lazy and Smoke On The Water.

This was the final show forever for this lineup which is a shame. From Rainbow Joe went/sang for Yngwie Malmsteem and I assume is still solo. Burgi and Rosenthal I think are in Billy Joel’s Band while of course Roger Glover (looking in the video here like an extra from the Miami Vice 80’S Cop Show) and Ritchie cashed in a huge payday later in 1984 when they both rejoined Deep Purple.

Course in 2016 long after Ritchie quit Deep Purple yet again and began dabbling with a ukulele and a flute in some Renaissance Act. (Blackmore’s Night) In 2016 Renaissance Ritchie kicked the ukulele and flute out found his Strat and Marshall and reformed Rainbow and played some shows with yet a whole new lineup with some Ol Geezers(Bass Player needs to get of out his Pajama’s and a new singer who looks quite young and sounds good)and have hit the circuit with more shows to come in 2017! If my memory is correct. Readers Mr 1537 and HMO have Tickets to see this show! Review please boy’s!

Kinda wished Ritchie would have pulled this lineup back out but hey it’s the Man In Blacks call!

This is a Great Live Show……