Stream Dream: RAINBOW-Bent Out of Shape (1983)

 

Starting a new series here folk’s called Stream Dream. The deal with this will be since  I have joined Apple Music and as everyone streams music  I thought why the heck not since my vinyl collection has taken off. I thought I would smash out some quick to the point reviews nothing in great detail and post about some albums that have come out past and present that for some reason that I haven’t reviewed yet or I never bothered to purchase back in the day. Ok, the day is actually as far back as 1978!

Here we go. Hope you all dig this…

“Rainbow” came on my radar back in 1982 with the excellent “Straight Behind The Eyes” release that had Ritchie Blackmore(guitar) and Joe Lynn Turner(vocal) smashing out what was one fine piece of rock on that albums nine tracks.

Rainbow was big business in North America so when 1983 rolled around out came “Bent Out of Shape” in August of that year. For some reason I avoided it. You would have thought that how much I loved the SBTE’s record from the year before I would jump all over it but maybe due to my finances at the time may have had more to do with it than anything else. 

So here we are in a Rock N Roll Lockdown so what better way to get acquainted with a 37 year old release in 2021.

Through “Bent Out of Shape’s” ten songs you know that crazy ‘Man In Black’ Richie was driving the Rainbow bus into a harder rock version of Foreigner. Basically Foreigner like rock without the saxophone.

The key though is the vocals of Joe Lynn Turner whom Richie knows can deliver the singles with Turners smooth as silk delivery to get those songs on the Billboard Charts. 

“Street of Dreams”  is one of the best hard rock singles of the 80’s. The synth in the tune almost at times overdrives Richies guitar but perhaps Richie was being more of a team player at whatever helped the cause to get the album/song heard. Turner does his part delivering the perfect vocal. 

If you’re worried about Richie just wanting hits, hits and hits and burying his guitar in the mix. Fret not Strat lovers as Mr Blackmore at times turns the volume knob on the Marshall up to 10 and lets it rip on tracks like “Fire Dance”, the musical blues tinged “Anybody There”, “Drinking With The Devil” and album closer “Make Your Move”.

Even though Rainbow was going for that corporate Hard Rock Sound you can’t fault Richie as he was leaving his Medieval Castle Dragon Rock and looking for some serious American Dollar.

dEke’s Stream A Rater: 7.5/10

Track Listing:
1. Stranded
2. Can’t Let You Go
3. Fool for the Night
4. Fire Dance
5. Anybody There
6. Desperate Heart
7. Street of Dreams
8. Drinking With the Devil
9. Snowman
10. Make Your Move

Rainbow is:
Ritchie Blackmore – Guitars
Roger Glover – Bass, Percussion
Joe Lynn Turner – Vocals
David Rosenthal – Keyboards
Chuck Burgi – Drums