[Music] Happy 80th, the one the only: Ritchie Blackmore

[bobbab5]

But unless you actually play guitar you wont have heard of Govan!

I don't play guitar, but I've heard of him, he's played for Steven Wilson in recent years

 

[METALMICKY]

I’m not really a JLT fanboy either, but Bonnet could really SING… Love’s No Friend, well it ROCKS.

As unfashionable amongst Rainbow fans as it is I really love Down To Earth. Very commercial and very different to the swords and wizards of Dio era. The Eyes of the World is a bit more typical and is my fave track. The tales of Ritchie and Bonnet not getting on because of the latters short hair are hilarious. He just looked so not rock but by God if could sing.

 

[Kosh]

As unfashionable amongst Rainbow fans as it is I really love Down To Earth. Very commercial and very different to the swords and wizards of Dio era. The Eyes of the World is a bit more typical and is my fave track. The tales of Ritchie and Bonnet not getting on because of the latters short hair are hilarious. He just looked so not rock but by God if could sing.

Down to Earth is a superb album, one of Ritchie’s best… GB one of the greatest singers and another rags to riches or should that be Ritchie’s example of RB of plucking someone from obscurity and helping them become a rock star…

Eyes of the World, Lost in Hollywood… amazing tracks… All Night Long hmmm less so and Glover’s production is a little murky but yeah it’s a ‘what could have been?’ moment, but along came JLT and Ritchie went towards AOR mimicking the likes of Journey and REO… but not quite delivering with it… some good moments but until the 84 reunion the fire went out somewhat… still 70-79, at the top of the game - what a run.

This is the JLT highlight for me…

 

[Nitram]

MIJ is the best live album ever… it’s sublime, the perfect example of MKII at the absolute pinnacle of their powers… if it’s possible for heavy rock to be beautiful yet beastly or homely and diabolic in the same instance… well, it is.

Nerd alert. The best LP version of this is the early cut by the engineer George Peckham, marked Porky on the runouts. Absolutely outstanding sound. He also did Electric Warrior which is sonically the best LP in my collection.

 

[METALMICKY]

Down to Earth is a superb album, one of Ritchie’s best… GB one of the greatest singers and another rags to riches or should that be Ritchie’s example of RB of plucking someone from obscurity and helping them become a rock star…

Eyes of the World, Lost in Hollywood… amazing tracks… All Night Long hmmm less so and Glover’s production is a little murky but yeah it’s a ‘what could have been?’ moment, but along came JLT and Ritchie went towards AOR mimicking the likes of Journey and REO… but not quite delivering with it… some good moments but until the 84 reunion the fire went out somewhat… still 70-79, at the top of the game - what a run.

This is the JLT highlight for me…

Excellent call on Jealous Lover. To be honest JLT is a great vocalist and I really do wish he could have stayed with Yngwie Malmsteen and saved him from a career of endless widdling! The Rising Force album that JLT did with Yngwie still showcased his guitar work but critically within great songs. Ritchie is one of Yngwie's idols but unfortunately they share the trait of being difficult to work with and very opinionated.

 

[Kosh]

Excellent call on Jealous Lover. To be honest JLT is a great vocalist and I really do wish he could have stayed with Yngwie Malmsteen and saved him from a career of endless widdling! The Rising Force album that JLT did with Yngwie still showcased his guitar work but critically within great songs. Ritchie is one of Yngwie's idols but unfortunately they share the trait of being difficult to work with and very opinionated.

Yeah… Yngwie is a wee bit of a difficult character… phenomenal technician but (for me) lacked the consistent songwriting chops of Blackers, Glover, Dio et al …

When I saw Dio, circa 2004 he had Craig Goldie with him… I’ve never seen a technician like him, he pulled off the Gates of Babylon brilliantly… They did Tarot Woman that night too, among other Dio/Sabbath/Rainbow standards… it remains a dear diary moment for me, what a voice, even then… if he’d had Blackmore up there with him, I’d have probably fainted and missed the whole gig