Down To Earth - Rainbow

Advantages: All Night Long and Eyes Of The World
Disadvantages: all of the rest

...Time to get out the black armband as I type this review. The black armband that stands for the death of one of our very best hard rock bands. Rainbow: 1975-1978 RIP. In their place in 1979 came an ersatz pop-rock band also called Rainbow. There endeth the similarity. Ritchie Blackmore (guitarist) had kissed and made up with his old Deep Purple colleague - buddy would be going too far - Roger Glover (bass). Not only did the love-in allow Glover back into the hallowed multi coloured band's fold, it produced a bastard offspring in the shape of this LP. Quite literally produced too, because Glover was the man behind the mixing desk. The great singer Ronnie James Dio had departed after three very good albums, including the genre-defining "Rising" and was replaced by Graham Bonnet. Oh dear......not only did Bonnet look... Read review

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Advantages: Immediately accessible, beautifully crafted songs, pay what you want
Disadvantages: Not a landmark album by the band's standards

...I end up where I started? How come I end up where I belong?" Perhaps a telling sign as the band pull off a storming opener, somehow eluding their former work and redefining a fresh sound once again. Bodysnatchers is a pscyhedelic journey with more than it's fair share of political undertones and a bridge to remember. This has all the pomp of Hail to the Thief's memorable opener, but the sound is fuzzy and at times it seems as if Greenwood has plugged his artillery in to a kiddie's practice amp. "I don't know what I'm talking about" snipes Yorke before a climax that's guaranteed to turn crowds mental when the band next tour. You could be mistaken for assuming that Radiohead had gone all punk, but we're brought down to earth with arguably the standout track of In Rainbows. After the first listen, Nude hits you like a tonne... Read review

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