Long Live Rock 'n' Roll [Remastered] - Rainbow

1978 is the year: “Long live Rock’n’Roll”, one of the best Hard Rock albums ever, is being released. ‘Rainbow’, always ruled by Ritchie Blackmore’s iron fist, has reached it’s creative climax.

When recording this album, Rainbow consisted of Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, Ronnie James Dio on vocals, Cozy Powell on drums, Bob Daisley on bass and David Stone on Keyboards.

Sound-wise ...
...– Deep Purple. On the one side, this is sad, because one has to do without the Purple – typical ‘duels’ between Hammond Organ and guitar. On the other side: this is Rainbow, and Rainbow has almost nothing to do with Deep Purple: Blackmore’s range is big enough to really go nuts on guitar. Rainbow can best be classified as ‘Classic British Hardrock’. “Long Live Rock’n’Roll” has been ... more

1978 is the year: “Long live Rock’n’Roll”, one of the best Hard Rock albums ever, is being released. ‘Rainbow’, always ruled by Ritchie Blackmore’s iron fist, has reached it’s creative climax.

When recording this album, Rainbow consisted of Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, Ronnie James Dio on vocals, Cozy Powell on drums, Bob Daisley on bass and David Stone on Keyboards.

Sound-wise there is no further connection between Rainbow and the ‘Mother-Group’ – Deep Purple. On the one side, this is sad, because one has to do without the Purple – typical ‘duels’ between Hammond Organ and guitar. On the other side: this is Rainbow, and Rainbow has almost nothing to do with Deep Purple: Blackmore’s range is big enough to really go nuts on guitar. Rainbow can best be classified as ‘Classic British Hardrock’. “Long Live Rock’n’Roll” has been produced by Martin Birch, who produced all Hard’n’Heavy-Top-Acts from Deep Purple to Iron Maiden.

“Long Live Rock’n’Roll” features 8 songs. Yet the title song includes the dogma of all Rockers, Metalheads, whatever. Fast riffing and memorable hooklines are characteristic for this and all other songs. If rapid as “Long Live Rock’n’Roll”, if melodic as “Lady Of The Lake”, or if stomping as “L.A. Connection”: Rainbow manage to deliver one top song after another. “Kill The King” is a climax between other climaxes, a kind of prototype for a (classic) Hard Rock song. Only “Rainbow Eyes” doesn’t fit this scheme. The song is the obligatory ballad, a song influenced by medieval music, only relying on quiet guitar, Dios vocals and flute and violin in the background.

My conclusion is: no Hard’n’Heavy – collection must have a gap, where Rainbow’s “Long Live Rock’n’Roll” should be found. It is simply a piece of great and essential Hard Rock. 

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