The story of Blackmores Night began when Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist Ritchie Blackmore moved his musical focus away from hard rock in the late 1990s and started concentrating on his love of Renaissance-era music. He formed Blackmore's Night with his fiancee, vocalist/lyricist Candice Night and recruited other like minded musicians to combine elements of world music, Renaissance, new age, folk, and rock & roll. Blackmore didn't exactly retire his Fender Stratocaster, but he plays acoustic guitar almost exclusively in Blackmore's Night. His acoustic guitar melodies and Night's clear, ethereal voice blend with a host of instruments such as mandolins, keyboards, pennywhistles, violins, tambourines, military drums, and hurdy-gurdies. Blackmore once described the band's sound as "Mike Oldfield meets Enya." The formation of Blackmore's Night is tied to the efforts of his previous two bands. Blackmore left Deep Purple -- again -- after 1993's musically disappointing The Battle Rages On... album.
Blackmore then revived Rainbow -- technically under the original Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow moniker -- with largely unknown musicians for 1995's Stranger in Us All, and Night contributed lyrics for four songs. Blackmore didn't really want to call it a Rainbow project, but record company executives insisted the name recognition would make it easier to market the album. After Stranger in Us All, Blackmore decided to actually record Renaissance-inspired music. He'd loved the style for years, but he never really played it himself. Once he began playing the music at home, Night would casually start singing along. This innocent, informal practice germinated into Blackmore's Night.
The album opens to a spanish gypsy guitar build up with vocals and percussion coming in behind laying a backdrop for nights gentle yet commanding voice. The first thing that you notice about Blackmores guitar playing is that it is at the same time, everywhere yet not dominating. Riffs and fills weave around the other instruments, sometimes coming to the for, sometimes laying back but always evident in some form, and as you would expect from one of the top guitarists in the world, the playing is superb. This first number, the title track of the album sets the pace for what follows, a modern reinvention of medieval music, not in itself old world sounding but giving you the feeling of past times. Be Mine Tonight lilts into view, a gentle waltz beat that carries you of with its romantic airs and graces, Georgian ballrooms and begowned duchesses spinning with their suitors spring to mind. One of the jewels of the album is Play Minstrel Play, Jethro Tulls Ian Anderson providing some majestic flute playing that transforms the slow medieval piece into a fast paced whirling dervish of a number.
The album is really about showcasing the talents of Blackmore and Night and therefore is reliant on the guitar playing and the vocals, the later sounding at its best on the slower numbers such as Ocean Gypsy and Spirit of the Sea. The guitar also gets its chance to shine, as if anyone ever had any doubts about Blackmores abilities his weapon of choice. There are three instrumental numbers all very different, listen to them and you know that you are listening to a master. Also to be found amongst the original tracks are a couple of reworked familiar numbers, Writing on The Wall is rocked up Tchaikovsky and a modern reworking of Greensleeves is also present in all its glory. One of the more contemporary songs Wish You Were Here is worthy of note, Candice Nights voice dripping with longing for a missing lover and Blackmore playing electric guitar for a change. The only detraction here for me is the lyrics that Candice Night brings to the songs. Yes, she has a fantastic voice but the themes are often a bit twee, a bit starry eyed school girl poetry, but there is enough going on around her to make this a small issue.
Shadow of The Moon will not be everyone's cup of tea, and those buying it for a chance to hear Blackmore revisit those rock and roll days of Deep Purple will be disappointed, but if you listed to it with no preconceptions then there is a wealth of fantastic music to be appreciated. Spanish guitar mingles with medieval recorders, flutes and modern keyboard washes. Its not rock and roll but neither is it a medieval master class. What it conjures up is a romantic fantasy medieval world that never really existed, all moon washed courtyards, fair damsels, chivalric codes and a carefree life. It gives a hint at past musical sounds and styles but is put together with modern instruments for the main.
If you appreciate great guitar playing, intricate song compositions and a tapestry of beautiful sounds then you will love this album, just don't pay too much attention to the lyrics.
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