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LIVE IN MUNICH 1977

Rainbow

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Rainbow Live In Munich 1977 album cover
3.91 | 50 ratings | 3 reviews | 32% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
rock music collection

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Live, released in 2006

Songs / Tracks Listing


Disc 1

1. Kill the King (4:38)
2. Mistreated (11:03)
3. Sixteenth Century Greensleeves (8:21)
4. Catch the Rainbow (17:31)
5. Long Live Rock 'n' Roll (7:33)

Disc 2

1. Man on the Silver Mountain (14:37)
2. Still I'm Sad (25:16)
3. Do You Close Your Eyes (9:37)


Line-up / Musicians


- Ritchie Blackmore / Guitar
- Ronnie James Dio / Vocals
- Cozy Powell / Drums
- Bob Daisley / Bass
- David Stone / Keyboards


Releases information

Polydor Records 2006
Eagle Records 2006

Thanks to Malve87 for the addition
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RAINBOW Live In Munich 1977 ratings distribution


3.91
(50 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of rock music(32%)
32%
Excellent addition to any rock music collection(54%)
54%
Good, but non-essential (14%)
14%
Collectors/fans only (0%)
0%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

RAINBOW Live In Munich 1977 reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Bonnek
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Rainbow was a live force to be reckoned with in 1976/1977. Ritchie Blackmore was the obvious focal point of the band, but he wouldn't have gotten anywhere without the towering vocals of Dio and the powerful drums of Cozy Powell. Also the importance of Toney Carey's heavy rock keyboard work and Bob Daisly's lively bass work can't be underestimated.

Kill The King. A speedy, aggressive and tight start of this concert and possibly the best version ever recorded of this song. The sound is sharper and more aggressive then other Rainbow live records.

Mistreated. Another great performance. Dio sounds heavier and more menacing then on earlier version of the On Stage album. The song doesn't have the melancholic charm of the original Deep Purple track, but this version almost blows similar blues classics from Led Zeppelin out of the sky. Blackmore's solo in the middle is very much to the point this time.

Sixteen Greensleeves. Another live classic, firing with energy. A 4 minute improvisation extends the original track, it's slightly different then the one from On Stage but not necessarily better. The actual song is a furious blast though. Dio never sounded better.

Catch The Rainbow. Originally a 5 minute ballad that got completely out of control and has been extended to no less then 17.30 minutes here, much of which are taken up by expanding the guitar solos. It's quite an achievement they manage to keep it going for so long without losing my attention (too much).

Long Live R'n'R. A typical light-and-easy Rainbow song, nothing spectacular but rocking and rolling all the way. Good performance, expanded with the mandatory audience sing-along section.

Man On The Silver Mountain. Same as On Stage, complete with boring blues improvisation from Blackmore, a lengthy but acceptable vocal improvisation from Dio and the frustratingly short Starstruck snippet.

Still I'm Sad: Organ/synth solo, bit of the song, guitar solo, bit of another song, guitar solo2, organ solo2, drum solo, drum solo with orchestral keyboard effects, another bit of song and finale with Dio unleashing an unheard amount of vocal decibels. I must say I prefer the On Stage version very much.

Do You Close Your Eyes. Nobody's favourite, the full 9 minutes of it contain some nice guitar parts but the song will forever remain weak, no matter how hard they try.

The world is not perfect. This is the most energetic Rainbow live album and it contains some of their most inspired performances, but Stargazer is missing from the setlist and the last 50 minutes are rather disappointing. Still, a good item for fans.

Review by GruvanDahlman
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars I am not really a sucker for live albums. There are a few I really like but for the most part I say go for the studio albums instead and leave the live ones 'til you've absorbed those first. Too often I find live renditions to be less interesting, too long and sometimes pointless. But then tere are those few live albums that really kicks you in the head with the ferociuos live energy of a steam train. This one is such an example.

I have always found, being a fan of Rainbow since my pre-teens, that On stage was a bit too polished. Though nice enough and all that, it lacked somewhat in energy. Then came Live in Germany 1976 and while "Do you close your eyes" ends in a cacophony and utter destruction (in the most glorious way) it showed little more than On stage, as regards the infamous energy of Rainbow. So, when I got my hands on Live in Munich 1977 I was very pleased. Thrilled, even. Here was an amazing recording of one of my favorite bands in a fullfledged live setting. It did not disappoint.

The set list is more or less identical with all official Rainbow live releases of the Ronnie Dio-era. That is slightly disapponting, since I wanted to hear some of the other great works of the band. Apart from that, a point made regarding the mass of live albums rather than Live in Munich as such, this is fabolous.

Kicking off with "Kill the king". This is spectacular hard rock in all it's glory. Biting, raucous and kicking like a mule on steroids it punches it's way through the speakers. What a way to start! "Mistreated" seems to be a favorite of Blackmore's and is give the usual live treatment. I like it a lot. It fits in well after the speed of "Kill the king".

For me "Catch the rainbow" has always been one of the most atmospheric and epic of live songs. Stretching over 17 minutes you might think that ones attenition and patience is tried to the limit but I find not. It is actually held together well and provides several solos from the band. It is a beautiful song. An epic ballad of the old school which really is a jewel in the crown, of sorts. It also provides the listener with a well needed break from all the noise and commotion.

Live in Munich is a very noisy, hard rocking, ferocious album. The sound is very messy but that's is, as far as I am concerned, a good thing. It actually helps giving me as a listener a chance to come as close as I ever will to a real Rainbow experience. No one will ever be given the treat of seeing this line-up perform live again, since RJD sadly passed away. Not that it was going to happen anyway but now every inch of hope is gone.

This live album ranks among my Top 5 and is a wonderful way of experiencing not only hard rock in all it's live glory but Rainbow in particular. They were a force to be reckoned with and I think neither Blackmore nor Dio made this kind of noise in any band or setting, not before and not after. Top stuff it is but as with any live album I find it hard giving it five stars. Not because it lacks songs I'd wished to be on there but simply because it cannot surpass the quality of the live albums. And besides, a live album can't be essential in my book. Really, it can't, but I do think it can be an excellent addition to any collection or collector of progressive hard rock.

Review by Prog Leviathan
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars If you're not familiar with Rainbow... then you're missing out. Led by Ritche Blackmore and the incomparable Ronnie James Dio, the group is a high-point in late '70's classic rock (with a sprinkling of prog), and Live in Munich 1977 does a great job of capturing the energy and raw power of these hard rock titans. This live album is jam-packed with extended songs, front-man banter, super charged soloing, and a throaty, raw, fist-pumping spectacle. If you're a fan of the band, then this is probably THE live album you should get.

"Kill the King" opens the album like pulling chord on a recoil start motor that revs up hard and will shake your high-fi to pieces. A great hard-rock song with killer musicianship and enthusiastic vocals. The production is crisp enough for us to hear the each player very well, but coarse enough for us to feel the feedback-heavy fuzz of the actual show. Very authentic.

"Mistreated" is the first example of opening up the space of a song for extended improvisation. It's an epic song packed with guitar solos and builds to a dynamic close that ends up sounding almost like a grand finale to the concert... but it's just getting started. This continues throughout the show, with lengthier versions of "Greensleeves," "Catch the Rainbow," "Man on the Silver Mountain," and "Still I'm Sad." The band plays most of their top songs, but there are a few gaps, such as the lauded "Stargazer," which is often thought of as their most progressive piece.

For the most part these extended tracks are effective and varied. At times it breaks down to instrumental noodling, but it never completely drifts away from the gravely intensity for long. For example, "Catch the Rainbow" builds a sensitive calm mid way through before shattering it in a grand finale; likewise, "Still I'm Sad" gives Cozy Powell two (!) drum solos before transitioning into the "Great Gates of Kiev." Epic, but not without a few spaces that say "time to use the restroom" during the playful instrumental spaces.

All in all, Live in Munich 1977 is an awesome example of hard-rock at its finest, a showcase for Ritchie Blackmore's ambitious guitar playing, and a great experience overall. Get it, turn it up to 11, love it. A must have for fans of this excellent classic rock group.

Setlist: 4 - Instrumental Performances: 4 - Lyrics/Vocals: 4 - Stage/Energy: 5

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