LIVE BETWEEN THE EYES

Ritchie Blackmores Rainbow first "oficial" video, recorded in 1982 during their Right Between The Eyes tour is a very good example of their sound at the time: gone are the long improvisations and the 17 minute solos. What we have here is the AOR/hard rock version of the band, the notorious "Joe Lynn Turner years". Yes, there is some guitar extravaganza and improvisation during the Blues segment and I can´t say I am sorry for that. Sign of the times, I guess. Blackmore seems to be one of the most conscious man about the moving tastes of the public. And the "new" version of the band fits right in.

Which, by the way, does not mean "selling out" or bad music being produced, much on the contrary: you still have Blackmores unique guitar playing. The "man in black" is in top form here, both as a musician and showman, the band is hot and the songs are very good. It´s interesting to see how the band is delivering the goods, has more of an edge and power live, without Roger Glovers slick studio production. JLT proves what most people tries to ignore: that he is a great singer and can handle different styles with ease. The rhythm section of Glover and drummer Bobby Rondinelli are tight (the latter drum solo is a bit cliched, but still a good showcase of this underrated musician). The 21 year old keyboards man David Rosenthal (who had recently replaced Don Airey) is surprisingly at ease with his instruments, delivering his parts like a seasoned pro.

Ok, there are few surprises. The tracklist is basic the recent material with only three "old" songs The "Dio years" anthem Long Live Rock´n Roll, the Graham Bonnett era All Night Long and the classic Deep Purple Smoke On The Water. And still is amazing to see how unique, creative and wonderful guitarist Blackmore is when he puts his hands on the instrument. And how good he is at choosing the right backing band. Interesting enough, there are two girls backing singers that you can hear during the whole show, but are nowhere to be seen.

Rating: something between 3,5 and 4 stars. With a better tracklist I would give it a 4 star rating, but it still worth checking this video. If you doubt why Ritchie Blackmore is hailed as one of the best guitarists ever, just watch him playing.