Rainbow – Difficult To Cure

I've got to admit to start off with, Rainbow to me is Dio on vocals.Though I can't just trash on the singers after Dio as they are just as good as him.

This is the latest Rainbow album I've listened to. It was my Dads and when I got into vinyl, I put this in my collection. It is a great album for what it is. I wouldn't put it higher than Self Titled, Rising, Long Live Rock N Roll or even Down To Earth with Graham Bonet. Though I wouldn't class this a bad album.

Having in mind that Ritchie Blackmore's call was his once in a lifetime big time opportunity, talented vocalist Joe Lynn Turner just kills it in "Difficult to cure", throwing open a new exciting chapter in Rainbow's history. Eleventh hour's expert (notoriously called - the same will be in his Deep Purple tenure - when the recording process had been long in the making), Turner sings his heart out on every track of this 5th Rainbow's lp, passing his test with honors, also signing a couple of co-writing lyrics credits. Blackmore appears pretty amazed about the band's recent development, delivering a dynamic and exciting performance, full of drive and high-pitched treble tones. In the intended commercial breakthrough "I surrender" we savor some serious gymnastics from Turner's vocal ability. Obviously Ritchie is not second banana even here, taking advantage of the catchy melody repetitions to ceaselessly paint extremely elegant flourishing guitar licks and frills, like a dedicated rococò decorator. The highpoint of the entire record is the autobiographical rockstar paranoia "Spotlight kid", where the entire ensemble is this outstanding rock machine engaged in showcasing its composite strenght. Blackmore's target was to make Rainbow succeed in the north american market, so we find perfect rock FM radio friendly picks like "No release" and "Can't happen here" and a fulsome pop attempt like the Abbaesque (Ritchie's admiration for the swedish combo is well documented) "Magic", for sure the weakest track on the record. "Freedom fighter" benefits from an intruiging theme of mankind's riappropriation in the face of modernity fears, later revamped by Queen in 1984's track "Machines (or back to humans)", composed by Roger Taylor and Brian May (a famously avid Blackmore's and particularly Rainbow's fan). To demonstrate that we treat about a happy and collaborative time in Rainbow, just listen to the band's vibrant engagement in the jam-session conceived "Midtown tunnel vision" and in the title track, a lenghty celebratory revision of Beethoven's "Ode to joy”. 3,5/5.

Scandinavia is not a country, this one is from Norway. Team Trykk on cover and NCB on label!

Gave this release a listen today and it's fine, but nothing special. Pressing is fine, little noise here and there on silent parts. I did not pay much for this release 3 years ago. I think the original vinyl would most likely sound better. If you can find this release for under 20€ and just want it on vinyl then go for it.

The last track "Difficult to cure" is endless on my copy

For as much as i love the presentation of this issue,there is one thing i didn´t like at all,the volume is really low ! The remastered series have better sound,i could not believe it. Still i´m going to keep my copy because the package is beautiful.

Matrix variant:
Matrix / Runout (Side A): 2391 506 S1 320 CH 2B
Matrix / Runout (Side B): 2391 506 S2 320 BC 2
LC0309