RAINBOW – USA 1979 (3CD)

Chicago 1979 Soundboard 8.8 – A little bit on the “ragged” side mix-wise, with strong kick drums and guitar, vocals next. Sound quality is decent due to it being a soundboard but some instruments are placed well behind such as keyboards. It is a high energy sound, a real sonic blast to be sure.

Denver 1979 Soundboard 9.3 – A refreshing and bright board tape, mixed well and everything is heard pretty clearly. Keyboards still mixed lower down the chain of command but now I think I understand this idea – while the band is playing it’s simply keyboard accompaniment, and when it’s keyboards time, he’s brought up louder. Works for me.

Long Island 1979 Audience 8.7 – A pretty decent tape for this hall, the bass sounds very nice, full and round, guitars are a little back, vocals are present and up front more or less. So, all in all unless you have to have Ritchie blasting full on into your eardrums, which he is during his solo bits, this one will sit nicely in the collection and I even think it will find a repeated listen or two.

Rainbow USA 1979

Disc 1

International Amphitheatre
Chicago, Illinois
12th October 1979

1. -Introduction
2. -Eyes Of The World
3. -Love’s No Friend
4. -Bach Brandenburg Concerto – Over The Rainbow
5. -All Night Long
6. -Keyboards Intro
7. -Lost In Hollywood
8. -Guitar Solo
9. -Beethoven 9th
10. -Keyboards Solo
11. -Drums Solo incl. 1812 Overture
12. -Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll
13. -Kill The King incl. Guitar Crash
14. -Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll (reprise)

Disc 2

Rainbow Music Hall
Denver, Colorado
16th November 1979

1. -Introduction
2. -Eyes Of The World
3. -Love’s No Friend
4. -Since You Been Gone
5. -Guitar Solo – Brandenburg Concerto – Over The Rainbow
6. -All Night Long
7. -Keyboards Intro
8. -Lost In Hollywood
9. -Beethoven’s 9th
10. -Keyboards Solo
11. -Drums Solo incl. 1812 Overture
12. -Lost In Hollywood (reprise)
13. -Guitar Solo
14. -Man On The Silver Mountain
15. -Blues
16. Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll
17. -Over The Rainbow

Disc 3

Hempstead Calderone Concert Hall
Long Island, New York
30th November 1979

1. Introduction
2. -Eyes Of The World
3. -Love’s No Friend
4. -Since You Been Gone
5. -Guitar Solo – Brandenburg Concerto – Over The Rainbow
6. -All Night Long incl. Happy Birthday Roger
7. -Keyboards Intro
8. -Lost In Hollywood
9. -Guitar Solo – Beethoven 9th
10. -Keyboards Solo
11. -Drums Solo incl. 1812 Overture
12. -Lost In Hollywood (reprise)
13. -Guitar Solo
14. Lazy
15. -Man On The Silver Mountain
16. -Blues
17. -Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll
18. -Over The Rainbow

Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar
Graham Bonnet – Vocals
Cozy Powell – Drums
Roger Glover – Bass
Don Airey – Keyboards