Rainbow - Difficult to Cure I had been very frustrated with the previous album for many reasons. Most of which revolved around the fact that Ronnie James Dio was really gone and that I just didn't care for Graham Bonnett. So, when I heard that they had yet another singer, I was not really confident moving forward. But I clearly remember the day this was released. I got it and brought it home crossing my fingers that something akin to "Long Live Rock n Roll" at a minimum would present itself and I even dared to hope for something in the ballpark of "Rising". Of course, neither of those hopes came true. But what did happen was something I wasn't prepared for. I really, really loved (and love) this album!! Is it more commercial? Of course, it is. But that isn't a death sentence and in fact, this was a collection of very good commercial hard rock songs!! Joe Lynn Turner is a very solid singer and a huge improvement from Graham Bonnett in my opinion. So, let's talk about this specific album. First of all, the production on this is amazing! The entire band sounds huge and especially Ritchie! Blackmore has gone through many sonic changes over his career to this point. His early Deep Purple phase, the "In Rock" through "Who Do We Think We Are" phase. "Burn" saw Ritchie really focus his tone and it was razor sharp for the remainder of his time in Deep Purple. With Rainbow, Ritchie really took his tone to a whole new level. It was gloriously rich but with the teeth of a Great White Shark!! Biting and aggressive!! "Vicious" is the word Roger Glover once applied to Ritchie and I think he was spot on! During this era of Rainbow, Ritchie really had his sound dialed in. It's lavish and angry all at the same time. Great stuff indeed!!! The addition of Bobby Rondinelli was a good choice. You can't replace Cozy Powell, but he is a very solid player. "I Surrender" - Very commercial in structure both compositionally and performance wise. The more lavish backing vocals is new for Rainbow as well. JLT has a strong voice and delivers the melody with clarity and conviction. Is this "A Light in the Black"? Oh goodness no. And it never could be. So best to just accept what they are trying to do and judge it on that merit alone. So, to that end, a good opening track. "Spotlight Kid" - I think this should have been the opening track. Ritchie is firing away into this up-tempo double bass pattern from Rondinelli. That tone from Blackmore is glorious. Blackmore's rhythm track is aggressive and fun to listen to!! His solo is a flame thrower of notes and pyrotechnics! Then the classical elements from songs like "Highway Star" and "Burn" take over!!! Then out of nowhere Don Airey just unleashes this glorious keyboard solo! It's a very strong track and probably my favorite on the album. (side note...when Blackmore was auditioning drummers, he often did the same routine. He would take them outside for a game of soccer, run them ragged than ask them to play the fastest double bass patterns for a very long time to test their stamina. Obviously, Cozy had no problem with that and judging by this track, neither did Rondinelli!) "No Release" - Ritchie opens the track with an amazing solo section. Again, the recording is just incredible. Then into this heavy and killer riff. This is a track where I envision what Paul Rodgers would have sounded like had he agreed to join Deep Purple after Gillan left. JLT does a strong job. This is an under-rated track. While I am not a big fan of the backing vocals, it adds to the commercial direction Ritchie was looking for. A wicked solo from Blackmore. The breakdown section with the chanting and hand claps is cheesy but I can overlook that. "Magic" - VERY poppy and commercial. Keyboards everywhere. However, it's one of JLT's strongest vocals. Great melody. The chorus is very hooky and should have been a hit. I can enjoy it for what it is. "Vielleicht Das Nuchste Mal" - Beautiful slide performance from Ritchie. Harkens back to slide playing on "Temple of the King" from the Rainbow debut album. Ritchie's full arsenal of technics is on full display. But it should have ended the album. The last track on side one should be something stronger. "Can't Happen Here" - A recycled riff style that Ritchie has used many times over the years prior. Doesn't sound nearly as original as some of the other riffs on this album. The lyrics sound very dated and again, don't care for the backing vocals. The choruses are stronger than the verses. Not one of my favorites. "Freedom Fighter" - This has a very different feel from the other tracks. Strong and driving drumming from Bobby. Again, don't care for the verses much but the chorus is very cool. The bridge has a strong Styx like vocal treatment. Then comes Blackmore's solo and he unleashes the octave pedal! Similar to the second solo from "Bad Attitude" on "The House of Blue Light". It's a great effect and sounds awesome here. A decent song and one I still enjoy from start to finish. "Midtown Tunnel Vision" - Blackmore channels Hendrix!! Slow and heavy groove with an amazing riff and syncopation from the band!! Airey's keyboard punches are a nice touch as well. Love the panning on Blackmore's solo!! Again, listen to that tone!!!!! Oh...and there is the harmonic minor we hadn't heard on the entire album until now!! Way to throw that in Ritchie!!! Strong track. "Difficult to Cure" - Of course, an ode to Beethoven's 9th -Symphony. I think this is a great cover and brings Ritchie full circle. This IS his wheelhouse and something that defines his playing and style. I think this should have ended side one!! His solo is so aggressive and reminds me of "A Light in the Black" ..so precise and focused!!! Then the Beethoven elements come in and it's just glorious!!! Ode to Joy is right!!! Then Don Airey gets his turn, and he channels a bit of Jon Lord, Keith Emerson and himself in it. The recapitulation to the opening theme just makes me smile and then it modulates, and I smile even wider!! This is a very good album. As I said, it's not going to make anyone forget Dio. That will never happen but for what it was intended to be, it was done extremely well!!!
Great re-review of DTC. "No Release" has always been one of my favourite tracks from that album...an excellent riff. As you say, there would have been so much potential for that song on stage. Pity that it was never incorporated into their tour setlists.
Nice to see you getting back to base with a good old album review. You've made me dig out my remastered CD copy. As an Hull lad I will give it a good listen today after watching the Good Friday rugby league!
Hi John, I have not done my monthly update yet but I will mention that I am going to go back to doing more of these. It is obviously what people want and the channel grows more each time I do one! Thank you for your support - Phil
Great video! I once read that the Rainbow's Difficult To Cure album cover had actually been suggested by Hipgnosis for Black Sabbath's Never Say Die three years earlier. It certainly would have made a much more appropriate cover for that album, and much prettier in my opinion.
Not sure I agree that it would have been more appropriate for Sabbath Never Say Die. That title makes me think of fighter pilots/kamikaze theme etc which they went with. 'Difficult to Cure' fits the image of the doctors and surgeons a lot better I would have thought.
I really enjoyed this retrospective. I wasn't that keen on this LP when it came out and didn't give it that much time. I LOVED 'Straight Between the Eyes' and 'Bent out of Shape'. I revisited DTC post BOOS and fell in love with it and will play all 3 frequently.
Superb blog phil ,thank you Now I re visiting this album this Sunday morning after listening to your excellent blog last night in the early hours Now I have been fan of Blackmore since listening to ,sorry experience “ child in time “ on 24 carat gold when I was 14 ,then brought “ made in Japan “ @ 15 ( side 1 is still to this day ,the best two rock tracks put to vinyl ,well maybe side 3 of strangers in the night ,and side 2 of Rainbow rising ,and side 3 of live and Dangerous) the rest is history regarding Blackmore For me rainbow is split into two bands ,the DIO era and Not Dio era and for me the Dio era produced the best music ,although live Blackmore ( in his better moods ) is unbelievable,the best of me was knebwoth 1985 ( only Gilmour ((comfortable numb and high hopes live ))and Blackmore has reduced me to tears playing live ,especially Blackmore with space trunking @ knebworth ,unbelievable solo ,still resonates with me to this day ) Anyway to the album in question ,surprisingly it has not dated at all and is a quite a good listen especially side 2 The laughter I think is Blackmore having fun ,which at the time the critics thought was not possible ( I have met Blackmore after a concert @ Stafford bingley hall urging straight between the eyes along Cosy Powell waiting for him outside ) and was very friendly towards us fans waiting Anyway the alum has gone back on the CD player in the car Thanks for the blog ,excellent as always Keep up the good work ,thoroughly enjoyable 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
Wow! Thank You for this fine rewiew. Was 14 when i got this fine album for xmas. Mixed feelings then as this was a less heavy & more poppy sounding band. But over the years i have come to embrace it. Its My personal favoritte Rainbow album featuring Joe Lynn Turner its a masterpiece. Like all the songs that is melodic & Mr.RB tasteful guitar work just outstanding. There is no bad Rainbow album but My least favoritte is Straight Between The Eyes. Never saw the band back in the day but was lucky to see the new incarnation of the band twice. Their first in Loreley Germany 2016 & again at Sweden Rock 2019. Mr. Richard Hugh Blackmore thanx for the music 🌈♈️
Hi Phil, thanks for your review which rekindles some memories. I had this release on Cassette first. I snapped up the singles too,like you. The Rock/Metal music press speculated that ‘Magic’ was going to a potential single release. I think that ‘Jealous Lover’ deserved to be on the album instead. I didn’t know that Roger Glover remixed ‘Can’t Happen Here’. I recall the promo video,in which Blackmore looking bored. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Rainbow live for the first time promoting the album at Stafford Bingley Hall, with a more animated Blackmore onstage. Bobby Rondinelli playing part of his drum solo with his fists! Still love Don Airey’s keyboard solo on ‘Spotlight Kid’ and Ritchie’s guitar solo with JLT hammy “hey”. My favourite deep cut is ‘Midtown Tunnel Vision’ with Ritchie’s Hendrix influence showing. Not sure about the ‘’’handclaps’’’ on ‘No Release’ but it’s forgivable as it’s of the time. As you say,it might have taken on a life of its own onstage.
Doctor Eddie Ganja here at a Young age I got into Rock music and The 2 Bands that blew me away were Deep Purple and Black Sabbath The first album I ever bought was Deep Purple Made in Japan I saw The Difficult to Cure Tour it was a great Concert Rainbow Pat Travers and Krokus My favorite Tracks on Difficult to Cure are Spotlight Kid No Release The title Track Can't Happen Here Freedom Fighter Midtown Tunnel Vision Great album to me it's better than Straight Between the Eyes to me Blackmore is my all time favorite Guitar player keep Rocking !!!
The cover photo for this album was rejected by Black Sabbath for the 1978 album Never Say Die, then recycled for Rainbow's 1981 Difficult to Cure album. Great job by Storm Thorgerson.
Remember my neighbour purchasing this on cassette in 1981, with I SURRENDER being the big hit single from the album. Thanks, Phil, for rekindling long forgotten memories. Always a pleasure watching your videos.
I love your reviews Phil but it's the story of you discovering , hunting down and reading Sounds regarding your favourite bands . I was enthralled by NME 😂 and I would get Tell Us The Truth by Sham 69 and More Songs About Buildings and Food by Talking Heads , who I saw at the Perth Concert Hall supporting this album . Heady days indeed . Your " history " is from a different time and I lived that way on the other side of the world . Ahh , those days will not be seen again. I guess I'm saying that " young" people will not know the joy of hopping on a bus , going to town , going through the record shops ( in Perth that was 78s , White Rider and Da Das ) and getting home with the boots. Pure excitement and fun . I really appreciate your stories .
Thank you so much. I really enjoy doing these videos and I realise my personal story and journey to the music is one of the things people love the most. Phil
Hi Phil. Really enjoyed this video, thanks. 🙂 Geoff Barton's review in Sounds was very poor, but, as always, a great read. (He'd been skeptical about Down to Earth, and really did a number on In Through the Out Door and the Nick Simper's Fandango album.) I read the review (titled RAINBOW - CLAPPED OUT) before hearing the album. The LP seemed to confuse people. Blackmore had intimated he wanted to return to a Deep Purple in Rock direction. Instead, Difficult to Cure had a Machine Head-like production - smooth but a little murky. I loved I Surrender on first hearing (still do), but how did that fit in with an In Rock direction? Spotlight Kid and the end of No Release were fast and furious, but so were Danger Zone and Lost in Hollywood. A Blackmore wind-up? Very probably. I Surrender was even better on the album, with the soulful end solo allowed to stretch out. Geoff Barton called it "an inferior Hold the Line". Since You Been Gone has more in common with HtL, but never mind! Joe Lynn Turner's vocals worked a treat here. Spotlight Kid: Great point that it was intended as opening song - hadn't thought of that. It's in the Kill the King vein, but not a cast-off. This time, Barton sniped about the "Cossack Dancing mid-section", but that's one of the joys of Rainbow, never a relentless metal band. Turner's vocal was again excellent. No Release is one of the meanest-sounding Rainbow/Purple songs. "Blackmore has never done Zeppelin numbers," wrote Geoff, "so why is he starting now?" Still trying to puzzle that one out. Page's and Blackmore's riffs sometimes sounded VAGUELY similar, but this one wasn't blatant. Cue the review: "Once again, Blackmore goes off at a tangent..." He was referring to the mid-section again, the gospelly Michael Jackson-esque part, but again I thought it was an interesting variation. The finale of the song is the full Mistreated symphonic climax, with lots of feeling at high tempo. Magic's a clever arrangement, with vocals and guitar working in unison. It IS quite an ABBA-like song, but I like it. Lots of emotion, as usual. ("Doubtless the next single," thought GB. Wrong!😄) And so to Viellecht das Nachter Zeit, later corrected to better German. You're right - it's beautiful, and likely to prompt comments like "This is RAINBOW!?" Someone once wrote that Blackmore guitar-lines often sound like a human voice, and this piece embodies that. Geoff Barton: "It's best described as 'tasteful'... It's 1981, Ritchie - wake up!" Who couldn't love the way the Bluegrassy guitar quote goes into a classic Blackmore riff in G for Can't Happen Here? An inspired moment. If Human League had come up with those lyrics, they'd've won a Grammy. Still relevant now, of course. The Record Mirror review, which gave 5/5 points, said the riff was close to that of All Night Long. I suppose it started with Smoke on the Water and Burn, then took in Man on the Silver Mountain and All Night Long, culminating in Can't Happen Here. Barton: "The pivotal guitar riff is naggingly familiar." Freedom Fighter has a Thin Lizzy-ish riff. Massacre is probably the connection. Geoff almost liked this one, but added: "Turner's homogenized vocals don't suit the rough-and-tumble subject matter. I would've enjoyed hearing Bonnet singing this." Which is fine, except that he'd expressed reservations about Graham Bonnet's voice throughout his review of Down to Earth just two years before! The funny thing is that the backing vocals in the mid-section sound very LIKE Graham Bonnet's voice. Could they have been retained and Graham paid as a session singer? Geoff Barton - and he is one of my fave writers, honestly - he gave UFO's Light Out a tepid review, so he's fallible! - made almost exactly your point re. Midtown Tunnel Vision, with the Robin Trower comparison. To me, inexperienced (no pun) with Robin Trower's albums, that read as a Hendrix parallel, and it does sound inspired by Jimi. It's a very mean riff and, as Geoff said, the heaviest track on the album. Someone wrote in to Sounds and compared the song with Stargazer, which also has some merit. I believe this song was never played live - No Release was played at least once, going by bootlegs and videos on here. (Must try some Trower, and some more Hendrix.) Geoff saved his most scathing comments for Difficult to Cure itself: "Heavy metal Sky, with a joke-bag ending. Ritchie's just having a laugh!" But I enjoyed it then, with the reformed Deep Purple Mk.2, and at the Rainbow 2016 - 2019 shows. Sorry this is so very long a 'comment', but this album, I believe Rainbow's biggest in England, does deserve more attention. Joe Lynn Turner was a disappointment live (his Man on the Silver Mountain was in a different key, and sounded weak), but this album had so much variety and imagination that it was one of the year's best. My mate disagreed ("I'm sticking with Gillan now, and even Whitesnake's album's better than this!"), but at least I got him into UFO that year, with Lonely Heart.🙂 Cheers!
Hi Alex, you comment is just brilliant, better than my review! I remember the Geoff Barton review, especially after your comment - thank you for jogging my memory - Phil
Good review. I missed out on all these old school rock albums since I wasn’t alive at the time. I have been visiting old school rock since the mid-00’s so I am trying to make up for lost time. I love rock and roll! I like others too but rock is my favorite.
Great review! Love hearing your thoughts and memories like this. I’ll deffo be (virtually) spinning it, in the next few days. I might even throw together a playlist of Ritchie’s instrumentals, too. As an aside, I’ve long planned to do the same for all the Sabbath/Iommi instrumentals, too, so another job for my to do list. Back to DtC; I pretty much agree with all of your take on the various tracks. I’ll share any other thoughts, once I’ve listened again. Thanks again and take care. AJ 🤘
@@NowSpinningMagazine So I gave DtC a fresh listen, through headphones. I was particularly concentrating on Ritchie’s guitar, which is sterling as ever, and thinking about the ‘whole’ rather than specific tracks. I think the ‘popiness’ of the production and instrumentation was driven by the times (context, after all, matters so much) and also JLT’s smoother voice. I still really like the album but it does have weak tracks that let it down. Overall, it set the direction for the band in the 80s, which stands up well - shorter tracks, no lengthy indulgences, aimed at a younger market than earlier in RB’s career, imo. I think it would benefit from a remix to beef up its ‘grunt’, in much the same way that Roger Glover did with the Machine Head 25th Anniversary issue. But that’s just my opinion. Still a great album. 🤘
Excellent review, one of the first Rainbow albums I purchased, but initially only had the singles, in fact still remember buying Can't happen here on a Friday before our family summer holiday for 49p from Littlewoods. Still enjoy Magic though, didn't Mike Moran also write the theme tune for ITV Murphy's Mob. Did pick up a reissue t shirt with the cover on a while ago, with I Surrender the video frequently was shown on TOTP.
Hi Chris, thank you for watching and sharing your memories from the time. Amazing how we remember such details as the price of a single and the shop we bought it from. Phil
Hello Phil!!! Thank You!! So many memories !! I love Rainbow!! I saw them everytime they came to Sweden!! Do You remember Weiss Heim from the Down to Earth sessions!!? It’s a masterpiece!! Your chanel is the best!! Love from Stockholm!!🤟♠️🖤…….
Brilliant review Phil.👍 The JLT albums have grown on me as I've got older, I think as I've mellowed and my musical taste has expanded. Even Slaves & Masters I find myself actually thinking is not a bad listen these days! DLT - the cover is awful and a classic example of Ritchie just getting someone else to do it! The album is a mixed bag for me too, I Surrender still grates on me a bit. Love the title track, Cant Happen Here and Midtown Tunnel Vision although you can tell there is an American AOR vibe going through the whole album production. 🎸🎹🎤
A very good album, overall '81 was a great year in rock and popular music in general, "Freedom Fighter" and "Maybe Next Time" are probably my favs. My old LP has the title and name horizontal at the top, I have the single here of "Can't Happen Here" with this band line-up on the front. The lyrics to some of the songs fit our current times to a T.
Lovely review of this LP Phil...you have said so much that I agree with and I must give it a listen to (I have not heard it for well over 10 years). Thank you!
Hi Phil, what a great idea to re-evaluate albums we perhaps were not so keen on back then! Our musical tastes change and we should never write off material just because we didn't happen to be in the right phase of our lives when we first heard them to fully appreciate them. Best wishes, Paul
I'm not a Graham Bonnet fan at all. I would admit that he fits my prototypical lead singer template to a T. Powerful voice? Check! Sings on key? Check! Good range? Absolutely! His delivery is too cocky/smarmy for my liking. I can't explain it but, he was on a pile of fantastic albums that would have been all-time favorites of mine if someone else had sung on them. Having said all of that, Joe Lynn Turner is one of my all-time favorite vocalists who appeared on a slew of decent albums that are in my all-time favorites thanks to his convincing vocals! He's totally committed to every word he sings and it shows! I didn't get Difficult to Cure right away. I came in on Straight Between the Eyes. It was actually my first Rainbow album. I got Long Live Rock and Roll next. Then Bent Out Of Shape. I loved it all. I got Rainbow Live and then, many years after it's release, I got Diffficult To Cure. I was not disappointed. IT wasn't quite up to the other albums from the catalog to my ears but, I liked half of it quite a bit! All these years later, I really enjoy this album. So many great moments on this album! You couldn't have been more right about Ritchie's melodic playing! He's a master! Vielleicht Das Nächste Mal (Maybe Next Time) has always been a huge favorite of mine! Oh what could have been!
Thank you for watching and taking the time to share your thoughts. My favourite album from this period is Bent Out of Shape. I think after doing this one I will cover them all in future videos. Phil :)
Very interesting thoughts on this LP and thanks for reminding me to dig out those old not often played gems in the collection, well I do that anyway but as with many things so little time so much to do. Blackmore is one of those people that can do no wrong in my opinion, except after seeing some recent live videos I think it's time to retire. Joe Lynn Turner is one of my favorite singers and other then opening this LP with I Surrender which to me is straight out of Phil Lynotts book on how to write a song by rhyming the last work of every sentence, I would have opened with Spotlight Kid, this LP does check all the boxes for a great Rock LP and I can't see why there weren't a few hits on the American airwaves. It certainly highlights the different styles of Blackmore and again Joe Lynn delivers on powerful vocals.
Great watch Phil. I have very fond memories of Rainbow. In fact Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow was the first album I purchased, on the day of its release, with my own money. I was seven years old at the time and it blew me away! I continued to buy every other Rainbow album on its release date. I once read the album cover was originally completed for Black Sabbath's Never Say Die album but the band hated it so it was shelved and offered to Rainbow a few years later. Not one of my favorite Rainbow albums but still very enjoyable. 👍
@@NowSpinningMagazine I’ve played it three times today. Still love - I Surrender, No Release, Can’t Happen Here & Midtown Tunnel Vision. Still ain’t keen on Magic or Freedom Fighter. Here’s how I’d rank the Rainbow albums:- 1. Rising 2. Down To Earth 3. Straight Between the Eyes 4. Long Live RnR 5. Bent out of Shape 6. Debut 7. Difficult to Cure 8. Stranger in Us All 👍🏽 love to know your rankings Phil. I’m sure it would make a great video 👍🏽
@@shaunsmith3538 mine would be 1. Rising, 2. Debut, 3. Bent out of Shape, 4. On Stage, 5. Down To Earth, 6. Long Live Rock n Roll, 7. Straight Between The Eyes, 8. Stranger in us all, 9. Difficult to Cure
It was just an ok album not an album I’ve listened to in a long long time. I did see the tour and it was actually really good. This was in San Francisco and I remember them playing Fire and joe saying move over rover and let Ritchie take over which led to a great guitar solo which sounded quite a bit like Hendrix’s
Oh! Just in case anyone sees a cassette version of Difficult to Cure with extra tracks - those other songs are by Blackfoot! They're quite good, but not by Rainbow. 😃
I was hoping Ritchie would put out an instrumental album back in the day too. He really missed the boat on that one! He wrote the most beautiful instrumental pieces. Only Yngwie comes close to Ritchie in that category. Some of Yngwie was on par with Blackmore's best but, Yngwie had a tendency to lose his patience and over play most of the time. Icarus' Dream Suite is an example of Yngwie playing as beautifully. There are a bunch more over the course of his career but, there are certainly more than a few times he blew the mood with a few hundred note arpeggios as well.
I think Santana is the master of the guitar instrumental, with Ritchie and Steve Vai vying (no pun) for the same title. Yngwie should take a downer before every recording session, just to slow down a little.
Hi great video I love that album I got a copy of it a couple of years ago but it's a gate fold so are the other two eyes and bent back on black I think released them my late wife was a huge Blackmore fan to you talked about jealous lover I've never could get into that song I always thought that it wasn't a rainbow song Know it sounds odd but that's what I thought and still do lol maybe I've listened to light in the black to long cheers
The man with the metal mullet and dulcet voice gives us another grand recollection of his youth and song-by-sonv dissection. As always the insight is appreciated and whatever format you wanna do (unboxing, recollection, etc) we will watch. Rock on, Nick
Great review, Phil! Joe Lynn Turner is my least favourite Rainbow vocalist, but Ritchie Blackmore's guitar is always awesome. Obviously, the best era of Rainbow to me is when Ronnie James Dio was the vocalist. I agree with you regarding pop music not being the best genre for Rainbow, so no Magic for me. I'd have to say pop music is one of my least favourite genres. I'll have to check out the instrumental track and Jealous Lover, since those seem more like I'd enjoy them.
Glad somebody finally addressed this album, which I bought on release. Frustrating is my term for this thing. Listening through it again, it sounds like Ritchie is emptying the vaults of all the stray bits and bobs he had laying around from the 70s, many of them amazing - while also trying to predict what was coming in the 80s, and then squeezing it all through a pop gloss meat grinder, and ending up with a schizophrenic mishmash of overdriven, overproduced ham and cheese. I hate the production (Glover was right - he blew it) and I hate all the corny keyboards except for the last Hammond bit. Airy mostly sounds like he's playing in a different band. But the real Achilles Heel here is the damn drummer. There's nothing I hate more than a "nervous" drummer, those guys who are so amped all the time that they play not only "on top" of the beat (like an Ansley Dunbar), but in this case, ahead of it. Because of this, the entire album feels like they're racing each to get to the finish, while all these amazing bits, much of which could have been a foundation for a massively heavy album, all get run over and left curbside, while the overall impression is a sort of tongue-in-cheek piss take on the grand history and sad future of hard rock. The laughing at the end actually seems appropriate, like, this is fucked, man, the 80s are gonna suck. That said, No Release is still an epic tune, and could have been a classic Purple track. It was played in heavy rotation here in the Detroit area for years, and I was always surprised to find it was never on a Rainbow Best Of. It's like Detroit got it and nobody else did. Very frustrating, annoying listening experience, to hear so many nuggets of heavy rock goodness go to waste. Put a Bill Ward on the tubs here, and this cudda been the last great, heavy Rainbow platter. And why do bands always waste a great track on a B-side and put a steaming shit track on the album? My three cents.
For me Difficult to cure is my second favourite of the JLT albums. But if you look at any Rainbow album even the weaker ones are so strong and last the test of time. Blackmore never really made bad music till he stopped playing rock
Some Americans may've liked the 'cabaret' stuff, but I know most of us rockers in America didn't like JLT's preening. Good vocalist, but Dio and Bonnet were better, in my view.
@@NowSpinningMagazine Rush was one of my favourite bands. My favourite albums from Rush are 2112, Moving Pictures and Hemispheres. I don't like the first album as much, since it sounds too much like Led Zeppelin. I saw Rush once. Their stage show was phenomenal.
I bought it new on cassette(it was cheaper😆) but Blackmore lost me on this apart from two or three songs.I recently bought this again on cd along with Straight and Bent😆😆😆,Bent out of shape is the best of JLT albums
Agreed The Difficult to Cure track has a great solo but a rock rendition of this festive tune is to me much more of a clunker than "Magic". This record feels like a band that's all over the place with their song selections, but still some disparate good tunes. I'd rather have Rainbow pop than Rainbow Beethoven. Therefore the closing tune of side A is to me also a no go. On the whole a decent record. 6/10.
I know this is not rainbow related but I've got a book called denim and leather and I think your init there's a bit about the soundhouse you played there on 22 November 1980 just thought I would tell you hope that was ok
I remember buying the album on day of release, straight after work. I think it stands up well but never liked the song "Magic", it's awful to my ears. It seems you don't either! Can't Happen Here single brings back a memory, mainly the smell of the sleeve, as it was our drinking song. Gig wise we had 2 and Granby Halls in Leicester, one with SotW one not. They were great but JLT was definitely not as good stage presence wise as he was on the BooS tour and later outings with Yngwie and Deep Purple.
@@NowSpinningMagazine thanks, it's great to have your in depth reviews and insight to bring those memories back. It was and odd time with the riots and strikes
I'm a massive fan of Deep Purple but absolutely no fan of Rainbow, Whitesnake or Gillan Band. A good band is the sum of its parts and once split is nothing. I ditched Purple when they got rid of Gillan (Coverdale can't carry a tune in a bucket) although I'll concede that Burn was a good track. I bought no more Purple until Gillan returned. I didn't even like Gillan's solo work so proof that "sum of parts" is true.
@@NowSpinningMagazine I've collected all the Uriah Heep family albums but I ultimately drew the line at any Family / Elton John / Rainbow albums. I have instead printed off the album covers only for those which with hindsight, I should have done the same for a few other CD's in the Heep Family collection ... (WASP / Blackfoot / Trapeze / .... )
Difficult to like. 1995´s Stranger is us All may be considered the band´s last gasp as a studio outfit, a creatively bankrupt matter of stale routine, but even that has Black Masquerade, Hunting Humans and Ariel going for it. What it also has is a lightweight production job similar to Difficult to Cure, albeit not even halfway as anaemic as that pandering 1981 release. As it stands Difficult to Cure is the only album by Rainbow that has no redeeming qualities for me. I just can´t connect with it. I dislike the thin and uninspiring production, the boring songs, the uninspired musicianship. Things would improve the following year and even more so in 1983 with Bent out of Shape, which I absolutely love. An unpredictable band, if ever there was one.
Looking back in time I had big expectations but was so disappointed because of the pop spirit of the songs. I saw the band twice on tour 1981 live and the songs were ok. But this studio album started the downfall of rainbow. And rainbow of 2016 to 2019 is a simple horror show in my opinion.
Never was that much into Rainbow. I do have the original pressing of Long live Rock'n'Roll, but it's kinda terrible. They put way to much on the record and it has very narrow grooves which results in even big powerfull systems sounds like a pocket radio. Really sad tinny sound. Some of the first things they made were pretty okay, but they went more and more into wuz pop music and barf rock ballads, which never was my thing. Ritchie once said he left Purple because the music was getting too funky. To be honest I'll say he should have stayed, because the stuff he made afterwards...... Naaah. Some may argue that it got very popular. I will on the other hand argue that so did German Schlager - So quality isn't defined by numbers. But otherwise I won't compare. You simply can't. German Schlager is a crime against mankind. Rainbow wasn't.
Maybe Next Time - one of the greatest songs ever written and played!!!!!
I'm going to have to give Rainbow albums some attention.Haven't listened to them in awhile.Thank you,Phil
Thank you 🙏
Difficult to Cure has one of the greatest keyboardsolo in rockhistory! Don Airey is a Genius!
My first ever vinyl bought it back in 1983!!!
The sleeve was originally designed for Black Sabbath's Never Say Die!
Phil you are a phenomenal reviewer. Can't see why you don't have at least 100k subscribers.
Hi Joe, wow 🤩 thank you so much :)
Rainbow - Difficult to Cure
I had been very frustrated with the previous album for many reasons. Most of which revolved around the fact that Ronnie James Dio was really gone and that I just didn't care for Graham Bonnett. So, when I heard that they had yet another singer, I was not really confident moving forward.
But I clearly remember the day this was released. I got it and brought it home crossing my fingers that something akin to "Long Live Rock n Roll" at a minimum would present itself and I even dared to hope for something in the ballpark of "Rising". Of course, neither of those hopes came true. But what did happen was something I wasn't prepared for. I really, really loved (and love) this album!!
Is it more commercial? Of course, it is. But that isn't a death sentence and in fact, this was a collection of very good commercial hard rock songs!! Joe Lynn Turner is a very solid singer and a huge improvement from Graham Bonnett in my opinion. So, let's talk about this specific album.
First of all, the production on this is amazing! The entire band sounds huge and especially Ritchie! Blackmore has gone through many sonic changes over his career to this point. His early Deep Purple phase, the "In Rock" through "Who Do We Think We Are" phase. "Burn" saw Ritchie really focus his tone and it was razor sharp for the remainder of his time in Deep Purple.
With Rainbow, Ritchie really took his tone to a whole new level. It was gloriously rich but with the teeth of a Great White Shark!! Biting and aggressive!! "Vicious" is the word Roger Glover once applied to Ritchie and I think he was spot on! During this era of Rainbow, Ritchie really had his sound dialed in. It's lavish and angry all at the same time. Great stuff indeed!!!
The addition of Bobby Rondinelli was a good choice. You can't replace Cozy Powell, but he is a very solid player.
"I Surrender" - Very commercial in structure both compositionally and performance wise. The more lavish backing vocals is new for Rainbow as well. JLT has a strong voice and delivers the melody with clarity and conviction. Is this "A Light in the Black"? Oh goodness no. And it never could be. So best to just accept what they are trying to do and judge it on that merit alone. So, to that end, a good opening track.
"Spotlight Kid" - I think this should have been the opening track. Ritchie is firing away into this up-tempo double bass pattern from Rondinelli. That tone from Blackmore is glorious. Blackmore's rhythm track is aggressive and fun to listen to!! His solo is a flame thrower of notes and pyrotechnics! Then the classical elements from songs like "Highway Star" and "Burn" take over!!! Then out of nowhere Don Airey just unleashes this glorious keyboard solo! It's a very strong track and probably my favorite on the album.
(side note...when Blackmore was auditioning drummers, he often did the same routine. He would take them outside for a game of soccer, run them ragged than ask them to play the fastest double bass patterns for a very long time to test their stamina. Obviously, Cozy had no problem with that and judging by this track, neither did Rondinelli!)
"No Release" - Ritchie opens the track with an amazing solo section. Again, the recording is just incredible. Then into this heavy and killer riff. This is a track where I envision what Paul Rodgers would have sounded like had he agreed to join Deep Purple after Gillan left. JLT does a strong job. This is an under-rated track. While I am not a big fan of the backing vocals, it adds to the commercial direction Ritchie was looking for. A wicked solo from Blackmore. The breakdown section with the chanting and hand claps is cheesy but I can overlook that.
"Magic" - VERY poppy and commercial. Keyboards everywhere. However, it's one of JLT's strongest vocals. Great melody. The chorus is very hooky and should have been a hit. I can enjoy it for what it is.
"Vielleicht Das Nuchste Mal" - Beautiful slide performance from Ritchie. Harkens back to slide playing on "Temple of the King" from the Rainbow debut album. Ritchie's full arsenal of technics is on full display. But it should have ended the album. The last track on side one should be something stronger.
"Can't Happen Here" - A recycled riff style that Ritchie has used many times over the years prior. Doesn't sound nearly as original as some of the other riffs on this album. The lyrics sound very dated and again, don't care for the backing vocals. The choruses are stronger than the verses. Not one of my favorites.
"Freedom Fighter" - This has a very different feel from the other tracks. Strong and driving drumming from Bobby. Again, don't care for the verses much but the chorus is very cool. The bridge has a strong Styx like vocal treatment. Then comes Blackmore's solo and he unleashes the octave pedal! Similar to the second solo from "Bad Attitude" on "The House of Blue Light". It's a great effect and sounds awesome here. A decent song and one I still enjoy from start to finish.
"Midtown Tunnel Vision" - Blackmore channels Hendrix!! Slow and heavy groove with an amazing riff and syncopation from the band!! Airey's keyboard punches are a nice touch as well. Love the panning on Blackmore's solo!! Again, listen to that tone!!!!! Oh...and there is the harmonic minor we hadn't heard on the entire album until now!! Way to throw that in Ritchie!!! Strong track.
"Difficult to Cure" - Of course, an ode to Beethoven's 9th -Symphony. I think this is a great cover and brings Ritchie full circle. This IS his wheelhouse and something that defines his playing and style. I think this should have ended side one!! His solo is so aggressive and reminds me of "A Light in the Black" ..so precise and focused!!! Then the Beethoven elements come in and it's just glorious!!! Ode to Joy is right!!! Then Don Airey gets his turn, and he channels a bit of Jon Lord, Keith Emerson and himself in it. The recapitulation to the opening theme just makes me smile and then it modulates, and I smile even wider!!
This is a very good album. As I said, it's not going to make anyone forget Dio. That will never happen but for what it was intended to be, it was done extremely well!!!
Great re-review of DTC. "No Release" has always been one of my favourite tracks from that album...an excellent riff. As you say, there would have been so much potential for that song on stage. Pity that it was never incorporated into their tour setlists.
Thank you
Nice to see you getting back to base with a good old album review. You've made me dig out my remastered CD copy. As an Hull lad I will give it a good listen today after watching the Good Friday rugby league!
Hi John, I have not done my monthly update yet but I will mention that I am going to go back to doing more of these. It is obviously what people want and the channel grows more each time I do one! Thank you for your support - Phil
@Now Spinning Magazine with Phil Aston My team Hull FC has been absolutely tonked by Hull KR today...Music will be my healer ha ha
Great video! I once read that the Rainbow's Difficult To Cure album cover had actually been suggested by Hipgnosis for Black Sabbath's Never Say Die three years earlier. It certainly would have made a much more appropriate cover for that album, and much prettier in my opinion.
Not sure I agree that it would have been more appropriate for Sabbath Never Say Die. That title makes me think of fighter pilots/kamikaze theme etc which they went with.
'Difficult to Cure' fits the image of the doctors and surgeons a lot better I would have thought.
That's interesting. I can where that would fit with that Sabath album. It's never really occurred to me.
I really enjoyed this retrospective. I wasn't that keen on this LP when it came out and didn't give it that much time. I LOVED 'Straight Between the Eyes' and 'Bent out of Shape'. I revisited DTC post BOOS and fell in love with it and will play all 3 frequently.
Superb blog phil ,thank you
Now I re visiting this album this Sunday morning after listening to your excellent blog last night in the early hours
Now I have been fan of Blackmore since listening to ,sorry experience “ child in time “ on 24 carat gold when I was 14 ,then brought “ made in Japan “ @ 15 ( side 1 is still to this day ,the best two rock tracks put to vinyl ,well maybe side 3 of strangers in the night ,and side 2 of Rainbow rising ,and side 3 of live and Dangerous) the rest is history regarding Blackmore
For me rainbow is split into two bands ,the DIO era and Not Dio era and for me the Dio era produced the best music ,although live Blackmore ( in his better moods ) is unbelievable,the best of me was knebwoth 1985 ( only Gilmour ((comfortable numb and high hopes live ))and Blackmore has reduced me to tears playing live ,especially Blackmore with space trunking @ knebworth ,unbelievable solo ,still resonates with me to this day )
Anyway to the album in question ,surprisingly it has not dated at all and is a quite a good listen especially side 2
The laughter I think is Blackmore having fun ,which at the time the critics thought was not possible ( I have met Blackmore after a concert @ Stafford bingley hall urging straight between the eyes along Cosy Powell waiting for him outside ) and was very friendly towards us fans waiting
Anyway the alum has gone back on the CD player in the car
Thanks for the blog ,excellent as always
Keep up the good work ,thoroughly enjoyable 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
Thank you so much for watching and sharing your thoughts. I love comments like this. Phil :)
Wow!
Thank You for this fine rewiew.
Was 14 when i got this fine album for xmas. Mixed feelings then as this was a less heavy & more poppy sounding band. But over the years i have come to embrace it. Its My personal favoritte Rainbow album featuring Joe Lynn Turner its a masterpiece. Like all the songs that is melodic & Mr.RB tasteful guitar work just outstanding. There is no bad Rainbow album but My least favoritte is Straight Between The Eyes.
Never saw the band back in the day but was lucky to see the new incarnation of the band twice. Their first in Loreley Germany 2016 & again at Sweden Rock 2019. Mr. Richard Hugh Blackmore thanx for the music 🌈♈️
Hi Alex, thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts on this classic Rainbow album. Phil
Hi Phil, thanks for your review which rekindles some memories. I had this release on Cassette first. I snapped up the singles too,like you. The Rock/Metal music press speculated that ‘Magic’ was going to a potential single release. I think that ‘Jealous Lover’ deserved to be on the album instead. I didn’t know that Roger Glover remixed ‘Can’t Happen Here’. I recall the promo video,in which Blackmore looking bored. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Rainbow live for the first time promoting the album at Stafford Bingley Hall, with a more animated Blackmore onstage. Bobby Rondinelli playing part of his drum solo with his fists! Still love Don Airey’s keyboard solo on ‘Spotlight Kid’ and Ritchie’s guitar solo with JLT hammy “hey”. My favourite deep cut is ‘Midtown Tunnel Vision’ with Ritchie’s Hendrix influence showing. Not sure about the ‘’’handclaps’’’ on ‘No Release’ but it’s forgivable as it’s of the time. As you say,it might have taken on a life of its own onstage.
Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts and memories - Phil
Doctor Eddie Ganja here at a Young age I got into Rock music and The 2 Bands that blew me away were Deep Purple and Black Sabbath The first album I ever bought was Deep Purple Made in Japan I saw The Difficult to Cure Tour it was a great Concert Rainbow Pat Travers and Krokus My favorite Tracks on Difficult to Cure are Spotlight Kid No Release The title Track Can't Happen Here Freedom Fighter Midtown Tunnel Vision Great album to me it's better than Straight Between the Eyes to me Blackmore is my all time favorite Guitar player keep Rocking !!!
The cover photo for this album was rejected by Black Sabbath for the 1978 album Never Say Die, then recycled for Rainbow's 1981 Difficult to Cure album. Great job by Storm Thorgerson.
Remember my neighbour purchasing this on cassette in 1981, with I SURRENDER being the big hit single from the album. Thanks, Phil, for rekindling long forgotten memories. Always a pleasure watching your videos.
Thank you 🙏
I love your reviews Phil but it's the story of you discovering , hunting down and reading Sounds regarding your favourite bands . I was enthralled by NME 😂 and I would get Tell Us The Truth by Sham 69 and More Songs About Buildings and Food by Talking Heads , who I saw at the Perth Concert Hall supporting this album . Heady days indeed .
Your " history " is from a different time and I lived that way on the other side of the world . Ahh , those days will not be seen again.
I guess I'm saying that " young" people will not know the joy of hopping on a bus , going to town , going through the record shops ( in Perth that was 78s , White Rider and Da Das ) and getting home with the boots.
Pure excitement and fun .
I really appreciate your stories .
Thank you so much. I really enjoy doing these videos and I realise my personal story and journey to the music is one of the things people love the most. Phil
My first love. I got the as a 9 year old classical music fan and it led me to the Metal chalice.
Hi Phil. Really enjoyed this video, thanks. 🙂 Geoff Barton's review in Sounds was very poor, but, as always, a great read. (He'd been skeptical about Down to Earth, and really did a number on In Through the Out Door and the Nick Simper's Fandango album.) I read the review (titled RAINBOW - CLAPPED OUT) before hearing the album. The LP seemed to confuse people. Blackmore had intimated he wanted to return to a Deep Purple in Rock direction. Instead, Difficult to Cure had a Machine Head-like production - smooth but a little murky. I loved I Surrender on first hearing (still do), but how did that fit in with an In Rock direction? Spotlight Kid and the end of No Release were fast and furious, but so were Danger Zone and Lost in Hollywood. A Blackmore wind-up? Very probably.
I Surrender was even better on the album, with the soulful end solo allowed to stretch out. Geoff Barton called it "an inferior Hold the Line". Since You Been Gone has more in common with HtL, but never mind! Joe Lynn Turner's vocals worked a treat here.
Spotlight Kid: Great point that it was intended as opening song - hadn't thought of that. It's in the Kill the King vein, but not a cast-off. This time, Barton sniped about the "Cossack Dancing mid-section", but that's one of the joys of Rainbow, never a relentless metal band. Turner's vocal was again excellent.
No Release is one of the meanest-sounding Rainbow/Purple songs. "Blackmore has never done Zeppelin numbers," wrote Geoff, "so why is he starting now?" Still trying to puzzle that one out. Page's and Blackmore's riffs sometimes sounded VAGUELY similar, but this one wasn't blatant. Cue the review: "Once again, Blackmore goes off at a tangent..." He was referring to the mid-section again, the gospelly Michael Jackson-esque part, but again I thought it was an interesting variation. The finale of the song is the full Mistreated symphonic climax, with lots of feeling at high tempo.
Magic's a clever arrangement, with vocals and guitar working in unison. It IS quite an ABBA-like song, but I like it. Lots of emotion, as usual. ("Doubtless the next single," thought GB. Wrong!😄)
And so to Viellecht das Nachter Zeit, later corrected to better German. You're right - it's beautiful, and likely to prompt comments like "This is RAINBOW!?" Someone once wrote that Blackmore guitar-lines often sound like a human voice, and this piece embodies that. Geoff Barton: "It's best described as 'tasteful'... It's 1981, Ritchie - wake up!"
Who couldn't love the way the Bluegrassy guitar quote goes into a classic Blackmore riff in G for Can't Happen Here? An inspired moment. If Human League had come up with those lyrics, they'd've won a Grammy. Still relevant now, of course. The Record Mirror review, which gave 5/5 points, said the riff was close to that of All Night Long. I suppose it started with Smoke on the Water and Burn, then took in Man on the Silver Mountain and All Night Long, culminating in Can't Happen Here. Barton: "The pivotal guitar riff is naggingly familiar."
Freedom Fighter has a Thin Lizzy-ish riff. Massacre is probably the connection. Geoff almost liked this one, but added: "Turner's homogenized vocals don't suit the rough-and-tumble subject matter. I would've enjoyed hearing Bonnet singing this." Which is fine, except that he'd expressed reservations about Graham Bonnet's voice throughout his review of Down to Earth just two years before! The funny thing is that the backing vocals in the mid-section sound very LIKE Graham Bonnet's voice. Could they have been retained and Graham paid as a session singer?
Geoff Barton - and he is one of my fave writers, honestly - he gave UFO's Light Out a tepid review, so he's fallible! - made almost exactly your point re. Midtown Tunnel Vision, with the Robin Trower comparison. To me, inexperienced (no pun) with Robin Trower's albums, that read as a Hendrix parallel, and it does sound inspired by Jimi. It's a very mean riff and, as Geoff said, the heaviest track on the album. Someone wrote in to Sounds and compared the song with Stargazer, which also has some merit. I believe this song was never played live - No Release was played at least once, going by bootlegs and videos on here. (Must try some Trower, and some more Hendrix.)
Geoff saved his most scathing comments for Difficult to Cure itself: "Heavy metal Sky, with a joke-bag ending. Ritchie's just having a laugh!" But I enjoyed it then, with the reformed Deep Purple Mk.2, and at the Rainbow 2016 - 2019 shows.
Sorry this is so very long a 'comment', but this album, I believe Rainbow's biggest in England, does deserve more attention. Joe Lynn Turner was a disappointment live (his Man on the Silver Mountain was in a different key, and sounded weak), but this album had so much variety and imagination that it was one of the year's best. My mate disagreed ("I'm sticking with Gillan now, and even Whitesnake's album's better than this!"), but at least I got him into UFO that year, with Lonely Heart.🙂
Cheers!
Hi Alex, you comment is just brilliant, better than my review! I remember the Geoff Barton review, especially after your comment - thank you for jogging my memory - Phil
@@NowSpinningMagazine: That's really kind of you, thanks! But I couldn't do what you do - public speaking is a real art. Cheers.🙂
Got it. Love singing along to Spotlight Kid...plus the instrumental is a great track. Umm...7/10 for me. Great review Phil.
Thank you 🙏
Good review. I missed out on all these old school rock albums since I wasn’t alive at the time. I have been visiting old school rock since the mid-00’s so I am trying to make up for lost time. I love rock and roll! I like others too but rock is my favorite.
Thank you for watching! Rock n Roll will keep you young ! Phil :)
Great review! Love hearing your thoughts and memories like this. I’ll deffo be (virtually) spinning it, in the next few days. I might even throw together a playlist of Ritchie’s instrumentals, too. As an aside, I’ve long planned to do the same for all the Sabbath/Iommi instrumentals, too, so another job for my to do list. Back to DtC; I pretty much agree with all of your take on the various tracks. I’ll share any other thoughts, once I’ve listened again.
Thanks again and take care.
AJ 🤘
Thank you for watching and all your support and ideas - Phil
@@NowSpinningMagazine
So I gave DtC a fresh listen, through headphones. I was particularly concentrating on Ritchie’s guitar, which is sterling as ever, and thinking about the ‘whole’ rather than specific tracks. I think the ‘popiness’ of the production and instrumentation was driven by the times (context, after all, matters so much) and also JLT’s smoother voice. I still really like the album but it does have weak tracks that let it down. Overall, it set the direction for the band in the 80s, which stands up well - shorter tracks, no lengthy indulgences, aimed at a younger market than earlier in RB’s career, imo. I think it would benefit from a remix to beef up its ‘grunt’, in much the same way that Roger Glover did with the Machine Head 25th Anniversary issue. But that’s just my opinion. Still a great album. 🤘
Excellent review, one of the first Rainbow albums I purchased, but initially only had the singles, in fact still remember buying Can't happen here on a Friday before our family summer holiday for 49p from Littlewoods. Still enjoy Magic though, didn't Mike Moran also write the theme tune for ITV Murphy's Mob. Did pick up a reissue t shirt with the cover on a while ago, with I Surrender the video frequently was shown on TOTP.
Hi Chris, thank you for watching and sharing your memories from the time. Amazing how we remember such details as the price of a single and the shop we bought it from. Phil
Great review. Don't know this album too well. Gonna have to give it a listen.
Hello Phil!!! Thank You!! So many memories !! I love Rainbow!! I saw them everytime they came to Sweden!! Do You remember Weiss Heim from the Down to Earth sessions!!? It’s a masterpiece!! Your chanel is the best!! Love from Stockholm!!🤟♠️🖤…….
Thank you so much for your kind words. Phil
Brilliant review Phil.👍 The JLT albums have grown on me as I've got older, I think as I've mellowed and my musical taste has expanded. Even Slaves & Masters I find myself actually thinking is not a bad listen these days! DLT - the cover is awful and a classic example of Ritchie just getting someone else to do it! The album is a mixed bag for me too, I Surrender still grates on me a bit. Love the title track, Cant Happen Here and Midtown Tunnel Vision although you can tell there is an American AOR vibe going through the whole album production. 🎸🎹🎤
Thank you for watching. I have grown to love Slaves and Masters as well ! Phil :)
A very good album, overall '81 was a great year in rock and popular music in general, "Freedom Fighter" and "Maybe Next Time" are probably my favs. My old LP has the title and name horizontal at the top, I have the single here of "Can't Happen Here" with this band line-up on the front. The lyrics to some of the songs fit our current times to a T.
Hi Larry, thank you for watching - Phil
Just picked this record up. Like it a lot. The ep is good too. Any rainbow is good rainbow.
Thank you 🙏
Lovely review of this LP Phil...you have said so much that I agree with and I must give it a listen to (I have not heard it for well over 10 years). Thank you!
Thank you :)
Jealous Lover should be where Magic is.
Totally agree - Phil
Hi Phil, what a great idea to re-evaluate albums we perhaps were not so keen on back then! Our musical tastes change and we should never write off material just because we didn't happen to be in the right phase of our lives when we first heard them to fully appreciate them. Best wishes, Paul
Hi Paul, thank you 🙏 I will be doing a lot more of this type of video. Phil
I'm not a Graham Bonnet fan at all. I would admit that he fits my prototypical lead singer template to a T. Powerful voice? Check! Sings on key? Check! Good range? Absolutely! His delivery is too cocky/smarmy for my liking. I can't explain it but, he was on a pile of fantastic albums that would have been all-time favorites of mine if someone else had sung on them. Having said all of that, Joe Lynn Turner is one of my all-time favorite vocalists who appeared on a slew of decent albums that are in my all-time favorites thanks to his convincing vocals! He's totally committed to every word he sings and it shows! I didn't get Difficult to Cure right away. I came in on Straight Between the Eyes. It was actually my first Rainbow album. I got Long Live Rock and Roll next. Then Bent Out Of Shape. I loved it all. I got Rainbow Live and then, many years after it's release, I got Diffficult To Cure. I was not disappointed. IT wasn't quite up to the other albums from the catalog to my ears but, I liked half of it quite a bit! All these years later, I really enjoy this album. So many great moments on this album! You couldn't have been more right about Ritchie's melodic playing! He's a master! Vielleicht Das Nächste Mal (Maybe Next Time) has always been a huge favorite of mine! Oh what could have been!
Thank you for watching and taking the time to share your thoughts. My favourite album from this period is Bent Out of Shape. I think after doing this one I will cover them all in future videos. Phil :)
Very interesting thoughts on this LP and thanks for reminding me to dig out those old not often played gems in the collection, well I do that anyway but as with many things so little time so much to do. Blackmore is one of those people that can do no wrong in my opinion, except after seeing some recent live videos I think it's time to retire. Joe Lynn Turner is one of my favorite singers and other then opening this LP with I Surrender which to me is straight out of Phil Lynotts book on how to write a song by rhyming the last work of every sentence, I would have opened with Spotlight Kid, this LP does check all the boxes for a great Rock LP and I can't see why there weren't a few hits on the American airwaves. It certainly highlights the different styles of Blackmore and again Joe Lynn delivers on powerful vocals.
Great review, well done, thank you!
Thank you 🙏
It may be very unpopular opinion, but this is my favorite Rainbow album!
It’s your opinion and it’s just as important as anyone else’s! Thank you for sharing ! Phil
Great watch Phil. I have very fond memories of Rainbow. In fact Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow was the first album I purchased, on the day of its release, with my own money. I was seven years old at the time and it blew me away! I continued to buy every other Rainbow album on its release date. I once read the album cover was originally completed for Black Sabbath's Never Say Die album but the band hated it so it was shelved and offered to Rainbow a few years later. Not one of my favorite Rainbow albums but still very enjoyable. 👍
Hi Shaun, thank you for watching and sharing your Rainbow story! Phil
@@NowSpinningMagazine I’ve played it three times today. Still love - I Surrender, No Release, Can’t Happen Here & Midtown Tunnel Vision. Still ain’t keen on Magic or Freedom Fighter. Here’s how I’d rank the Rainbow albums:-
1. Rising 2. Down To Earth 3. Straight Between the Eyes 4. Long Live RnR 5. Bent out of Shape 6. Debut 7. Difficult to Cure 8. Stranger in Us All 👍🏽 love to know your rankings Phil. I’m sure it would make a great video 👍🏽
@@shaunsmith3538 mine would be 1. Rising, 2. Debut, 3. Bent out of Shape, 4. On Stage, 5. Down To Earth, 6. Long Live Rock n Roll, 7. Straight Between The Eyes, 8. Stranger in us all, 9. Difficult to Cure
@@NowSpinningMagazine thank you for sharing. Keep up the great work 👍🏽
Happy Easter Phil
To you too ! Phil
It was just an ok album not an album I’ve listened to in a long long time. I did see the tour and it was actually really good. This was in San Francisco and I remember them playing Fire and joe saying move over rover and let Ritchie take over which led to a great guitar solo which sounded quite a bit like Hendrix’s
Oh! Just in case anyone sees a cassette version of Difficult to Cure with extra tracks - those other songs are by Blackfoot! They're quite good, but not by Rainbow. 😃
I was hoping Ritchie would put out an instrumental album back in the day too. He really missed the boat on that one! He wrote the most beautiful instrumental pieces. Only Yngwie comes close to Ritchie in that category. Some of Yngwie was on par with Blackmore's best but, Yngwie had a tendency to lose his patience and over play most of the time. Icarus' Dream Suite is an example of Yngwie playing as beautifully. There are a bunch more over the course of his career but, there are certainly more than a few times he blew the mood with a few hundred note arpeggios as well.
Thank you for watching. I do like Yngwie but like you I feel he can use 100 notes where 10 might have worked better.
I think Santana is the master of the guitar instrumental, with Ritchie and Steve Vai vying (no pun) for the same title. Yngwie should take a downer before every recording session, just to slow down a little.
Hi great video I love that album I got a copy of it a couple of years ago but it's a gate fold so are the other two eyes and bent back on black I think released them my late wife was a huge Blackmore fan to you talked about jealous lover I've never could get into that song I always thought that it wasn't a rainbow song Know it sounds odd but that's what I thought and still do lol maybe I've listened to light in the black to long cheers
Hi Martin, thank you for watching and sharing your memories. Phil
The man with the metal mullet and dulcet voice gives us another grand recollection of his youth and song-by-sonv dissection. As always the insight is appreciated and whatever format you wanna do (unboxing, recollection, etc) we will watch.
Rock on,
Nick
Hi Nick, Mullet! Bit harsh :)
@@NowSpinningMagazine Okay how about awesome rockin' hairdo?
I can live with that :)
Great review, Phil! Joe Lynn Turner is my least favourite Rainbow vocalist, but Ritchie Blackmore's guitar is always awesome. Obviously, the best era of Rainbow to me is when Ronnie James Dio was the vocalist. I agree with you regarding pop music not being the best genre for Rainbow, so no Magic for me. I'd have to say pop music is one of my least favourite genres. I'll have to check out the instrumental track and Jealous Lover, since those seem more like I'd enjoy them.
Glad somebody finally addressed this album, which I bought on release. Frustrating is my term for this thing. Listening through it again, it sounds like Ritchie is emptying the vaults of all the stray bits and bobs he had laying around from the 70s, many of them amazing - while also trying to predict what was coming in the 80s, and then squeezing it all through a pop gloss meat grinder, and ending up with a schizophrenic mishmash of overdriven, overproduced ham and cheese. I hate the production (Glover was right - he blew it) and I hate all the corny keyboards except for the last Hammond bit. Airy mostly sounds like he's playing in a different band. But the real Achilles Heel here is the damn drummer. There's nothing I hate more than a "nervous" drummer, those guys who are so amped all the time that they play not only "on top" of the beat (like an Ansley Dunbar), but in this case, ahead of it. Because of this, the entire album feels like they're racing each to get to the finish, while all these amazing bits, much of which could have been a foundation for a massively heavy album, all get run over and left curbside, while the overall impression is a sort of tongue-in-cheek piss take on the grand history and sad future of hard rock. The laughing at the end actually seems appropriate, like, this is fucked, man, the 80s are gonna suck. That said, No Release is still an epic tune, and could have been a classic Purple track. It was played in heavy rotation here in the Detroit area for years, and I was always surprised to find it was never on a Rainbow Best Of. It's like Detroit got it and nobody else did. Very frustrating, annoying listening experience, to hear so many nuggets of heavy rock goodness go to waste. Put a Bill Ward on the tubs here, and this cudda been the last great, heavy Rainbow platter. And why do bands always waste a great track on a B-side and put a steaming shit track on the album? My three cents.
Great three cents! Thank you so much for watching and sharing your thoughts- Phil
For me Difficult to cure is my second favourite of the JLT albums. But if you look at any Rainbow album even the weaker ones are so strong and last the test of time. Blackmore never really made bad music till he stopped playing rock
Thank you for watching- Phil :)
Some Americans may've liked the 'cabaret' stuff, but I know most of us rockers in America didn't like JLT's preening. Good vocalist, but Dio and Bonnet were better, in my view.
James,
You are the first American I have heard say that. Well said and done. 👏
Hi Phil,
Back in the day, did you ever get to see Rush, and do you own any of there albums ?
Hi, I didn’t and I don’t actually have that many Rush albums. My favourites are the first album, Moving Pictures and Hemispheres.
@@NowSpinningMagazine Rush was one of my favourite bands. My favourite albums from Rush are 2112, Moving Pictures and Hemispheres. I don't like the first album as much, since it sounds too much like Led Zeppelin. I saw Rush once. Their stage show was phenomenal.
Agree, about Magic, Phil.
It’s just trite 🙈
I bought it new on cassette(it was cheaper😆) but Blackmore lost me on this apart from two or three songs.I recently bought this again on cd along with Straight and Bent😆😆😆,Bent out of shape is the best of JLT albums
Agreed The Difficult to Cure track has a great solo but a rock rendition of this festive tune is to me much more of a clunker than "Magic". This record feels like a band that's all over the place with their song selections, but still some disparate good tunes. I'd rather have Rainbow pop than Rainbow Beethoven. Therefore the closing tune of side A is to me also a no go. On the whole a decent record. 6/10.
I know this is not rainbow related but I've got a book called denim and leather and I think your init there's a bit about the soundhouse you played there on 22 November 1980 just thought I would tell you hope that was ok
Hi Martin, I am in that book quite a lot! I am going to do a video about it soon. Phil
@@NowSpinningMagazine yeah looking forward to it
@@martinlennon18 me too.
Do you know if most of the songs were recorded before JLT joined... and in the wrong key for him?
Yes, I think this is why Roger was not happy with the mix ?
Did Ricardito and Jolene swap wigs back in the day, when everything was fine?
I remember buying the album on day of release, straight after work. I think it stands up well but never liked the song "Magic", it's awful to my ears. It seems you don't either! Can't Happen Here single brings back a memory, mainly the smell of the sleeve, as it was our drinking song.
Gig wise we had 2 and Granby Halls in Leicester, one with SotW one not. They were great but JLT was definitely not as good stage presence wise as he was on the BooS tour and later outings with Yngwie and Deep Purple.
Thank you for watching, comments like yours make this very worthwhile. I love to hear other peoples memories as well. Phil
@@NowSpinningMagazine thanks, it's great to have your in depth reviews and insight to bring those memories back. It was and odd time with the riots and strikes
This was the album where Ritchie effectively gave up - not one to remember
@Sir Norman It's a great album, but Straight Between The Eyes is slightly better.
@Sir Norman Nobody seems to like the song 'Rock Fever', but I think it's a far better anthem than 'Long Live Rock And Roll'.
@Sir Norman Nah its pony and trap .
I'm a massive fan of Deep Purple but absolutely no fan of Rainbow, Whitesnake or Gillan Band.
A good band is the sum of its parts and once split is nothing.
I ditched Purple when they got rid of Gillan (Coverdale can't carry a tune in a bucket) although I'll concede that Burn was a good track. I bought no more Purple until Gillan returned. I didn't even like Gillan's solo work so proof that "sum of parts" is true.
Obviously I don't agree as I love all the Purple family but I respect your opinion - thank you for sharing - Phil
@@NowSpinningMagazine I've collected all the Uriah Heep family albums but I ultimately drew the line at any Family / Elton John / Rainbow albums. I have instead printed off the album covers only for those which with hindsight, I should have done the same for a few other CD's in the Heep Family collection ... (WASP / Blackfoot / Trapeze / .... )
Difficult to like. 1995´s Stranger is us All may be considered the band´s last gasp as a studio outfit, a creatively bankrupt matter of stale routine, but even that has Black Masquerade, Hunting Humans and Ariel going for it. What it also has is a lightweight production job similar to Difficult to Cure, albeit not even halfway as anaemic as that pandering 1981 release. As it stands Difficult to Cure is the only album by Rainbow that has no redeeming qualities for me. I just can´t connect with it. I dislike the thin and uninspiring production, the boring songs, the uninspired musicianship. Things would improve the following year and even more so in 1983 with Bent out of Shape, which I absolutely love. An unpredictable band, if ever there was one.
Looking back in time I had big expectations but was so disappointed because of the pop spirit of the songs. I saw the band twice on tour 1981 live and the songs were ok. But this studio album started the downfall of rainbow. And rainbow of 2016 to 2019 is a simple horror show in my opinion.
Never was that much into Rainbow. I do have the original pressing of Long live Rock'n'Roll, but it's kinda terrible. They put way to much on the record and it has very narrow grooves which results in even big powerfull systems sounds like a pocket radio. Really sad tinny sound. Some of the first things they made were pretty okay, but they went more and more into wuz pop music and barf rock ballads, which never was my thing.
Ritchie once said he left Purple because the music was getting too funky. To be honest I'll say he should have stayed, because the stuff he made afterwards...... Naaah. Some may argue that it got very popular. I will on the other hand argue that so did German Schlager - So quality isn't defined by numbers. But otherwise I won't compare. You simply can't. German Schlager is a crime against mankind. Rainbow wasn't.