Incredible singer. Incredible guitarist. Incredible keyboardist. Incredible bassist. Incredible drummer. Incredible song. Incredible performance. "Stargazer" is one of the most legendary Metal songs ever.
@@chrispellicci6587 Ronnie James Dio on vocals; ritchie blackmore on guitar; jimmy bain on bass; Tony carey on keyboards and the amazing Cozy Powell on drums. Strings by the Munich philharmonic if I recall correctly.
Why I'm drawn to it? Ronnie's performance is absolutely flawless, impeccable. No metal singer could have ever rivalled him. Titans like Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) and Rob Halford (Judas Priest) both looked up to Dio as an inspiration for both vocal abilities and overall showmanship and stage presence. Musically, the song has played such a massive role in birthing neoclassical, power, and symphonic metal. Ritchie Blackmore was *the first* metal shred guitarist, playing fast and technical solos, using sweeps, arpeggios, exotic scales and so much more. He was the primary inspiration for Yngwie Malmsteen. The skills and influences of Dio / Blackmore absolutely cannot be overstated. Without Rainbow, there is no Iron Maiden as we know them. And without both of those bands, neoclassical metal, power metal, symphonic metal and everything similar wouldn't be what they are today.
Actually main inspiration for Bruce was Ian Gillan and Peter Hammill from Van Der Graaf Generator. But still, Dio's influence on metal music is irrefutable
I'd definitely say Geoff Tate rivals Dio's vocal abilities. His vocals on the Operation: Mindcrime and Empire albums, in particular, were phenomenal. In terms of power, intonation, range and phrasing, he's every bit as good as Dio was and probably better. Just my opinion. And I say all that as a lover of RJD's voice and many of his songs.
@@libertynotdemocracy9142 no way Mercury overrated.... first time you hear him you know he is special, listen to Queens first 6 albums before they got more commercial
Her reactions and Doug's are the only ones I really enjoy nowadays. If by any chance someone reading this hasn't already checked The Charismatic Voice, then do yourselves a favor and do it now.
Elizabeth Zharoff (The Charismatic Voice) really is the dearest lady and when you hear her sing!! Good grief!! She needs to come with a government warning ⚠️ her power is beautiful and amazing. She's the sort of person (as is Doug) who you'd like to sit down with a cuppa in hand and just discuss music whilst passing the time.
“I see a rainbow rising on the horizon.” This is indicative of the fact that he’s emerging from the desert where he toiled for nine years building the tower of stone. That’s the point in the song where he realizes he is truly free. “They gave me back my will. I’m coming home.” Goosebumps every single time. A cautionary tale indeed.
No men . U know blackmore was very close to allíster crowley the Last modern wizard... this song have a hiden meening. Related whit esoterism and ocultism... where was your star ??? Was it far ?? He is asking to a far away visitor. And the wizard was folish for this visitor too.and other stuff
@@KnivingDispodia I’m a builder and someone asked me for a quote on a “ tower of stone “ ; fortunately , having owned Rising for years, I told them to do one. Not getting caught out that easy.
I see a rainbow rising LOOK there…..a turning point of realisation and enlightenment. It’s the most important line of the song for me. It’s even sung as if excitedly shouting to a friend.
One of the songs that you never get tired of. Absolutely fantastic vocals by Ronnie James Dio and the overall performance of the musicians is just top class. Don´t know how many times I have listened to this over the decades, well, not enough obviously, as I´m here !
Ronnie was one of the nicest guys I have ever met. Two times I had the opportunity to see him backstage and once he just walked upon the field of Bospop in The Netherlands after his gig and he said: we have met before! Did you enjoy the show? And have you seen other bands you liked or you want to see? Mötorhead, Ten years after, ZZ top and Subway to Sally I responded and Ronnie said: I like your musical taste and he signed my denim jacket. Maybe one of the best days of my life!!!!! For me Ronnie is still a metal god!
I've heard that RJD was the nicest guy you were ever going to meet. Never met him, but I met Mike Anthony (and the rest of Van Hagar), and he was very cool, no pretense.
ronnie james dio was known to have the very unique ability to remember all the fans he ever met EVEN REMEMBERING THEIR NAMES YEARS LATER AFTER MEETING THEM ONCE its no joke, some people can actually do that
Stargazer is the whole package - interesting lyrics, great music, amazing vocals, great guitar work, great support form the other instruments. It is just about the perfect hard rock song. RJD also did great work when he was in Black Sabbath and then Heaven and Hell. There are great live performances on YT.
Amen to that. Dio era Sabbath is my favorite. I believe that Dio inspired Tony to create some of his absolute best riffs and solos. Oh, and Heaven and Hell is great too. I can’t get enough of Bible Black!
Watched a bunch of reaction vids to this masterpiece of a track, and no one mentions the most impressive little melodic nugget in the song. In the final 24 bars, the lines starting with "my eyes are bleeding, and my heart is leaving here" which occurs twice in the outro. That, to me, is the most delicious melodic reach and emotional inflection, and the hook that acts as the cherry on top. To go there vocally at the very end is a brave choice, but the song's lyrical desperation demanded it. Enjoyed your appreciation of RJD, and long live rock n' roll.
Every heavy metal artist worth his salt has recognized that Rainbow: Rising is one of the best metal albums of ALL TIME. Stargazer is one of the best blends of symphonic rock with heavy metal blues. This album also had one of the best lineups of all time with Dio (RIP) on vocals, Blackmore on guitar, Tony Carey on keys, Cozy Powell (RIP) on drums, and Jimmy Bain (RIP) on bass.
This era or Rainbow is impeccable! Dio's voice is like velvet that can tear apart anything and Richie's minor harmonics and skills bring such poetry into songs. And of course, Tony, Jimmy and Cozy they are also amazing!
Ritchie one of the best guitarists ever. Same for Ronnie as a front man, and Cozy as a drummer. Sadly both Ronnie and Cozy left this world way to soon.
@@aldopicci9759 Bass and keys are sometimes underappreciated, except for Chris Squire, Flea, Geddy Lee, Sting, Paul McCartney, and well a lot of them are well known but Geddy and Paul are singers so they get attention for that too. Keyboardists like Elton, Rick Wakeman, and well there are a lot of keyboardists and painists that get recognition just not as much in hard rock, I mean progressive rock.
Ronnie James Dio will never be forgotten.The power of that Man's voice and his passion will never be equaled. And the contribution that Ritchie Blackmore has given to Music to launch a whole gener of music. Also some of the best musicians in the business have preformed with Richie. This version of Rainbow is the most powerful and created so much great music And memories. Long live rock & roll!!!!!
I got to see him as the other 'P' in ELP. Carl is like many other musicians that I can listen to, and while I understand their skills, I just don't enjoy the end results. I fully enjoyed Cozy's amazing performance.
My insistence paid off in the end! But it's well worth, Rainbow in the Dio days was a blast. This band, this song and this album was a huge shift for metal in the late 70's and in the years to come. Lyrically, as most songs Dio wrote, inside that fantasy storytelling there's always a morality tale that can be applied for the real world. And you're correct about the solo. To be more precise, it's on B Phrygian Dominant scale, which is just the 5th mode of the harmonic minor scale, it's what gives this Arabic/Middle East vibe, super exotic to listen. The strings are real too, on the recording and the tour they played with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra.
Rainbow was Ritchie Blackmore's project after Deep Purple. This was basically the start of neoclassical rock. Yngwie Malmsteen's sound, dress, and stage presence were all heavily influenced by Blackmore. To answer the question why so many people requested this? Its historical significance =)
Cozy Powell. Fuck, so underrated, man. That fucker was using a double bass drum way before it was a staple in metal. And not just for funky grace notes, he played machine-gun blast. In 1976! The best example, imo, is the middle jam in Kill the King. Fuckin' missile. In the coin pocket.
Cozy was my all time favourite drummer. He drives that whole album along with Jimmy Bain on bass. Light in the black is Rock Drummer powerhouse performance. Fantastic drumming. RIP Cozy
"Wow, that guy can sing!" - Great quote! Dio was a major force in every band in which he was a member. Such a talent, such a loss! RIP Ronnie James Dio!
There are 3 melodies in this song and when Dio sings " look on the horizon" the 3 melodies come together, gives me goosebumps every time, Blackmore is a genius and the whole band was amazing, RIP COZY, RONIE, JIMI...
Doug, The scale Richie uses in this for the solo is the Byzantine scale, a combination of Phrygian Dominant and harmonic minor. We’re in B, so it’s B C D# E F# G A#. The best of both worlds for that exotic sound with the b2 and major seventh.
Actually it’s mostly E Harmonic Minor (hear the A natural at 8:18? And again at 8:34 he cadences that motif with an A natural). Near the end of the solo after the speed picking climax he introduces the A# and that Double Harmonic Major or Byzantine motif.
@@woodchuk1 No worries. The Double Harmonic major scale is so transfixing, it’s totally understandable. It’s my favorite scale, along with the whole tone. I like how Blackmore uses the A# and C at the end of this solo. 👍🏻
Its not a combination of the harmonic minor and phrygian dominant. The Phrygian Dominant IS the harmonic minor only it starts at the fifth degree of the parent harmonic minor. It has all the same notes.
@@brunoraspudic9367 But it has ELEMENTS of both…the flat second, major third, and minor sixth of Phrygian Dominant, and the major seventh of harmonic minor. So in that sense it IS a combination of the two.
damn... thats so cool how this guy can just identify notes by ear and play along like this! i really love hearing his reactions! He's covering a lot of my favourite songs. Stargazer, Firth Of Fith, March of the Black Queen! :D This is great!
I love the reverence you have for the late, great Ronnie James Dio. He was truly a wonder on stage and perhaps the most remarkable thing about his voice was that he kept his range and power to an unbelievable degree for the whole of his 52 year long singing career. R.I.P., RJD, The King of Metal.
The absolute and ultimate most perfect, grand, epic, uplifting, uprising, majestic and divine eight and a half minutes in the history of rock music! Unbeaten to date.
I think this is a rare example of a perfect classic rock/metal song. Pretty much every element is absolutely phenomenal, and the more you listen to it the more you appreciate each one. I mean, it opens with one of the best drum intros ever, really announcing the virtuosity of the perpetually underrated Cozy Powell. He has so many tasty and tasteful touches throughout, even bringing back that little kick/cymbal repeat as a motif later in the piece. Dio of course just sings the hair off your arm throughout: not many rock vocalists ever had his combination of technical prowess and passion. He just puts so much emotion into every note (Elizabeth Zharoff did a great vocal analysis of this performance). Ritchie Blackmore's in top form throughout too: that opening riff is simple but iconic, right up there with his own Smoke on the Water. It has that heavy simplicity of hard blues-rock that Zeppelin mastered. Then there's the solo, which just builds so well and leads to such an epic climax. We also can't overlook just how damn catchy the verses and chorus are: that descending melody in the chorus especially just gets perpetually stuck in your head (a quality I find more technically-minded musicians often overlook: all the technique in the world don't matter if you can't make music that's memorable). Finally, yes, you have the lyrics, which are a great, classic, allegorical morality play. It's a stone-cold masterpiece IMO and one of the candidates for the best classic metal song ever written.
Stargazer really is one of my very top favorite songs of all time. It's catchy with both powerful, interesting and "exotic" instrumental parts. It tells a story that is very much relevant, no matter what time and society you live in. And finally, Ronnie James Dio delivers it with such passion and emotion that you can almost feel the pain of the people in the song. Thanks for your time to check it out on your channel!
This song has more musicians added to its recording. Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - Strings, Horn Fritz Sonnleitner - Concert Master Rainer Pietsch - Conductor
The sheer amount of talent and musicianship in that band was awe-inspiring. A whole new genre of rock music had erupted into being, and a whole new generation of young people had been inspired to become musicians themselves, myself being in that number. RIP RJD, RIP CP.
I’ve loved Rainbow since I first heard this album back in the early 80s. Ritchie is responsible for my love of “exotic” scales and to Ali ties. I can’t hear this song without playing the next track - it’s sister-song A Light In The Black, which continues the story. Another great Rainbow track is Gates of Babylon.
People need to be aware of the AMAZING NARRATION behind the guitar solo. Play the solo and look at the lyrics at the same time : the guitar almost sings EVERY word. From the start of the tower construction to the final fall of the wizard. Absolutely brillant.
Fellow composer here. What is there to say - a great epic masterpiece of rock music at the peak of the genre. Lyrics and music are a perfect marriage, the delivery is subtle, powerful and full of meaning. A great choice of motives and the exotic harmonic minor mode to place the story in a far away land with Biblical and fantastical allusions. The form is incredibly executed with many surprises, perfectly placed culminations and a slow build up towards the the final verse and a very appropriate fade out (not done out of laziness or not knowing how to end it).
That composition is incredible, a real tour-de-force from everyone. Ronnie James Dio was as such an accomplished vocal artist. The power, control, nuance, fire, grace and purity of his range was astonishing.
Yes! Saw them open for Devin Townsend back when concerts were a thing (The year before Devin had Between the Buried and Me open for him, dude know his modern prog). Absolutely brilliant, and Crystalized is one of my favourites!
It's such a deep, moving story. The background music pushes this story emphatically into my brain. You can't expect more from a piece of music. Goosebumps effect.
It's the whole package for me. Ronnie's vocal (and lyrics) - truly one of the greatest recorded vocal performances. Blacker's solo. The orchestra. All of it.
Ronnie in this era absolutely brings me to tears every time I hear him. The video was a compilation of concert footage while the music was from the album release. I do not think DIO was making a particular statement with the music, but good art lends itself to interpretation. I am drawn to this era of Rainbow, because I believe Ronnie and Richie brought the best out of each other. A remarkable guitarist with emotional and hard hitting music and Ronnie at his peak able to expressing himself as a storyteller. Thank you for this video
Ronnie throughout his career has consistently sung about the need to follow your own path and live without fear and not just meekly follow in the footsteps of others with eyes glued to the pavement. So I think the statement he seems to make here is very much intended.
We love everything about it. It is so nice to hear explanations from people who can interpret the language of music. I've loved it most of my life but couldn't articulate why. Thank you for your reaction. And yes, a morality play sounds very accurate.
This line up of Rainbow was by far my favorite. I wish they could of held it together for a few more albums. Ronnie's vocal on Stargazer are brilliant on so many levels. The way he tells the story, the emotional struggle of the slaves building the tower especially when Ronnie sings the part at the end of the song below.. So powerful. RIP Dio. Time is standing still He gave me back my will Ooh ooh ooh ooh Going home I'm going home My eyes are bleeding And my heart is leaving here
If you wanna find out how were the main character and his people "coming home", than you need to listen to second and only left song on second side of the album. When I first listened to Stargazer I was crying in the end, but "A light in the black" always makes me happy again for this poor people. It's a complete story, a birthplace of storytales in power metal and such. Greatest Ritchie's work magnificently sung by RJD!
Saw RJD and the Dio band in 2003 as part of the support with Motorhead and Iron Maiden. Ronnie was 61, still sounded amazing and still owned the stage. Stargazer was part of that setlist and I'm so glad I was able to see it live, simply amazing, as was the entire set. Truly a legendary voice with an amazing catalogue of music that he left us with to enjoy and remember him by. Highly recommend this live performance of "Heaven and Hell" a song from RJDs time with Black Sabbath (though this is with the Dio band in 86) - th-cam.com/video/ZzkGqvq9K9g/w-d-xo.html
had tickets for sonisphere back in 2010. I was excited to see RJD in person but couple of months before the festival, he had to cancel and later he passed away. RIP
The singer Ronnie James Dio has stated that he did not take formal lessons but got his strength from playing a trumpet before starting to sing, thus learning the breathing technique. Ritchie Blackmore has studied especially medieval and renaissance - era music and has even taken lessons in cello.
Sorry. No. Blackmore was a rock guitarist, not metal. Tony Iommi was responsible for the first metal riff (the song Black Sabbath) in early 1970. If you wanna say Blackmore's style was metal than you'd have to go back further and say Hendrix fathered Heavy Metal. In fact, there's a story that the term was first coined in days of Hendrix when some journalist described his playing/tone to be "like heavy metal falling from the sky".
@@dac2007 I have done. I still disagree. You won't persuade me otherwise so don't waste your time. There's no need to be offended by an opinion either. It doesn't invalidate your own. I just disagree.
Would really recommend giving A Light in the Black a listen too,, as it’s essentially a sequel to Stargazer. The two songs formed the whole of side 2 of the original vinyl and should ideally be heard together 🤘🏻
So long ago now but how many (rock) albums are there where a track provides a different (and wonderful) perspective on the preceding song? Together they made Rainbow Rising special.
Steve Harris and Dave Murray from Iron Maiden have always said that Rainbow where one of their biggest influences. You can hear that in this song in so many places. Love Rainbow. Ronnie and Richie get most of the attention, rightfully so, but the other guys are great at their craft as well.
Eddie Truck responded to the criticism over Janick Gers jumping around while on stage. He stated that Janick idolized Ritchie and copied what Ritchie did.
I love all the musical elements in this song, from the use of Phrygian Dominant, the inclusion of an actual orchestra, RJD's epic singing, the drum and guitar work, etc. However, the story told in the lyrics is what truly makes this a legendary piece, and elevates it beyond any of its contemporaries. There are few songs in any genre that have a pedigree like Stargazer; it single-handedly created an entire sub-genre of metal - power metal - that is still immensely popular to this day. This song always reminds me of the tragedy of the Jonestown massacre, which occurred a few years after the album's release. The 70's was an era of many cults, and I have no doubt the story in Starrgazer was influenced by the media reports of those destructive situations. Your interpretation of the song as a warning against blind faith is quite apt, but there is an aspect you missed that I think is quite revealing. The important realization is that the wizard is a believer as well, and that he is just as self-deluded as his followers (perhaps moreso, since he dies because of his delusions). While it may be our instinct to see a cult leader as "selfish" because of the power they hold over others, one of the reasons that people follow them is because these messiah figures are often very altruistic and passionate about "making the world a better place". Consider the early life of Jim Jones: he has a tale similar to many that we call "saints", in his drive to bring about racial and economic equality in many communities. Thousands of people were drawn to that passion, and he inspired many to give of themselves just as much as they saw him doing. When the climax of the song happens, and the wizard plummets to his death, I am always struck by how insightful this story is. The wizard believed too. He may have enslaved and driven his followers with "whips and chains", but there was a charisma there that made people both fear and worship him. That is what still impresses me about this writing to this day. There is even a psychological term - pathological altruism - that describes the condition of many who become cult leaders, and which sheds light on this song in more ways than I have time to write about here. When Ronnie sings "I see a rainbow rising. Look there, on the horizon. And I'm going home." in the outro, the emotion in his voice makes the hair on my arms stand on end. Such an incredible voice and talent...no one could have done this song as well as RJD did. Thanks so much for doing this reaction, and hopefully this introduces the song to many more people, since it is such an important morality tale that is relevant to this day!
Well argued, but I disagree - what makes this song legendary is the music. Imagine the same lyrics with mediocre music, and you wouldn't bother listening to it. The same music with average lyrics and it would still be a great song.
That's the studio album version with live footage. The Munich Philharmonic recorded the strings etc. This is widely recognised as one of the greatest Rock albums, and this track with its following track A Light In The Black, the greatest tracks of all time. Ritchie Blackmore's solos on the two tracks are sublime and Ronnie, of course, is amazing.
@@chrispalo5122 He didn't like the musical direction. That's one thing you couldn't call Ritchie Blackmore is fake. He wanted to jump to different styles
Blackmore paid all the bills as Rainbow was his band and it was a considerable drain on his finances which is why he wanted a more commercial approach, if you read the book Black Knight by Jerry Bloom, Blackmore was becoming dissatisfied with Dio's and his songwriting, according to Raymond D'addario who had worked with Dio for several years Wendy was also getting in Ronnie's head and this caused friction as well, Dio didn't want to move in Blackmore's way and all communication broke down between them leading to the split.
@@RushfanUK I've always wondered what another Dio fronted Rainbow album might have sounded like but alas Ritchie, who is a Guitar God, pulled the plug on that...apparently he admitted his mistake in latter years, albeit only in terms of how well the Heaven & Hell album was received and how commercially successful it was for Sabbath.....listening to the LLRNR album it's a mixed bag, Gates of Babylon aside there's only Gates of Babylon, Lady of the Lake and Kill the King (which was already written in 76 having been played live by the previous line up) that were in the same vein as Stargazer, A Light in the Black, Tarot Woman and Run with the Wolf....even Lady Starstruck and Do You Close Your Eyes from the Rising album are commercial hard rock songs....so, everything considered, it's probably for the best that Ronnie got to record Heaven & He'll, Mob Rules and then went on to form Dio and record some more, monumental Power Metal albums. I love Halford, Tate, Freddie, Coverdale, Gillan and Rodgers...but Ronnie was the best imho
What a great song! Ronnie Dio launched a great career from Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and Heaven and Hell! He also put together an all star cast of metal musicians called Hear'N Aid. The song Stars, is amazing.
Best producer of metal. Either he only worked on the absolute best albums or he was a contributing part to making the best albums. Great ears on that man.
The melody and way this makes the listener “feel” as Ronnie sings is what draws me in. It’s a powerful rock rhythm mixed in with hook after hook in the vocals. Love Rainbow!
@@justinavery8664 You are absolutely right. I mistakenly said it was light in the black, but as you clearly point out, it’s actually called Coming Home. I put the album on 30 odd years ago and listened to it side A, side B, constantly for many, many months, as one continuous track so I honestly thought all these years it was called Light in the black. Many thanks.
The magnificence of the song . The enormity it's sort of operatic . There's a story , a message. The band is super talented . The composition is big and emotional . I can imagine this being a classical piece musically . What happened to music after the 70s ? well my kind of progressive taste anyway . It seems the world lost its "bothered". Peace and love brother thanks for another part of my youth being brought back to my old present self. 👍🏻☮❤
Fantastic song! Dio's vocals on this song is one of the greatest performances in all of popular music, in my opinion! I only wish that I had seen Rainbow when he was with them. I did see Dio perform twice when he was with Black Sabbath and his singing was mesmerizing! Rest in peace, dear Ronnie.
For me it's the whole thing, to be honest. The story is very compelling, the musicianship is fantastic, and finally Dio's singing takes the song to an entirely different level. Dio's singing was, simply put, head and shoulders above just about anybody else in terms of expression and feeling.
You are hitting all the important songs of my youth - Close to the Edge, Supper's Ready, Stargazer. Just some Uriah Heep or maybe Tubular Bells needed and you've covered most of it. The thing that always got me about this song is that driving two-chord cycle at the end. It just carries you along and the way Ronnie works with the vocal line and lyrics is just masterful. It's one of a very few songs that, for me, _have_ to fade out (Epitaph by King Crimson and Beauty _of_ the Beast by Nightwish are two more). There's something about the way the ending is constructed that makes it self-sustaining without being boring. I consider these songs to not so much fade out as recede into the distance... I'd be intrigued to know what a composer thinks makes the difference between a tightly repetitive section that carries you along compared with one that just gets boring. Fun fact: I heard this song on the radio a couple of years back having not heard for at least 10, maybe 15, years previously and I could still remember all the words. But I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday.
Why this song? It's the riff, the vocal, the lyrics, the thunderous drums, the background orchestration, the lyrical guitar solo... it's everything! Such a fantastic song. An all-timer. "Gates of Babylon" should be next in your queue.
I think with Stargazer, it's the whole package, the lyrics are super cool, and I think you hit the nail on the head with your analysis of those, plus it has a cool riff, cool guitar solo, and the singing is just fantastic. What's not to like?
I came here to say " A Light in the Black" is the second half of this song, but many others already have. So I'll give my own suggestion as to a relatively unknown masterpiece. NEKTAR "Remember the Future" is probably too long, but "a Tab in the Ocean" is an interesting piece of period music(1972).
Incredible singer. Incredible guitarist. Incredible keyboardist. Incredible bassist. Incredible drummer. Incredible song. Incredible performance. "Stargazer" is one of the most legendary Metal songs ever.
Finish naming the whole band please, out of curiosity
@@chrispellicci6587 No, that's it.
You`re got damn right
@@chrispellicci6587 The whole bands name is Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. Is this what you want?
@@chrispellicci6587 Ronnie James Dio on vocals; ritchie blackmore on guitar; jimmy bain on bass; Tony carey on keyboards and the amazing Cozy Powell on drums. Strings by the Munich philharmonic if I recall correctly.
the last 45 seconds are what make this song. the arpeggio, and him singing "I'm going home..." brilliant.
Correct!!!
and when the stringsection kicks in.
"My eye's are bleeding!"
Goosebumps
the whole song is what makes this song
Why I'm drawn to it?
Ronnie's performance is absolutely flawless, impeccable. No metal singer could have ever rivalled him. Titans like Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) and Rob Halford (Judas Priest) both looked up to Dio as an inspiration for both vocal abilities and overall showmanship and stage presence.
Musically, the song has played such a massive role in birthing neoclassical, power, and symphonic metal. Ritchie Blackmore was *the first* metal shred guitarist, playing fast and technical solos, using sweeps, arpeggios, exotic scales and so much more. He was the primary inspiration for Yngwie Malmsteen.
The skills and influences of Dio / Blackmore absolutely cannot be overstated. Without Rainbow, there is no Iron Maiden as we know them. And without both of those bands, neoclassical metal, power metal, symphonic metal and everything similar wouldn't be what they are today.
Wonderful comment!
Completely agree
Actually main inspiration for Bruce was Ian Gillan and Peter Hammill from Van Der Graaf Generator. But still, Dio's influence on metal music is irrefutable
Your comments are on point!
I will add that UFO was also a great influence to Iron Maiden.
🤟🏻🤟🏻🤟🏻
I'd definitely say Geoff Tate rivals Dio's vocal abilities. His vocals on the Operation: Mindcrime and Empire albums, in particular, were phenomenal. In terms of power, intonation, range and phrasing, he's every bit as good as Dio was and probably better. Just my opinion. And I say all that as a lover of RJD's voice and many of his songs.
Of course he can sing, he's Ronnie James Dio, greatest metal/rock singer ever!
DUH! right ;-)
The Freddy Mercury of Metal
@@joshthomas2536 mercury is overrated
Thank you for not calling him just a metal singer 😁 Rainbow was hard rock and ELF was regular rock... could do all them beautifully
@@libertynotdemocracy9142 no way Mercury overrated.... first time you hear him you know he is special, listen to Queens first 6 albums before they got more commercial
Another great Rainbow song is The Gates of Babylon
I'd like to hear Doug react to the instrumental Still I'm Sad which is a cover of a Yardbirds song.
Yes! The guitar solo have some spicy chord choices, which Blackmore executes remarkably.
With one of the greatest keyboard intros
Absolutely. Fantastic song.
@@chrispalo5122 still I'm sad the live version!!!
That "My eyes are BLEEEDIINNNG" sounds so unbeliveably good and sounds like absolute desperation.
agreed. totally epic
Agreed, Dio was so expressive in his singing. He was almost an actor as well as a singer
I get the same feeling from Dio's rendition of Mistreated, when at the end he sings "I misplaced my soul". Very dramatic.
That part. Ugh. I love him.
I think that everybody that listen to this song, do it waiting for this part. Soulful, screamed from the deep.
Elizabeth Zharof, international opera singer, says that Dio should be required listening for any new opera singer.
Yes, I love her and have watched some vids from her.
she also called him God of voice
Her reactions and Doug's are the only ones I really enjoy nowadays. If by any chance someone reading this hasn't already checked The Charismatic Voice, then do yourselves a favor and do it now.
Yes!!! She smiling said : I love Dio, with the acting on stage and face expressions!!!!
Elizabeth Zharoff (The Charismatic Voice) really is the dearest lady and when you hear her sing!! Good grief!! She needs to come with a government warning ⚠️ her power is beautiful and amazing. She's the sort of person (as is Doug) who you'd like to sit down with a cuppa in hand and just discuss music whilst passing the time.
This is one of the most, if not the most, powerful vocal performances in the entire history of rock music.
Dio was and still is the greatest story teller in metal. His lyricism is like painting pictures. We miss you Ronnie!!
Rivalled only by Steve Harris
“I see a rainbow rising on the horizon.” This is indicative of the fact that he’s emerging from the desert where he toiled for nine years building the tower of stone. That’s the point in the song where he realizes he is truly free. “They gave me back my will. I’m coming home.” Goosebumps every single time. A cautionary tale indeed.
No men . U know blackmore was very close to allíster crowley the Last modern wizard... this song have a hiden meening. Related whit esoterism and ocultism... where was your star ??? Was it far ?? He is asking to a far away visitor. And the wizard was folish for this visitor too.and other stuff
A cautionary tale of what? Is this song warning me not to be a slave to a wizard?
@@KnivingDispodia 100%. This song dissuaded me from working unpaid for a wizard only three months ago. Thank God for this song.
@@KnivingDispodia I’m a builder and someone asked me for a quote on a “ tower of stone “ ; fortunately , having owned Rising for years, I told them to do one. Not getting caught out that easy.
I see a rainbow rising LOOK there…..a turning point of realisation and enlightenment. It’s the most important line of the song for me. It’s even sung as if excitedly shouting to a friend.
One of the songs that you never get tired of. Absolutely fantastic vocals by Ronnie James Dio and the overall performance of the musicians is just top class. Don´t know how many times I have listened to this over the decades, well, not enough obviously, as I´m here !
Totally agree 🔥
One of the best rock tunes in history.
“Wow. That guy can sing. Holy Crap.”
RIP Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie was one of the nicest guys I have ever met. Two times I had the opportunity to see him backstage and once he just walked upon the field of Bospop in The Netherlands after his gig and he said: we have met before! Did you enjoy the show? And have you seen other bands you liked or you want to see? Mötorhead, Ten years after, ZZ top and Subway to Sally I responded and Ronnie said: I like your musical taste and he signed my denim jacket. Maybe one of the best days of my life!!!!!
For me Ronnie is still a metal god!
I've heard that RJD was the nicest guy you were ever going to meet. Never met him, but I met Mike Anthony (and the rest of Van Hagar), and he was very cool, no pretense.
He is the god Of Metal singers and writers and he gave us the horns man.
Well that is an awesome memory to cherish.
@@Jesses001 I will never forget! Some people are like magic and Ronnie was one of them!
ronnie james dio was known to have the very unique ability to remember all the fans he ever met
EVEN REMEMBERING THEIR NAMES YEARS LATER AFTER MEETING THEM ONCE
its no joke, some people can actually do that
If this song does not give you goose bumps and brings tears to your eyes, then you do not understand the pinnacle of Greatness!
Stargazer is the whole package - interesting lyrics, great music, amazing vocals, great guitar work, great support form the other instruments. It is just about the perfect hard rock song. RJD also did great work when he was in Black Sabbath and then Heaven and Hell. There are great live performances on YT.
Amen to that. Dio era Sabbath is my favorite. I believe that Dio inspired Tony to create some of his absolute best riffs and solos. Oh, and Heaven and Hell is great too. I can’t get enough of Bible Black!
wonderful put.
Don't forget Dio's vocal performance on mistreated 1977 with Blackmore/ rainbow. Simply stellar and he made it his own
Watched a bunch of reaction vids to this masterpiece of a track, and no one mentions the most impressive little melodic nugget in the song. In the final 24 bars, the lines starting with "my eyes are bleeding, and my heart is leaving here" which occurs twice in the outro. That, to me, is the most delicious melodic reach and emotional inflection, and the hook that acts as the cherry on top. To go there vocally at the very end is a brave choice, but the song's lyrical desperation demanded it. Enjoyed your appreciation of RJD, and long live rock n' roll.
The notes he hits on “bleeding” and the others at the end really grab at ya!! 🤘
You should probably worry about your own band Rube, I hear the red-haired kid is a real problem! 😉
@@rpmevo8 Yeah, no coke for the bassist please...
@@ChorusArtists Huh??….
@@rpmevo8 sorry, replied to wrong commenter
Every heavy metal artist worth his salt has recognized that Rainbow: Rising is one of the best metal albums of ALL TIME. Stargazer is one of the best blends of symphonic rock with heavy metal blues. This album also had one of the best lineups of all time with Dio (RIP) on vocals, Blackmore on guitar, Tony Carey on keys, Cozy Powell (RIP) on drums, and Jimmy Bain (RIP) on bass.
Damn right!
Damn right II !
It is not metal! Heavy Rock, just like Deep Purple.
Rising is fantastic, but their next one, "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll", is even better in my opinion!
yup
This era or Rainbow is impeccable! Dio's voice is like velvet that can tear apart anything and Richie's minor harmonics and skills bring such poetry into songs. And of course, Tony, Jimmy and Cozy they are also amazing!
Ritchie one of the best guitarists ever. Same for Ronnie as a front man, and Cozy as a drummer. Sadly both Ronnie and Cozy left this world way to soon.
and THE GRATE Jimmy Bain on th bass RIP
Ronnie, Blackmore, Cozy.
What a line up..
If we ever see a band like it
Perchè Tony Carey e Jmmy Bain erano figli di nessuno?
@@aldopicci9759 Bass and keys are sometimes underappreciated, except for Chris Squire, Flea, Geddy Lee, Sting, Paul McCartney, and well a lot of them are well known but Geddy and Paul are singers so they get attention for that too.
Keyboardists like Elton, Rick Wakeman, and well there are a lot of keyboardists and painists that get recognition just not as much in hard rock, I mean progressive rock.
Next: "The Gates of Babylon" by Rainbow
Especially the guitar solo in Gates of Babylon 😳
Ronnie James Dio will never be forgotten.The power of that Man's voice and his passion will never be equaled.
And the contribution that Ritchie Blackmore has given to Music to launch a whole gener of music. Also some of the best musicians in the business have preformed with Richie.
This version of Rainbow is the most powerful and created so much great music
And memories. Long live rock & roll!!!!!
Listen to those accentuating cymbal hits when Dio sings "I believeeeeeee." Awesome! RIP, Cozy!
I got to see him as the other 'P' in ELP. Carl is like many other musicians that I can listen to, and while I understand their skills, I just don't enjoy the end results. I fully enjoyed Cozy's amazing performance.
Dio's lyrics make you think. Dio's voice makes you feel.
Now you need to listen to the second part of the story, A Light in the Black. 🌈
Too much double-kick for Doug xD
That has always been my favorite over Stargazers.
@@nikolaypanov8159 I mean, you are not wrong. But he probably would love the keyboard solo
Came here to say that
Too bad it doesn’t hold a candle to Stargazer.
Stargazer es la mejor canción del heavy metal de todos los tiempos y Ronnie James Dio es la voz más grande y más perfecta de todos los tiempos! ✊🤘
No puedo estar más de acuerdo. Para mí Stargazer supera cualquiera otra canción del género, es simplemente superlativa.
Amén compañero del metal!!!!!
My insistence paid off in the end! But it's well worth, Rainbow in the Dio days was a blast. This band, this song and this album was a huge shift for metal in the late 70's and in the years to come. Lyrically, as most songs Dio wrote, inside that fantasy storytelling there's always a morality tale that can be applied for the real world.
And you're correct about the solo. To be more precise, it's on B Phrygian Dominant scale, which is just the 5th mode of the harmonic minor scale, it's what gives this Arabic/Middle East vibe, super exotic to listen. The strings are real too, on the recording and the tour they played with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra.
incredible solo .... that's what you hear listening to Ritchie Blackmore's solos ... the one and only guitar genius. Thank you Doug for your reaction.
Rainbow was Ritchie Blackmore's project after Deep Purple. This was basically the start of neoclassical rock. Yngwie Malmsteen's sound, dress, and stage presence were all heavily influenced by Blackmore. To answer the question why so many people requested this? Its historical significance =)
Anyone else mention Cozy Powell's lightning-fast drum fills? Unbelievable how he goes at that pace while keeping it all in the pocket.
Cozy Powell. Fuck, so underrated, man. That fucker was using a double bass drum way before it was a staple in metal. And not just for funky grace notes, he played machine-gun blast.
In 1976!
The best example, imo, is the middle jam in Kill the King.
Fuckin' missile. In the coin pocket.
Cozy was my all time favourite drummer. He drives that whole album along with Jimmy Bain on bass. Light in the black is Rock Drummer powerhouse performance.
Fantastic drumming. RIP Cozy
A light in the black shows Cozy`s drumming.
Not to mention he invented the double kick!
Cozy Powell and 2 b drumsticks , major influence to myself
"Wow, that guy can sing!" - Great quote!
Dio was a major force in every band in which he was a member. Such a talent, such a loss!
RIP Ronnie James Dio!
There are 3 melodies in this song and when Dio sings " look on the horizon" the 3 melodies come together, gives me goosebumps every time, Blackmore is a genius and the whole band was amazing, RIP COZY, RONIE, JIMI...
Doug,
The scale Richie uses in this for the solo is the Byzantine scale, a combination of Phrygian Dominant and harmonic minor. We’re in B, so it’s B C D# E F# G A#. The best of both worlds for that exotic sound with the b2 and major seventh.
Actually it’s mostly E Harmonic Minor (hear the A natural at 8:18? And again at 8:34 he cadences that motif with an A natural). Near the end of the solo after the speed picking climax he introduces the A# and that Double Harmonic Major or Byzantine motif.
@@TheSteveSteele You’re right, he does use both E harmonic minor/B Phrygian Dominant and B Byzantine. My ear must have missed the A naturals!
@@woodchuk1 No worries. The Double Harmonic major scale is so transfixing, it’s totally understandable. It’s my favorite scale, along with the whole tone. I like how Blackmore uses the A# and C at the end of this solo. 👍🏻
Its not a combination of the harmonic minor and phrygian dominant. The Phrygian Dominant IS the harmonic minor only it starts at the fifth degree of the parent harmonic minor. It has all the same notes.
@@brunoraspudic9367 But it has ELEMENTS of both…the flat second, major third, and minor sixth of Phrygian Dominant, and the major seventh of harmonic minor. So in that sense it IS a combination of the two.
damn... thats so cool how this guy can just identify notes by ear and play along like this! i really love hearing his reactions! He's covering a lot of my favourite songs. Stargazer, Firth Of Fith, March of the Black Queen! :D This is great!
His review of the Prophet's Song was pretty good too.
Brilliant analysis....this track slaps so hard muahaha
Hi, Master! Muahahahaha this song needs some 0 3 5 don't you think?
@@franciscoferreira4626 It basically does in the beginning mehehehe
Hmmm ...more muahahaha could be better Mr. Shred
Man, I haven't seen it was shred, but when I read the "muahaha" I knew who it should be
The opening drum sequence is killer.
Pretty sure that's the studio version set to live footage.
Yep.. nailed it. It is.
Yes
You can tell at times it's not synced very well.
The description on the og even says unofficial video :)
Of course it is
I love the reverence you have for the late, great Ronnie James Dio. He was truly a wonder on stage and perhaps the most remarkable thing about his voice was that he kept his range and power to an unbelievable degree for the whole of his 52 year long singing career. R.I.P., RJD, The King of Metal.
One of the most epic songs ever. Period!
Not just a warning about the perils of blindly following political leaders, but also the perils of following religious leaders without question.
This song pre-dates Seventh Son by Iron Maiden. In fact, this song pre-dates the band, Iron Maiden. lol.
This was made in 76 which is crazy.. so early. Maiden formrd that year actually
Masterpieces both
@@ElevatedLevetator Christmas day 1975 actually.
The absolute and ultimate most perfect, grand, epic, uplifting, uprising, majestic and divine eight and a half minutes in the history of rock music! Unbeaten to date.
I think this is a rare example of a perfect classic rock/metal song. Pretty much every element is absolutely phenomenal, and the more you listen to it the more you appreciate each one. I mean, it opens with one of the best drum intros ever, really announcing the virtuosity of the perpetually underrated Cozy Powell. He has so many tasty and tasteful touches throughout, even bringing back that little kick/cymbal repeat as a motif later in the piece. Dio of course just sings the hair off your arm throughout: not many rock vocalists ever had his combination of technical prowess and passion. He just puts so much emotion into every note (Elizabeth Zharoff did a great vocal analysis of this performance). Ritchie Blackmore's in top form throughout too: that opening riff is simple but iconic, right up there with his own Smoke on the Water. It has that heavy simplicity of hard blues-rock that Zeppelin mastered. Then there's the solo, which just builds so well and leads to such an epic climax. We also can't overlook just how damn catchy the verses and chorus are: that descending melody in the chorus especially just gets perpetually stuck in your head (a quality I find more technically-minded musicians often overlook: all the technique in the world don't matter if you can't make music that's memorable). Finally, yes, you have the lyrics, which are a great, classic, allegorical morality play. It's a stone-cold masterpiece IMO and one of the candidates for the best classic metal song ever written.
Stargazer really is one of my very top favorite songs of all time. It's catchy with both powerful, interesting and "exotic" instrumental parts. It tells a story that is very much relevant, no matter what time and society you live in. And finally, Ronnie James Dio delivers it with such passion and emotion that you can almost feel the pain of the people in the song.
Thanks for your time to check it out on your channel!
This song has more musicians added to its recording.
Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - Strings, Horn
Fritz Sonnleitner - Concert Master
Rainer Pietsch - Conductor
The sheer amount of talent and musicianship in that band was awe-inspiring. A whole new genre of rock music had erupted into being, and a whole new generation of young people had been inspired to become musicians themselves, myself being in that number. RIP RJD, RIP CP.
I’ve loved Rainbow since I first heard this album back in the early 80s. Ritchie is responsible for my love of “exotic” scales and to Ali ties. I can’t hear this song without playing the next track - it’s sister-song A Light In The Black, which continues the story. Another great Rainbow track is Gates of Babylon.
People need to be aware of the AMAZING NARRATION behind the guitar solo.
Play the solo and look at the lyrics at the same time : the guitar almost sings EVERY word.
From the start of the tower construction to the final fall of the wizard.
Absolutely brillant.
I would suggest for another Rainbow song, Gates of Babylon.
Whole band were remarkable like a perfect storm of musicians at the top of their game. My oh my this brings backs memories
I was lucky enough to watch your starless king crimson reaction before being taken down. It was a great one.
Fellow composer here. What is there to say - a great epic masterpiece of rock music at the peak of the genre. Lyrics and music are a perfect marriage, the delivery is subtle, powerful and full of meaning. A great choice of motives and the exotic harmonic minor mode to place the story in a far away land with Biblical and fantastical allusions. The form is incredibly executed with many surprises, perfectly placed culminations and a slow build up towards the the final verse and a very appropriate fade out (not done out of laziness or not knowing how to end it).
That composition is incredible, a real tour-de-force from everyone. Ronnie James Dio was as such an accomplished vocal artist. The power, control, nuance, fire, grace and purity of his range was astonishing.
It’s great to hear your perspective as someone who understands music composition.
Haken - Crystalized for a modern prog masterpiece.
Yes! Saw them open for Devin Townsend back when concerts were a thing (The year before Devin had Between the Buried and Me open for him, dude know his modern prog). Absolutely brilliant, and Crystalized is one of my favourites!
Celestial Elixir
@@AlexWizer Also great but I think he will enjoy this one as a starter.
Id like to hear Doug's thoughts on Cockroach King, 1985 or Veil... Or all 3... 😀
Been packing to move and have had Crystalized on repeat!
It's such a deep, moving story. The background music pushes this story emphatically into my brain. You can't expect more from a piece of music. Goosebumps effect.
I love when your analysis comes with a piano
It's the whole package for me. Ronnie's vocal (and lyrics) - truly one of the greatest recorded vocal performances. Blacker's solo. The orchestra. All of it.
Ronnie in this era absolutely brings me to tears every time I hear him. The video was a compilation of concert footage while the music was from the album release. I do not think DIO was making a particular statement with the music, but good art lends itself to interpretation. I am drawn to this era of Rainbow, because I believe Ronnie and Richie brought the best out of each other. A remarkable guitarist with emotional and hard hitting music and Ronnie at his peak able to expressing himself as a storyteller. Thank you for this video
Ronnie throughout his career has consistently sung about the need to follow your own path and live without fear and not just meekly follow in the footsteps of others with eyes glued to the pavement. So I think the statement he seems to make here is very much intended.
We love everything about it. It is so nice to hear explanations from people who can interpret the language of music. I've loved it most of my life but couldn't articulate why. Thank you for your reaction. And yes, a morality play sounds very accurate.
Hocus pocus by focus!! Please!! The live '73 version
This line up of Rainbow was by far my favorite. I wish they could of held it together for a few more albums. Ronnie's vocal on Stargazer are brilliant on so many levels. The way he tells the story, the emotional struggle of the slaves building the tower especially when Ronnie sings the part at the end of the song below.. So powerful. RIP Dio.
Time is standing still
He gave me back my will
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
Going home
I'm going home
My eyes are bleeding
And my heart is leaving here
This really was their best line up. A great album all the way around.
If you wanna find out how were the main character and his people "coming home", than you need to listen to second and only left song on second side of the album. When I first listened to Stargazer I was crying in the end, but "A light in the black" always makes me happy again for this poor people. It's a complete story, a birthplace of storytales in power metal and such. Greatest Ritchie's work magnificently sung by RJD!
Wow, so, so, so well said.
Great comment 👍
I learn so much by watching how Dough breaks down songs. Love this channel
Saw RJD and the Dio band in 2003 as part of the support with Motorhead and Iron Maiden. Ronnie was 61, still sounded amazing and still owned the stage. Stargazer was part of that setlist and I'm so glad I was able to see it live, simply amazing, as was the entire set. Truly a legendary voice with an amazing catalogue of music that he left us with to enjoy and remember him by. Highly recommend this live performance of "Heaven and Hell" a song from RJDs time with Black Sabbath (though this is with the Dio band in 86) - th-cam.com/video/ZzkGqvq9K9g/w-d-xo.html
I caught this same gig. Epic.
We saw RJD year's ago at Hammersmith in London. My ears are still ringing!!!
had tickets for sonisphere back in 2010. I was excited to see RJD in person but couple of months before the festival, he had to cancel and later he passed away. RIP
@@efeyamacyarbas8658 Yeah, he was out there rockin' as long as he could.
I saw that tour in Phoenix! It was amazing!
The singer Ronnie James Dio has stated that he did not take formal lessons but got his strength from playing a trumpet before starting to sing, thus learning the breathing technique. Ritchie Blackmore has studied especially medieval and renaissance - era music and has even taken lessons in cello.
blackmore. father of neoclassic and heavy metal.
Sorry. No. Blackmore was a rock guitarist, not metal. Tony Iommi was responsible for the first metal riff (the song Black Sabbath) in early 1970. If you wanna say Blackmore's style was metal than you'd have to go back further and say Hendrix fathered Heavy Metal. In fact, there's a story that the term was first coined in days of Hendrix when some journalist described his playing/tone to be "like heavy metal falling from the sky".
@@j800r_aswell sorry, Deep Purple was as much father of Heavy Metal as Sabbath was. Listen to the album In Rock before stating otherwise
@@dac2007 exactly.
@@dac2007 I have done. I still disagree. You won't persuade me otherwise so don't waste your time. There's no need to be offended by an opinion either. It doesn't invalidate your own. I just disagree.
@@j800r_aswell well then don't respond in such a condescending way in the first place
Best reaction vid I've seen in a while. Love that you input your piano and musical knowledge to it while reacting 👏
Would really recommend giving A Light in the Black a listen too,, as it’s essentially a sequel to Stargazer. The two songs formed the whole of side 2 of the original vinyl and should ideally be heard together 🤘🏻
So long ago now but how many (rock) albums are there where a track provides a different (and wonderful) perspective on the preceding song? Together they made Rainbow Rising special.
God, I love this song so much. I've heard it a million times. And yet, I still found myself wishing he'd stop playing over it hahaha...
The thing that “draws” me in is the unbelievable Trio of Power.... Cozy Powell, Ronnie James Dio and The Man in Black.... Ritchie Blackmore.
Never forget Jimmy Bain.
And Tony Carey that destroys in Tarot Woman
Steve Harris and Dave Murray from Iron Maiden have always said that Rainbow where one of their biggest influences. You can hear that in this song in so many places. Love Rainbow. Ronnie and Richie get most of the attention, rightfully so, but the other guys are great at their craft as well.
Eddie Truck responded to the criticism over Janick Gers jumping around while on stage. He stated that Janick idolized Ritchie and copied what Ritchie did.
Other suggestions that display Blackmore’s genius for melodies:
Temple of the king
Catch the rainbow
And of course his solo in Gates of Babylon
Epic. What a guitar solo! What a singer! What a band!
I love all the musical elements in this song, from the use of Phrygian Dominant, the inclusion of an actual orchestra, RJD's epic singing, the drum and guitar work, etc. However, the story told in the lyrics is what truly makes this a legendary piece, and elevates it beyond any of its contemporaries. There are few songs in any genre that have a pedigree like Stargazer; it single-handedly created an entire sub-genre of metal - power metal - that is still immensely popular to this day.
This song always reminds me of the tragedy of the Jonestown massacre, which occurred a few years after the album's release. The 70's was an era of many cults, and I have no doubt the story in Starrgazer was influenced by the media reports of those destructive situations. Your interpretation of the song as a warning against blind faith is quite apt, but there is an aspect you missed that I think is quite revealing. The important realization is that the wizard is a believer as well, and that he is just as self-deluded as his followers (perhaps moreso, since he dies because of his delusions). While it may be our instinct to see a cult leader as "selfish" because of the power they hold over others, one of the reasons that people follow them is because these messiah figures are often very altruistic and passionate about "making the world a better place". Consider the early life of Jim Jones: he has a tale similar to many that we call "saints", in his drive to bring about racial and economic equality in many communities. Thousands of people were drawn to that passion, and he inspired many to give of themselves just as much as they saw him doing.
When the climax of the song happens, and the wizard plummets to his death, I am always struck by how insightful this story is. The wizard believed too. He may have enslaved and driven his followers with "whips and chains", but there was a charisma there that made people both fear and worship him. That is what still impresses me about this writing to this day. There is even a psychological term - pathological altruism - that describes the condition of many who become cult leaders, and which sheds light on this song in more ways than I have time to write about here.
When Ronnie sings "I see a rainbow rising. Look there, on the horizon. And I'm going home." in the outro, the emotion in his voice makes the hair on my arms stand on end. Such an incredible voice and talent...no one could have done this song as well as RJD did.
Thanks so much for doing this reaction, and hopefully this introduces the song to many more people, since it is such an important morality tale that is relevant to this day!
Yep, what he said.
I cry when I hear that part. The last part of the song is so emotional and I love this song so much.
Well argued, but I disagree - what makes this song legendary is the music. Imagine the same lyrics with mediocre music, and you wouldn't bother listening to it. The same music with average lyrics and it would still be a great song.
Rory Mitchell...well written
@@djehuti3 Correct so true 👍
Man I love your reactions, I've been binge watching your videos for the entire evening ;). Please keep them coming!
Ronnie was one of rock's greatest singers. If you're on that path, please, "react" to Heaven and Hell, Ronnie with Black Sabbath ...
Ronnie's vocal on that track is great even if it the worst track on the album
That's the studio album version with live footage. The Munich Philharmonic recorded the strings etc. This is widely recognised as one of the greatest Rock albums, and this track with its following track A Light In The Black, the greatest tracks of all time. Ritchie Blackmore's solos on the two tracks are sublime and Ronnie, of course, is amazing.
A few years later when Ritchie Blackmore wanted to take Rainbow in a more commercial direction Ronnie James Dio left.
Isn't that why Blackmore left Deep Purple to begin with? That it was becoming too commercial?
@@chrispalo5122 He didn't like the musical direction. That's one thing you couldn't call Ritchie Blackmore is fake. He wanted to jump to different styles
Blackmore paid all the bills as Rainbow was his band and it was a considerable drain on his finances which is why he wanted a more commercial approach, if you read the book Black Knight by Jerry Bloom, Blackmore was becoming dissatisfied with Dio's and his songwriting, according to Raymond D'addario who had worked with Dio for several years Wendy was also getting in Ronnie's head and this caused friction as well, Dio didn't want to move in Blackmore's way and all communication broke down between them leading to the split.
@@RushfanUK
I've always wondered what another Dio fronted Rainbow album might have sounded like but alas Ritchie, who is a Guitar God, pulled the plug on that...apparently he admitted his mistake in latter years, albeit only in terms of how well the Heaven & Hell album was received and how commercially successful it was for Sabbath.....listening to the LLRNR album it's a mixed bag, Gates of Babylon aside there's only Gates of Babylon, Lady of the Lake and Kill the King (which was already written in 76 having been played live by the previous line up) that were in the same vein as Stargazer, A Light in the Black, Tarot Woman and Run with the Wolf....even Lady Starstruck and Do You Close Your Eyes from the Rising album are commercial hard rock songs....so, everything considered, it's probably for the best that Ronnie got to record Heaven & He'll, Mob Rules and then went on to form Dio and record some more, monumental Power Metal albums.
I love Halford, Tate, Freddie, Coverdale, Gillan and Rodgers...but Ronnie was the best imho
What a great song! Ronnie Dio launched a great career from Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and Heaven and Hell! He also put together an all star cast of metal musicians called Hear'N Aid. The song Stars, is amazing.
Rising was produced by Martin Birch. This guy in 1981 became the producer of Iron Maiden.
Great man
Best producer of metal. Either he only worked on the absolute best albums or he was a contributing part to making the best albums. Great ears on that man.
Never has there been a vocalist like Ronnie. RIP
Deep Purple Burn, the voices and harmonies of Coverdale/Hughes, the fast blues riff of Ritchie, the keyboards of Lord playing Bach.. buuuuuuuurnnn
The melody and way this makes the listener “feel” as Ronnie sings is what draws me in. It’s a powerful rock rhythm mixed in with hook after hook in the vocals. Love Rainbow!
“Light in the black” should be next.
It’s kinda StarGazer part 2.
I thought that was "Starstruck".
@@banjopink4409 Next track on the album.
“Can’t forget his face, what a lonely place”.
“Has he really let us go?”
@@johnevison6063 They should have called it StarGeezer.
"Coming Home"- a light in the black is the follow up to StarGazer
@@justinavery8664 You are absolutely right. I mistakenly said it was light in the black, but as you clearly point out, it’s actually called Coming Home.
I put the album on 30 odd years ago and listened to it side A, side B, constantly for many, many months, as one continuous track so I honestly thought all these years it was called Light in the black.
Many thanks.
Been listening to this song since I was 15 and it never gets old
The magnificence of the song . The enormity it's sort of operatic . There's a story , a message. The band is super talented . The composition is big and emotional . I can imagine this being a classical piece musically . What happened to music after the 70s ? well my kind of progressive taste anyway . It seems the world lost its "bothered".
Peace and love brother thanks for another part of my youth being brought back to my old present self. 👍🏻☮❤
Fantastic song! Dio's vocals on this song is one of the greatest performances in all of popular music, in my opinion! I only wish that I had seen Rainbow when he was with them. I did see Dio perform twice when he was with Black Sabbath and his singing was mesmerizing! Rest in peace, dear Ronnie.
Ronnie James Dio and Bruce Dickinson are, without a doubt in my mind, the two greatest voices in heavy metal.
Dio was in a higher class with respect to pitch.
Tate better than Dickinson imo
YES!!!
Thank you for the nostalgic rush!
Great job.
King Diamond - Sleepless Nights live at the Fillmore. For some strange but awesome experience. You can take it, I'm sure :-).
From when bands made proper music. Epic music :-)
For me it's the whole thing, to be honest. The story is very compelling, the musicianship is fantastic, and finally Dio's singing takes the song to an entirely different level. Dio's singing was, simply put, head and shoulders above just about anybody else in terms of expression and feeling.
Thanks Doug, been waiting for this!
You are hitting all the important songs of my youth - Close to the Edge, Supper's Ready, Stargazer. Just some Uriah Heep or maybe Tubular Bells needed and you've covered most of it.
The thing that always got me about this song is that driving two-chord cycle at the end. It just carries you along and the way Ronnie works with the vocal line and lyrics is just masterful. It's one of a very few songs that, for me, _have_ to fade out (Epitaph by King Crimson and Beauty _of_ the Beast by Nightwish are two more). There's something about the way the ending is constructed that makes it self-sustaining without being boring. I consider these songs to not so much fade out as recede into the distance...
I'd be intrigued to know what a composer thinks makes the difference between a tightly repetitive section that carries you along compared with one that just gets boring.
Fun fact: I heard this song on the radio a couple of years back having not heard for at least 10, maybe 15, years previously and I could still remember all the words. But I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday.
Why this song? It's the riff, the vocal, the lyrics, the thunderous drums, the background orchestration, the lyrical guitar solo... it's everything! Such a fantastic song. An all-timer.
"Gates of Babylon" should be next in your queue.
I think with Stargazer, it's the whole package, the lyrics are super cool, and I think you hit the nail on the head with your analysis of those, plus it has a cool riff, cool guitar solo, and the singing is just fantastic. What's not to like?
10:54
Exactly.
Except that it's opposite - the Iron Maiden song sounds like "Stargazer"...
I came here to say " A Light in the Black" is the second half of this song, but many others already have. So I'll give my own suggestion as to a relatively unknown masterpiece. NEKTAR
"Remember the Future" is probably too long, but "a Tab in the Ocean" is an interesting piece of period music(1972).
Those are Nektar's best work and awesome indeed!
Everything about this song is just on point. The lyrics, vocals instrumentation arrangement are just about perfect