Rainbow Rising CD

Rainbow: Ronnie James Dio (vocals); Ritchie Blackmore (guitar); Jimmy Bain (bass); Tony Carey (keyboards); Cozy Powell (drums).
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Rainbow: Ronnie James Dio (vocals); Ritchie Blackmore (guitar); Jimmy Bain (bass); Tony Carey (keyboards); Cozy Powell (drums).
Personnel: Ronnie James Dio (vocals); Ritchie Blackmore (guitar); Munich Philharmonic Orchestra (strings, horns); Tony Carey (keyboards); Cozy Powell (drums).
Recording information: Musicland Studios (02/1976).
Arrangers: Ritchie Blackmore; Ronnie James Dio.
On their second release, Rainbow not only avoid the sophomore jinx; they hit a home run. After replacing the entire band (except Ronnie James Dio) immediately following the recording of the first album, Ritchie Blackmore and the Rising lineup (Blackmore; Dio; Tony Carey, keys; Jimmy Bain, bass; and the late, great Cozy Powell, drums) had plenty of time on the road touring the first album to get the chops and material together for their second. In particular, "Stargazer" really came together on the 1975 tour and featured stunning keyboard work from Carey. The material is uniformly strong, with "Starstruck" and "A Light in the Black" standing out in particular. Ronnie Dio turns in a great vocal on the stunningly direct (under three minutes!) "Do You Close Your Eyes." All six songs on the album are up there with anything the band has done, before or since. The playing has a very tight, colorful feel to it, which was lacking a bit on the first record. This album can legitimately be mentioned in the same breath as classic Deep Purple. ~ Geoff Ginsberg
As the drums kick into the fierce opener "Tarot Woman," it's obvious that RISING delivers directly to your door. It is the band's second release, and a vast improvement over RICHIE BLACKMORE'S RAINBOW. With a revamped lineup that sounds like it had been touring together for years, the album takes no prisoners. "Starstruck" is a classic groove reminiscent of guitarist Blackmore's ex-band Deep Purple. Blackmore replaced everyone from the first album's lineup except vocalist Ronnie Dio with Jimmy Bain (bass), Tony Carey (keyboards), and Cozy Powell (drums). Dio shows what he's got with a stellar performance on "Do You Close Your Eyes." "Stargazer" is the band's "Kashmir," an epic eight-minute track that could stand as its signature song. "A Light in the Black" features the skin bashing of the late, great Mr. Powell.
RISING is a must-have for any fan of Dio, Blackmore, or classic metal. Five musicians came together for a one-shot moment that won't be duplicated. The album is magic.