Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow – Memories in Rock – Live in Germany
Eagle Rock Entertainment
http://www.eagle-rock.com/product/memories-in-rock-live-in-germany-6/#.WEWmDrmM6O0

Rating: B

Hell hath froze over!  The lute-toting, castle playing man in black has picked up his blond Stratocaster and rocked once again!  And Eagle Rock Entertainment caught it all on camera!

With the confirmation of Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow headlining the reissue of the legendary Monsters of Rock festival, rock fans all over Europe went crazy!

Hard Rock Ritchie has replaced Minstrel Ritchie in his much-anticipated return to rock music as Blackmore’s Rainbow played three concerts in Europe, two in Germany and one in England in June 2016. These recordings that make up this live album Memories In Rock are from the two German shows at Loreley and Bietigheim. The concert is a mix between the gig on June 17 at Loreley and June 18 at the Viaduct. The set list, combining classic rock anthem tracks from both Deep Purple and Rainbow, was exactly what the fans had wished for.

Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow – Memories in Rock – Live in Germany  show has been released on Eagle Rock Entertainment in many formats including the reviewed here DVD+2CD as well as a Blu-ray+2CD, and Digital Formats.  A Deluxe version (DVD, Blu-ray & 2CD in a 48 page hardback photobook), along with a 3LP version (180gm vinyl), are available as an import.  However you snap it up… snap it up.

The set is pretty damn impressive and includes “Catch The Rainbow”, “Mistreated”, “Since You Been Gone”, “Black Night”, “Spotlight Kid”, “Smoke On The Water”, “Stargazer”,  “Perfect Strangers”, and more! This is like Deep Purple and Rainbow all in one!  The product reviewed here also contains a four-song bonus CD, tunes that were recorded at an alternative concert.  The entire show is a throwback to when rock concerts were more about substance than flash.  These are real musicians all playing real music.  Blackmore plays his ass off. The band was amazing, and at age 71, Ritchie Blackmore proved that he remains one of the finest guitarists of all time. While there are no other Rainbow members from yesteryear, this collection can just add on to the list of ten thousand or so Rainbow members Blackmore has seen come and go.

The line-up is Ritchie Blackmore (Guitar); Ronnie Romero (Vocals); David Keith (Drums); Bob Nouveau (Bass); Jens Johanssen (Keyboards); Candice Night (Backing Vocals); Lady Lynn (Backing Vocals).  All eyes and ears were on Ronnie Romero and this writer is reporting he does the DIO era Rainbow extremely well.  The Ian Gillan Deep Purple is acceptable as well, but not as good.  Still, this poor fellow had to sing tunes from the Blackmore back catalog that featured four pretty damn good lead vocalists (in addition to Gillan and Ronnie James Dio songs here originally featured vocalists Joe Lynn Turner and Graham Bonnett).

This is fun show shot at a cool venue that demonstrates old dogs don’t need new tricks when they have songs like this.

Crank it up!

Now… how do we talk The Man in Black into a new studio release from Rainbow? 

TRACK LISTING:
(CD Disc 1) 
1) Highway Star   
2) Spotlight Kid   
3) Mistreated   
4) 16th Century Greensleeves   
5) Since You Been Gone   
6) Man On The Silver Mountain   
7) Catch The Rainbow   
8) Difficult To Cure (Beethoven’s Ninth)   
9) Perfect Strangers   
10) Stargazer   
 
(CD Disc 2) 
11) Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll   
12) Child In Time / Woman From Tokyo   
13) Black Night   
14) Smoke On The Water

By Jeb “21^st Century Greensleeves” Wright