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Era il 1978, e i Rainbow, gruppo nato come side-project del capriccioso Ritchie Blackmore, per poi confermarsi come una delle band hard rock più apprezzate ed influenti di sempre (chi ha detto power metal?), diedero alle stampe la loro terza fatica in studio: Long Live Rock n Roll. Finora il percorso musicale del gruppo era stato all'insegna di un rock epico, roccioso ma anche molto melodico, in bilico tra gli assoli di Blackmore e la voce del compianto Ronnie James Dio, nonchè dalla foga ritmica di Cozy Powell dall'album Rising in poi; questo disco segna invece una parziale virata verso nuovi lidi, manovra voluta dal padre padrone Blackmore, e che gli procurerà non poche discussioni con RJ Dio, che abbandonerà il gruppo per aggregarsi ai Black Sabbath orfani di Ozzy. LLRnR costituisce perciò un elemento di raccordo, e come spesso capita in questi casi il risultato perde un po' di compattezza.
L'album ha essenzialmente due matrici stilistiche: da una parte ci sono i classici brani in pieno stile Rainbow, potenti ed evocativi, dall'altro qualche incursione nell'hard rock di stampo americano e nell'AOR. Sono proprio questi brani più commerciali ed immediati il punto meno interessante del disco: le idee ci sono, ma non vengono espresse in maniera adeguata, le composizioni mancano di freschezza e spesso, purtroppo, si rivelano semplici riempitivi. Gli esempi più lampanti di quanto ho detto sono The Shed, Sensitive to Light e lo stanco boogie di L.A. Connection, mentre Lady of the Lake riesce invece a mantenersi su un buon livello, dimostrandosi gradevole.
Parlando invece del lato più "classico" del disco, troviamo l'opener Long Live Rock n Roll, l'orientaleggiante Gates of Babylon, e infine Kill the King e la ballata eterea Rainbow Eyes. Anche qui il risultato è altalenante, soprattutto per quanto riguarda la title-track, da molti elevata a capolavoro assoluto ma che francamente trovo troppo di maniera, mentre le altre si mantengono su livelli di eccellenza, in particolare Kill the King e Rainbow Eyes rappresentano quanto di meglio ha saputo dare questo gruppo nel corso della sua prima fase.
Per tirare le somme, LLRnR rimane un prodotto un po' sottotono, ma porta con sè anche diversi episodi notevoli, e che funge da epitaffio per la cosidetta "Era di Dio" e la più immediata e scintillante "Era commerciale" del secondo progetto musicale dell'istrionico Blackmore.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
02 Lady of the Lake (03:39)
There's a magical sound slidin' over the ground
Makin' it shiver and shake
And a permanent cry fallin' out of the sky
Slippery and sly like a snake
With a delicate move kind of shifty and smooth
A shadow has covered the light
Then a beam in the shade from a silvery blade
Has shattered the edge of the night
I know she waits below
Only to rise on command
When she comes for me
She's got my life in her hands
When a movement behind hit the side of my mind
I trembled and shook it away
Then another assault and I started to faulter
Fibres of steel turned to clay
With a bubbly turn now the water should churn
And push it way from the core
And a lady in white will bring sun to the night
Brighter than ever before
I know she waits below
Only to rise on command
When she comes for me
She's got my life in her hands
Lady of the lake
There's a magical sound slidin' over the ground
Makin' it shiver and shake
And a permanent cry fallin' out of the sky
Slippery and sly like a snake
With a delicate move kind of shifty and smooth
A shadow has covered the light
Then a beam in the shade from a slivery blade
Has shattered the edge of the night
Straight down I'm swirling around
Blinded and bruised by the strain
There must be some way to see
Diamonds out of the rain
I know she waits below
Only to rise on command
When she comes for me
She's got my life in her hands
Lady of the lake
03 L.A. Connection (05:02)
Oh, carry home my broken bones and lay me down to rest
Forty days of cries and moans I guess I've failed to pass the test
I've been sent away not a thing to say
I'm banished from the fold
I'm a fallen angel who's lost his wings and left out in the cold
Ooooh L.A. connection
Oh L.A. connection
L.A. connection, yeah
Operator place a call keep secret but it through
Investigator knows it all he's at the window I wonder who
I've got to cut the line and let me drift find a haven in the storm
I got no time I need a lift to where it's sweet and close and warm
I say
Ooooh L.A. connection
Oh L.A. connection
L.A. connection
Hey, carry home my broken bones and lay me down to rest
Forty days of cries and moans well I've just failed the test
Feel I'm balanced on the brim should I lean another way
Like a flame that's going on the dim needs blessing from the day, oh
Ooooh L.A. connection, L.A. connection
Oh take me away I got nothing to say
It's got to be an L.A. connection, oh
Ooooh L.A. connection, L.A. connection
Ooooh, L.A., L.A., L.A., L.A., L.A. connection
Connection, oh
Ooooh L.A. connection, L.A. connection
Oh L.A., oh, L.A. connection
L.A., L.A. inspection
Ooooh L.A. connection, L.A. connection
Oh I'm down, oh I'm down
I can't take a rejection
L.A., need an L.A. connection
L.A., yeah, oh L.A. connection
L.A. connection
I'm flying away
Take me back home, I gotta get home to L.A.
L.A., L.A. connection, L.A.
Oh, L.A. connection, L.A. connection
Ooooh, ooooh, L.A. connection, L.A.
04 Gates of Babylon (06:49)
Look away from the sea
I can take you anywhere
Spend a vision with me
A chase with the wind
Move closer to me
I can make you anyone
I think you're ready to see
The gates to babylon
The power of what has been before
Rises to trap you within
A magic carpet ride a genie maybe more
A city of heavenly sin
Sleep with the devil and then you must pay
Sleep with the devil, the devil will take you away
Oh gates of babylon
You can see but you're blind
Someone turned the sun around
But you can see in your mind
The gates of babylon
You're riding the endless caravan
Bonded and sold as a slave
A saber dance removing all the veils
Getting as good as you gave
Sleep with the devil and then you must pay
Sleep with the devil, the devil will take you away
Look away from the sea
I can take you anywhere
Spend a vision with me
A chase with the wind
Move closer to me
I can make you anyone
I think you're ready to see
The gates of babylon
The power of what has been before
Rises to trap you within
A magic carpet ride a genie maybe more
A city of heavenly sin
Sleep with the devil and then you must pay
Sleep with the devil, the devil will take you away
Black gates of babylon
The devil is me
And I'm holding the key
To the gates of sweet hell
Babylon
05 Kill the King (04:29)
Danger, danger the Queen's about to kill
There's a stranger, stranger and life about to spill
Oh no move me out of harm
I need a spell and a charm
Fly like the wind
I'm no pawn, so be gone, speed on and on
Kill the King
Tear him down
Chorus:
Kill the King
Strike him down
Power, power it happens every day
Power, devour all along the way
Oh no move me out of harm
I need a spell and a charm
Fly like the wind
I'm no pawn, so be gone, speed on and on
Kill the King
Treason, treason, the spectre looms again
Treason, reason, the realm is safe and then
Oh no move away from harm
I need a spell and a charm
Fly like the rainbow
I'm no pawn, so be gone, speed on and on
Chorus:
Kill the King
Tear him down
Kill the King
Got to take his crown
Chorus:
Kill the King
He'll rule no more
Strike him dead
The people roar
Kill the King
Take his head
Down, down, down, down
Oh, kill, oh, kill, oh, oh
06 The Shed (Subtle) (04:47)
I'm like a freight train
Feelin' no pain
I never turn back one track
Better step aside
Like a shotgun
I'm really someone
You'll feel my heatwave
Won't save anyone near to me
I'm steel
So come and try to bend me if you can, hah
I don't feel
Before you know it it's over
Get out of my way
I'm street walking, street walking
Night stalking, I'm street walking
No reputation
You better quick run
Cause I got no time I'll climb
All over you
You need a strong hand
To be a mean man
You've got to think fast
I'll last longer than you could know
I'm steel
So won't you come and try to bend me if you can
I don't feel
Before you know it it's over
Out of my way
I'm street walking
Hey, I'm a wild cat
Don't need to prove that
I'm always howlin' prowlin'
Stalkin' my prey
It could be your night
To feel the dog bite
And hear the slashing, crashin'
Tearin' inside of you
I'm steel
So come and try to break me if you can, no way
Like a wheel
About to roll you over
Get out of my way
I'm street walkin', street walkin'
No talkin', street walking
Night stalking, street walking
No talkin', I'm street walkin', yeah
Street walkin', street walkin'
Night stalking, street walking
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Altre recensioni
Di Edoardo1
"LONG LIVE ROCK N' ROLL, un vero inno per tutti i fan metal del periodo."
"L'assolo di Blackmore in Gates of Babylon è uno dei migliori di tutta la sua carriera, capace di far venire i brividi ad ogni ascolto."
Di XBend
"Un brano in cui si sente benissimo l’impronta predominante di Blackmore in stile Deep Purple."
"La dolcissima 'Rainbow Eyes': una delle canzoni più belle dell’intera discografia dei Rainbow."
