Toto...I've the feeling that we aren't in Kansas anymore...We must be over the Rainbow!.
Con questa citazione dal film IL MAGO DI OZ iniziavano i concerti dei magici Rainbow di Ritchie Blackmore nel periodo con R.J. Dio come singer e con quindi il gruppo votato sempre ad un tipico sound mistico-medievale. La scenografia era molto scarna; tutto era incentrato nei musicisti e nelle loro performance, performance immortalate in questo grande Live Album: ON STAGE
Il disco parte con il furioso assalto di KILL THE KING, una speed song caratterizzata da un tappetto ritimico di doppia cassa devastante di Cozy Powell e dai continui duelli tra tastiera e chitarra. Dio dimostra subito di essere in ottima forma, come del resto anche Ritchie che sfoggia un assolo molto coinvolgente e teatrale. Il riff storico di Man On The Silver Mountain apre un medley in cui troveranno spazio la stessa MAN ON THE SILVER MOUNTAIN seguita da una divagazione blues di Blackmore e da un'accenno di STARSTRUCK. Man On The Silver Mountain mantiene la struttura originale (nonostante il ritmo venga parecchio accelerato) trascinato dal riff di Blackmore e dal cantato di Dio. In chiusura canzone Ritchie improvvisa (seguito dal resto della band) un blues molto affascinante e sognante. Finito il blues Dio attacca con un breve accenno a STARSTRUCK che viene collegata di nuova a MAN ON THE SILVER MOUNTAIN, che chiude ottimamente il medley.
Alla terza traccia troviamo CATCH THE RAINBOW, fulcro centrale di tutto il disco. La versione qui presente è molto lunga e dilata (15 minuti) e, a mio parere, migliore di quella in studio. Introdotta da un soffice intro di Blackmore, la canzone mantiene intatta tutta la sua aura evocativa e sognante che aveva in studio (grazie ancora ad un'ottima prova di Ronnie alla voce), ma viene caratterizzata da due stupendi assoli di chitarra, suonati con maestria e gusto da Ritchie. La canzone, con tutti questi cambi di atmosfera e crescendo risulta così molto coinvolgente.
Presentata da Ronnie come un pezzo scritto da Blackmore durante la sua peramanenza nei Deep Purple, la band suona un'ottima versione live di MISTRATED. Il cantato di Dio è molto diverso e si differenzia molto da quello di Coverdale, risultando molto più potente e cristallino e meno sofferto. Anche qui troviamo un ottimo stacco centrale nel quale Blackmore si diverte ad accarezzare la sua chitarra, dimostrando ottimo gusto e classe. Ottima anche la prova di Powell dietro le pelli (rispetta molto l'originale drumming di Paice). XVI CENTURY GREENSLEEVES è una canzone molto coinvolgente che punta tutto sulla fisicità del suo riff (anche qui non manca una stupenda intro). Il cantato di Dio è magistrale, caldo e potente. Si chiude con una cover degli Yardbirds STILL I'M SAD qui presentata in una stupenda versione cantata e caratterizzata da un grande assolo di tastiera di Carey e da un drumming molto deciso.
Da notare anche qui in questo disco, la grande produzione di Martin Birch, veramente impeccabile.
Un vero capolavoro.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
02 Man On The Silver Mountain (04:15)
I'm a wheel, I'm a wheel
I can roll, I can feel
And you can't stop me turning
Cause I'm the sun, I'm the sun
I can move, I can run
But you'll never stop me burning
Come down with fire
Lift my spirit higher
Someone's screaming my name
Come and make me holy again
I'm the man on the silver mountain
I'm the man on the silver mountain
I'm the day, I'm the day
I can show you the way
And look, I'm right beside you
I'm the night, I'm the night
I'm the dark and the light
With eyes that see inside you
Come down with fire
Lift my spirit higher
Someone's screaming my name
Come and make me holy again
I'm the man on the silver mountain
I'm the man on the silver mountain
Come down with fire
And lift my spirit higher
Someone's screaming my name
Come and make me holy again
I'm the man on the silver mountain
I'm the man on the silver mountain
Well, I can help you, you know I can
I'm the man on the silver mountain
I'm the man on the silver mountain
Just look at me and listen
I'm the man, the man, give you my hand
I'm the man on the silver mountain
Come down with fire
And lift your spirit higher
I'm the man on the mountain
The man on the silver mountain
I'm the night, the light
The black and the white
The man on the silver mountain
04 Starstruck (02:57)
If I'm high on the hill
She'd still been looking down at me
What does she see that brings her closer every day to my heart
If I'm away from home
And think I'm all alone
She's there, somewhere
I look around and see
And looking back at me
She's there, beware!
Creeping like a hungry cat
I've seen her before
I know it can mean that
The lady starstruck, she's nothing but bad luck
The lady starstruck, running after me
The lady starstruck, she's nothing but bad luck, yeah
I could fly to the moon
But she soon find me and wait me there
I never knew for a while as smile made me really care
She wants a souvenir
To everyone it's clear
She's hooked, one look
She want a photograph
But everybody laughs but not me 'cause I see
She's creeping like a hungry cat
I've seen her before
I know I can mean that
The lady starstruck, she's nothing but bad luck
The lady starstruck, running after me
The lady starstruck, she's nothing but bad luck, oh oh o-o-oh
Oh my
The lady starstruck, she's nothing but bad luck
The lady starstruck, running after me, yeah
The lady starstruck, she's nothing but bad luck, yeah
It used to be a game
Now I can't repeat my name at all
She seems to believe that
I never can refuse a call
She wants a souvenir
To everyone it's clear
She's hooked; one look
She want a photograph
And everybody laughs, hah!
But not me 'cause I see
She's creeping like a hungry cat
I've seen her before
I know it can mean that
The lady starstruck, she's nothing but bad luck
The lady starstruck, running after me
The lady starstruck, she's nothing but bad luck, bad luck
The lady starstruck, she's nothing but bad luck
The lady starstruck running after me
The lady starstruck, she's nothing but bad luck
Bad luck, bad luck, bad luck
And back in the tree looking back at me
Climbing up my stair
I've just got to beware
Lady starstruck, yes, she's bad luck, bad luck
05 Catch The Rainbow (15:34)
When evening falls
She'll run to me
Like whispered dreams
Your eyes can't see
Soft and warm
She'll touch my face
A bed of straw
Against the lace
We believed we'd catch the rainbow
Ride the wind to the sun
Sail away on ships of wonder
But life's not a wheel
With chains made of steel
So bless me
Come the dawn
Come the dawn
Come the dawn
Come the dawn
We believed we'd catch the rainbow
Ride the wind to the sun
And sail away on ships of wonder
But life's not a wheel
With chains made of steel
So bless me, oh bless me, bless me
Come the dawn
Come the dawn
Come the dawn
Come the dawn
06 Mistreated (13:01)
I've been mistreated, I've been abused, yeah
I've been struck downhearted, now, baby, ooh yeah
I've been so confused
'Cause I know, yes I know, I've been mistreated
Ooh all my life, aaah
Since my baby left me, I've been losing my mind
Oooh yeah
I've been lonely, ooh ooh, I say I've been cold
I'm getting old
I've been looking for a woman, all the time to stay, yeah
Someone to have and hold
But I know, yeah I know, I've been mistreated, left for a day
Since my baby left me, I've been losing, losing, yeah
Baby I've been losing my mind, oooh
Losing my mind all the time, yeah
Oooh
I've been so abused, yeah yeah
I said: I've been looking for a woman, all my life
Someone who'd leave me confused, like they do, yeah yeah
But I know, ooh
I've been mistreated, and generally left for a day
Since my woman left me, I've been losing, losing, oh
Baby I've been losing my mind
All the time, yeah yeah, ooh, hey, ooh, hey, ooh
Losing my mind, all the time, yeah
Oh oh oh, losing my mind, I say
But I'm losing my mind, all of the time
I'm going around
Looking for you, nothing to do
Losing my mind
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooooh
Losing my mind
Lets go
Oooo-ooo, oooo-oooo
Oooo-ooo, oooo-oooo
We've been losing our minds, oh oh oh oooh
07 Sixteenth Century Greensleeves (07:35)
It's only been an hour
Since he locked her in the tower
The time has come
He must be undone
By the morning
Many times before
The tyrant's opened up the door
Then someone cries
Still we close our eyes
Not again
Meet me when the sun is in the western skies
The fighting must begin before another someone dies
Cross bows in the fire light
Greensleeves waving
Madman raving
Through the shattered night
Flames are getting higher
Make it leap unto the spire
Draw bright down
Cut it to the ground
We shall dance around the fire
No more night
We have seen the light
Let it shine on bright
Hang him higher
08 Still I'm Sad (11:01)
Version 1 (From ''Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow'')
instrumental
Version 2 (From ''On Stage'')
See the stars come falling down from the sky,
Gently passing, they kiss your tears if you cry.
See the wind come softly blow
Your hair from your face,
And the rain comes falling down
In its crazy ways
Still I'm sad,
Still I'm sad.
For myself my tears just fall in the dust
They will drive every night will find they're lost
See the wind come softly blow
Time into my heart
And the rain comes falling down
While we're apart
Still I'm sad,
Still I'm sad.
See the stars come falling down from the sky,
Gently passing, they kiss your tears if you cry.
See the wind come softly blow
Your hair from your face,
And the rain comes falling down
In its crazy ways
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
I'm so sad,
I'm so sad.
But still I'm sad.
Feeling so sad
Feeling so bad
You're making me sad
Making me bad
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh, I'm sad.
Version 3 (From ''Stranger in Us All'')
See the stars come fallin' down from the sky
Gently passing, they kiss your tear drops dry
See the wind come, softly blow
Your hair from your face
And the rain comes falling down
In its crazy way
Still I'm sad
For myself my tears just fall in the dust
As I search in the night and find they're lost
See the wind come gently blow
Time into my heart
And the rain comes falling down
While we're apart
Still I'm sad
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