Rainbow Strangers In Us All (japanese version cd) & Black Masquerade (japanese version dvd + 2cd) - review/ulasan

As usual firstly in my Bahasa Melayu Pasar and then in my Broken English.

I decide to now blog on some album I love and the accompanying live albums/dvds that was recorded on that specific album tour, together in one post.

So lets start with Rainbow, the band I listened to all my life,  and I got the opportunity to be there on their first show in 20 years in Loreley Germany 17th June 2016/ One of my greatest experience backpacking to see my favourite bands ever. Its lovingly blogged somewhere here 4 years ago.

(above Left)

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow Strangers in Us All (CD)

Released - 21st August 1995

(above right)

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow Black Masquerade (DVD + 2CD)

Recorded Live in Dusseldorf for Rockpalast TV show on 9th October 1995

Album kelapan Rainbow. Suka tak suka, Rainbow ialah Ritchie Blackmore nye band 100%. Bukan macam Deep Purple dimana dia hanya 1/5 sahaja.

Telan je la apa yang best pasal Rainbow, dan kalau tak suka, buat bodoh sua.

Lepas dia gaduh lagi ngan Ian Gillan dan mengamuk dan buat perangai, pasal Ritchie Blackmore ni angin satu badan,

akhirnya dia keluar Deep Purple akhir 1993 dan teringin nak buat album solo tapi akhinya menggunakan moniker Rainbow lagi sekali ngan vokalis Doogie White.

Doogie White ni sebelum tu tahun akhir 1993-1994 memang gossip banyak dia adalah " Runners Up" untuk isi tempat kosong penyanyi Iron Maiden bila Bruce keluar. Posisi tu diisi Blaze Bailey akhirnya.

Jadi yang untung ialah Ritchie Blackmore la.

Dan Doogie White ni kemudiannya jadi vokalis Yngwie Malmsteen Rising Force bila Rainbow ni berpecah lagi sekali pasal Ritchie Blackmore dan isterinya Candice Night nak buat band main lagu muzik medieval dan renaissance dengan band Blackmore's Night. Aku serious rekemen korang semua dengar album pertama mereka Shadow Of The Moon. Kalau korang tak tahu lagi pasal album ni la. 

Jadi balik kepada Doogie White ni, kali pertama Yngwie Malmsteen Rising Force tu main di rantau ni dia ialah penyanyi. Memang ribut la penonton, siap ada lagu I Am The Viking lagik. haha. Kenangan.

Lagi satu pasal aku minat giler band Rainbow, jadi aku memang tertarik kat setiap pemuzik dan penyanyi yang pernah bermain untuk Rainbow baik rakaman studio atau main live.

Dan memang banyak la kan, pasal Ritchie Blackmore ni suka tukar2 band dia ikut suka hati dia.

Walau aku tak tahu cammana dia boleh hidup tanpa rasa menyesal ke...
Ronnie James Dio dan Cozy Powell dah mati, Ritchie ni degil sangat nak reunion line up Rainbow Rising album sampai dah mati tu dua.

Lagi sekali aku nak cakap Cozy Powell mati pasal berbual kat telepon eh masa driving kat hiway. So hati2 eh...  Aku paling minat band line up Rainbow Rising ni la... aku rasa secara band lineup, aku lagi minat Rainbow Rising nye lineup dari apa2 line up Iron Maiden.

Dahsyat kan pengakuan aku? Tapi serious aku minat giler Rainbow. Tak pedulik apa la, janji ada moniker band RAINBOW.

Aku paling tak boleh lupa bila pertama kali Ritchie guna nama band Rainbow selepas 20 tahun untuk main show kat atas bukit Loreley di Jarman,

memang dari satu dunia la peminat, orang Jepun ramai, dan aku nampak satu lelaki angkat sepanduk " IRAN LOVES RITCHIE BLACKMORE !! ".

memang malam tu satu dunia la fans Rainbow datang. Kenangan manis sangat.

OK balik kepada album ni, Candice Night, isteri kepada Ritchie Blackmore dah mula tunjukkan taring dia. Dia sumbang buat lagu dan lirik, dan lagu2 tu la yang sedap2.

ARIEL antaranya. OK lagu Hari Raya kumpulan Malex, ialah lagu Ariel ye. Tukar lirik aje nyanyi Melayu.

Antara lagu2 aku paling paling minat dalam album ni ialah.... Wolf To The Moon, Hunting Humans (Insatiable), ARIEL (Candice backing vocals baik studio atau live),  Too Late For Tears (ni memang style Rainbow zaman 80an macam lagu2 Cant Happened Here), Black Masquerade, Hall of The Mountain King ( lagu klasik Jarman ke hapa tu... digubah ikut selera Ritchie Blackmore), Still I'm Sad dirakam lagi sekali dan kali ni ada vokals, tak macam album pertama instrumental.

Jadi serious album ni tak sempurna la tapi aku kasi markah 664/666. Tak sempurna , tapi jiran sebelah aje . So kira bapak best la.

Strangers In Us All, what an album, yes some songs are just not memorable, or makes you want to listen to them again.

It is understandable Ritchie and Candice Night shifted to Medieval Renaissance music after this album with the new band Blackmore's Night, and probably there will never be another Rainbow album, so this makes a nice closure.

When in 2016 Rainbow moniker was used again after 20 years, with an all new line up (as Ritchie always like to make numerous changes), I backpacked alone to Saint Goar and spend 4 days to catch Rainbow in the classical magical Loreley hills..

It was memorable, as a few days before I saw ACDC and of course what else? Iron Maiden. LOL!!

Back to this album,

Easily at least 80% of the album is superb, exciting, thrilling for me.

I have near a unique song like Hunting Human...

Hall of The Mountain King , the Orchestral Music of the 1800s, and adapted well by Ritchie.

Of course Ariel...  

I cannot imagine if Jon Lord and the rest of Deep Purple had got their hands on this Ariel song.

Wolf To The Moon, Black Masquerade...

what an album, but like I say, its not perfect but its still has many magical moments.

Anyway the Japanese version of the CD has an extra song, Emotional Crime.

and the packaging includes an extra booklet, with a nice message from Ritchie for his Japanese fans

So its not too late to try to listen to this album.

NEXT THE LIVE ALBUM AND DVD that was recorded to support this studio effort.

Paling best DVD dan 2cd ialah lebih 2 jam.

Puas hati la kan layan persembahan Rainbow...

bassist nya... Greg Smith... wah diri depan showmanship dan backing vocals..

keyboardist nye.. memang la aku minat ngan Rainbow nye keyboardist2.. Toni Carey, Don Airey...

drummer tak yah cakap la kan, sapa pun drummer Rainbow.. Cozy Powell, Bobbi Rodenelli mahupun drummer dalam dvd dan cd live ni...

penyanyi suara sedap...

penyanyi backing isteri Ritchie kan, si Candice Night

dan of course, tak lain tak bukan... Kamera video lama je fokus kat Ritchie Blackmore.. seronok sangat... takde tukar2 video nye kamera cepat2, relak lama je fokus kat Ritchie... dia gentel , dia solo dia apa je la... 

Rakaman di Jarman.. biasalah Jarman minat rok kan...

Kelakar nye ada satu part... mereka main lagu Smoke On The Water...

bila penonton kena nyanyi...

suara sendu gitu....

" smoke on the water !!! fire in the sky !! ".

terus vokalis sound " SING FOR RITCHIE BLACKMORE !!!!! "

terus 

" SMOKE ON THE WATER!!!!!!!! FIRE IN THE SKY !!!!!!!!! "

hahaha.. 

semua lagu la hebat... baik lagu2 baru dari album Strangers in Us All, baik lagu2 Rainbow lama, baik lagu2 Deep Purple....

Serious berbual... ni packaging jepun ni dalam dvd dan 2cd aku bagi 666/666.  Markah penuh. Puas hati.

So I cannot have enough praise for this Japanese version Black Masquerade of Rainbow live in Dusseldorf for Germany Rock TV show Rockpalast in 1995 to support the release of Strangers in Us All studio album.

Its over 2 hours

The video camera footages is not rushed, it lingers so long on each musician...

Even the keyboardist has lots of footages...

superb performances by everyone, so entertaining, even Candice Night for her Ariel moment.

And of course, if you love Ritchie Blackmore, no complains on this release.

Lots of him, the video cameras stays long on him....

I think at this time he is late 40s , reaching 50. 
Still on fire !!!!!

New songs from the studio album.

Old Rainbow songs

Old Deep Purple songs.

No complaints. Full Marks. Class release. Both the dvd and the two cd sets.

So thats about it... 

maybe next round, I will blog Razors Edge and ACDC Live 2cd. The live album that was recorded when ACDC did the Razors Edge tour.

Another blockbuster studio and live albums combination of the same era.

atas Ariel

bawah Hunting Humans

Greenslaves/ Sad Alcoholica/ The hall of the mountain king