Review Summary: A stellar sendoff to one of the finest partnerships that rock fans could ever ask for.
With Rainbow's sophomore album Rising, the band proved to be far more than a Richie Blackmore vanity project. Blackmore's full-force return to European-flavored hard rock, with the assistance of Dio's precise yet aggressive vocal style and Cozy Powell's versatile and often over-the-top drumming style showed Rainbow to be one of the definitive examples of hard rock in the 1970s. Before the individual egos and stylistic disagreements of Blackmore and Dio would result in a more commercially oriented Rainbow, the two musical wizards, joined by keyboardist David Stone, bass guitar veteran Bob Daisley, and (once again) Cozy Powell, would create a final mythical heavy rock classic with the European art and folk elements of their original two LPs intact.
The performances of Richie Blackmore on Long Live Rock n Roll continue to reveal him as a model guitar soloist for hard rock and heavy metal guitarists that came after him, similar to his work with classic Deep Purple. Plenty of his solos are some of the better blues scale oriented ones of the era, with more European sounding solos such as the one on "Gates of Babylon" that use whole modes that are played as emotionally as they are technically impressive. His riffs on this third Rainbow album are likewise some of his career highlights. Many of them sound like they carry on where the original four Led Zeppelin albums left off, while others, such as the main riff of "Kill the King," use bluesy chord tendencies with a swift tempo and a European atmosphere to take the intensity to higher levels.
Ronnie James Dio's final full length performance with Rainbow is also one of his finest moments of his career, both vocally and lyrically. Whether it be a more metallic track such as "Kill the King" or a conventionally bluesy hard rock song such as "LA Connection," his vocal delivery is consistently high and aggressive while also being clean and controlled. He takes advantage of various parts of his range on the album, with several songs, such as the title track, being a great display of vocal power and stamina that would inspire many then-teenaged power metal greats. His lyrical themes on this record are likewise often a clever take on rock n roll lyrical archetypes, as well as ones that feature a more metaphorical representation of Western fantasy that fits the style Rainbow's instrumentalists decide to execute.
The opening title track is an excellent representation of what the listener can expect from the rest of the album. Dio's vocals are melodic and aggressive at the same time, with more than enough power to carry the song without overly dominating the mix. Blackmore likewise serves up a perfect forth chord-based riff with Zeppelin-like scale descents that meshes well with the vocals in creating a highly satisfying hard rock song. His solo on this track has its fair share of bright yet bluesy tendencies mixed up with a select few art-like arpeggios. Blackmore's riffing prowess carries over to "Lady of the Lake," with an extra bit of intensity added with increased variation in rhythm and even the impactful use of the blues scale's tritone. Powell's use of louder volume dynamics also contribute to the epic feel of Dio's vocal harmonization during the choruses.
"L. A. Connection" is another common hard rocker that is executed not quite as well as the title track, but is still packed full of Dio's aggressive singing style. "The Shed (Subtle)" opens with one of Blackmore's better pure bluesy solos, followed up by a rather crushing riff for 70s hard rock. His more simplistic licks during the bridge are another great addition that helps to highlight a ferocious vocal delivery. "Sensitive to Light" is a Zeppelin-esque song executed with the exciting writing and witty take on an established rock lyrical trope that occupies much of that band's discography. The placement of vocal harmonisations throughout is impactful and not too predictable, and Dio's mastery of Plant-style vocal melodies is heavily apparent on this track. "Rainbow Eyes" is a fitting farewell ballad to one of heavy rock's greatest partnerships, with more realistic Euro-themed lyrics to match one of Blackmore's few ventures into Medieval rock prior to Blackmore's Night. The recorder melodies reserved for the song's conclusion aids in the emotional impact of this closer.
Scarce few heavy rock songs in the 1970s can claim a seamless mastery of fusing rock n roll with Western and Middle Eastern classical influences like "Gates of Babylon" can. Stone's keyboard intro contains a great build-up from a few notes to introduce the Arabic modality of the song before hammering on the minor-colored arpeggios to warm the listener up for Blackmore and Daisley's exotic melodies. Dio provides a great sense of varied volume dynamics with his individual lines, fitting for his lyrics using the dark forces of the Arab imagination as a metaphor for temptation. Blackmore's solo on this track in particular is one of his best composed and epic in length in his lengthy career. It reaches a great balance of arpeggio and hammer-on mastery and producing sinister emotion through a select few notes of a less-than-conventional scale for rock.
"Kill the King" is the other obvious highlight of the final Dio-fronted Rainbow record. boasting a tempo around 200 BPM, it stands with Queen's "Stone Cold Crazy" and Sabbath's "Symptom of the Universe" as one of the oldest blueprints for the speed metal legends of the 80s. This tempo proved a great selection for Blackmore's impactful four chord main riff, as the relentless rhythms help him create a song to excite listeners from start to finish. Blackmore's guitar solo is yet another career hallmark, where he builds up and follows up the solo with slower but classically inspired minor arpeggios and chord progressions. Between that is a minor key tremolo solo that continues to inspire hordes of power and thrash guitar greats such as Luca Turilli and Dave Mustaine four decades later. Dio's vocal performance on this track is likewise one of the best of any rock vocalist. His volume dynamics rising after the guitar solo is thematically appropriate for the lyrics going from an overthrow plot to a full-out execution. The intervals chosen on his overdubs aid in a soaring feel to his delivery that remains the envy of power metal giants worldwide. His vocals may not reach Halford-esque highs throughout the track, but "Kill the King" is perhaps the signature example of his voice that projects like the roar of a wrathful dragon. The track as a whole is a prime example of how simple composition ideas can be turned into a massive sounding heavy masterpiece. Although Rainbow's third release lacks the consistency of its predecessor, it more often than not delivers tight musicianship, memorable melodies, and moments that push boundaries for heavy rock. Despite the band's internal tension around its release, Long Live Rock n Roll proved once again that Rainbow surpassed their reputation as a Blackmore vanity project.
