Rainbow | Live In Germany 1976 Double CD

Rainbow Live In Germany 1976

The eight-song concert is the definitive early onstage statement of a great band whose personnel shape-shifted through the years. This particular lineup is looked upon as the primo Rainbow assemblage. Lead guitarist Ritchie Blackmore had left Deep Purple in 1975 to concentrate on a more personalized version of his vision, and did just that with legendary vocalist Ronnie James Dio (1942-2010), drummer Cozy Powell (1947-1998), bassist Jimmy Bain and keyboardist Tony Carey. This lineup only recorded one album together, the 1976 landmark in British Rock Rising.

Performing flawlessly on elongated jam-happy versions of “Kill The King,” “Mistreated,” “Sixteenth Century Greensleeves,” “Catch The Rainbow” (Disc #1), “Man On The Silver Mountain,” “Stargazer,” “Still I’m Sad” and “Do You Close Your Eyes” (Disc #2), Blackmore fulfilled his every expectation. Filled with startling guitar solos and massive Dio lung power, Live In Germany 1976 is a band in full control of their capabilities.

Recorded during the Rising tour in late September 1976 from four different venues, Live In Germany 1976 has all the elements, showcasing a band truly immeasurable in their talent and musical abilities. One can only wonder what kind of magic could have been produced had this lineup stayed together.

Below is a video from a show in Munich during the 1977 tour with a slightly different line up of Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio, Cozy Powell, Bob Daisley and David Stone but it still captures the power and magic of this legendary band.