Ritchie Blackmore decided to pull the plug on RAINBOW following the supporting tour for 1983’s Bent Out of Shape. To commemorate the band’s career, he released the appropriately-titled ”Finyl Vinyl”. A double-record set of live recordings and a handful of studio outtakes / B-sides, primarily culled from the Joe Lynn Turner era but also featuring selections with Ronnie James Dio and Graham Bonnet, ”Finyl Vinyl” is a must have collection.
This remastered Japanese Limited Edition was the only released on SHM-CD in a Cardboard Sleeve miniLP replica, now out of print and highly sought after by collectors.
We love ”Finyl Vinyl” and even though it was issued posthumously and consists mostly of unreleased live songs, I think it’s one of the most enjoyable Rainbow albums to listen to containing music from all three of the original Rainbow eras: Dio, Bonnett, and Turner.
”Finyl Vinyl” features Rainbow favourites, and in great versions too: “I Surrender” and “Miss Mistreated” sound great live. Commercial hard rock goodness, made classy as only Blackmore/Turner can do it. “Jealous Lover” is a standout midtempo burner from the Joe Lynn era. Blackmore’s picking is resplendent.
The two Dio-era songs don’t have the fidelity of the later Turner recordings, but heck, you can’t have a Rainbow collection without representing Ronnie James. That is done via unreleased 1978 live versions of “Man on the Silver Mountain” and “Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll”.
“Tearing out my Heart”, the bluesy ballad from the “Straight between the eyes” album, becomes an 8 minute affair, the track moving from its brooding original form into a full on belter with a rip roaring, feedback laden solo by Ritchie. Those who missed out on this track due to its omission from certain versions of the album should track it down without delay.
The longest track here is the 11+ minute version of “Difficult to Cure”, based on Beethoven’s 9th. This rendition sees Ritchie at his exhibitionist best, teasing the audience with his noodling and astounding them with his virtuosity. The real meat though is the appearance of a full orchestra! The recording is taken from one of the band’s last gigs, which took place in Tokyo Japan in 1984. It’s all wonderfully over the top and a true Rainbow-fan paradise.
The three rare studio tracks include “Bad girl” featuring the voice of Graham Bonnet and is an unreleased track from the “Down to Earth” sessions. “Jealous Lover” is a B-side from 1981, while “Weiss Heim” (“White house”, the name of Ritchie’s US home at the time), a B-side from 1978, a great instrumental. The melancholy guitar on the track is backed by atmospheric piano, the piece being criminally hidden away prior to this release.
A Must Have
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Disc 1
01 – Spotlight Kid
02 – I Surrender
03 – Miss Mistreated
04 – Street Of Dreams
05 – Jealous Lover
06 – Can’t Happen Here
07 – Tearin’ Out My Heart
08 – Since You Been Gone
09 – Bad Girl
Disc 2
01 – Difficult To Cure
02 – Stone Cold
03 – Power
04 – Man On The Silver Mountain
05 – Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll
06 – Weiss Heim
Guitar: Ritchie Blackmore
Vocals: Joe Lynn Turner, Graham Bonnet, Ronnie James Dio
Bass: Roger Glover, Bob Daisley (tracks 12-13)
Drums: Chuck Burgi, Bobby Rondinelli, Cozy Powell
Keyboards: David Rosenthal, Don Airey, David Stone
Backing vocals: Lynn Robinson, Dee Beale