Track Listing

1. Man On The Silver Mountain
2. Self Portrait
3. Black Sheep Of The Family
4. Catch The Rainbow
5. Snake Charmer
6. The Temple Of The King
7. If You Don't Like Rock N Roll
8. Sixteenth Century Greensleeves - Rainbow, Ritchie Blackmore, Martin Birch, Ronnie James Dio
9. Still I'm Sad

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1837 in Music
• Released on: 1999-06-28
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 37 minutes

CD Description
After British maestro guitarist Ritchie Blackmore left DeepPurple in 1974, he recruited Purple Records signees Elf as his backing band. And although Rainbow's 1975 debut was onlya hint of future greatness, the album more than holds its own.
Elf was led by dramatic metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who seemed to connect with Blackmore in quite a chemicalfashion. "Man on the Silver Mountain" is prime material, asis the six-minute blues-metal classic "Catch the Rainbow". Dio's shining vocals, shown to great effect here, have been emulated by hard rock vocalists throughout the years. "The Temple of the King" is another highlight, showcasing Blackmore's emotional guitar licks. "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves"is the group's ode to mediaeval times. "Still I'm Sad" is an instrumental jam that closes the album. Blackmore's fretwork, while speedy, comes from the heart. Although Rainbow's incarnations would change through the years, the drive and energy of the original lineup holds a special place in hard rock history. A worthy purchase for the connoisseurs of the genre.

Customer Reviews

Must own
This is an absolute must for all of you out there who like your rock "old school" style. The first album from Blackmore post Purple, recorded with a little known bunch of Californians who went under the name of Elf, this album set the pattern for the classic Rainbow sound.
With a lovely British R&B feel to it, Blacmore's fretwork is among the best he has ever produced on his ever present white Strat. Catch the Rainbow is an exercise in subtlety whilst the frantic cover of The Yardbirds Still I'm Sad is guaranteed to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
Team this up with Ronnie Dio's faux operatics and penchant for all things medieval sounding, and you could be in an audio version of a classic fantasy tale.
It may sound a little dated now, but that is no excuse not to own a slice of good old honest rock 'n' roll.

Perfection on a disc
This is the best of the Dio-fronted Rainbow albums, allthough none of the others are anything less than musical masterpieces.
But this is just perfection on a disc. Every song is fantastic, but real blinders are "Snake Charmer", "Self Portrait" and especially "Temple of the King", where Dios magnificent voice really shines. The sound has hints of Purple and Zeppelin but still manages to be unique. Why this album hasn't outsold "Thriller" by a million to one is beyond me!

Ritchie and Ronnie. What a masterpiece
The first of the Rainbow albums and it is a good start to the bands career. This album is full of tracks with wonderful fantasy/Dungeons and Dragons lyrics.
Ronnie James Dio sounds excellent on this album and is reaching the height of his creative powers (which he finally reached in 1980-1984).
Ritchie Blackmore is also on top form. His guitars just make you want to listen to the album over and over again.
The strongest track on the album in 'Man On The Silver Mountain' and the fantasy style is peerless. None who have used a fanstasy rock style can even compare to this album (with the possible exception of Black Sabbath in the 80s)
'Sixteenth Century Greensleeves' is my personal favourite with an awesome Metal riff and great vocals.
This album is a must for anyone who likes good old fashioned metal performed by two of the biggest legends in metal. Full of great riffs and excellent vocals this album is a must for anyone who likes rock music, not just metal.