Author: Roy Davies
Published by: Helter Skelter Publishing, Townbridge, UK in 2001
Length: 247 Pages
Style: The Bible for Rainbow/Blackmore fans
Finally we have a piece of literature on the life and times of the band we all know and love as Rainbow, with Blackmore finally getting his own "Behind the Music." It's not what you would expect, most of us might think that it is a biography of the what most think as the often intimidating Stratocaster wielding control freak, as many see him as being, but for all seriousness, Rainbow Rising is a book that brings us into the world that so few have been able to see but yet so many have "heard" accounts about it. Who is the man that we always see with a serious look on his face in photographs (has anyone ever seen him smile?), why did he really leave Deep Purple, and is he really a violent and arrogant dictator after all, well, Rainbow Rising helps put some of the wonder to rest.
Typically devoted to Blackmore's Rainbow years, lineup after lineup, rather than being a biography of his whole life, meaning that the bulk of the material pertains to Rainbow throughout the seventies and eighties, all the way to the reincarnation in the nineties, as well as his current endeavor, known as Blackmore's Night. There are accounts, of course, of Blackmore's early days, his time and troubles with Deep Purple, abridged, in short form, to the point with all the Bullshit taken out, leading to the theme of this book.
Within these pages we have accounts with everybody such as Dio, Graham Bonnet, Don Airey, Roger Glover, Cozy Powell, Joe Lyn Turner, and Dougie White, among many others. Interesting stories pertaining to tour incidents, arguments, and typical band politics such as hiring and of course firing; with personal accounts and opinions from Ritchie himself that makes Rainbow Rising interesting in many matters. One thing that this book does is that it tells the story from a different point of view than, say, Ian Gillan would (he always has a humorous take on Blackmore, kind of like making fun of a little brother or something like that), its from a "friendly" point of view, there is not so much negativity that pronounces the vibe for the reading in question, but more or less an understanding of the man who might have been intense when in the studio at times, who had a different side that was less arrogant and often shy and humorous, after all his reputation began as being this shy person who rose above being an introvert, hard to believe isn't it? After all, we are all human right?
The storyline itself makes this book hard to put down, however, only about 140 pages are devoted to the story itself, leaving the story sticking to the point. Besides the story itself, several pages are devoted to the aftermath of just about anybody involved with Blackmore or Rainbow, kind of like the "where are they now" section, which is very well done, especially for those acquaintances who might not otherwise get the time of day. Other sections after the story include chart positions, discography, tour programs, set lists, tour dates, equipment used on tour/abroad, and even a bootleg listing where even the quality and misc. descriptions are listed, making for, what else, the bible for all rainbow fans.
In the end, it helps bring light to Blackmore; fans of Dio and Cozy Powell will also not want to pass this one up. Done in a conversational manner with narratives from all involved, Rainbow Rising is probably the closest we will all get when it comes to peaking into the life and times of Blackmore's Rainbow.
Rating: 7/10
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