| CD
Review
| Blackmore's
Night
| Ghost
Of A Rose
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BLACKMORE’S
NIGHT - Ghost
Of A Rose
SPV Records
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It’s
been nearly six years since Ritchie Blackmore formed the post-Rainbow
renaissance machine Blackmore’s Night with his girlfriend Candice
Night. The two spent the last few years traveling around the country
playing Renaissance festivals and professing their love for the 16th
century. Needless to say this did not sit well with Purple/Rainbow fans
who felt abandoned and misled. Last year Blackmore’s Night upped the
ante and did a castle tour of Europe dressing in period costume and
selling out …well castles. With Ghost Of A Rose, the bands fifth
recording and a decent castle tour it can no longer be considered
shtick.
When Blackmore first formed the band the idea was to keep it to
traditional songs and instruments. It’s obvious the fan’s plea to
bring back electric elements that made Blackmore a ‘70s rock god have
affected this recording. True, the aged Renaissance flare is still
prevalent in “Way To Mandalay”, “Ivory Tower” and “Queen For A
Day” but the bite is back. “Cartouche” and “Loreley” pick up
their feet for a druid dance around the fire while Blackmore actually
plugs in on “All For One”. Night’s performance has also greatly
improved not only as a singer but in her delivery.
The inclusion of two cover songs make Ghost Of A Rose heads and
shoulders above the rest in their catalog. The Joan Baez portrait
of Bob Dylan in “Diamonds and Rust” is positively riveting. The
guitar sets the canvas as Night paints a masterpiece with full control
of her fine-tuned voice. “Rainbow Blues” from Jethro Tull’s
Warchild years drops in like a sledgehammer as Blackmore actually cooks
up a decent rocker. His solo harkens back to why we listened to Machine
Head in the first place. There’s still hope that Blackmore will
deliver another hard rock masterpiece but until then this is not half
bad.
Websites: SPV
Records, Blackmore’s
Night.
Review by Todd
Smith http://www.thecutting-edge.net/
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