RAINBOW - Down to Earth (1979-1986) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The departure of Ronnie James Dio gave Ritchie Blackmore a chance to reinvent Rainbow, which he does to a certain extent on Down to Earth. Adding former Deep Purple colleague Roger Glover as bassist and Graham Bonnet as vocalist, Blackmore tones down some of the excess of the Dio years, particularly in terms of fantastical lyrics, and turns to straight-ahead hard rock, only occasionally adorned by prominent synthesizers. In general, their material is fairly solid, and "Since You Been Gone" easily ranks among the band's best songs, but overall the record is a little generic and sounds very much of its time -- namely, the late '70s, when album rock still ruled the arenas. Nevertheless, Rainbow has a distinct idea, primarily through the guitar artistry and mystical sensibility of Ritchie Blackmore. He sounds invigorated on the album, turning in muscular performances and strong solos on each cut; clearly, the reunion has revitalized him. Unfortunately, Bonnet tends to oversell his vocals, screaming a little bit too often, but he doesn't distract from the fact that Blackmore, Glover, and drummer Cozy Powell turn Down to Earth into a fine hard rock platter. It might not offer anything unique, but it delivers the goods. Stephen Thomas Erlewine  
Tracklist :
1     All Night Long 3'50
Ritchie Blackmore / Roger Glover
2     Eyes of the World 6'38
Ritchie Blackmore / Roger Glover
3     No Time to Lose 3'41
Ritchie Blackmore / Roger Glover
4     Makin' Love 4'35
Ritchie Blackmore / Roger Glover
5     Since You Been Gone 3'16
Russ Ballard
6     Love's No Friend 4'50
Ritchie Blackmore / Roger Glover
7     Danger Zone 4'27
Ritchie Blackmore / Roger Glover
8     Lost in Hollywood 4'51
Ritchie Blackmore / Roger Glover / Cozy Powell
Credits :
Bass – Roger Glover
Drums – Cozy Powell
Guitar – Ritchie Blackmore
Keyboards – Don Airey
Vocals – Graham Bonnet