  Frontiers/Playground
RITCHIE BLACKMORE is returning to his rock roots, albeit for a short time-span and only on stage. This album is same old as he has been doing since 1997. Candice Night is singing, Bard David of Larchmont on keyboards, Earl Grey of Chimay on bass, Troubadour of Aberdeen handles drums, Lady Kelly de Winter the French Horn and harmony Vocals, and the Scarlet Fiddler the violin. Better switch to bard-robe for this one.
The opening title track is almost Greek in style. The guitar work is of cause master class but everything else is more suited for the Eurovision Song Contest. “Allan yn n Fan” says it all before listening. There are the obvious Celtic influences but as Ritchie switches to electric I must say I appreciate the track more. The old chestnut “Whiter Shade of Pale” gets a Blackmore-ian treatment as “Darker Side of Black”. This may well be the highlight of the album since the treatment is both playful and masterful. Around the four minute mark Ritchie comes in seriously and hey presto what is good gets better. “Moonlight Shadow is the next cover on offer, and when Ritchie enters in full electric force the RAINBOW-vibes are there. When they opt for “I Got You Babe” I opt for the fwd-button. Seriously? Or perhaps the paramount moment is “Where Are We Going from Here”. Classic meets rock and especially so in the electric parts. There are 12 tracks on here but I think you get the picture. The tone is still there, Ritchie seems more and more like the less withered rock hero of yesterday, if only he wasn´t so against showing it. The lion part of the album is no doubt aimed at the audience that appreciates a calm show in a German castle. But next up is actually a few rock shows. I sincerely wish that is was the other way around even if the arrangements are still in a league of their own.
Track List
All Our Yesterdays
Allan yn y Fan
Darker Side of Black
Long Long Time
Moonlight Shadow
I Got You Babe
The Other Side
Queen´s Lament
Where Are We Going From Here
Will o´the Wisp
Earth Wind & Sky
Coming Home
www.frontiers.it www.blackmoresnight.com
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