Classic Rock Bottom

This review was originally written for the Rock is Life.com website back in 2006.

Rainbow

Live In Munich 1977

Eagle Vision - 2006

http://www.eaglerockent.com

What's The 4-1-1?

The live DVD captures what is believed to be the only known video of the Rainbow lineup featuring Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio, Cozy Powell, Bob Daisley and David Stone.

The bonus features include 3 video clips, 2 interviews, a photo gallery and a slide show with audio commentary. A reproduction of the European tour booklet is included as well. The DVD is recorded in the Dolby Surround 5.1 and in the 4:3 format.

Genre

Rock / Hard Rock / Classic Rock

The Good:

The Concert: The concert is what you might expect from a big 1970's rock concert. A light show, along with a giant rainbow stage prop set the backdrop.

Ronnie James Dio and Ritchie Blackmore are in excellent form. Dio sings at a peak he has consistently maintained for many years after this concert. Blackmore handles both the hard rocking nature of the music and the quieter musical passages that open a majority of the 8-song set.

The video is consistently clear and the sound is excellent as the band rocks its way through the best known songs from their first two albums, plus "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll" from the album of the same name. At the time of the concert, that album hadn't been released yet.

The Bonus Features: I really enjoyed flipping through the tour booklet, taking that trip back in time to see what was being said about Blackmore, Dio and Cozy Powell in the little pieces included in that.

The three video clips were decent, your basic band performance type of video shoot. The video for "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll" had some minor special effects to it. However, "L.A. Connection" came across best for me. It had nothing to do with the video itself but rather because I hadn't heard the song in a while and it was great to do so once again.

The two interviews were with the Deep Purple / Rainbow manager Colin Hart and Rainbow bassist Bob Daisley.

The Daisley interview was about 20 minutes and it summed up his career from the beginning to when his time in Rainbow ended. There were a few bits of interesting information in the piece.

Colin Hart's interview was 10 minutes long and though it was far less enlightening, it was interesting to get a read on the band through the eyes of a member of the road crew.

The best feature was the slideshow with the audio commentary. It's 40 minutes long and takes you through the entirety of the live concert with loads of historical information about the band and the events leading up to the recording of the concert. It is a real treasure trove.

The Bad

The Concert: A couple of times during the set, the band was so loud that Dio's vocals got buried beneath the music. If you consider how much of a powerhouse singer Dio is as a singer even now, this means the band went TOO LOUD.

While keyboardist David Stone was highly competent in performance, he usually looked quite bored during the show. I've listened to many a live Rainbow concert over the years and the extended running times of the songs are usually not a big deal to me. But a 27 minute version of "Still I'm Sad" really dragged on, even for me. Sometimes a bit of brevity is as good for showcasing your ability as a lengthy musical journey can be.

The Bonus Features: The photo gallery did nothing to enhance the DVD experience, at least not for me. I think this type of bonus feature is both overrated and unnecessary.

The Verdict

When I first listened to the CD version of this release, I thought it was very good, but it just didn't ring out as a GREAT performance. My opinion has changed after watching the DVD. It's a wonderful performance and only serves to reaffirm the notion of Rainbow being one of the most underrated rock bands of the 1970's and early '80s.

Do you like Ronnie James Dio? Does Ritchie Blackmore's playing hold you in thrall? Well then, what are you waiting for? Get your butt out to the store and get your own copy of Live In Munich 1977. You will not be disappointed as the concert is superb and there's a bevy of worthwhile bonus features.

Did You Know?

Ritchie Blackmore almost didn't make the show after he was arrested by the Austrian police a few days before the Munich show. (The bonus features give a good accounting of why he was arrested.)

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