[SACD-R][OF] Rainbow – Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll - 2010 (Hard rock, heavy metal)

Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll is the third studio album released by Rainbow, released in 1978.

Although Bob Daisley & David Stone are listed on the album credits for their contributions they joined the band part way through the recording sessions and only appear on a couple of tracks. (Stone part wrote “Gates of Babylon” but was never credited). Blackmore played most of the bass parts himself for the album.

“Kill the King” was already a staple part of the tour setlists, opening Rainbow concerts since mid-1976. It first appeared on the live album On Stage in 1977.

The original vinyl release was in a gatefold-sleeve, with a lyric-sheet insert. The crowd picture is actually from a Rush concert, with the wording on the banner the fans were actually holding replaced by the Rainbow album title and the visible Rush t-shirts airbrushed to black.

Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll was remastered on CD for the US market in April 1999, with the European version following later. The US version had a matte booklet/ insert, which matched the original vinyl sleeve for all markets, whereas the European issue was the standard glossy type.

In the 1977-78 live concerts the title track and “Kill the King” were the only songs performed, although “LA Connection” did get a few airings on the US tour before being dropped from the set.

Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll may be singer Ronnie James Dio’s last album with Rainbow, but at least he went out on a high note. While the material is not quite as strong as on the previous studio effort, Rising, Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll maintains the momentum the band had built up. “Kill the King” had been previously heard on the live On Stage record, but here it sounds more fully realized. Also, the title track from the album stands as one of the best songs the band did, not to mention a noble sentiment. The chugging “L.A. Connection” is another highlight. As with all of their first four albums, this one was produced by Martin Birch (who produced everyone from Blue Öyster Cult to Wayne County), and he really knows how to get the best out of the band by this point. The result is that the songs couldn’t sound any better, so even if some of the material isn’t quite up to their best, the album is still very cohesive, steady, and, ultimately, satisfying. This would turn out to be the last great album Rainbow would ever make, although they did enjoy a great deal of chart success in the post-Dio era.