Not too long ago, a friend hit me up on Instagram (@joethemetalhead1999 for those interested) and begged the question: Dio era Rainbow or 80s Mercyful Fate? I froze. Both bands reinvented metal as we know it, paving the way for legions of bands and subgenres to follow. Furthermore, both bands absolutely rule, and if you don’t like either, well, you’re just a poser. While I’m still struggling to choose between the two, I figured in the meantime I could tackle a Top 10 list regarding one of the bands in question, Dio era Rainbow. Although there’s only three albums worth of material to evaluate, this was still a challenge to make. Per usual, I’m sure the order of songs or exclusion of a certain song or two is bound to ruffle some feathers, so if you think you can do a better job than me, feel free to do so in the comments. Now, without further a due, here’s our Top 10 Dio Era Rainbow Songs.
10. “Catch the Rainbow”
Kicking off our list at #10 is one of the most chilling ballads ever written, “Catch the Rainbow”. As the closer on side A of Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow (1975), it bookends the first half of an album that ranges from proto-power metal (“Man on the Silver Mountain”) to rollicking rock n’ roll (“Black Sheep of the Family”). A trifecta of melancholic guitar, emotional vocals, and lush mellotron, “Catch the Rainbow” is hauntingly nostalgic. There’s something especially otherworldly about the lyric, “But life’s not a wheel, with chains made of steel.” Perhaps it’s Dio’s delivery. Perhaps it’s the way the melody goes up, up, down, up, and then repeats. I’m sure there’s a musical theory term for this that I’m lacking. Feel free to correct me in the comments.
9. “Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll”
“Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll” wasn’t the first song about rock n’ roll ever written, and it certainly won’t be the last. That said, it stands tall above the rest as more than a mere ode to the genre or its powers on the youth. This is a declaration, a war cry, a profession of faith. It’s also a demonstration of Ronnie James Dio’s dynamic vocals. On the last song, Dio gently sings into the wandering unknown. On “Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll”, he sings to an imaginary arena of 20,000+ drunk and stoned teenage headbangers, all singing, no, screaming the chorus in unison. It’s the same guy using two completely different vocal approaches, yet being equally compelling with each. If that isn’t brilliance, I don’t know what is.
8. “Man on the Silver Mountain”
Ritchie Blackmore and I will likely never see eye to eye on Mk. III Deep Purple. I hear loud, sweaty, pure rock n’ roll. He hears “shoeshine crap music”. Granted, the Deep Purple of “Lay Down, Stay Down” was a world away from the Deep Purple of “Bloodsucker”. It’s no wonder Blackmore decided to turn Rainbow from a side project into the next chapter of his musical career. The opening track on the band’s 1975 debut album, “Man on the Silver Mountain” signaled a return to Blackmore’s roots. It was this style of playing that fans hadn’t heard since a year earlier on 1974’s “Burn”, and consistently since 1972’s Machine Head. The span of a year or two seems measly by today’s standards, but in the halcyon days of heavy metal, a year was a lifetime. It’s why Saxon was singing “Where were you in ’79?” in 1981, but that’ll be discussed in a future list.
7. “Lady of the Lake”
When one thinks of Dio era Rainbow, there’s many descriptors that come to mind: epic, heavy, powerful, groundbreaking. One that doesn’t come to mine? “Commercially accessible”. Of course, this would change come the arrival of Graham Bonnet on vocals, but I digress. The one Dio era song I always felt could’ve been a hit is “Lady of the Lake”. Despite its pseudo-occult lyrics and eerie vibe, “Lady of the Lake” packs enough melody and groove to make Journey, Foreigner, and every other late 70s rock radio titan blush. It also showcases how strong Rainbow was a unit. The driving beat of Cozy Powell and accompanying thump of Bob Daisley is just as prominent as Dio’s soaring vocals, Blackmore’s confrontational guitars, and David Stone’s (It’s a shame he only lasted one album.) dramatic keyboards.
6. “Rainbow Eyes”
How do you close a collection of full blown Dungeons and Dragons metal songs? With a beautiful ballad, of course! Considering the absence of such musical delicacy on 1976’s Rising, Rainbow was due to pick up where “Catch the Rainbow” and “The Temple of the King” left off. And boy did they do so. “Rainbow Eyes” goes straight for the emotional jugular. No drums, no bass, no piano, no full blown orchestra: Just a stripped down arrangement of vocals, guitar, violin, and flute. It’s all so fragile that if you manipulated it in the slightest, the difference would be noticed. While I and countless others would’ve loved to have seen Blackmore and Dio patch things up for one more outing, I couldn’t imagine a better song to end such an illustrious musical collaboration.
5. “Kill the King”
Slap on your war paint, saddle up, and raise your sword to the sky! At least that’s what I envision myself doing every time I hear “Kill the King”. This, my friends, is true power metal. Disagree? Hear me out. If it makes you cringe, laugh, or roll your eyes, it’s not power metal. It’s Disney theatrics masquerading under the guise of “power metal” (i.e. Sabaton, DragonForce). TRUE power metal makes you want to slay your enemies and feast upon the flesh and blood of the weak while emitting the most primal of cries. Therefore, “Kill the King” is true power metal. Everyone from Omen to Blind Guardian owes Dio and Blackmore for raising the vocal and guitar bar to a new high on this one.
4. “Tarot Woman”
A minute and 15 seconds: That’s how long it took Tony Carey to go from an unknown 23 year old keyboardist to a god on the level of Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, and Jon Lord. It was a ballsy move. You’d think Blackmore would want to open the second installment of his masterpiece trilogy, Rising, with a go for the throat guitar riff, but no. He decided to salt the wound of Deep Purple, a band now on their last leg, with a fatal blow of keyboard wizardry. The intro then builds up and segues into “Tarot Woman”. I couldn’t think of a better opener for what is, hands down, the finest metal album of 1976. Little did the listener know the album would only get more epic from there.
3. “Stargazer”
If you thought opening a song with a keyboard buildup was unorthodox, about a drum fill? That’s exactly how “Stargazer” begins, thanks to the colossal drumming of the legendary Cozy Powell. For all the reports of arrogance and stubbornness, Blackmore sure knew how to step back when need be. After Powell’s pummeling fill kicks things off, the song tells the tale of a wizard with an entire nation under his spell, enslaved to build a “tower of stone” “just to see him fly”. Only when that tower is finally built, he doesn’t fly. “He falls instead of rising.” Some have said these lyrics are an allusion to organized religion or an oppressive political regime. Ronnie James Dio simply described it as a “morality tale” written from the viewpoint of “an Egyptian slave”. The truth likely lies somewhere in between. After all, Dio’s lyrics were packed with lessons and slices of philosophy.
2. “Gates of Babylon”
I will never forget the first time I heard “Gates of Babylon”. I couldn’t have been more than 11 years old. I had purchased Live in Munich 1977 DVD from my local Half Price Books and watched the entire show from the comfort of my bed. There were three promo videos in the bonus features: “Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll” (which I was well acquainted with by then), “L.A. Connection”, and the coup de grâce, “Gates of Babylon”. The entire song is a masterpiece and a half, but Blackmore’s solo is in a league of its own. Like an unhinged rollercoaster, it twists and turns and goes upside down…and you never know where it’s headed next. Add to that Dio’s wicked vocals and lyrics and I was hooked, yet horrified, specifically when he sang that last line: “The devil is me and I’m holding the key to the gates of sweet hell, Babylon.” I don’t think I slept that night.
- “A Light in the Black”
I’ve hard many a man say that “Stargazer” is the greatest metal song of all time. To which I say “Stargazer” isn’t even the greatest song on side B of Rising. That’s not selling it short by any means. 99.9% of metal bands spend their entire careers not being able to write a song an eighth as good as “Stargazer”. Which only further emphasizes the excellence of “A Light in the Black”. If you were to ask me right now what is the greatest metal song of all time, this would likely be my answer. It boasts all the traits of true heavy metal that we now take for granted: devastating drums, venomous vocals, militant riffing, and a guitar/keyboard showdown for the ages. It is the musical equivalent of the final duel in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). What makes the scene so compelling is the tension in Tuco and Angels Eyes’ eyes as Blondie stands fearless. The same can be said for Blackmore and Carey, firing their musical guns (guitar and keyboard respectively) at each other while the rest of the band lays the backdrop for the scene. And that is why “A Light in the Black” is the greatest Dio era Rainbow song. 45 years later and no other band has been able to simultaneously capture its musical virtuosity and dramatic effect since.
Pretty sure I would have said these exact ten! Although, I think “Tarot Woman” just might be my favorite Rainbow song! It took me a long time to realize it, too.
I have it a tie between Gates of Babalon and Stargazer. But just my personal taste. They are all great. I have to say I think Catch The Rainbow rips off Hendrix’s Little Wing in a big way. Even some of the lyrics. But it’s still a good listen.