Not to be confused with Rainbow’s equally gripping double-CD Live In Germany 1976, Live In Munich 1977 features guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, singer Ronnie James Dio, drummer Cozy Powell, bassist Bob Daisley, and keyboardist David Stone. The DVD and double-CD set was recorded during the group’s 1977 European tour, just months before the release of their third studio (and last with Dio) album, Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll. Captured here is the firepower of vintage Rainbow before the dragons were chased out and things shifted into a more chart-oriented direction.
There’s an urgency and energy to this performance, which originally aired on the German music TV show Rockpalast, that might be linked to Blackmore’s late arrival to Munich just before the concert. The mischievous guitarist had to be smuggled out of Austria after a skirmish with the authorities at a show two nights earlier. When Rainbow opens up with “Kill The King,” there’s an undeniable intensity…and maybe a blast of defiance from Blackmore.
Ever the genteel host, Dio introduces “Mistreated” (originally recorded by Deep Purple) as a song the audience might have heard on the group’s 1977 live album On Stage, which happens to include many of the same songs that appear on Live In Munich 1977. After mesmerizing dips and drops through “Sixteenth Century Greensleeves” and “Catch The Rainbow,” Dio comments that “Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll” is from “an LP you’ve never heard before,” then adding something about it being a message to the world “except Austria,” which may or may not have pleased Blackmore. Nevertheless, the singer manages to wrangle the late-night crowd into joining in on the then-new song’s catchy chorus.
Ritchie Blackmore is at the peak of his powers, playing one extended solo after another. After he teases the audience with a few strokes of Deep Purple’s “Lazy,” Dio takes charge on “Man On The Silver Mountain.” Then it all takes a unpredictable turn as Blackmore engages Powell, Daisley, and Stone in a jazzy exchange. Even Dio works his way into the mix, improvising lines alongside the guitarist’s fluid lines. Rainbow’s epic take on the Yardbirds’ “Still I’m Sad” provides a showcase for Stone and Powell to take the spotlight. “Do You Close Your Eyes” closes the DVD and CD set with a crash as Blackmore destroys his Stratocaster, tossing its remains into the audience. It’s likely the lucky recipient will buy a dozen copies to hand out to friends and family members.
The DVD is filled out with promo videos for “Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll,” “Gates Of Babylon,” and “L.A. Connection,” a photo gallery, a slideshow with audio commentary, interviews, and the Rainbow Over Texas ‘76 feature, which includes additional interviews and performance footage. Altogether, Live In Munich 1977 is a textbook example of why rock and roll in the 1970s was at its absolute zenith.
~ Shawn Perry
