On Stage

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.com
When Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple, they barely skipped a beat replacing him. And he barely skipped a beat forming Rainbow, a mirror image of his old band. Vocalist Ronnie James Dio, though, provided Blackmore with a clipped, howl-free voice, hardening Rainbow's sound considerably despite the presence of Mellotron, organ, and other keyboards. By the time it released On Stage, the band had developed its dominion: songs about killing kings, men on silver mountains, and women locked in towers. Subjects were grandiose and the execution heavy, even ponderous. But there's charm in the way Dio intones, "Do you waaant some love? / Well, here we are to give you love," as Blackmore strums in the background. But Dio and Blackmore turn to hard, hard rock with the sprawling "Man on the Silver Mountain" and slow, sad-sack blues with "Mistreated." For gearheads, there's a full accounting of the band's equipment on the back cover. This remastered edition boasts a warmer sound, but who needs warmth with that big guitar spilling over onto your shirt and shoes while the crowd claps along? --Andrew Bartlett

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Customer reviews

review by: Smoooov date: 2008-02-22 rating:
Cozy On Up
Great live album. Bought it on vinyl when it came out. Still love it today. Clever intro and solid all the way through. Blackmore's guitar playing is at it's best. The subtle stuff is brilliant. So is the fire demonstrated on Mistreated for example. Cozy powell is...well...Cozy Powell...Slammin'!! Dio's vocals are powerful. Guy's been in 3 different bands that have achieved incredible success...nuff said. Forget the picky things mentioned in some of the reviews and listen to this record. Really listen to it. It never gets old.

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review by: date: 2007-12-14 rating:
Ready for The "Deluxe" Treatment
As I consider this Record is Worthy of being on many: "Best Of" Lists. Best: "Live" Album, Best: "Live Album of the 1970's", Best: "Live Hard Rock" Album, Etc,Etc. This Double Record, had more room on the Four Sides of those Records to fit more Songs from the 1976 Concert on it. I was Lucky enough to see a Show from the Summer 1976, "Rainbow over America" Tour at the Berkeley Community Theater. And as I have always been Big about this Album as one of the very Greats. But, when it is compared to the Concert I attended in Berkeley, here on this CD, you are only getting about HALF the Show.

The Epic Version of; "Stargazer" {With Drum Solo by Cozy and The Big Explosion in that Solo} is not here. That was by Far one of the Highlights of this Amazing Show. "Black Sheep Of the Family" was far better than it's studio counterpart {Not included as well}. "Do You Close Your Eyes" {Where is that?}. 31 Years is indeed a Long Time, and as I don't remember everything from that night, I do know that the 1976 Show was 2 Hours in length, and lot's more of that Show could and should be presented here to tell the Complete Story.

Still this is one of the very Best live Records ever released, but if there was a CD that needed a: "Deluxe/Expanded Edition", of 2 CD's to be released: "On Stage" should be at the Top of that List.
Any Fan of Ritchie, Tony, Cozy, Ronnie James and Jimmy, should already own this Monster, but there is more that needs to be heard!

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review by: date: 2007-09-19 rating:
Classic 70's Hard Rock... Live and Loud!
I must admit that I have not listened to the CD as I am still playing my purchased-in-1982 vinyl copy. I stopped listening to it for about a decade (the dreary 90's!) but a chance listen to UFO's Strangers In The Night caused me to rifle through some of my classic 70's hard rock LPs. And a classic this certainly is! Yes, I have a sentimental attachment to it, but, the sound this recording possesses goes far beyond a simple effusiveness: it is bold, direct and heavy yet it retains a moody meander that offers stimulating respite. It is an album to be played loud! There are 6 basic tracks but it feels like there are more as the songs are embellished in that Deep Purple kind of way. Perhaps this notion of the taking of a studio song and fleshing it out in the live setting will be what Ritchie is remembered for, long after the riff to Smoke On The Water has settled in the dust?!
A number of people have complained that this doesn't capture Rainbow circa 1977 or that it is not a comprehensive snapshot of one of their live performances or even that it lacks songs from Rising and/or led off with a song that was on an album yet to be released. These may be valid criticisms, however, as a slice of late 70's hard rock this is very hard album to beat! Ronnie James Dio was at his hungriest and simply on top form, Blackmore was, as always, inventive and beguiling. Two of the 70's most underrated artists also appear; Cozy Powell is so very solid and punchy while Tony Carey's collection of Moogs, Clavinettes and cut down Hammond play the perfect foil to Blackmore, much like Jon Lord did in Deep Purple. Simply, these guys were at the top of their game and they came together and made memorable music. Music which may sound dated now but will somehow always retain a timelessness. An album to crank-up loud... as you grow old and cranky...

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review by: Cavalier date: 2007-07-28 rating:
Ronnie James Dio
This captures Ronnie James Dio live before he got really cocky. Man on the Silver Mountain is a must for every metal fan. It's a more serious band than Dio, and the lyrics aren't as corny but the songs not as catchy. I got this as an impulse buy I found it for really cheap. Worth getting if you find it used, but I wouldn't recommend it.


review by: date: 2007-07-05 rating:
No songs from "Rising"
I have been a Rainbow fan ever since I can remember. I was 10 years old when this LP came out and listened to it over and over and over throughout the years. There is no question that the Dio era is the BEST Rainbow era by far. If you want to simply listen to a great live album and listen to Dio, Powell and Blackmore do their stuff, then this is a great listen. However, there are a couple of disappointments with this.

First! There is not 1 song from their BEST (or even one of the best albums ever for that matter), that being "Rising", on this live effort. Sure you get the short "blurb" of Starstruck during the Man on the Silver Mountain medley, but that only lasts about 20 seconds.

Secondly! Catch the Rainbow is a great ballad but it is WAY too long and took a complete side of an LP when originally released. It also had some long silent moments. I was willing to get by this but then Mistreated was also a complete "side-stealer". That being said, those 2 took too much time and should've left room for songs like "Tarot Woman, Stargazer, the complete Starstruck or even Light in the Black", songs that are certainly worthy of playing live.

The live versions of Kill The King and Still I'm Sad are the best tracks.

I'm still giving this 4 stars simply because it's the classic lineup and it sounds good.

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