ALBUM REVIEW CREW EPISODE 53: "DIFFICULT TO CURE"
On the 53rd Episode of the Album Review Crew of Shout It Out Loudcast, Tom, Zeus & special guest, rock journalist, author and fellow Pantheon podcaster, Martin Popoff review the 1981 rock album by Rainbow, "Difficult To Cure."
Rainbow and was on its third incarnation by 1981. Rainbow was still led by one of the greatest guitarist of all time, Ritchie Blackmore. SIOL favorite Don Airey was still there on keyboards as was former bassist and chief lyricist, bassist Roger Glover. However, gone was drummer extraordinaire Cozy Powell and new singer Graham Bonnet, who only appeared on one album, the previously reviewed "Down To Earth", see Episode 25 of the Album Review Crew. Replacing Powell was American drummer, Bobby Rondinelli and replacing Bonnet, was another American, Joe Lynn Turner.
JLT as he's known, gave Rainbow and even more commercial sound with his one of a kind melodic voice. Rainbow had come a long way from the Ronnie James Dio led Rainbow days. Ritchie wanted a more commercial band that could break through in America.
Difficult To Cure's melodic sound was evident on the opening track, "I Surrender," another Russ Ballard song. The album featured a mixture of melodic, classical, hard rock and pop songs. There were two instrumental a signature of Ritchie Blackmore. The songs "Can't Happen Here" & "I Surrender" also received video plays, during the early days of MTV.
The album was produced by Roger Glover and was the highest charting album in the UK for Rainbow and went Gold in the UK.
As usual the boys breakdown and dissect the tracks and rank the songs. They then rank the album and the album cover against the previous 51 albums reviewed on the Album Review Crew.
This was Zeus' pick.
So tune in to hear to hear a battle on instrumentals, Martin's hilarious dry sense of humor and a wardrobe discussion about whether something rivals early Bon Jovi tight jeans.