Customer Reviews

Rainbow's End

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I can't believe the incredible quality of this album. In fact, I could say it compares to secular albums such as Led Zeppelin 1 and Nervana Nevermind. The Rez band is a wonderful precursor to christian heavy metal. Be sure to look on Christian Music Sites before you pawn your wife's jewlery to buy it here, because it's still produced.

This is the best Christian rock album of the 70's and one of the 5 best of all time. As far as secular music goes, this will stand well next to anything issued in 1979.

Resurrection Band was a group of tight, creative, proffesional musicians led by the twin vocal titans, Glen and Wendy Kaiser. Both are dynamic lead vocalists capable of carrying any song. Glen's similar to, say Peter French (Leaf Hound, Atomic Rooster). The lovely Wendy is somewhere in the neighborhood of Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane/Starship, The Great Society). When harmonizing, weell secular bands have rarely had that powerful of combination.

Midnight Son starts off side one, and comes out rockin'! This is heavy rock as it's meant to be done. This band kicks, well you know, what Balaam smote (Numbers 22:23 AV). Strongman is a slower, but hard rockin' number dominated by Wendy's powerhouse vocals and the brilliant lead guitar work of Stu Heiss. This one's a killer! Afrikaans is an anti-aparthied song a few years ahead of the multi-group session in the 80's. Skyline is the type fo rocker Leaf Hound might do, with some amazing harmonica over really heavy riffing by the rhythm guitars. Possibley this album's greatest weakness is in the mix of this song. The guitars are too low. Still a pleasure from start to finish. The side finishes out with the best slow number of the album. Very well written, played and soulfully sung. Glen takes the lead guitar spot on this one, and it comes out sounding alot like the one in Far Away by Uli Roth on Scorpion's '74 masterpiece Fly To The Rainbow. Not a copy, but I think that's where the inspiration came from.

Side two opens with another rocker, the title track, Rainbow's End. Again powered by the vocals of Wendy and killer leads by Stu. This band's songwriting is top notch. Lyrics and music are mature and very well crafted. Following this you have an Eastern flavored ballad about the pure bliss sex was intended to be. Superb song. Back to the hard rockin' with Sacrifice Of Love. This band never bores you. Always fresh and exciting. Wolfsong may just be the hardest rocker on here. Another I could here Leaf Hound doing. Closing out the album is a slow progressive number that finishes out with a brilliant sax solo.

I first got a hold of this album in late '79 or very early '80, a gift from a DJ that knew I liked hard rock. My friends and I were blown away by how good it was. Let's face it, the majority of Christian rock groups are usually substandard copies of secular bands. Not so here! This ranks up there with the best of '79. Get It before it goes out of print again!

I first got a copy of this album in casette form way back around 1982. I was in the Baptist Church at the time and I was JONESING band for some good rock and roll. Personally I am NOT a fan of MOST vintage Christian Rock, but the first TWO Resurrection Band lps were masterpieces. The lp has two TREMENDOUS and beautiful rock ballads: Paint a Picture and Everytime It Rains. Everytime it Rains is really one of the best songs you may ever hear. Paint a Picture is equally as good. Since I am not a musician it is really very hard for me to describe the quality of an album so folks will have to take my recommendation with a grain of salt. Concert for a Queen is another beautiful love song. The rest of the songs are more Rock and roll oriented. Any fan of Rock and Roll or of Rez or the Resurrection band MUST own the first two cds. These are NOT cheesy Christain albums. The music is NOT WIMPY and SAPPY as many Christian bands seemed to be. I was browsing recently on Youtube exploring other OLD Christian Bands. The Resurrection Band was simply doing something else entirely. The first TWO cds Awaiting Your Reply 1978 and Rainbow's End 1979 were recorded for the Star Song label. This is the label that put out most of the early Petra cds. After the first two lps the band was then produced by Light Records and then Sparrow. They finally came of age in the mid to late 80's being produced by Grrr Records, who has a WEBSITE where you can buy these cds. Ok, this is all I am going to write. These two albums are CLASSIC rock albums with Christain lyrics. The albums are musical masterpieces and exhibit very professional musicianship. I DO NOT carry on about the other albums on the other labels. The band changed their sound for those albums going sort of new wave. These are the STRONGEST CDS in the band's CLASSIC catalogue. Everything else was BUILT upon the LEGEND of these two cds. :)

Certainly Christian rock has been around a lot longer, but Resurrection Band is one of the stalwarts of the genre, and Rainbow's End is the perfect example of this. The music is very strong and with a lot of passion. The vocals are powerful and energetic. Take, for example, the album's opening track, "Midnight Son", with an almost Ozzy-like vocal attack and driving guitar-and-bass riff.

Another convincing highlight for raw power is the title track, with something of a harmonic blast of synthesizer and female vocal wailing, which can really move you. Frankly, she can remind you a lot of Ann Wilson of Heart, which is not easy to do.

While many of the tunes on this album convey something of a "typical" style of Christian message, the level of emotion and conviction in the songs really make it come alive. This album, simply put, makes Christian rock viable and worthy of attention.

Since I first heard this album nearly 30 years ago, it has remained in my list of top albums. The "Paint a Picture" track still brings thankful tears to my eyes. "Concert for a Queen" still moves passion for my wife. "Everytime it Rains" still inspires me like few other songs have. The depth of lyrics and quality of music are unmatched in any genre as far as I'm concerned. The blues-feel comes through strong foreshadowing Glenn Kaiser's later work - also quite good. If I had to be limited to one Rez Band album, this would be it.

I've always loved this album, and "Awaiting Your Reply", by Resurrection Band (they didn't change to Rez Band until many albums later, but later they came to there senses and changed back).

I've recently started converting my old Liquorice Pizza's (LP), and cassettes, to Digital. But many of my cassettes are not playable, and "Rainbow's End" one of them. So, it was a great surprise to find it on Amazon!

My only complaint is with Amazon.
The name of the band is clearly seen at the bottom of the album cover. It's Resurrection Band, not Rez Band. Yeah, I'm one of those people who refuse to call the album "The Beatles" the white album. I'll go with the name the artist gave it.
Also, what's with the album cover with "Awaiting Your Reply" inlaid on it? They have the correct ones to choose from. The one they chose is the one that shows up on my player. So, I had to go back and copy the correct one, then paste it on my player (and change the year to 1979, and the artist to Resurrection Band). I expect a $1 coupon for the extra work! LOL