Customer Reviews

Stranger in US All

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rainbow's first release since the early 80s, Stranger In Us All treads familiar territory and explores all new depths at the same time. Ritchie Blackmore shows off just how well he can play that acoustic guitar on the epic "Black Masquerade" and then cranks out the Strat for a rousing heavy metal version of "Hall of the Mountain King". The ballad-ish song "Ariel" has a mystical feel to it that is quite original. Vocalist Doogie White is a capable singer, sounding like a cross between ex-Rainbow singers Joe Lynn Turner and Dio, and Ritchie Blackmore's guitar playing is top notch. A must for any metal fan.

In my view Ritchie did the best thing by leaving Deep Purple, He has shown in this album that he still has got a whole lot of metal energy left in him, he has also proved his lyrical excellence, his mystic riffs are gut stirring and spell bounding. Doogie White is an excellent discovery in this youth and experience Rainbow lineup. Each track on this album is a master piece, Insatiable, Black Masquerade & Still I'm Sad are my favourate though you cannot seperate the rest as they are right up there too, I must say that each and every minute on this album is worth every penny you have spent.In my rating this album is hungry to be hunted by all those Ritchie Blackmore's Fans.This resurrection of Blackmore's Rainbow is one of the best things to happen to metal in a decade...Blackmore is a wizard who has casted a magic spell with his pinky. I am proud to own and review this excellent Rainbow album that will stand the test of time...and will always stir the Stranger In Us all...Bravo Blackmore & the Band

I recently revisited this album after not listening to it for a couple of years. Wow! This features some of Ritchie Blackmore's best electric guitar playing in years. Blackmore really lets loose and puts on a clinic in the melodic hard rock style of guitar playing. The album is liberally peppered with great solos. And the vocalist, Doogie White, has a voice that is perfectly suited to this style of music. In fact, he sounds like a cross between two of Rainbow's previous vocalists, Ronnie James Dio and Joe Lynn Turner. But this is not a perfect album by any means. The drumming is so stiff and wooden that it sounds more like a fake synthesized programmed drum machine than a real human playing, and the lyrics too often are too immature, hokey and lame for my taste. But alas, great rock and roll isn't about lyrics. It is about music that is driving, high charged and exciting and about spine-chiling guitar solos. This album more than passes the muster in this regard. Best cuts include "Wolf to the Moon" which has become one of my all-time favorite Rainbow songs, and an absolutely insane version of "Hall of the Mountain King." If you can overlook the stiff, wooden drumming and childish lyrics, you will truly appreciate this great show of Blackmore's distinctive style of electric guitar playing.

I laugh like crazy when I read some of the reviews of this depressingly mediocre album. "Best Rock Album Ever", "Best Since Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow", ad nauseum. The way I see (and hear) it, anything having to do with the original Rainbow vision died after Cozy Powell and Graham Bonnet left. This album proves it.

Stranger in Us All is a notch below the Joe Lynn Turner years of Rainbow. Vocalist Doogie White himself stated that this album was poorly executed and took too long to make. Interestingly, the few tracks on the album that are passably interesting came to life in a live context; in fact, I would reccomend buying one of the several dvds that document this era of Rainbow before buying the cd. Blackmore's live playing is re-energized during that period, and both the songs and White come across good. Blackmore's studio playing here sounds stifled by the excessive studio production values. And then theres, well, White himself, certainly competent from a technical standpoint but probably the second most anonymous singer Blackmore has ever worked with (hard to beat Rod Hughes in that regard). Doogie White had his moments, especially live in the '90's. But I can't hold him up to classic Dio, Bonnet, Gillan, Coverdale, Hughes...neither from a voice nor songwriting perspective.

The whole album sounds like somebody THOUGHT too much about it, without any concurrent progression in the music composition. The lyrics on are just horrible from ANY standpoint. I don't usually come down hard on Rock/Metal lyrics, but there just doesn't seem to be anyone actually TRYING here. Again, that's a curious fact, considering how long it took this album to make.

So, get this if you're a diehard (I, a righteous Blackmore diehard, own it and never play it); but if you want something that resembles the 1975-1980 Rainbow, you've come to the wrong place. Get the Rockpalast or other available dvds of this era instead, they're much more worthwhile.

If you are real Blackmore fan , this is a must have CD. Trust me, after all these years Ritchie is still the very best around. He's a legend. He just getting better & better over these year. And this band is just GREAT too and that they're ROCK ! So for the REAL Blackmore fan, this is it ! Go get it and you will never regret and that's for sure. Trust me , the real Blackmore fan.

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this album. I knew that Ritchie had started playing the acoustic medieval music not too long ago. All in all, this release wasn't that bad. Grant it, it's NO Rainbow of the 70s but there were some high points. "Wolf to the Moon" shows that Richie still has some magical stuff, while "Insatiable"(my favorite track) mixes haunting lyrics with equally haunting vocals. "Hall of the mountain king" reminds me alot of something Ronnie Dio would write. The only song on here that does not make the grade is "Stand and Fight." A fitting end to the legacy of Rainbow.

Used to love the old Rockers, Rainbow, and I am old enough to remember when Deep Purple first entered the scene (jeez, hate admitting that!)..this is very different in a lot of ways..I think Blackmore is having fun adding a surreal touch in what seems to be a themed album.."Hunting Humans" is very erotic and haunting the way viewing "Dracula" is..and his almost crazed version of the Grieg classical piece "Hall of the Mountain King" is sure a lot more fun than the original!..But for those who just like pure rock or power ballads, there won't be any disappointment for them, either...

I like this album. It kicks off with a very good track. After that one I needed some time to settle into Doogies voice, but after a track or two, could settle into it. Maybe the best rainbow-album after Dio? I'm not sure, but it is very close to be it. But, can't top the Dio years. But that is logical, cause NOBODY CAN TOP DIO! But about the album. Good hard rock album. My favorite songs are: 'Wolf to the Moon', 'Ariel', 'Black Masquerade', 'Hall of the Mountain King' and 'Still I'm Sad'. When I saw that 'Still I'm sad' was on the album, I thought that it could never be better then Dio's live version. But, its very good. I like it as much as the live version, its just different, but that is a good thing. Well, I don't have anything to say more. I recommend that you buy this cd, and enjoy it. Very good music, surely 4 stars worted! Highly recommended!

Ritchie Blackmore's guitar playing is consistently top-notch on this album; unfortunately, little else about the album is. Where did Blackmore find these guys? The lyrics are childish, the vocals amatuerish, the drumming high-schoolish (I cringed when I heard the overly busy drumming in "Still I'm Sad" which ruins a potentially decent song). The opening cut, "Wolf to the Moon", ranks right up there with the best Rainbow songs ever. The rest of the album has some moments, due to Blackmore's playing, but is pretty much forgettable. It sounds like a highly polished professional guitar player playing with a high school band.

I don't really know why, but I was hesitant to buy this album - maybe it was some of the reviews. I've always been a huge Blackmore fan, he's my favorite guitarist and this album really does not dissappoint. Now; is this "Rising"-no, is it "Bent Out Of Shape"-no. What it does sound like is a mix of music from the Dio years(Wolf To The Moon) and the JLT years(Too Late For Tears). Blackmore's playing is excellent - as always, however I was dissappointed that there was no instrumental as these are often my favorite moments on any Rainbow album.

Vocalist Doogie White does a good job handling things, he's not Dio or JLT but he doesn't have to be. It's strange but Rainbow and vocalists is like UFO and guitarists, everyone has their favorite and seems to dump on the others. Blackmore has made some great music with every singer he has ever worked with and that continues here. Also, the beginnings of Blackmore's Night are here with Candice Night co-writing four songs.

Song Highlights include: Cold Hearted Woman, Stand And Fight, Ariel, Black Masquerade, Hall Of The Mountain King and the re-recording of Still I'm Sad.

All in all this is a good Rainbow album with some very good moments. Rainbow fans should like it and it deserves a listen.