If you’re a fan of Ritchie Blackmore you get used to band members coming and going. But for fans of Rainbow, the departure of Ronnie James Dio in 1978 was a tough pill to swallow. The mighty castle metal of the Dio years was replaced with the AOR hit Since You’ve Been Gone and the proto-Miami Vice vision of new vocalist Graham Bonnet.
But don’t pull your drawbridge up just yet. 1979’s Down To Earth is one of Rainbow’s best albums. Since You’ve Been Gone might be too slick for some, but it’s a classic rock track: deceptively sophisticated and impeccably delivered with a Blackmore guitar solo made out of sheer joy. And if the new frontman was more James Dean than James Dio, his powerful and versatile lungs allow the band to get raunchier and bluesier, bringing to mind revered Deep Purple albums like Machine Head and Burn. The driving All Night Long has brilliant Smoke On The Water style riffs and Love’s No Friend is a superbly moody sequel to Mistreated. Better still, the grandiose proto-power metal of the previous Rainbow remains in the thumping Eyes Of The World and the medieval tinges of Makin’ Love. The closest the album comes to filler is the generic No Time To Lose but even that adds some welcome up-tempo energy, as does the lively closing track Lost In Hollywood.
Inevitably, the coming and going continued with the departure of both Bonnet and drummer Cozy Powell. Which means Down To Earth becomes a transitional album in the Rainbow catalogue: steering the band from Ye Olde Rainbow to the slicker Joe Lynn Turner era. But with shades of both styles and a timeless hue of Deep Purple too, it’s a stone-cold classic in its own right. Could I be wrong? No.
HEAVY METAL OVERLOAD 
I’ve slowly pecking away at getting these Rainbow albums..Must admit I’m a sucker for the JLT era as you know but make no mistake about it as Ritchie always could find top notch talent even if they were to only last for an album or one show…hahaha
Nice to see ya back reviewing Sir!
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I’m a sicker for that stuff too. Team JLT! But this album is a stunner. More Purple-y than the JLT stuff. Can imagine Cov singing some of these. Kinda wish they had done more but then… I love the albums that came next anyway so no big deal!
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Yep, agreed with this score.
LOL…proto Miami Vice. Nailed it….
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Haha especially at Donington. Those pink trousers! I remembered you doing this one… looked back to see how you’d scored it. Great minds think alike!
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“Stone Cold” classic…I see what you did there. Great review and this was the album where I started listening to Rainbow due to “Since You’ve Been Gone”, so I love this album.
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Well spotted! That’s cool. I knew that song but I’d heard the Dio and JLT albums before I got to this one.
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I want to say it was a video on MTV that I saw that pointed me in their direction, but can’t remember exactly. I do remember the Stone Cold video for sure.
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Gotta admit I never tried this. Draw bridge up.
Maybe I should try it.
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Worth a go. If you like other Rainbow and Purple stuff then you’ll like it.
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Reblogged this on Arte, Fotografía y Rock and Roll.
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Solid write up, sir! I like Since You’ve Been Gone. I had it on a Rainbow/Purple greatest hits compilation. Never heard the originating album before. Looks like I need to give it a spin.
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If you like that that track then definitely! Not a bad song on this.
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I like the closing question/immediate and irrefutable response!
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I know Since You’ve Been Gone, but didn’t know it was Rainbow. Fancy that. If this one comes roaming I’ll drop the drawbridge and let it in.
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Got any Rainbow stuff?
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Only have the first one on the MP3 racks.
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Which I like.
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I will check it out just because it’s you.
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No better reason than that haha!
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You have sent me in good direction before. When HMO speaks, CB listens.
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‘The medieval tinges of “Makin’ Love”‘! How brilliantly Tap-esque…
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It’s in the key of D-minor…
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Shades of ‘Lick My Love Pump’…
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I must get this one. Bonnet’s got a fine set of lungs on him.
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He’s talented and sexy, a bit like yourself.
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I agree with the rating and your view on it being a transitional stone cold classic.
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