“Long Live Rock 'n' Roll” may be singer Ronnie James Dio's last album with Rainbow, but at least he went out on a high note. While the material is not quite as strong as on the previous studio effort, Rising, Long Live Rock 'n' Roll maintains the momentum the band had built up. "Kill the King" had been previously heard on the live On Stage record, but here it sounds more fully realized. Also, the title track from the album stands as one of the best songs the band did, not to mention a noble sentiment. The chugging "L.A. Connection" is another highlight. As with all of their first four albums, this one was produced by Martin Birch (who produced everyone from Blue Öyster Cult to Wayne County), and he really knows how to get the best out of the band by this point. The result is that the songs couldn't sound any better, so even if some of the material isn't quite up to their best, the album is still very cohesive, steady, and, ultimately, satisfying. This would turn out to be the last great album Rainbow would ever make, although they did enjoy a great deal of chart success in the post-Dio era.
Tracklist
01. "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll" (Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio) - 4:21
02. "Lady of the Lake" (Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio) - 3:39
03. "L.A. Connection" (Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio) - 5:02
04. "Gates of Babylon" (Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio) - 6:49
05. "Kill the King" (Blackmore, Dio, Cozy Powell) - 4:29
06. "The Shed (Subtle)" (Blackmore, Dio, Powell) - 4:47
07. "Sensitive to Light" (Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio) - 3:07
08. "Rainbow Eyes" (Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio) - 7:11
Rainbow
Ronnie James Dio – lead vocals
Ritchie Blackmore – guitars, bass (also bass on rough mix tracks 1–6, 2012 Deluxe Edition)
Cozy Powell – drums, percussion
Bob Daisley – bass on "Gates of Babylon", "Kill the King", and "Sensitive to Light"
David Stone – keyboards on "Gates of Babylon", "Kill the King", "The Shed". Piano outro on "L.A. Connection"
Tony Carey – keyboards on "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll", "Lady of the Lake", and "Rainbow Eyes" (2012 Deluxe Edition rough mix only)
Additional musicians
Bavarian String Ensemble conducted by Rainer Pietsch on "Gates of Babylon"
Ferenc Kiss, Nico Nicolic – violins on "Rainbow Eyes"
Ottmar Machan - viola on "Rainbow Eyes"
Karl Heinz Feit – cello on "Rainbow Eyes"
Rudi Risavy – flute on "Rainbow Eyes"
Notes
Released: 9 April 1978
Recorded at: The Strawberry Studio, Château d'Hérouville, France, May–July & December 1977
Genre: Heavy metal, Hard rock
Length: 39:27
Label: Polydor
Producer: Martin Birch
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