Richie Blackmore needs no introduction and now after 10 Blackmore’s Night releases, nor does his better half, the very talented Candice Night.
Together the pair has formed a union more stable than Deep Purple or Rainbow ever was and Richie seems more than content rolling out an album every year of this specialized blend of medieval/folk/acoustic/renaissance music.
This is one of those occasions where you must remove any personal bias in order to deliver a fair review. Because that musical description rules me out as a listener. Naturally I’ve spun this a couple of times for review purposes, but you’d have to lock me in a dungeon, tied to a Rank if you wanted me to listen to it again. It’s just not on my musical radar. At all.
However – it’s very good! Of course it is. Richie is a savant of the genre. A prodigy of anything musical. So of course it’s immaculately produced and mixed and filled with an equal mix of instrumental passages and sweetly sung lullabies.
I must admit to being quite partial to the cover of Mike Oldfield’s Moonlight Shadow; but on the other hand, I Got You Babe is cringeworthy.
The rest are thoughtfully composed originals.
So it all comes down to taste really. You really, really have to be into this stuff to appreciate it. The acoustic dexterity of Blackmore is as exquisite as always and Candice has a soothing vocal.
Rockers avoid! Lovers of ye olde kingdom of fantasy and followers of past albums will find this another tasteful addition to the Blackmore catalogue.
