Blackmore's Night [2006] The Village Lanterne

[01] 25 Years
[02] Village Lanterne
[03] I Guess It Doesn't Matter Anymore
[04] The Messenger (Instrumental)
[05] World Of Stone
[06] Faerie Queen - Faerie Dance
[07] St. Teresa
[08] Village Dance (Instrumental)
[09] Mond Tanz - Child In Time
[10] Streets Of London
[11] Just Call My Name (I'll Be There)
[12] Olde Mill Inn
[13] Windmills
[14] Street Of Dreams
[15] Ones In A Garden
[16] Street of Dreams

Features [16] Joe Lynn Turner



amg: By now, longtime Ritchie Blackmore fans have come to realize that the renaissance-influenced Blackmore's Night is certainly not a mere detour for the former Deep Purple/Rainbow guitarist. This truly seems to be Blackmore's musical calling of the 21st century, as he and singer Candice Night have issued their sixth album in almost as many years with 2006's The Village Lanterne. Blackmore's Night is often looked at as a throwback to a time long ago, but The Village Lanterne will not be mistaken for authentic renaissance music any time soon, as songs such as the album-opening "25 Years" mix together sounds both new and old. And although it's undoubtedly Blackmore and his affiliation with his two aforementioned previous bands that will attract most fans to the project, there's no getting around the fact that Night does posses a fine voice, especially evidenced by the title track. Also included are two remakes of Blackmore chestnuts: Deep Purple's "Child in Time" (which is paired with the uptempo ditty "Mond Tanz") and Rainbow's "Street of Dreams." The Village Lanterne is arguably the most modern-sounding release yet from Blackmore's Night. [This edition contains bonus tracks.]
(amg 7/10)

Blackmore's Night [2003] Ghost Of A Rose

[01] Way To Mandalay
[02] 3 Black Crows
[03] Diamonds And Rust
[04] Cartouche
[05] Queen For A Day (Part 1)
[06] Queen For A Day (Part 2)
[07] Ivory Tower
[08] Nur Eine Minute
[09] Ghost Of A Rose
[10] Mr. Peagram's Morris And Sword
[11] Loreley
[12] Where Are We Going From Here
[13] Rainbow Blues
[14] All For One
[15] Dandelion Wine



amg: It appears that Ritchie Blackmore, legendary Brit guitar god, axe king of the glorious Deep Purple and Rainbow, is persisting in his attempt to reinvent himself as some kind of Medieval folkie. The fifth outing by Blackmore's Night is another tepid yet overwrought bag of originals, and a wretched cover of Joan Baez's classic "Diamonds and Rust." The issue here is not whether Mr. Blackmore and vocalist Candice Night have the chops. They clearly do. That they insist on using the recording studio to virtually sterilize all that made the music they hold so dear so vital and dangerous is the real problem. These songs, with their glossed-over edges and Ms. Night's completely rounded vocals, leave all of the dark passions they seek to reveal embedded in the songs themselves, like lovers in a cage, stranded. One listen to the early Steeleye Span recordings, or the Watersons "Frost and Fire,"" reveals in spades just how threadbare and empty of life this record is.
(amg 4/10)

Blackmore's Night [1998] Shadow Of The Moon

[01] Shadow Of The Moon
[02] The Clock Ticks On
[03] Be Mine Tonight
[04] Play Minstrel Play
[05] Ocean Gypsy
[06] Minstrel Hall
[07] Magical World
[08] Writing On The Wall
[09] Renaissance Faire
[10] Memmingen
[11] No Second Chance
[12] Mond Tanz
[13] Spirit Of The Sea
[14] Greensleeves
[15] Wish You Were Here



amg: Shadow of the Moon is the first album by Ritchie Blackmore's beloved Blackmore's Night project. The former Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist and his fiancée, vocalist Candice Night, created a Renaissance-inspired work with elements of folk, new age, and occasional bits of electric guitar. Blackmore even plays bass, mandolin, drum (yes, singular), and tambourine. Night's voice isn't powerful, but it's bright and sweet, making it perfect for this style of music. Other musicians include co-producer Pat Regan on keyboards and the Minstrel Hall Consort; Gerald Flashman on recorder, trumpet, and French horn; Tom Brown on cello; and Lady Green on violin and viola. Most songs are original compositions but some are based on traditional melodies. "Shadow of the Moon" is a marvelous opener; it's catchy, haunting, and propulsive. Blackmore shreds on acoustic guitar and lets the electric guitar slip into the background for faint power chords. Regal, majestic horns lend an elegance to "The Clock Ticks On," which addresses the passage of time and a yearning to live in the past. "Play Minstrel Play" features Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson, one of Blackmore's favorite musicians. The song moves along pleasantly until about halfway through when it explodes into a frantic, handclaps-led pace with Anderson's wild flute solo. The warmth of "Ocean Gypsy" makes it the song most easily classified as new age here; Blackmore plays a gentle but swift acoustic guitar melody under Night's softly yearning vocals. "Writing on the Wall" is quite fast and has a danceable beat, and there's even a blowout jam at the end. Blackmore's electric guitar work is the most prominent on "No Second Chance" and "Wish You Were Here." The instrumental "Possum's Last Dance" is a U.S.-only bonus track.
(amg 6/10)