Rainbow-Monsters Of Rock 1980 sorting through the vinyl#3

Still on a run through bits I have within the record collection and although likely to post a different compilation than this when I was considering things yesterday ultimately I went with the 'monsters or rock' 1980 live vinyl...why?..well I noticed someone had put the vinyl rip on Youtube which allows me to illustrate this blog and also due to the fact it was one which was under consideration anyhow.

I first heard this rather than owned it years back on a cassette tape which someone from school recorded for me from their vinyl copy,As was the way with cassettes audio wise it was kind of poor the tape would pick up the limits on the well played well loved vinyl and the ferrous oxide cassettes themselves weren't known really for clarity...however it did get much play given the inclusion of two fine Scorpions tracks 'another piece of meat' and 'Loving you Sunday mornings' both of which I think are presented in studio on the 'Love Drive' LP, live mind you I think they are the stand out tracks on this LP....or at least they were for me.

The Rainbow tracks are good too..I believe it's the Graham Bonnet incarnation of Rainbow on this set and 'all night long ' in particular with the crowd./singer banter and nods to light entertainment of the day add to the fun found on this set.

Vinyl wise I picked this up years later in a thrift place somewhere in Oakengates, It was with various other bits of vinyl,It was well played so audibly isn't mint but it's well cared for enough to be playable.

It is an 'as live' LP rather than some live LP's which are overdubbed so much they kind of become studio albums with crowd noise added.

The big names on this are without a doubt 'Rainbow'(Ritchie Blackmores post purple band) Saxon (English NWOBHM who are still going) and German Metallers the Scorpions with April Wine and Touch making the vinyl despite not really being at the same level.

I never made any of the 'Monsters of Rock' Gigs which were a celebration of Metal in the way that Download is these days(though on a smaller scale) but the call and response nature of the band/crowd interaction does..I suspect..give the feel of these concerts...you can almost smell the sweaty denim and roll ups!!

The LP itself is on Polydor..nothing much to report on the packaging which is in line with the budget nature of this LP and offers a billboard of the days events as the cover.

Anyhow Compilation wise this is a good live representation of the new wave of british heavy metal and although by nature a live album isn't going to offer pristine sounds there's some good playing on here.