Blackmore's Night - Secret Voyage
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Free Music Notes for Secret Voyage
Free Music Review: Ritchie Blackmore....A musical Rainbow....
Hit: 4 Stars
To any guitar fan and music fan you bring up the name Ritchie Blackmore and you will get a reply of emotions from one end of the rainbow to the other..Immediately you think of 2 Bands and they are both Legendary in their own right....Deep Purple and Rainbow.What else can be said about these bands..the music speaks for its self...It is timeless.But what seperates Mr Blackmore from the rest of the pack is his refusal to be catorgized and stereotyped into a musical catigory...IS He a METALGOD, IS HE A ROCK GOD or does his tallent go WAY beyond just ROCK,METAL, FOLK, JAZZ, Ect. Simply Put he is A MASTER Gutarist. He Challanges his "so called fans" to join him on the Journey of incredible music that expands the entire rainbow of music. Mr Blackmore is not content to be catorgized into any form of music. He can play the most delicate classical masterwork and his guirtar and rage with fire and passion of a Rock god that can crumble arenas around the world.....A True classically trained musician indeed...you can hear if from tunes from like Child in Time, Under a Violet Moon,Anya, Fires At Midnight,Perfect Strangers, Knocking on Your Back Door, Hush,,Space trucking,host of a Rose,Past Time With Good Company and the forever timeless Smoke on the Water (just hum those riffs and you will be rocking)... The point is he Ritchie will not be catorgized. He can play any thing from folk,classical, jazz, rock,metal and EVERYTHING in between...He is a True Musician not willing to stand still and be molded. This mans catatouge runs deep ( and so does his emotions and yes well a bit of a temper too..hell we all have one ....lol..) But you can see the results of an incredible career...from one end of the spectrum to the other...a true rainbow of emotions and colors indeed. Now as it has been for the past few years he , and his wife Candice with an awsome group of incredibly talented musicans have hit the road with albums and masterful tours that Should draw more fans onto the fold....The Point is that a true musician will challange himself and will also challenge his fans and the the result is nothing less than spectaular....Blackmores Night have outdone them self again with another jaw dropping recording. yes fans emotions run the gammmet of emoptions...but it is the end result that counts...another MASTER WORK from a Legendary Musican..If you truly are a FAN of MR Balckmore work you will be able to feel his passion of where he is comng from, weather from the Fire of Deeep Purple, to the Passionate reflectful force of Blackmores Night and inb between, Ritchie has set out to do what he wanted to to .....to challange himself and ignitte the fires of passion of his fans to take then on another incredible journey...and after all isnt that is what a true musician is to do ( we can all agree to disagree..but in the end it IS the music that MATTERS and IT is awsome indeed.)Outisde of thie cover tune of Elvis's Falling In love with you this album will stand the test of time (just look at the other Blackmores Night recordngs....or ANYTHING RITCHIE has EVER done ...IT WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN....Feel the passion, fire & music from the HEART thet is Balckmores Night.....you will be glad to took the jump and it is an experience of masterful musicianship you will NEVER FORGET!!!! CHEERS!!!!Free Music Review: Another Great Album from BN
Hit: 4 Stars
This is definitely another in the long line of fantastic albums from Blackmore's Night. If you are a fan of BN, don't hesitate to buy it! Like all their previous work and, for that matter, any complex and enduring music, it takes a while to grow on you. But that just makes it more of a voyage of discovery as, each time you hear it, you uncover more layers and a greater appreciation of the artistry.
That being said, the melody of God Save the Keg and Empty Words is instantly unforgettable. It sounds like one of those folk tunes that you've known all your life but just can't place - I certainly can't. I think they used this as the intro number to their 2007 tour. God Save the Keg is richer and more complex, like one of Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance marches, but Empty Words is so haunting and Candice's voice is, as usual, nothing short of angelic.
Fully half of all the songs are shown in the the sleeve notes as "Based on Traditional", with Ritchie continuing his interpretations of renaissance, mediaeval and other folk melodies. Three tracks are covers and three are completely original, so there's something for everyone here.
In general, I absolutely love the covers that this band does; they are usually significant improvements on the originals. My only criticism of this album, which is otherwise superb, is of two of the covers: Rainbow Eyes and Can't Help Falling in Love. I'm afraid I really don't like Can't Help Falling in Love and is probably the only BN track that I skip when I'm listening to the album. Maybe it'll grow on me, but I doubt it. More controversially, I am ambivalent about Rainbow Eyes. Musically, it stands on its own as a beautiful song, and the reworking is certainly not bad. It just... it's just... well, totally arse about face! Rainbow should have done the upbeat version that's featured on this album and Candice should have been singing the haunting ballad that features on Long Live Rock and Roll!
My current favourites are (in no particular order):
God Save the Keg
Locked Within the Crystal Ball
Toast to Tomorrow
The Circle
Empty Words
I think we'll find that The Circle is going to become a staple of the live concerts. It just begs you to get up and dance and, I think, will be fun for the band to play live. I wish I was seeing them on tour this year, but they're not doing any US dates. :(
Edit: I am rapidly forming the opinion that the "The Circle" is the gem in the crown of this album. It is a truly epic song! Something of Cartouche, Village on the Sand and Stargazer in it. I defy you not to at least tap your feet along!
Free Music Review: A Voyage Without Surprises
Hit: 4 Stars
There's no such thing as a bad Blackmore's Night album, so you can't go wrong purchasing this, or any of their albums. On their latest studio release, the signature Blackmore's Night Renaissance-rock fusion sound is in place, with more emphasis this time on the 'rock' part of that equation than previously. The flavor this time around leans more toward Gypsy-Mediterrean-Eastern inspired beats than the more Celtic sound on earlier tracks. There were some portions here that were very reminiscent of another favorite of mine, Loreena McKennitt. With some extended tracks here, Ritchie's guitar work really takes center stage and Candice Night is, as always, in excellent voice. Despite her fanciful stage garb, I have always found her voice to be very contemporary-sounding; her soprano is strong and true, but made for lusty belting, not fairy music. As a vocalist she is closer in spirit to Pat Benatar than the ethereal Celtic stylings of McKennitt or Connie Dover. Candice can sell a song like no one else, and above all, seems to be having such a wonderful time performing. I think Blackmore's Night is probably at their best live, and regretfully, I have never had that privilege. I have been surprised at their fresh and effective covers of contemporary folk songs I don't really care for, like "Diamonds and Rust" and "The Times They are A'Changin'", where they brought their signature sound to these iconic songs. However, their attempt to do the same with Elvis' and UB40's "Can't Help Falling in Love" is not successful and sounds just like a straight rock rendition of an already over-played song.
"Secret Voyage" boasts one of the best album covers ever, but the songs did not quite fulfill its promise for me. "God Save the Keg" sets a courtly mood that morphs into the powerful, mystical beat of "In the Crystal Ball", then some of the air goes out of the subsequent tunes. They are all very pleasant & familiar . . .but after its strong opening this album lacks an immediately memorable stand-out tune of the likes of "Fires at Midnight"; "Shadow of the Moon"; "Under a Violet Moon" or "Ghost of a Rose". With a few exceptions this effort seems to show the band veering away from its Ren-Faire persona toward a harder, modern edge, with the musical arrangements at times overshadowing Candice's vocals. In my opinion, her lyrics are not as interesting as on past records, though the beats are often crowd-pleasingly catchy. While this doesn't rank as my favorite project of theirs, but I bet they will sell it to the nines in concert.
Free Music Review: This is the best music being made in the new age/folk genre. Period.
Hit: 4 Stars
The Good
"God Save the Keg" starts the album off with soft acoustics mixed with some sober windwoods and strings. I know, what is rock about that? The track serves as an introduction to the entire album. Once "Locked Within the Crystal Ball" kicks in, you'll see how the worlds of rock and folk collide. Candice Night's beautiful voice compliments the electric guitar tones of Richie Blackmore quite well. "Gilded Cage" takes a more traditional folk approach in its balladry, as does "Toast to Tomorrow." The latter song is most likely what you think about when you imagine music during the medieval era. The chorus is undeniably catchy and will most certainly have you clapping or tapping you foot.
Blackmore resurrects another Rainbow gem on this album. Candice adds her own spin to "Rainbow Eyes." Another cover the group tackles is the Elvis Presley classic "Can't Help Falling in Love." You young'uns probably know the UB40 version. Either way, Blackmore's Night injects some great energy into the track, giving it a better bounce and flow. Blackmore's shreds through some great guitar runs as well.
The Bad
Well, it's folk music. It takes a little getting used to.
The Verdict
As a rock fan, I loved Richie Blackmore in Deep Purple and Rainbow. He's one of the greats that inspired me to play the guitar. In Blackmore's Night Richie has certainly matured and perfected his mastery of the guitar. Secret Voyage displays a guitar aficionado at his very best. The beautiful and melodic tones of Candice Night add a sort of angelic feel to the music. The music gives you a sense that everything is okay in the world, so let's celebrate.
Having said that, rock fans will most likely find this album a bitter pill to swallow, as they probably have past Blackmore's Night albums. But as a music fan in general, you can't deny the musicianship of this group, and you can't deny that this is the best music being made in the new age/folk genre. Period.
Free Music Review: Dastardly knaves have stolen the video!
Hit: 4 Stars
I too am a little miffed that the CD says a bonus video is included, but is not. I tried it on two DVD players and a computer, and even flipped it over in the DVD players, all to no avail. Which is too bad, as you can really appreciate Blackmore's Night so much more after seeing them live. I have a two DVD set of the band performing in picturesque, castle settings in Germany, which greatly increased my appreciation for the band. The first two tracks on Secret Voyage are the best numbers the band has ever performed. "God Save the Keg" opens the album -- a rousing, full-on progressive rock instrumental with orchestral sweep, powered by pipe organ-sounding keyboards. This segues beautifully into the 7 minute-plus "Locked Within the Crystal Ball," in which Candace Knight's emotion-drenched vocal shows just how much she has progressed as a vocalist since the band's first album. This song also features Richie Blackmore playing electric lead guitar, and it doesn't seem at all gimicky in this Renaissance setting -- Henry the VIII and Anne Bolyn would have been up and rocking! The rest of the album is fine, especially a lovely acoutstic guitar instrumental from Richie. However, I could have done without their take on Elvis' "Can't Help Falling in Love" (hard to beat ye olde original). No new ground is broken after those first two tracks (althought that's about 11 minutes of music), and I find myself in agreement with several other reviews posted here that say it seems less inspired than the previous albums after that fantastic start. I hope the next album heads more in this progressive, renaissance-rock direction. I would love to see Jon Lord guest on keyboards, and he may have time now that he has retired from Deep Purple. Or maybe even Rick Wakeman might be game to do a guest spot!