This was purchased through a website that listed no running time and from the description made it seem like what you were getting was interviews giving an analysis of this highly influential band during their most popular period plus eight songs performed live from old concert footage. Instead, what you actually get is a 55 minute DVD of various people praising Rainbow through the Dio years albums, one at a time, and giving their opinions of select songs, interspersed with brief concert bits that are marred by poor video quality but the performances seem dynamic and absolutely awesome, thus making it a thorn in the side each time a 30 second clip is shown only to be cut off so we can hear some chick from Mostly Autumn gush on about how fantastic it all is. Yes, we know this is fantastic, I just want to hear the damn songs, in DTS. But alas, that never happens.
There are no amusing stories or "inside" information at all. Nothing about the band really, just critiques of the performances that are even dubious in my eyes. "Temple of the King" is one of Rainbow's most covered tracks, and it is not even mentioned here. Not even a little blip or blurb about it, the song might as well not exist as far as the people who put this together were concerned. Most everyone into hard rock knows that the lyrically vivid and musically brilliant "Stargazer" from the earth shattering album Rising is a massive masterpiece, and it is given ample time to shine, but not one other song on Rising is apparently worth mentioning since there is not even a peep about "Light in the Black" which was a cool tie-in to "Stargazer", completing the story.
Inside Rainbow would have been more entertaining if they had taken more of a VH-1 Behind the Music approach, instead it's more of a sterile public broadcasting style which is more than just a bit boring. Doogie White, Rainbow singer from the brief 90s reformation period is on hand to give his two cents, but nothing as inviting as the description on the back of the DVD case hints at. The quote is
"Dougie White tells the inside story ot the band." And yes, I left the misspellings intact there. It also claims to be
"authoritative and comprehensive" but is yet neither. There is no inside peek at how the band got started, what tore the lineup apart, or what became of any of these guys afterwards. In fact, if one were to judge simply from this DVD, Rainbow should have closed up shop after "Long Live Rock N' Roll" since there's no hint at life beyond that.
What would have made this better besides having some full length live tracks? Perhaps appearances by more known musicians besides a sessions player and two members of Mostly Autumn, which according to the liner notes of the DVD, is a band that has toured with Blackmore's Night. It is a shame they don't mention that in the film itself. I would have loved to see those more obviously influenced by Rainbow such as members of Hammerfall and Edguy or Axel Rudi Pell and Yngwie Malmsteen comment on these tracks, or perhaps members of the band from after the '79 period (Doogie White not counted since he's here). I'm sure Joe Lynn Turner might have been available to chime in. JLT is extremely eloquent and his personality would have been a delight to brighten up this otherwise sterile enviroment.
While it is mildly entertaining to hear an assortment of music critics wax poetic about one of the most beloved bands of the time, and fun to hear ex-Rainbow-er Doogie White praise the band along with everyone else, it's still a real let down and definitely not worth the suggested retail of $24.95 (U.S.) for all too brief concert clippings and what basically amounts to opinions from sessions players, bassist Neil Murray, etc. All of the crap spewed is rather obvious, especially the repetition of "all the Rainbow songs were good." Talk about stating the obvious.
If the tracks that were promised in the ad pitch for the DVD had been included in their full glory without being split screened and prattled over then this would have been a bargain. But as it is, you are likely better off just reading a few gushing reviews online and be done with it. You'll save yourself some money and enjoy it just as much. So how about a DVD release of Final Cut or Live Between the Eyes?? For this Rainbow themed DVD however, colour me disappointed.
Rating: 2/10Written by
Alanna Tuesday, February 8, 2005
