RAINBOW — Bent Out of Shape (review)

Album · 1983 · Hard Rock

4/5 · 2015-06-10
siLLy puPPy

Whoah. I feel so out of place in regards to Richie Blackmore’s RAINBOW. I’m supposed to go ga ga over the first two albums which are deemed the most inventive and revered but personally i just don’t find those two albums very interesting. I feel RAINBOW really started getting interesting with the third Dio fronted album “Long Live Rock ’n’ Roll” but i also find the vocals of the third vocalist Joe Lynn Turner to be the most captivating for this particular style of hard rock with pop musical sensibilities. BENT OUT OF SHAPE is my favorite of the three albums which grace Joe’s vocal talents. True he sounds a lot like Lou Gramm of Foreigner (another band i’m fond of) but this album isn’t a Foreigner clone album. Despite being a lot more based in the pop rock world than earlier RAINBOW albums, i just find this to be a really satisfying album.

It all started when i heard the single “Street Of Dreams” which just floored me with the vocal skills. The song is super catchy and has some interesting lyrics. After hearing that song i tracked down this album and found that i pretty much like every track on here. The only exception is the finale “Make Your Move” which totally seems out of place after the album makes its pop rock statement end with the ambient “Snowman” which should have ended the album on a somber note. The tracks are equally compelling from the most Foreigner inspired opening track “Stranded” to the more bad boy inspired “Drinking With The Devil” bringing an AC/DC vibe to mind. Yeah, the subject matter is contrived but the music really hits me where it counts. Blackmore’s solos are nothing to the level as his best works with Deep Purple but the composition of the music is what really wins me over on this one.

There are several aspects of this album that really sink deep. First of all are Joe Lynn Turner’s flawless vocal abilities. He is able to hit all those high notes with grace and dignity that behooves a male soprano. Secondly the compositions are addictive and vary enough to keep me enthralled throughout the album’s running time with the exception of the unneeded “Make Your Move.” Thirdly, the lyrics are fairly poetic and creative for a pop rock album. Fourthly, there is an unexplainable attraction that i can’t put my finger on. Intellectually i can find many flaws with this album in comparison to every other Blackmore offering to precede it, but emotionally this album gives me goosebumps for some reason! Beyond words and explanation but true. “Street Of Dreams” will remain a favorite single song in my world until i become a decomposing corpse. Seriously. This is an album that i am clearly on an opposite spin than most but it really does resonate with me on a profound level. Go figure. We’re all freaks of nature!

more than 2 years ago
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siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

No guarantees. Everyone else seems to hate this era. If you like Foreigner you'll like this

Unitron wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I've actually only heard the first four Rainbow albums, I love the Dio albums, but couldn't stand the fourth album. Maybe I should give this era of Rainbow a try.