UDR/EMI

The brainchild of rock god Ritchie Blackmore and his wife Candice Night, Blackmore’s Night is a folk-inspired tour de force that paved the way for many artists to use traditional/pagan/medieval instrumentation and rhythms in their music and still get signed to labels. It could certainly be argued that Blackmore has now done more than his fair share of bringing new music into the world. Their latest release is a live album recorded  at a concert in 2011 at The Opera House in York, England.

While this doesn’t feature the entire show, it does give a well-rounded sampling of what Blackmore’s Night has to offer. The production is top notch as you can easily hear each instrument instead of the muddied mix that plagues similar traditional folk bands. The package includes both a DVD and a BluRay disc that look superb. Everything is sharp and well-shot, capturing the band’s modest stage set and the obviously fun atmosphere. Everyone’s smiles which really endears you more towards the music if you are standoff-ish about it. The smiles culminate with the band breaking into Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”- proof positive that pop music borrows much from the pagan sounds of yore.

The highlights here include the driving “The Circle” which comes dangerously close to rock and roll (Zepplin style!), the gorgeous “Darkness” which really highlight’s Night’s beautiful vocal work, and the rollicking “All the Fun of the Fayre.” The latter is a carnival romper that could probably be compared to a modern day barn dancing tune. “Journeyman,” while not my favorite tune here, has a rippin’ guitar solo that reminds you that a guitar god is in tow in case you’d forgotten.

Overall, this is a solid live album. The video doesn’t really make it any better but it’s a nice addition to a diehard fans collection. I would say that this or either of the band’s prior live releases are the best place to start for new fans or curiosity seekers. There’s a good sampling of songs and just a little extra spark that could never be captured on a studio recording that makes it just that much better.

Reviewed by Mark Fisher