Fifty years after its release, Rainbow’s second album Rising remains one of the defining records of hard rock and early heavy metal, with “Stargazer” continuing to influence generations of metal musicians and fans.
by Paul Cashmere
Rainbow’s Rising, released on 17 May 1976, has reached its 50th anniversary with its reputation intact as one of the pivotal albums in the evolution of heavy metal. Recorded by the classic line-up of Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie James Dio, Cozy Powell, Jimmy Bain and Tony Carey, the album arrived at a moment when Blackmore was rebuilding his career after leaving Deep Purple and searching for a heavier, more dramatic musical direction.
At the time of its release, Rising was not an immediate blockbuster. The album reached No. 11 in the UK and No. 48 in the United States, respectable results but below Blackmore’s commercial expectations. Over time, however, the record grew into a foundational heavy rock release, particularly through the enduring reputation of “Stargazer”, the side two epic that fused hard rock, classical influences and fantasy-driven storytelling into a blueprint later adopted by power metal and symphonic metal bands.
The album also marked a major reset for Rainbow. Following the modest success of 1975’s Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Blackmore dismissed every member except vocalist Ronnie James Dio. The guitarist recruited drummer Cozy Powell, bassist Jimmy Bain and keyboard player Tony Carey, forming the line-up many fans still regard as the definitive Rainbow incarnation.
The new group developed much of the material during extended rehearsals and jam sessions in Los Angeles before relocating to Munich’s Musicland Studios in February 1976. Working with producer Martin Birch, Blackmore pushed for a heavier and more focused sound than the debut album. Powell’s thunderous drumming, Carey’s sweeping keyboard textures and Dio’s theatrical vocal style gave the record a scale and intensity that separated it from the blues-based hard rock still dominating much of the mid-1970s scene.
Blackmore’s fascination with classical music also shaped the album’s sonic identity. He had spoken openly at the time about his admiration for Johann Sebastian Bach and German baroque composers, influences heard throughout tracks such as “Tarot Woman” and “Stargazer”. The latter expanded into an eight-minute centrepiece featuring the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, arranged during sessions at Musicland Studios.
The recording process was unusually fast for an album of its complexity. According to Tony Carey, many of the instrumental tracks were completed in one or two takes after weeks of rehearsal. Martin Birch, who had previously worked with Deep Purple on Made In Japan, acted as both engineer and mediator during sessions involving Blackmore’s famously demanding personality.
Lyrically, Dio leaned heavily into mythology, fantasy and medieval imagery. “Run With The Wolf” explored werewolf folklore, while “Stargazer” and “A Light In The Black” formed a connected narrative about a tyrannical wizard and enslaved followers. The themes would become central to Dio’s later work in Rainbow, Black Sabbath and his own band Dio.
The six-track album deliberately avoided ballads. Side one featured concise hard rock songs including “Starstruck” and “Do You Close Your Eyes”, while side two delivered the extended progressive compositions “Stargazer” and “A Light In The Black”. Critics at the time praised the record’s ambition and technical execution, although some American reviewers considered the music excessively grandiose.
In the decades since its release, Rising has steadily grown in stature. The album topped a Kerrang! readers’ poll for the greatest heavy metal album of all time in 1981 and later appeared in multiple “greatest albums” lists from Rolling Stone, Classic Rock and other publications. Musicians including Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson, Judas Priest’s Rob Halford and Dream Theater members have cited the album as an influence.
“Stargazer” in particular has become central to Rainbow’s legacy. The track has been covered by Dream Theater, Týr and Domine, while Metallica incorporated parts of the song into their “Ronnie Rising Medley” for the 2014 Dio tribute album This Is Your Life. Former Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover has also said hearing “Stargazer” convinced him Rainbow represented something genuinely new in heavy music.
Not everyone involved looked back on the album without criticism. Ronnie James Dio later described parts of the production as self-indulgent and expressed frustration about the dominance of the guitar and drum mix. Blackmore himself admitted disappointment that the album’s heaviness limited its American radio appeal, a factor that pushed Rainbow toward a more commercial sound on later releases.
The tensions within the band surfaced quickly during the 1976 world tour supporting the album. Despite acclaimed performances across Europe, Japan and Australia, relationships deteriorated behind the scenes. Bain and Carey were dismissed after the tour, although Carey briefly returned during sessions for 1978’s Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Half a century later, Rising continues to occupy a unique position in rock history. It captured Blackmore at his most uncompromising, Dio before his ascent to heavy metal icon status, and a line-up that transformed Rainbow from a post-Deep Purple side project into one of the genre’s most influential bands.
Tracklisting
Side One
“Tarot Woman”
“Run With The Wolf”
“Starstruck”
“Do You Close Your Eyes”
Side Two
“Stargazer”
“A Light In The Black”
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