Song 12 - 'The Temple of the King', Rainbow

Rainbow was the band that Richie Blackmore started after Deep Purple, together with Ronnie James Dio and others. Like much of Blackmore and Dio's work, fantasy themes are common, although the band's most famous song is almost certainly 'Since You've Been Gone', which was from a rather more commercial era after Dio had left. A better example of the fantasy stuff is this song, 'The Temple of the King' from the band's first album, which has a real pulp swords and sorcery feel. A bit Conan.

(This is a live version from 1995, long after Dio had left. The singer is Doogie White.)



Here's the original, but it's sound only I'm afraid:

More short book reviews

The Way it Was: My Autobiography, Sir Stanley Matthews

Very enjoyable autobiography (published posthumously) of arguably British football's greatest ever player. Matthews played for such a long time (he was 50 when he played his last match for Stoke City, and even played for an England Veterans team against Brazil Veterans when he was 70), that the book covers several different eras of football. There is a certain arrogance that comes across - not only was Matthews (probably correctly) convinced of his own greatness, but he also seems to have thought he was right about everything. (Compared to the way English football was run in the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s, he has a better claim to being right than many.) I suppose that's the problem with an autobiography rather than a more critical and balanced biography. Still, there's a lot here to interest football fans, and not just nostalgic ones.


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Toyman, E.C. Tubb

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