RAINBOW long live rock 'n' roll POLD5002

A monumental chapter in hard rock history is the focus for today’s entry: the 1978 UK pressing of Rainbow’s third studio album, Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll. Released on the Polydor label with the catalog number POLD 5002, this 12-inch vinyl LP is a definitive artifact of the genre.

Released in 1978, this album holds immense historical significance as the final studio collaboration between guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and vocalist Ronnie James Dio. It captures the band at a creative peak, balancing their medieval and fantasy themes with driving, anthemic hard rock.

The album is anchored by the thunderous drumming of Cozy Powell and Blackmore’s virtuoso guitar work. The tracklist features some of the band’s most enduring anthems, including the fist-pumping title track, the blistering speed metal prototype Kill The King, and the epic, Middle Eastern-tinged masterpiece Gates Of Babylon. It closes with the delicate and beautiful ballad Rainbow Eyes, featuring a string ensemble conducted by Rainer Pietsch.

POLD 5002 is a high-quality UK pressing housed in a gatefold sleeve. It serves as a bittersweet but powerful testament to the Dio era of Rainbow, capturing the magic of this lineup just before the band shifted toward a more commercial direction in the following years.