5 Killer Riffs - Rainbow (The Dio Years)

[@MyFatCatIsOld]

Very few people can emulate Blackmores tone, but you sir, nailed it!

[@LeonTodd]

Too kind! Rb is the master.

[@scottpeters4401]

Rainbow,Hell Yes!!Rising is one of the best records of all time...Tarot Woman is a killer riff too...Tony Carey with that keyboard intro is amazing.....Stargazer and Light in the Black are my favorite cuts....I know it’s a Deep Purple Song,but Mistreated is on the Rainbow On Stage record...that is a killer riff also...Tape echo at its finest...Hard to pick just 5....Good stuff....I actually bought Tony Carey’s Planet P album back in 81 just because he was in Rainbow....

[@freebee8221]

Richies contribution to heavy rock is massive. Deep purple and Rainbow. Both are top tier bands

[@ZeNeonKnight]

Couldn't agree more about Stargazer. Absolutely epic song, with an epic story. Great video, Leon!

[@outzie6182]

That strat has to be one of the coolest guitars I've ever seen.

[@ollimack3483]

Well done Mr. Todd, your musical taste Hits exactly my nerve

[@josephfranks1685]

Dude, these keep getting better and better. You first had me at king diamond, now Rainbow applause my friend \m/ keep doing what u do ...huge fan !!

[@LeonTodd]

Much appreciated mate! They're a labour of love :D

[@gregorbingham]

Thanks! Yup, nailed those choices! If there was a sixth: Cath the rainbow. He had so many great tones! You gonna do a Michael Schenker 5 Riffs? :)

[@mitchellsteen1264]

I just came across this. I think your 5 killer riffs are right on the money. And your video was well done.

[@glaucosouza1971]

Right On! Bull"s eye again Leon! Keep'em Coming! 🤘🇧🇷

[@loutielli]

Well done! Rainbow Rising is one of the best rock LP's ever recorded. I was lucky enough to see that tour (with the giant rainbow!). That band was IMO Ritchie's best version of Rainbow.

[@gregs8685]

Stargazer - undoubtedly the best Rainbow song ever!

[@jimberry5714]

Yes! You are a really good guy and I enjoy your music and videos everytime. Hopefully we can meet in the future and talk about, well, everything ...

[@oldman0995]

Nice choices love Blackmore. Love to watch you play 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@Bulletman426]

That’s was a great video man! I’m really diggin your Strat!! Very cool

[@stratjacket]

Awesome selection of tunes and riffs, always enjoy the channel, fantastic job

[@2204as]

Very cool! Thx! Choosing 5 best is almost impossible, but well done. Now 5 DIO songs...

[@d-mack7053]

@Leon Todd Thanks So Much!!!!! What a great alert/notification to wake up to. And what a great song to start off the video!!! GREAT WAY TO START MY MORNING. "D"

[@hans-olofsvensson1195]

Great stuff! I love how much you're clearly enjoying playing these songs. And of course now you have to do late period Rainbow as well...

[@dougthornton6884]

Rainbow rehearsed the "Down to Earth " album in the studio I was working at on Long Island, NY. They were all great guys and we all got along great. Cozy never had enough gain on his monitors, however. Ritchie even let me handle his Strat !!! Fond memories of a group of professionals !!

[@LeonTodd]

That's amazing - that would have been a wild time to be around.

[@dougthornton6884]

@@LeonTodd I still have the LP, signed by the entire band.(Roger added"see you at night school")

[@alangibbs182]

Brilliant again Todd! Yes, Rainbow MK 2 was their best lineup for the Gothic heavy rock genre, and to my ears Ritchie with Cozy and RJD (RIP both) defined the heavy rock sound of that era....it was 1976! Excellent selection, again how to choose! The intro to Stargazer, with Cozy Powell playing something not obviously 'connected' with the track itself, is a real challenge for drummers. I can't do it nor can most, the middle slice is quads, H H F F, and Cozy played it thus: L R R L, most would go for R L R L Starstruck is a great shuffle, blues related?, and Ritchie Blackmore often mixed blues with minor scales, even sounding classical, like a Mozart in terms of melodies. And he has already decades of professional experience. He remains a key influence on young guitarists! Do later include the JLT era , the final of the commercially successful lineups, as (if relatively commercial songs) Stone Cold, Can't Let You Go, Street Of Dreams and Can't Let You Go have AOR-merit.

[@markslima1557]

These are all so great, than you for sharing. Can't wait to sit down and play through these. Also great video presentation- very professional!

[@tiny9398]

Some of my favorite Rock songs are on those first three Rainbow albums... and I just love Tarot Woman, the opener on Rising... That whole album sounds fantastic, even despite the fact that the bass guitar is almost inaudible You did a great job playing these riffs and I enjoyed your insight and commentary. 👐

[@chrishopkins209]

When I first picked up a guitar in the mid 90s my main albums were Live After Death, Led Zep 2 and Made in Japan.....that solo in Highway Star grabbed me and I was Blackmore nut from that point on....still am

[@LeonTodd]

Not a bad trio of albums to start with!

[@chrisp5736]

3 fantastic albums right there.

[@chrisp5736]

In the 80's I was the biggest Rainbow fan, and still am. Ronnie was just my favourite singer ever, and Richie of course had the best riffs. I had one of those.... whaddya call em? Ghettoblasters? that I would take to school every day. I think i pissed more than a few of the kids on the school bus crazy playing Stargazer loud from the backseat. Ha.

[@LeonTodd]

Hahaha that's legendary!

[@johnski3072]

Love it. Stargazer still gives me adrenaline after all these years.

[@codysden1]

Great job

[@EugeValovirta230V]

Great stuff! \m/

[@krimsonlediable]

Awesome as per usual!!

[@johnfritzenjr.1240]

Best channel on KZbin!

[@LeonTodd]

Too kind!

[@csgband]

Fantastic.

[@Fuxerz]

Nice job thanks

[@liys540]

man on the sliver mountain gates of babylon kill the king stargazer temple of the king my top 5

[@LeonTodd]

I went back and forth about including something like Tempe of the King or Rainbow Eyes as RB did that clean hendrixy stuff so well!

[@liys540]

@@LeonTodd Also, it is really hard to choose top 5 song from rainbow ( dio years ) because all of them are unique and a plus

[@surveycrew6923]

Hi Leon nice Rainbow tone u got there man more tone tutorial please.\m/Keep up the good work bro

[@Fallingoverbackwards]

Oh hell yeah, I have been asking for sabbath / dio tones. Rainbow takes me back, especially stargazer, I think I first heard this at a D&D game ha. You are a guitar Jedi master !! Thank you for the backing tracks, can share the axe presets ?

[@drbonkerssoundlabllc]

Man On The Silver Mountain for the win! Thanks for that!

[@Nellil]

Saw them in Stockholm 1977 🤘

[@LeonTodd]

That must have been amazing!

[@rickbrunet2559]

Omg. Yes blackmore with Dio was the best ever!!!!!! Long live rock n roll. Thank u Leon very much!🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘👍👍👍rock on!!!!!

[@LeonTodd]

Amen

[@guitarhero9147]

Hey Leon. Thanks for the great video. I like the guitar tones. Could you please share which Axe Fx III presets or IRs you used? Thank you.

[@ukguitarnoodle]

I'm always trying to play the solo /keyboard duel part from A Light In The Black. crazy !

[@pwnEdge1]

your riffs are fine

[@johnf6288]

Nice a phenomenal band with Ritchie at his finest, thanks. Is that an Axis on the wall behind you beside the V. If so do you not use it?

[@LeonTodd]

It's a Peavey Wolfgang (same diff I know) that i really should play more!

[@VMV8622]

Ritchie on Highway Star, made in Japan, me 16yo. That's how I decided to play guitar 😍🎸🔥

[@GarrettX001]

Yeah!

[@94xjrgodown2]

Leon! Absolutely loved your choice of 5 killer riffs! If you were to do another 5 from the Dio era lets go with Tarot Woman(what's with Tony Carey's keyboard intro! Amazing) A light in the Black(I think is actually superior to Stargazer) Lady of the Lake( deep cut!)& lastly Still I'm sad. Most players would kill to have just one riff stand the test of time. Ritchie has so many that spans the decades.Never got the kudos he so thoroughly deserves. Every one reckons(including Blackers) it was Jeff Beck who was the best. Not even close.(Give me 5 of his riffs off the top of your head that have stood the time test.Nope I didnt think so!)

[@LeonTodd]

Basically the only reason i left Tarot Woman off is because I love the keys so much and I had no hope of recreating them - love Tony Carey's playing and his sounds. Lady of the Lake is another fave and might be one of the heaviest Rainbow songs from that era. Love JB for his lyrical lead playing but RB totally owns him when it comes to the riff count.

[@94xjrgodown2]

@@LeonTodd fully agree! Can you believe they wrote Kill the King as a fast opener because they couldn't get Tarot Woman to sound good for live performances!

[@liys540]

I think that adding galloping or chugging in the gates of babylon ,it may sounds more rhythmic and better

[@hoosierdaddy2308]

Hey brother. I'm loving that yellow strat. Love it. I'm building a strat. Japanese fender strat body, wd neck with leveled and polished frets, gotoh 6 point trem, emg SAs mounted in a pickguard. Should be cool. Going to be my blues killer and I'm going to always of course use my Lp custom for slide and rock. Cozy Powell could bang. God he was good! Great riffs sir. Killer... You should consider doing a 5 killer riffs with John Sykes. That would be epic. 👍💟 Hope you and the family and friends are well on that remote isolated big city called Perth! 😜👍💟👍

[@LeonTodd]

Send pics when you get that Strat setup!

[@hoosierdaddy2308]

@@LeonTodd I will do that sir...

[@brandonproctor3639]

Hell yes!

[@stevenmgyori3826]

Well done LT! Great choices and interpretation! Fitting Tribute as Well! Thanks for sharing brother and Be Well All!

[@alangibbs182]

How about you working a riff up for Life under Lock Down, Or The End of All Things (latter is title of a John Barry (also RIP) score). I have in mind a slow riff, almost like early Black Sabbath. But which leaves plenty of space 'above it' for a more melodic solo, reflecting on the pre-Coronavirus world. Not creating tension, but more a counterpoint.

[@sadwingsraging3044]

Leon hunting big game indeed! Where are you going to put the trophy you just bagged on your wall Leon?

[@cragginshred]

Killer!! I dialed this tone in from your other Fractal vid and on the desktop it nails it, however at band levels it is pretty thin. How do i dial it to be bigger sounding without killing the vibe and mids that cut? Thanks!!

[@otti5362]

It ain't music without a guitar solo and riff.

[@usagi2988]

I'm two years late to this particular party... but f*** the haters, man. You pick your riffs, and let the whiners pick theirs. Plus, there's a goddamn reason why Stargazer and Gates Of Babylon are always present on a "Top X Riffs of Y Artist/Band"... they're just that good, folks.

[@IngloriousKam]

Do you like Jimmy Page? Me: I do Do you like Ritchie Blackmore? Me: Oh boy

[@teriakamoto]

Oh I forgot to ask you Leon, what pickups do you run in that Strat ?

[@VinoFerrari]

Rainbow

[@p.1802]

"Light in black" is missed ;)

[@philsb9388]

Thin Lizzy or Kiss?

[@ulfdanielsen6009]

On a " 10 Albums On A Deserted Island" List: 1: 1978 Rainbow - On Stage ( Double live album) Everything else is debatable.

[@LeonTodd]

Far out, On Stage is incredible. Mistreated, Still I'm Sad and everything else

[@Dchilders11]

Stargazer. Longest pick slide in rock.

[@Darthhalitosis]

G66 get a massive amount of mileage off your tutorial videos man :)

[@michaellrakes5521]

I was about 13 when my dad came home one day with a cd and it was Rainbow: The Very Best of and i shamelessly stole it from him without an ounce of guilt after about a day lol i thought Gates of Babylon was light years ahead of its time, Stargazer was absolutely majestic and Man On The Silver Mountain became the way to show off against other up and comer guitarists in school who knew the simple yet always played wrong riff of Smoke On The Water. If you played Man On The Silver Mountain, you instantly looked and sounded 100x better than the guy in front of you, despite being young and limited lol

[@AngusClarkGTR]

FINALLY! FFS

[@LeonTodd]

It's funny how the reverence and awe you have for something can be transformed and even enhanced when you have to pick something like these songs apart and learn them. What an incredible band.

[@AngusClarkGTR]

@@LeonTodd absolutely agree. In my case I would add "On Stage" to the essential albums. I think I listened to that one more than all the others. The phase shifter and delay thing in "Catch the Rainbow" and "Mistreated", the fast version of "Man On The Silver Mountain", "Still I'm Sad" - I wore that record out on WAX! And then learning the Joe Lynn stuff was a whole new experience as those later records weren't as foundational for me. Blackmore is a tricky one.

[@LeonTodd]

@@AngusClarkGTR on stage is one of the first vinyl albums I ever bought funnily enough. I remember being bummed Stargazer wasn't on the track list but then I heard Still I'm Sad and it floored me! Still does .

[@OUTTATIMEMTL]

kill the king and from the non Dio years the song Burn

[@peterkrishnan9176]

DON'T TALK TO STRANGERS! POWER!

[@ilhamakbar5482]

not a Rainbow song

[@teriakamoto]

Tarot Women Kills it. Long Live Ritchie. He's a different kind of weird but boy, could he play guitar. How's about them Greensleeves ? Like what you're doing M8. I always learn something. Thank You.Peace-

[@teriakamoto]

Yes, I know he's still with us and that he can still play. Just having a little bit of fun.

[@Thee.Instigator]

How bout 5 riff Judas Priest? Like that preset Lol

[@LeonTodd]

This is a strong contender! Good excuse to get the V out again.

[@michaeldibenedetto804]

I wondered if "Starstruck" has any truth to the lyrics...? I picture RJD running from a crazed fan, and the band laughing.....!!!

[@LeonTodd]

Being an absolute nobody who has had experiences like that, I can't imagine what it must have been like for absolute rock stars in their prime when it came to obsessive fans.

[@brotherdoom2406]

I thought you already did this... don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a complaint though lol.

[@LeonTodd]

Not focussing on Rainbow and not with backing tracks though.

[@brotherdoom2406]

Leon Todd got it

[@hopespotbrand.1725]

"Man on the silver mountain". Evh stole the song to make "and the cradle will rock".

[@nekrovulpes]

Trick question. All Rainbow riffs are killer riffs. Anybody else feel like Ritchie Blackmore, despite being one of the most highly regarded guitarists of all time, is weirdly under-rated in terms of his influence on metal? Tip for the wise: the Heathen cover of Kill the King is one of the greatest things you'll ever hear.

[@LeonTodd]

I suspect that's because Purple were never quite as massive in the USA as they were in UK/Europe/Australia. I'll check that cover out!

[@kerriknight]

If you buy a Fender , Ritchie Blackmore signature Strat , The middle pickup is fake ............................

[@Eventual420]

One of Randy Rhoads big influences, Blackmore. He’s still a ladykiller, timeless. Nicely done man.

[@christopherdavis8248]

#7th like!!!