Under A Violet Moon - Blackmore's Night

Rather than putting in the extra effort to make their sophomore release more exciting and inspired than its dull predecessor, Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night merely unveil an album that's more of the same, only a little worse. While the first album featured appearances from such notable alumni as Ian Anderson, this second release boasts an extensive guest cast that's all but undetectable when drifting away from the tedious revivalist folk that dominates another overlong tracklist. This album's positive points are only achieved through successful attempts at deviation, meaning that the most interesting songs are 'Morning Star' for its violin, 'Wind in the ...  Read the complete review

I first discovered this just over a year ago. I had a voucher for a free CD and the one’s on offer weren’t that inspiring, then I spotted Under a Violet Moon by Blackmore’s Night, and recognising the name of Ritchie Blackmore (from his days with first Deep Purple and latterly, his own band Rainbow, both of whom I liked), I thought I would take a chance on it. I didn’t know quite what to expect, but I am glad I did. The type of music played by Blackmore’s Night is a mix of traditional folk tunes, such as Part Time With Good Company (a song by Henry VIII) through to new folk tunes written by Ritchie and his fiancée Candice Night ...  Read the complete review