1 	Highland 	5:49
2 	Vagabond (Make A Princess Of Me) 	5:23
3 	Journeyman 	5:41
4 	Believe In Me 	4:25
5 	Sake Of The Song 	2:46
6 	Song And Dance (Pt II) 	2:03
7 	Celluloid Heroes 	5:27
8 	Keeper Of The Flame 	4:42
9 	Night At Eggersberg 	2:15
10 	Strawberry Girl 	4:05
11 	All The Fun Of The Fayre 	3:55
12 	Darkness 	3:21
13 	Dance Of The Darkness 	3:35
14 	Health To The Company 	4:19
15 	Barbara Allen 	3:39

    Ritchie Blackmore - guitars, renaissance drum, nyckelharpa, hurdy gurdy, mandola, mandolin
    Candice Night - vocals, harmonies, penny whistle, gemshorn, rauschpfeife, shawms, bombards, 
			chanters, recorders
    Bard David of Larchmont - keyboards, backing vocals
    Gypsy Rose (Elizabeth Cary) - violin, harmony vocals
    Earl Grey of Chimey (Mike Clemente) - bass and rhythm guitar
    Squire Malcolm of Lumley (Malcolm Dick) - percussion and drums
    Albert Danneman - renaissance woodwinds and vocals

Ritchie Blackmore has been a guitar icon for 40 years, most notably playing lead for the mega-successful hard rock band Deep Purple. His blistering solos and psychedelic colorations set many a music aficionado back on his and her heels, and the fiery gent's temperamentalism is still the stuff of rock legend. Much of that, however, appeared to be somewhat leashed when he got together with Ronnie James Dio and formed Rainbow, which produced several chart smashes still studied by the newer generations of musicians. For my part, I caught Purple every time they blew into L.A., and Blackmore and his mates were never less than killer, truly inspirational musicians. Thus, it was with more than a little head scratching when, seemingly retiring after Rainbow, Blackmore emerged with beautiful new wife Candice Night and pursued a chart-rock course with medieval overtones and a heavily MOR slant.

Well, as this and previous releases evince, Ritchie's lost none of his skills, heavily subordinated though they may now be; nevertheless, the Minstrel in the Gallery tone of Autumn Sky may not be entirely acceptable to the headbanging crowd of olden days. On the other hand. Tull was well-liked by the 70s gaggle, so who knows? Matters not at all, pilgrim, because, by any accounting, this is great music, lying somewhere between Tull, Renaissance, Dead Can Dance, and a number of Englantine minstrel outfits. Night possesses a voice in a mid-ground running from Annie Haslam to Mary Fahl (October Project), and the surrounding band is melodically accomplished, lush, and warm. Candice also plays a number of elder instruments (pennywhistle, gemshorn, rauchepfife, shawm, bombard, recorder, etc.), joining in with everyone to create an instrumentally convincing country fair atmosphere…greatly updated of course.

Blackmore's nowhere near as omnipresent as his legion of adulants are going to wish, but when he throws his hand in, there's no missing it, Journeyman a ravishing example. Surprising, though, is the band's decision to cover Ray Davies' old gem Celluloid Heroes, here a much folkier take and vastly less cynical than ol' Ray would ever venture, bless his sotted soul. However, I mentioned Ian Anderson's post-Passion Play output, a period I was never all that enamored of, and Blackmore's Night thankfully vastly outshines those efforts by a goodly distance, doing much to reinvest the mode with the corporeality of the present. Hard to believe but the band has never, to my radio-listening ears, been featured on any of the new mello-rock stations even though it easily trounces much of the fare there, surpassing Clannad and such outfits. Come to think of it, they haven't been played on the few DJ free-choice venues either, such as Jim Ladd's gig here in Los Angeles. Ah well, the world's gone mad, and if that displeases, then this CD is just the remedy, a beautiful and soothing yet stimulating concoction of lilting vocals, exotic playing, and heady flavors. --- acousticmusic.com

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1. I Think It's Going To Rain Today (Randy Newman cover) (3:54)
2. Troika (3:30)
3. The Last Leaf (4:05)
4. Lady In Black (Uriah Heep cover) (5:48)
5. Minstrels In The Hall [instrumental] (2:38)
6. The Temple Of The King (Rainbow cover) (4:26)
7. Dancer And The Moon (4:55)
8. Galliard (2:00)
9. The Ashgrove (2:21)
10. Somewhere Over The Sea (The Moon Is Shining) (4:07)
11. The Moon Is Shining (Somewhere Over The Sea) (6:19)
12. The Spinner's Tale (3:30)
13. Carry On... Jon [instrumental] (5:37)

Personnel:

Ritchie Blackmore - Acoustic And Electric Guitars, Nickelharpe,Mandola, Hurdy Gurdy, Tambourine
Candice Night - Lead Vocals, Harmony Vocals, All Renaissance And Medieval Woodwinds

Bard David Of Larchmont - Keyboards And Background Vocals
Lady Kelly Dewinter - Harmony Vocals, French Horn
Earl Grey Of Chimay - Bass And Rhythm Guitar
The Scarlet Fiddler - Violin
Troubador Of Aberdeen- Percussion

For those Deep Purple and Rainbow fans who’ve struggled to come to grips with Ritchie Blackmore’s turn toward ren-faire folkism with Blackmore’s Night, Dancer and the Moon might just provide the perfect entry point.

Oh, Blackmore hasn’t rethought trading in his molten electric guitar for the odd mandola or hurdy gurdy, and he’s still collaborating with wife Candice Night rather than Jon Lord or Ronnie James Dio. But the latter two are directly referenced on this new Frontiers Records release, completing an emotional circle — if not necessarily reanimating Blackmore’s old sound.

Of course, elsewhere on Dancer and the Moon, Blackmore’s Night finds inspiration from typically archaic forms — including old Welsh tunes (“The Ashgrove”), a Czech folk melody (“The Moon is Shining [Somewhere Over the Sea]), and a song from Richard the Third (“The Spinner’s Tale”). But Blackmore opens with a reworking of Randy Newman’s “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today,” originally featured in the Bette Midler film “Beaches,” and later a quiet and direct take on Uriah Heep’s “Lady in Black,” from 1971′s Salisbury.

Taken all together, it makes for perhaps the most accessible Blackmore’s Night offering yet.

Now, their covering Rainbow — this time, it’s the Dio co-written “Temple of the King” from the band’s 1975 debut — isn’t exactly a new thing. Blackmore’s Night had earlier reimagined a trio of other such tunes, including “Self Portrait” for 1999′s Under a Violet Moon, “Street of Dreams” on 2006′s The Village Lanterne and “Rainbow Eyes” for 2008′s Secret Voyage. But “Temple” represents Blackmore’s first return to that time since Dio passed in 2010 after a bout with stomach cancer, and there is an added sense of emotional depth this time.

Similarly, he’s covered mainstream songs, from Bob Dylan to Elvis Presley to, mostly recently, the Kinks — adding “Celluloid Heroes” to the 2010 Blackmore’s Night release Autumn Sky. But these new Newman and Ken Hensley remakes have a joy, a loose sensibility, that hasn’t always been part of this group’s sometimes too-studied sound.

Maybe it’s the birth of their two children since 2010. Maybe it’s the loss of Dio and, more recently, of Lord — for whom Blackmore offers a searing rumination on the closing “Carry On … John.” But Dancer and the Moon has a presence, an emotional availability, that wasn’t consistently there before. --- Nick DeRiso, somethingelsereviews.com

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01. Shadow Of The Moon [05:06]
02. The Clock Ticks On [05:15]
03. Be Mine Tonight [02:51]
04. Play Minstrel Play [03:59]
05. Ocean Gypsy [06:06]
06. Minstrel Hall [02:35]
07. Magical World [04:01]
08. Writing On The Wall [04:35]
09. Renaissance Faire [04:16]
10. Memmingen [01:05]
11. No Second Chance [05:38]
12. Mond Tanz [03:33]
13. Spirit Of The Sea [04:50]
14. Greensleeves [03:46]
15. Wish You Were Here [05:01]

Cello – Tom Brown
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Mandolin, Drums, Tambourine, Producer – Ritchie Blackmore
Keyboards, Producer – Pat Regan
Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals – Candice Night
Recorder, Trumpet, French Horn – Gerald Flashman
Viola, Violin – Lady Green
Flute – Ian Anderson (04)

Shadow of the Moon is the first album by Ritchie Blackmore's beloved Blackmore's Night project. The former Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist and his fiancée, vocalist Candice Night, created a Renaissance-inspired work with elements of folk, new age, and occasional bits of electric guitar. Blackmore even plays bass, mandolin, drum (yes, singular), and tambourine. Night's voice isn't powerful, but it's bright and sweet, making it perfect for this style of music. Other musicians include co-producer Pat Regan on keyboards and the Minstrel Hall Consort; Gerald Flashman on recorder, trumpet, and French horn; Tom Brown on cello; and Lady Green on violin and viola. Most songs are original compositions but some are based on traditional melodies. "Shadow of the Moon" is a marvelous opener; it's catchy, haunting, and propulsive. Blackmore shreds on acoustic guitar and lets the electric guitar slip into the background for faint power chords. Regal, majestic horns lend an elegance to "The Clock Ticks On," which addresses the passage of time and a yearning to live in the past. "Play Minstrel Play" features Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson, one of Blackmore's favorite musicians. The song moves along pleasantly until about halfway through when it explodes into a frantic, handclaps-led pace with Anderson's wild flute solo. The warmth of "Ocean Gypsy" makes it the song most easily classified as new age here; Blackmore plays a gentle but swift acoustic guitar melody under Night's softly yearning vocals. "Writing on the Wall" is quite fast and has a danceable beat, and there's even a blowout jam at the end. Blackmore's electric guitar work is the most prominent on "No Second Chance" and "Wish You Were Here." The instrumental "Possum's Last Dance" is a U.S.-only bonus track. ---Bret Adams, Rovi

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1 	Hark The Herald Angels Sing - Come All Ye Faithful 	3:48
2 	I Saw Three Ships 	2:39
3 	Winter (Basse Dance) 	3:08
4 	Ding Dong Merrily On High 	3:15
5 	Ma-O-Tzur 	2:20
6 	Good King Wenceslas 	4:45
7 	Lord Of The Dance / Simple Gifts 	3:33
8 	We Three Kings 	4:48
9 	Wish You Were Here 	5:04
10 	Emmanuel 	3:30
11 	Christmas Eve 	4:20
12 	We Wish You A Merry Christmas 	1:25

- Ritchie Blackmore - guitars, mandola, nickelharpa, hurdy gurdy, percussion, arrangements
- Candice Night - lead & harmony vocals, shawm, pennywhistle, recorder
+
- Pat Regan - keyboards, orchestral arrangements, producer
- Madeline Posner - harmony vocals
- Nancy Posner - harmony vocals 

Blackmore's Night has struck gold once again with Winter Carols. Candace Night and Ritchie Blackmore and their troupe make beautiful music together. One of their niches is the old-fashioned traditional carols and some of their own nifty originals like "Winter (Basse Dance)" and "Christmas Eve" make this recording a very special holiday treat this year. The renaissance sound is all part of the Blackmore's Rainbow repertoire and Candace Night has the perfect high angelic voice to accompany Blackmore's folk and electric (although seldom) guitar journeys.

I feel in love with the music of Blackmore's Night all the way back to their first album and now this holiday gift just melted my heart and made me feel all warm and spiritual. I know it may sound all squishy and fluffy but it is true. This is one the best Christmas albums I have ever heard and it will remain one of my yearly favorites for years to come.

This particular promo copy gave me offerings of "Christmas Eve" the radio edit version and full version along with the full version of "Wish You Were Here," which is also part of the main album's sequence. I also received a promo copy for the album including four tracks and the video version of "Christmas Eve," which is as enchanting as the song itself.

This one is a real keeper so get it. ---Muzikman, progarchives.com

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CD 1

01. Hark The Herald Angels Sing / Come All Ye Faithful (3:46)
02. I Saw Three Ships (2:36)
03. Winter (Basse Dance) (3:04)
04. Ding Dong Merrily On High (3:12)
05. Ma-O-Tzur (2:15)
06. Good King Wenceslas (4:42)
07. Lord Of The Dance / Simple Gifts (3:31)
08. We Three Kings (4:44)
09. Wish You Were Here (5:00)
10. Emmanuel (3:28)
11. Christmas Eve (4:16)
12. We Wish You A Merry Christmas (1:21)

CD 2

01. ‘Hark The Herald Angels Sing/O Come All Ye Faithful’
02. ‘Emmanuel’
03. ‘We Three Kings’
04. ‘Ma-O-Tzur’
05. ‘Good King Wenceslas’
06. ‘Christmas Eve’ (2013 Version)
07. ‘Christmas Eve’ (German radio edit)
08. ‘Christmas Eve’ (English and German radio edit)
09. ‘Christmas Eve’ (English radio edit)

Ritchie Blackmore - Guitar, Mandola, Nyckelharpa, Percussion, Hurdy Gurdy, Arranger
Pat Regan – Keyboards
Candice Night - Shawm, Whistle [Pennywhistle], Recorder, Vocals
Lady Madeline, Lady Nancy - Harmony Vocals 
Orchestrated By Pat Regan

Ever wonder what Christmas carols sounded like back in time when the finest form of transportation was by horse and wearing armor was a hip fashion statement? Well then, the second release of 2006 by Blackmore's Night, Winter Carols, may offer some insight. As with their previous efforts, the music on Winter Carols is of the Renaissance-inspired folk variety. And while the majority of the songs are traditional compositions, there are also a few originals, including "Winter (Basse Dance)," which includes some simply gorgeous acoustic guitar doodling by once Fender Strat/Marshall amp abuser Blackmore. Elsewhere, songs such as "Hark the Herald Angels Sing/Come All Ye Faithful" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" would sound splendid sung around the campfire -- if it were still the 15th century. Unfortunately, a rendition of the Chipmunks' "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" is not included. ---Greg Prato, allmusic.com

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01. All of Our Yesterdays
02. Allan Yn N Fan
03. Darker Shade Of Black
04. Long Long Time
05. Moonlight Shadow
06. I Got You Babe
07. The Other Side
08. Queen’s Lament
09. Where Are We Going From Here
10. Will O’ The Wisp
11. Earth, Wind & Sky
12. Coming Home 

* Ritchie Blackmore – electric & acoustic guitars, mandola, hurdy gurdy, nickelharpe
* Candice Night - vocals, chanter, cornamuse, shawms, rauschpfeife
* Bard David of Larchmont - keyboards
* Earl Grey of Chimay - Bass and rhythm guitar
* Lady Lynn - harmony vocals, shawm, flute, recorder
* Troubadour of Aberdeen - drums

Moody, perfectionist, innovator, demanding, leader and control freak. These are only a few traits that have been attributed to Ritchie Blackmore throughout his career. Even more interestingly, from all the legendary artists he has cooperated with, Candice Night is the one who has lasted the longest. And even though the man-in-black’s decision to abandon the realm of rock more than 18 years ago has still left a bitter taste in some of his loyal fans’ mouths, there’s no denying that there is quality in the folk/renaissance duo’s work.

Nevertheless, the aforementioned quality can be found mostly on their early releases and unfortunately All Our Yesterdays is not an exception. To begin with, the album follows the pattern of shorter time and fewer tracks that began on 2008’s Secret Voyage. While this is positive, the fact that 5 out of the 12 tracks are covers, highlights the band’s major issue; limited inspiration. Blackmore’s Night has always included covers of traditional songs on its albums and even modern adaptations of classic rock songs like “Child in Time” or “Self Portrait”, for example. However, they always added something to the original, in terms of arrangement or simply their own interpretation of the song. On their latest release, the band’s decision to place three of the covers in a row is weird by itself but even more discouraging is the selection of tracks combined with the fact that Blackmore and Co. adds absolutely nothing substantial to them, apart from a couple of tasteful guitar licks. “I Got You Babe” is even cornier than the original, “Moonlight Shadow” is fine but doesn’t deviate from the original, while “Long Long Time” at least explains the slight change in Candice Night’s voice. From the very first track, the Russian heritage influenced “All Our Yesterdays”, one can listen that the female vocalist sounds raspier on the high notes as if she utilizes a country rock approach rather than the delicate/romantic one she used in the past.

What is more, one of the band’s strong points has always been their instrumentals. Out of the three of them, the oddly titled “Darker Shade of Black” (opposed to “A Whiter Shade of Pale”) is the most interesting. Even though it sounds a bit flat for the first 3:20 minutes, the introduction of harpsichord and Blackmore’s performance make it one of the standouts of the album. In addition, the traditional “Allan Yn n Fan” brings to mind Fairport Convention while the melancholic “Queen’s Lament” is a nice track but slightly incomplete.

Hopefully, all is not lost because the second half of the album is much improved. “The Other Side” and “Will O’ the Wisp” are both prime examples of the songs that made Blackmore’s Night popular among their fans. Renaissance inspired folk with meticulous instrumentation and attractive guitar playing. In addition, “Earth, Wind and Sky” is a medieval influenced delicate ballad that would have benefitted if Candice had sung in a slightly higher register. However, “Where Are We Going from Here” is the album in a nutshell; an upbeat cover version of their 2003 song from Ghost of a Rose. Even though it’s not a bad track by any means, the original had more of a substance as its charm was due to its melancholic nature combined with a much better vocal performance by Night.

Overall, All Our Yesterdays is not a poor experience. It’s upbeat with careful arrangements and generally an easy listen. But “easy listening” is not what we’ve come to expect from Ritchie Blackmore; the fact that the maestro is 70 years old certainly plays a role. But his desire to release new material every 2-3 years has finally caught up with him for good. From guitar hero, he turned into an awesome folk guitarist overnight because he’s that good compared to the standard. However, the duo’s last release is disappointing not only because it lacks fresh ideas but because Blackmore’s playing isn’t that interesting anymore. One might wonder, if he did put any effort or if the band is on auto pilot these days… --- manosg, sputnikmusic.com

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