A Light in the Black 1975–1984 cover

A Light in the Black 1975–1984

Rainbow · 2015

364 min · 66 tracks · hard rock

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Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

61 /100
Foothills
Higher than 23% of albums we've rated

The underlying songs and performances reward revisiting, but this archival sweep is assembled to document sessions, not to make a tightly paced album.

What we noticed

  • The opening run moves from debut-era songs into rough mixes of “Tarot Woman” and “Stargazer,” then breaks for Osaka live recordings before returning to studio material.
  • The set places rehearsal takes, alternate mixes, outtakes and concert performances beside finished songs, so the same repertoire appears in sharply different stages of completion.
  • By the listed tracks, the sequence has moved from the band’s early, extended arrangements to the shorter, brisker “Since You Been Gone” and “Bad Girl.”
Composition 25% of the score
7/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
7/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
7/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
4/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
3/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 2/10

Little footprint beyond its audience. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

Disc 1

  • 1 Black Sheep of the Family 3:21
  • 2 Sixteenth Century Greensleeves 3:30
  • 3 Snake Charmer 4:32
  • 4 Temple of the King 4:41
  • 5 Tarot Woman (rough mix) 6:07
  • 6 Stargazer (rough mix) 9:10
  • 7 Run With the Wolf (rough mix) 3:51
  • 8 Mistreated (live in Osaka, Japan 1976) 11:13
  • 9 Purple Haze / White Christmas / Lazy / Man on the Silver Mountain / Blues / Man on the Silver Mountain (reprise) (live in Osaka, Japan 1976) 16:18

Disc 2

  • 1 Sensitive to Light (rough mix) 3:05
  • 2 The Shed (Subtle) 4:47
  • 3 Rainbow Eyes 7:06
  • 4 Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (rehearsal, Pirate Sound, LA, August 1977) 1:42
  • 5 Long Live Rock ’n’ Roll (rehearsal, Pirate Sound, LA, August 1977) 6:59
  • 6 Do You Close Your Eyes (rehearsal, Pirate Sound, LA, August 1977) 6:21
  • 7 Still I’m Sad (with organ intro) (rehearsal, Pirate Sound, LA, August 1977) 10:09
  • 8 Gates of Babylon 6:47
  • 9 Catch the Rainbow (live Koseinenkin, Osaka, Japan, 17 January 1978) 22:03
  • 10 Long Live Rock ’n’ Roll (Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert, NY, May 1978) 3:33
  • 11 L.A. Connection (Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert, NY, May 1978) 5:13

Disc 3

  • 1 Eyes of the World (instrumental outtake) 6:53
  • 2 Ain’t a Lot of Love in the Heart of Me (alternative outtake) 5:01
  • 3 Lost in Hollywood 4:52
  • 4 Danger Zone 4:29
  • 5 Since You Been Gone 3:19
  • 6 Bad Girl 4:51
  • 7 Over the Rainbow / Eyes of the World (live Calderone Hall, NY, 30 Nov’ 1979) 9:23
  • 8 Love’s No Friend (live Calderone Hall, NY, 30 Nov’ 1979) 8:12
  • 9 Beethoven: Ode to Joy (live Calderone Hall, NY, 30 Nov’ 1979) 5:44
  • 10 All Night Long (single remix version) 3:52
  • 11 Weiss Heim 5:13
  • 12 Stargazer (live at Castle Donington, 1980) 8:32

Disc 4

  • 1 Midtown Tunnel Vision 4:35
  • 2 I Surrender 4:03
  • 3 Magic 4:08
  • 4 Vielleicht das nächster Mal 3:19
  • 5 Jealous Lover 3:13
  • 6 Spotlight Kid (live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, 27 July 1981) 5:10
  • 7 Rule Britannia / Fire (live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, 27 July 1981) 2:52
  • 8 Death Alley Driver 4:43
  • 9 Bring on the Night (Dream Chaser) 4:07
  • 10 Stone Cold 5:19
  • 11 Power (live Convention Centre, San Antonio, Texas, 18 August 1982) 4:40
  • 12 Miss Mistreated (live Convention Centre, San Antonio, Texas, 18 August 1982) 4:27
  • 13 Tearin’ Out My Heart (live Convention Centre, San Antonio, Texas, 18 August 1982) 8:20

Disc 5

  • 1 Can’t Let You Go 4:22
  • 2 Desperate Heart 4:37
  • 3 Anybody There (outtake/Polar mix) 2:53
  • 4 Drinking With the Devil (outtake with alternative Guitar Solo) 3:44
  • 5 Make Your Move 5:27
  • 6 Snowman 4:33
  • 7 Street of Dreams 4:28
  • 8 Stranded (live at St. David’s Hall, Cardiff, 1983) 5:51
  • 9 Power (live at St. David’s Hall, Cardiff, 1983) 4:30
  • 10 Fire Dance (live at St. David’s Hall, Cardiff, 1983) 4:29
  • 11 Fool for the Night (live Budokan, Tokyo, Japan, 14 March 1984) 3:59
  • 12 Difficult to Cure (live Budokan, Tokyo, Japan, 14 March 1984) 11:18
  • 13 Smoke on the Water (live Budokan, Tokyo, Japan, 14 March 1984) 4:42

Disc 6

  • 1 All Night Long 7:56
  • 2 Catch the Rainbow 5:03
  • 3 Eyes of the World 1:23
  • 4 Lost in Hollywood / Guitar Solo 3:32
  • 5 Will You Love Me Tomorrow? 3:16
  • 6 Long Live Rock ’n’ Roll, Part 1 2:29
  • 7 Kill the King 3:32
  • 8 Long Live Rock ’n’ Roll, Part 2 2:18

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Reference: MusicBrainz · Wikidata