Chris Rainbow

Although he is better known to most rock music fans for his work with the Alan Parsons Project, Chris Rainbow also recorded a string of solo albums during the 1970s and 1980s that have become cult items among fans of AOR and pop music. These albums are tough to come by today, but curious pop fans can find a generous retrospective of material from this era on The Best of Chris Rainbow, 1972-1980. This compilation reveals his sound and style to be high-production, harmony-oriented pop in the vein of the Beach Boys and Electric Light Orchestra. Sadly, his songs don't quite measure up to the standard of those pop powerhouses. Although these songs benefit from slick production, they lack the kind of musical substance that would make them truly memorable; songs like "Tarzana Reseda" and "You And I" are full of pleasant guitar and keyboard layering that makes them easy on the ear but lack the kind of addictive hooks or memorable melodies that define great pop music. The few songs that do aggressively throw hooks at the listener, like the 1979 single "Ring Ring," often suffer from a contrived feel to their songwriting that undermines their effectiveness. Another problem is Rainbow's voice: although he can croon smoothly on the slower songs, he often slips into an irritating nasal whine when trying to belt it out on the more up-tempo numbers. Despite these problems, a few bright spots shine through: "All Night" throws out hooks and percolating vocal harmonies at breakneck speed, and "Bluebird" is a soothing ballad that glides forwards on a thick cushion of lush vocal harmonies and silky keyboard textures. For the most part, though, The Best of Chris Rainbow, 1972-1980 is more interesting than it is entertaining. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide