Blackmore’s Night – All Our Yesterdays (Frontiers) review

The music will transport you back – you’ll need to procure your own mead though

For anyone who has lost touch with former Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist Ritchie Blackmore’s career over the last 20 years or so – hearing Blackmore’s Night may come as quite a surprise. The former rocker has sworn off his roots and has fully embraced Renaissance-era music. Along with wife Candace Night, who is the group’s vocalist, the pair just released their ninth album, All Our Yesterdays. Don’t worry, Blackmore still sprinkles some of that trademark guitar work here and there.

Night’s voice is perfectly suited for this material. At times, powerful, others, ethereal; there’s an otherworldly quality to her singing that really does transport you back in time. “All Our Yesterdays” opens with just Night’s vocals and acoustic guitar, before morphing into an upbeat stomper. On the instrumental “Allan Yn N Fan,” Blackmore does pull out the electric for a smokin’ guitar solo. “Darker Shade of Black,” with its grandiose feel and organ overtones, is a nod to Procol Harum’s “Whiter Shade of Pale.” The gorgeous “Long Long Time” is led by Night’s hauntng vocal and penny whistle. There’s more great guitar on “Moonlight Shadow.”

Throwing a curveball in the otherwise ancient-centered material is their cover of Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe,” which Night sings alone, and is done in a very pop vein.
The disc ends on the excellent, Celtic-flavored “Comin’ Home.”

If you’re looking for something completely off the beaten path, check out Blackmore’s Night new release. In a sea of sameness, it really is a breath of fresh air. —Tony Peters