Yet another excellent release and one of the best balanced Blackmore's Night albums I have heard.
It doesn't seem eighteen years since I bought the debut Blackmore's Night album. After leaving Deep Purple and following a tour with Rainbow, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore decided he'd had enough of Rock and wanted to play Medieval and Renaissance music with his partner Candice Night. Each BN album has seen Night get better and better as a vocalist and Blackmore bring in more Stratocaster, Rainbow and DP covers and just about anything else he fancied into the mix. This is their tenth studio album and I think one of the most cohesive.
The title track opens proceedings with an up-tempo, Russian-influenced feel, before a pair of instrumentals takes center stage. 'Allan Yn N Fan' is a wonderful upbeat piece, juxtaposed with 'Darker Shade Of Black', a more brooding effort where the Stratocaster steps forward. Then there is the first of three covers, Linda Ronstadt's 'Long Long Time', sung superbly by Night, backed only by a very sparse arrangement. A terrific version of Mike Oldfield's 'Moonlight Shadow' fits the band like a glove, leading the listener into the less likely, but no less effective, version of 'I Got You Babe'. Night sings it alone, not as a duet, giving the lyrics a different perspective and helps to breathe new life into a classic.
The album also sees the band cover themselves, as they dust off 'Where Are We Going From Here' from their 2003 album 'Ghost Of A Rose'. The new version is more Rock driven, with electric guitar and a synth line giving the song fresh energy. There are plenty of other great moments too, such as Blackmore's acoustic foray 'Queen's Lament' or the cheerful 'Will O' The Wisp'.
With this perfect blend of Renaissance music, instrumentals, up-tempo tracks and excellent cover versions, this is yet another excellent release and I would rate 'All Our Yesterdays' as one of the best balanced Blackmore's Night albums I have heard.
James Gaden
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